A second is posting frequently about your area of expertise<\/strong>. These can be short posts in the form of quick tips (\u201cThree reasons to check your windows before winter\u201d), or longer posts or videos that make a more detailed case for your services (\u201cFive ways a metal roof can extend your home\u2019s life and improve its resale value\u201d). Encourage your friends, family, employees, and clients to like, share, and repost them, so they can get a viewing from others in your working area. Don\u2019t worry if you\u2019re better with a hammer than a keyboard; we\u2019ll circle back to that part. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, you should use your social accounts to really engage with the local community<\/strong>, because that\u2019s where your potential clients are. Even small and rural communities have community pages, which serve much the same purpose as the town square (or front porches) used to. Join the groups and participate (respectfully and professionally) in the discussions. Also \u2014 and this is very important \u2014 learn and observe the rules of each group. Some allow you to explicitly market your services, but many will consider that to be \u201cspamming.\u201d Even in those, it\u2019s usually fine to offer advice when the subject turns to your expertise (\u201cWell, I\u2019m in the business, and usually what it means is\u2026\u201d) or to refer them to something you\u2019ve written on your company page, blog, or website.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Positive reviews go a long way to helping you get new business, especially when you\u2019re working within a relatively small community. This is known in marketing as \u201csocial proof,\u201d<\/a> and it\u2019s a powerful tool.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n That means happy customers are among your best potential sources of new customers. At the close of every job, while they\u2019re still enjoying the feeling of having their home upgraded (or a longstanding problem fixed), that\u2019s the time to ask if they know anyone else who might be interested in your services. Those referrals make some of your strongest leads. If they don\u2019t have that person\u2019s contact information at their fingertips, assure them it\u2019s fine and you\u2019d still love the name (we\u2019ll circle back to this). <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is also when you should ask for a review you can post on your social media, or ask them to rate your work on Google, Facebook, Yelp, Angi, or any other platform you target. Positive reviews and high star ratings go a long way toward establishing your credibility with other potential customers, even if your customer doesn\u2019t currently know anyone who might be a prospect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also \u2014 this is important \u2014 never forget a customer, and never let a customer forget you. If they\u2019ve mentioned another upgrade they\u2019d like to do in the future, drop them a line periodically to check how close they are to pulling the trigger on it. Let them know if you\u2019ve expanded your products or services, and remind them that you\u2019re always interested in hearing from them if they know anyone who needs work done. You can even consider offering them an incentive for leading customers in your direction, whether that be a discounted rate on future work, a small standalone product or service, or even a direct cash payment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Selling real estate is different from selling home improvements, but there\u2019s enough overlap to make some realtor techniques applicable to what you do. One key real estate technique is \u201ccircle prospecting,\u201d<\/a> which means identifying key characteristics of your existing clients and then using that as a way to screen for other good leads within the same immediate area.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n You could do this the old-fashioned way, by walking a neighborhood and looking for homes of the same age that may well need your services. Sometimes you can even judge from other clues (the age and quality of the cars in the driveway, how well the property is kept up, the age of the residents\u2019 children as shown by what\u2019s in the yard, and so on). The closer these things match your existing clients, the better a possible lead the residents are. Children of similar ages also increase the likelihood that they\u2019ll know, or know of, your existing clients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, that takes time, and time you spend pounding the sidewalk is time you aren\u2019t spending on the job (and vice versa). A more intelligent way to attack the problem is through a search tool like Spokeo for Business<\/a>. You can use it to search each address in your target area (you can save shoe leather by using Google Maps to get those), and Spokeo\u2019s results will show you all kinds of useful information, including where available:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Better yet, it provides a number of ways to get in touch with your new potential customer, including phone numbers, email addresses, and their social media accounts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A quick sub-tip:<\/em><\/strong> Do searches on your existing customers, too. It\u2019ll help you figure out which neighbors are most like them, and why. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember what we said about \u201csocial proof\u201d? Well, when people don\u2019t know who to ask for recommendations with home improvements, there are three places they predictably go in great numbers: Google, Facebook, and Yelp. Reviews on those three platforms can make or break your business, so the time and money you invest in positioning yourself there is really important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Google alone offers you multiple ways to increase your presence. Creating a Google Business Profile<\/a> is an essential starting point: It\u2019s free, and it lets you customize what people will see when you turn up in Google\u2019s searches and on Google Maps (so really emphasize to your clients how much those reviews help you!). Then there are Google\u2019s advertising products, including AdWords (which is how you show up in those top listings labeled \u201csponsored\u201d) and the Google Display Network<\/a>, which puts your ads on related content as potential clients go about their day online. You\u2019ll get plenty of analytics tools to help you understand how to get the most out of your advertising dollar, as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Facebook has its own powerful advertising program<\/a>, which rivals Google\u2019s in bang for the buck. You can also advertise your services directly on Facebook Marketplace. In either case, you\u2019ll have the ability to use videos and photos in your ads to get the biggest possible impact.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n As for Yelp, reviews there are also useful, and paid ads are also available<\/a> (it\u2019s even rumored that its policies may favor companies that advertise there<\/a>). Whenever you\u2019re exchanging messages or emails with your clients, make a point of asking for a review (and sending them a link, to make it easy). A steady accumulation of good reviews really magnifies your presence on the three platforms.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the frustrating things about trying to generate referrals from existing clients or leads from your encounters around the community or on social media is that the information you get may be sketchy or incomplete. The name might be misspelled, the phone number written down wrong, or it might even be as unhelpful as \u201cHoney, do you know Ken\u2019s last name? Over on Bluebird Street?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Those potential leads often go untapped because you\u2019re unable to locate the correct information or because the client making the referral never follows up on it. Yet, because they\u2019re personal referrals, those are some of the best potential<\/em> leads you can have. Spokeo for Business provides a crucial tool for breaking this cycle of frustration. This is two tips in one, depending on who you\u2019re networking with and why you want to connect with them. Remember a few paragraphs ago, when we spoke of being better with a hammer than a keyboard? Well, if you don\u2019t have someone in your immediate circle of family and friends who\u2019s willing to run your social media for you, or do pictures and videos \u2014 anything you don\u2019t have time for, or aren\u2019t good at \u2014 those are things you can get through networking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s almost certainly a professional or semi-pro photographer out there who\u2019d happily trade a few hours of picture-taking every month for a nice discount on a home-improvement project. The same goes for freelance writers to take your notes or a video shot on your phone and turn that raw material into a well-written, informative post for your company\u2019s social media accounts. You can also just pay them outright, of course, and write off their fee as a business expense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cultivating other professionals in related but non-competitive niches is another excellent way to generate leads. Roofers and solar installers, for example, make a natural pairing because panels frequently go on roofs, and it makes sense to have them done at the same time. Windows and insulation both improve a home\u2019s energy efficiency, so homeowners investing in one are probably interested in the other. The same holds true for heat pumps. Just remember to vet the other companies carefully, because customers won\u2019t be happy if you recommend someone who does shoddy work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re first starting, it\u2019s awfully tempting to turn to a lead generation service to build your initial client base and try to get enough customers to float your business and pay your bills. This, however, isn\u2019t necessarily the best way to spend your money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First, only a relatively small subset of these businesses are specifically home improvement lead generation companies. Like any business, most of them want to appeal to the widest possible number of potential customers. So, while you can specify a lot of details about the kind of client you want, they aren\u2019t explicitly home improvement<\/em> leads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, those leads aren\u2019t necessarily exclusive. They may have been sold already to companies in your area, or a rival from a nearby area that\u2019s since moved into your chosen turf. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, though they fit the profile of your preferred customer in a general sense, they\u2019re really only potential leads. They can\u2019t be compared in quality to a direct referral from a friend or existing customer, or someone responding to your own actual advertising or social media page. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In short, they aren\u2019t usually the best place to put your money. The combination of your favorite tips from our list and an affordable Spokeo for Business subscription can give you higher-impact results, often at a lower cost. Better yet, leads from advertising with Google or Facebook can start coming in within hours of your purchase, putting you and your crew to work right away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re in the building trades, you know the value of having the right tools. Your work goes smoothly, you get better results, and you\u2019ll deal with a lot less frustration. And if you\u2019ve already spent on the right tools to do<\/em> the job, it only makes sense to also spend on the right tools to get<\/em> the job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Spokeo for Business is a tool that can be just as essential to your business as anything you keep in your truck. You don\u2019t need to be a computer whiz to use it \u2014 it\u2019s as simple as doing a Google search (but a lot more powerful). You don\u2019t need to have a fat bank account, either, because we offer usage-based subscription tiers that make sense for even the smallest and newest companies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To find out more about how Spokeo can help you generate home improvement leads, reach out to our team through the contact information on our home page<\/a>. They\u2019ll be happy to go into detail with you and answer your questions. Better yet, they can set up a demonstration of the product, or even a no-cost, hands-on trial. There\u2019s no better way to test out a product than actually using it yourself.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Marketing91: Social Proof: Definition,\u00a0 Importance, Types, and Examples<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Google: Stand Out With a Free Google Business Profile<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Google Ads Help: About Display Ads and the Google Display Network<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Facebook: Ads Manager<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"roofers](\"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/pathfinder\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/pexels-rstephens-33501308-1024x682.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nTip 3: Happy Customers Make the Best Freelance Salespeople<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Tip 4: Invest Time in \u201cCircle Prospecting\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Tip 5: Piggyback On the Biggest Companies In the Game<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/pathfinder\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/pexels-shkrabaanthony-5493664-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nTip 6: Every Contact, However Imperfect, Is a Potential Lead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
With any one piece of accurate information, you\u2019ll usually be able to fill in the blanks to find what you need. Here are a few ways you can turn potential leads into actual leads using Spokeo for Business:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Tip 7: Network for What You Need<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Tip 8: Skip Lead Generation Companies <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You Know the Value of the Right Tools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n