How To Build a Modern Marketing Strategy

Referrals and word of mouth often fuel the early growth of a contracting business. But over time, that momentum can start to fade. When referrals slow down or growth stalls, contractors realize they need a more intentional approach to marketing.

In this episode of Contractor Evolution, Danny Kerr sits down with marketing expert and former plumber Matt Jones to unpack what a real marketing strategy looks like for contractors who want to scale.

Matt’s perspective is simple: the goal isn’t just to generate more leads. It’s to build a system that consistently converts the right leads into long-term customers.

Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the conversation.

Key Takeaways for Contractors

• Referrals are great, but they’re hard to scale
  Word-of-mouth leads are often the best clients you’ll ever get. The problem is that you can’t reliably scale them. If you want consistent growth, you need a proactive strategy that generates new opportunities on demand while maintaining strong referral channels.
• More leads won’t fix a broken sales process
  Many contractors believe the solution to slow growth is simply more leads. In reality, most businesses already have enough opportunities. Instead, they just lose them due to poor follow-up and weak systems. Fixing discovery calls, qualification and follow-up often improves results far more than increasing ad spend.
• Qualification is just as important as lead generation
  Not every inquiry is worth pursuing. Effective discovery should quickly determine whether the project fits your service area, budget range and timeline. By qualifying leads early, contractors avoid wasting time on jobs that will never close.
• Your marketing should focus on lifetime value, not just the first job
  Smart contractors think beyond the initial project. A customer who spends $400 today might be worth $5,000–$20,000 over the next decade. When you understand lifetime value, you can justify investing more into acquiring the right customers.
• Consistency beats short-term marketing spikes
  Many businesses treat marketing like a light switch - turning it on when work slows down and off when they get busy. This creates unstable pipelines and operational chaos. A better approach is building a steady marketing engine that supports predictable growth.

The Big Picture

At its core, a marketing strategy is about clarity.

You need to know your ideal customer and understand the value they bring to your business. You should also build systems that consistently convert opportunities into long-term relationships.

As Matt explains, marketing success isn’t just about ads or websites. It’s about building a process that moves leads through discovery, qualification and conversion in a way that aligns with your company’s goals.

Want Help Systemizing Your Growth?

If you’re a contractor looking to move beyond referrals and build a predictable growth engine, Breakthrough Academy can help. Our coaches, systems and community are designed to help contractors scale their businesses while working fewer hours.

Book a complimentary discovery call with our team to explore how these strategies can apply to your business.