6 Contractor Evolution Podcasts That Will Supercharge Your Marketing Strategy

When times are tough – and it seems safe to say that now counts – good quality leads are more important than ever.

You’ve got to keep the prospect wheel turning… but what’s the best way to spend your hard-earned marketing money?

Should you post more on social? Hire an agency? Embark on a rebrand?

All of the above?

Then, regardless of what tactics you deploy, how do you best measure your marketing’s effectiveness?

Oh boy…

Marketing tactics should be part of a holistic plan that’s proactive and evolves along with industry conditions. In this article, we’ve put together a list of six Contractor Evolution podcasts with leading experts in branding, digital, social media, video production, SEO and outdoor advertising.

These are masterclasses in marketing for contractors, addressing the most pressing questions (and more!) that we’ve been hearing at Breakthrough Academy.

Each one is chock-full of actionable advice and practical recommendations you can start using TODAY. Or tomorrow. Tomorrow’s fine too, we know you’re busy. We’re just excited about what these podcasts can do for your business.

Can I generate leads with Instagram?

Yup, it is possible to use Instagram for something other than brand awareness. With the right approach, this stylistic, yet under-appreciated, platform can drive crowds of quality prospects right to your door.

Hear the techniques Sean Walford used to build a sales funnel for his Edmonton-based renovations company, Priority Builders. The company’s 22K-strong Instagram following supplies over 70% of his jobs and, even more impressive, he accomplished this feat in only a couple of years.

If you’ve been thinking Instagram was just for showcasing pretty pictures of your latest projects and reminding the world you exist, learn how to Optimize Your Business’s Instagram Lead Flow and discover a powerful new way to leverage this marketing tool.

How can I slay my SEO?

Most contractors know Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is important, but don’t really understand the tactics necessary to make their website dominate a results page. That knowledge gap leaves them vulnerable to shady agencies with false promises of Google greatness.

Rising to the top of the rankings isn’t easy, but it also isn’t impossible. Learn How to Not Get Screwed By SEO Agencies. This highly popular podcast episode is for contractors looking to sharpen their SEO savvy. It’ll help you navigate the tricky terrain of SEO agencies and the pitfalls of handing your SEO strategy over to ChatGPT.

There’s no one better to learn from on this topic than Devon Hayes, whose digital agency, Elevation Marketing, is heavily focused on serving contractors, so you’re getting real – and relevant – goods here.

Is there a way to market more efficiently?

Marketing is sometimes thought of as synonymous with sales, but the relationship between the two relies on a distinct dynamic. If marketing captures hearts and minds, sales captures dollars and cents. And these days, moving leads from one to the other has become downright arduous.

Lead flows are down, CPMs (cost per mille - basically the cost of getting 1000 impressions for your ad) are up. In this current belt-tightening climate, you can no longer assume there’s always another lead around the corner, and you need to be precious with the ones you bring in, nurturing each towards a close, as efficiently as possible.

Learn how to Boost Your Lead-to-Sales Ratio in this episode with Kevin Donnelly, whose team, Webrunner Media Group, works exclusively with growing contractors. This is specialized advice that will decode the sales and marketing essentials every entrepreneur needs to know to withstand a stark economy.

How do I make my brand more… me?

Your company’s brand is the cornerstone of your corporate identity and reputation, which is why you want it to represent what’s meaningful to you – not what you think the world wants it to be. But bringing your true nature to the forefront can be scary… until you consider you’ve likely already been showing your customers who you really are. You just haven’t realized it.

Erik Miller is the founder of branding agency, StoryHook, and he has a take on this nebulous topic that’s both unique and grounded. Learn The Secret to Building a Brand That’s Authentically You, and start leaning into your company’s most innately engaging qualities.

You’ll uncover tangible and cost-effective steps you can put into practice to define and communicate your brand, and share your story in a way that captures the imagination of prospective customers. There’s no fluff here, just rock-solid guidance on how to do you like only you can.

What’s the best way to showcase what we offer?

Potential customers want to see how your products and services function in the world before opening their wallets, which has made video the most powerful medium in marketing. It can help you outpace your competition (and make Hollywood come calling, but that’s another discussion for another time… ⭐).

Before you start rolling your eyes and questioning how you’re supposed to fit “videographer” on your already overflowing plate, let Marcus Sheridan tell you about the 6 Revenue Driving Videos Every Contractor Needs.

Marcus is the author of The Visual Sale, and he’ll teach you how to keep this imperative marketing strategy focused and budget-friendly. You’ll learn the process for creating scroll-stopping video content and the easiest way to collaborate with ChatGPT for brainstorming ideas. Plus, he’ll offer insights on whether it makes sense for you to hire an agency to produce your videos, or whether you’re better off keeping the endeavor in-house.

Should I wrap my wheels?

In the gamut of outdoor advertising tactics, perhaps one of the most interesting for contractors to consider is vehicle wrapping. You’re driving around anyway, you may as well gain some extra marketing benefit while you’re at it. But before unfurling the vinyl, take some time to understand what makes a wrap eye-catching versus an eyesore.

If you’ve ever asked, Is Wrapping Your Vehicles Worth It? you need to hear this podcast episode as Dan Antonelli covers the five golden rules of vehicle wraps. His agency, KickCharge Creative, focuses on the home service industry and his team work with some of the biggest brands in the world.

Let his expertise guide you through the many careful decisions involved in wrapping your fleet and ensure you get the best wraps on the road, without blowing a hole in your budget.

Speaking of wrapping… that’s a wrap on our list.

We hope you enjoy these episodes as much as we loved putting them together. We choose our experts with care to ensure you get the most cutting-edge and useful input on marketing tactics that actually pump up your profits.

If you’d like more insider tips and tricks about every facet of running your business, subscribe to the Contractor Evolution podcast and start receiving weekly updates.