Get better ROI from your construction marketing

The leads aren’t always the problem.

This week in our “Grow When the Market Won’t” series, we’re tackling Step 2: Build a smarter marketing strategy using real data — not guesswork.

Let’s go 👇

Do You Need More Leads or Better Follow-Up?

Most construction companies assume they need more leads.

But here’s what we keep seeing:

• Follow-up is broken — Calls aren’t returned for days, and by the time they are, the lead’s gone cold.

• Leads come in, but no one’s chasing them.

• Or worse, your team doesn’t even call them back.

On the flip side some companies are doing a decent job on follow-up…

But they’re only spending 1–3% of revenue on marketing. That’s not enough.

In a flat market, marketing is one of the few levers you control. If you want growth, you may need to:

✅ Increase your ad spend

✅ Get faster on follow-ups

✅ Improve your sales process

Clarify Your Funnel First

Use your Marketing Data Scorecard from last week and ask:

1. Is this a leads problem or a conversion problem?

2. How much are we currently spending on marketing?

3. Do our numbers support a budget increase?

From there, build your marketing strategy around:

Top, Middle, and Bottom of Funnel

Your marketing efforts should be intentional at every stage:

Top of Funnel (Brand Awareness)

• Meta ads, Google Ads, SEO

• Public signage, billboards

• Associations (e.g. HBA, ICSC)

• Events and community presence

Middle of Funnel (Nurture & Authority)

• Newsletters

• Webinars

• Follow-up emails

• Educational content and social proof

Bottom of Funnel (Sales)

• Phone calls

• Quote follow-ups

• Contract closing

• Asking the right questions

Want to improve your sales team? We recommend Jeff Borovitz’s Sandler Sales Program — their AI coaching tools for construction teams are next-level.

Smarter Spend, Not Just Bigger Spend

Marketing budget ≠ throwing cash at SEO for a year.

If leads are slow now, you need results now — and that means reallocating spend to fast-return channels like:

• Meta ads (Facebook & Instagram)

• Google Ads

• Referral incentives

Once your pipeline is full again? Then it’s worth investing in SEO for long-term brand presence.

Referrals We Stand Behind

Need expert help?

• Method Marketing – Paid social (Meta)

• GLP – SEO for construction

• Love and Money – Branding & creative

• Best Be Creative – Campaign design & video

(Ask us for intros.)

Final Tip: Hold Your Marketers Accountable

Your agency should be updating the Marketing Scorecard weekly.

If they can’t? That’s a red flag.

• Want the editable version of the scorecard?

• Reply with "funnel" and we’ll send it to you.

Need help improving your strategy?

👉 Book a strategy call

👉 Learn more about Highspire Coaching

Next Week: How to Activate Dormant Leads

(You’ve got more opportunities than you think)

Forward always,

Paul Atherton

CEO and Co-Founder of Highspire