Digital Marketing for Contractors

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Rewind Series , Janet and Caitlyn revisit one of the most popular episodes in Digital Marketing for Contractors history: Building Brand Awareness — originally recorded in October 2023 — and break it down through a 2025 lens. While the fundamentals of brand awareness haven’t changed, how it shows up, how homeowners evaluate it, and how Google rewards it absol...

Send us Fan Mail In the first episode of our new Rewind Series , Janet and Caitlyn revisit Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and break down what’s actually changed since its rollout in 2023—and what home improvement contractors need to pay attention to now. When GA4 first launched, it left many contractors frustrated, confused, and unsure how to find the data they relied on in Universal Analytics. Fast for...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Digital Marketing for Contractors , Janet and Caitlyn break down the headlines, market shifts, and digital marketing updates shaping the home improvement industry heading into 2026. Fall 2025 brought a mix of encouraging wins—like a 20-year high in women’s employment across the construction industry—and some shocking shakeups, most notably the abrupt overnight c...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Digital Marketing for Contractors , Janet and Caitlyn sit down with Maddy Martin, SVP of Growth at Smith.ai , to tackle one of the biggest challenges contractors face: missed opportunities from slow lead response. Maddy shares why speed-to-lead is critical, how Smith.ai helps contractors answer every call, chat, and text, and how better lead handling drives ROI....

Send us Fan Mail In this special summer roundup episode, Janet and Caitlyn break down the latest news and research shaping the home improvement and remodeling industry. From builder confidence reports and Harvard’s remodeling forecasts to surveys from Qualified Remodeler, AIA, and Houzz, we connect the dots on what these shifts mean for your business. We also dive into the latest platform updates...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Digital Marketing for Contractors , Janet and Caitlyn sit down with Dean Curtis, CEO of Ingage, to talk about transforming the in-home sales presentation. Dean shares how Ingage helps contractors close more deals with polished, interactive, and data-driven presentations that boost professionalism and consistency across sales teams. You’ll hear real success stori...

Send us Fan Mail Customer reviews aren’t just “nice-to-haves” anymore—they’re one of the most powerful tools in your marketing toolbox . In this episode of Digital Marketing for Contractors , Janet sits down with Arden, FatCat account manager, to talk about: Why 88% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations How reviews boost your SEO and even impact Local Service Ads The r...

Send us Fan Mail When it comes to growing a home improvement business, most contractors focus on hitting revenue goals. But what if you could build a company that not only thrives today but is also positioned for a profitable sale tomorrow? That’s exactly what Chris Edelen , former CEO and owner of Safe Showers , did—and in this episode of Digital Marketing for Contractors , he shared his incredib...

Send us Fan Mail Home Improvement Business Owners, are you interested in planning your exit strategy? We're kicking off a NEW series with Chris Edelen this Wednesday on our Digital Marketing for Contractors podcast. Listen to the teaser below and submit your questions to be featured on the podcast by following this link: https://fatcatstrategies.com/planmyexit/ Want to find out how we can cre...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Digital Marketing for Contractors , Janet and Sasha wrap up our three-part AI series with a conversation about staying human in an AI-driven world. From chatbots and CRMs to automated reviews and follow-ups, AI is now built into nearly every tool contractors use. But instead of replacing people, it should be seen as a partner—freeing up time for the authentic, p...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Digital Marketing for Contractors , Janet and Arden tackle a big question for 2025: How can home improvement contractors protect their lead flow in an AI-driven marketing world? From SEO to paid ads to CRM follow-up, the tools you’ve always used still matter—but the way you use them has changed. You’ll learn: How to create content that Google’s new AI Overviews...

Send us Fan Mail In this first installment of a three-part mini-series, hosts Janet and Meredith explore how AI is fundamentally transforming the way homeowners search for services online and what that means for home improvement contractors trying to generate leads. The conversation centers around the shift from traditional keyword-based SEO to AI-generated answers in search engines like Google, a...

Send us Fan Mail  In this episode, Janet Mobley and Meredith Medlin chat with Ross Gaskin, VP of Sales at Health at Home, about the fast-growing “aging in place” market and how contractors can seize this opportunity. Ross shares insights into home accessibility trends, common contractor mistakes in barrier-free bathroom installs, and why selling grab bars could be your ticket into larger remodel p...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Digital Marketing for Contractors , Janet and Caitlyn sit down with Ryan Cohn, Content Marketing Manager at Blazeo, to dive into the massive impact of speed to lead and how automated, real-human follow-up can supercharge your sales pipeline. Formerly known as Apex Chat, Blazeo has evolved into a powerful suite of tools for contractors—offering live chat staffed...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we’re joined by Scott Berman, veteran home improvement leader and the founder of HeavySet Forms. Scott shares how his 30+ years in the industry — and the challenges he faced at Florida Window & Door — inspired him to create a powerful lead automation tool. HeavySet Forms helps contractors automate appointment scheduling, follow-up, and confirmation using AI —...

Send us Fan Mail  In the final episode of the Build, Grow, Dominate series, Janet and Caitlyn dive into how home improvement contractors can leverage TV and OTT (Over-the-Top) advertising to supercharge their brand presence. From the basics of how these platforms differ to tactical tips on creative production, tracking ROI, and real-world success stories—this episode breaks down how traditional an...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Digital Marketing for Contractors , we’re joined by Erik Vargas, co-founder of FollowUp CRM. Built from inside a commercial roofing company, FollowUp CRM is tailor-made for construction contractors with a commercial and residential division. Erik dives into why traditional CRMs fall short in this industry, how poor follow-up is killing your close rate, and what...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Digital Marketing for Contractors , Janet and Caitlyn explore how to unlock the full potential of your marketing strategy by blending digital tactics with traditional media. Whether you're running TV and radio ads or building out Google PPC and social campaigns, this episode explains how to ensure your messaging is cohesive, your channels are aligned, and y...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Digital Marketing for Contractors , Janet and Caitlyn dive into one of their favorite strategies—hybrid marketing. Designed for contractors who are beyond the startup phase and actively scaling, this episode explores how to integrate field marketing tactics (like home shows, canvassing, and signage) with digital marketing strategies (like SEO, PPC, and email nur...

Send us Fan Mail Special Guest: Steve Spence, Managing Director of Project Map It In this episode of Digital Marketing for Contractors , Janet and Caitlyn sit down with Steve Spence, the managing director of Project Map It—a powerful tool that helps contractors showcase completed projects, collect reviews, and ultimately close more deals. Steve shares the story behind the software, how it’s helpin...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Janet and Caitlyn break down a powerful yet underutilized strategy for lead generation: integrating manufacturer leads into your digital marketing campaigns. Perfect for home improvement businesses in growth or scale mode, this episode outlines how to go beyond word-of-mouth and aggregator leads by partnering more effectively with product manufacturers. Key Takeaw...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Caitlyn and Janet dive into what growing home improvement contractors should consider when choosing a digital marketing agency—especially if you're outgrowing that set-it-and-forget-it vendor relationship. If your business is scaling past the $5M mark and you're looking for a strategic partner (not just a task-taker), this episode will show you exactly w...

Send us Fan Mail Using Gift Cards to Boost Leads and Loyalty with Evan Crum from PerfectGift.com In this episode, we’re talking with Evan Crum from PerfectGift.com about how home improvement companies can use gift cards to: Drive more leads through incentives Improve review generation Motivate and reward employees Create smarter canvassing campaigns Avoid one-leg appointments with strategic incent...

Send us Fan Mail Title: How to Build and Optimize Your Sales Funnel Series: Build. Grow. Dominate. – Part 2 In this week’s episode, Janet and Caitlyn kick off Part 2 of their “Build. Grow. Dominate.” series by diving deep into how Level 2 home improvement contractors can structure and optimize their sales funnel to increase conversions. They break down the five essential stages of a contractor&apo...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Janet and Caitlyn break down the 10 most common PPC advertising mistakes replacement contractors make—and how to avoid them. From weak ad copy and mismanaged budgets to overlooked geographic targeting and missing conversion tracking, this is a must-listen for contractors who want better ROI from their Google Ads campaigns. Whether you're running ads yourself...