Episode #78
2026 Build Show Live Recap | Ep 78 | Trades Secrets: Contractor Marketing
Amanda and Devon went to 2026 Build Show Live with one goal: to better understand what contractors are hearing, learning, buying, and struggling with right now. They came home with a lot more than marketing notes. In this episode of Trades Secrets: Contractor Marketing, they break down their biggest takeaways from the event—from business efficiency and change orders to AI, sales conversations, social media, manufacturer relationships, and the craftsmanship that separates great contractors from the competition. One of the biggest themes? More leads and more revenue won't automatically fix a broken process. Growth can actually magnify inefficiencies if your operations, sales process, documentation, and customer experience aren't ready for it. Amanda and Devon also dig into how contractors are actually using AI—not just experimenting with ChatGPT—and why getting your company's information and SOPs organized may be one of the most important first steps. They share some of the technology they saw at the show, along with ideas contractors can start applying to their businesses right now. Key Takeaways: • More revenue doesn't fix a broken business. Small inefficiencies can become expensive problems as a company scales. Before chasing more leads, understand where money, time, and opportunities are already slipping through the cracks. • Know your numbers. Contractors at the event were digging into scorecards, pipeline, backlog, change orders, profitability, and other KPIs that reveal how efficiently the business is actually operating. • AI exposes documentation problems. Before building elaborate AI workflows, make sure your SOPs, company information, processes, and internal documents are organized and current. Your AI output is only as useful as the information behind it. • Record real customer conversations. Sales calls and field conversations contain valuable information for training and marketing. Hearing how customers actually ask questions—and how your best salespeople answer them—can help uncover messaging you may never get from a traditional content interview. • Stop overproducing your social media. Authentic content showing the actual work, craftsmanship, team, process, and knowledge behind your company can be more compelling than another perfectly designed graphic. • Consistency beats perfection. Set a realistic publishing goal and start sharing. You can't learn what resonates with your market if you're waiting for every piece of content to be perfect. • Your craftsmanship is marketing material. The little things your team does correctly every day may feel ordinary to you, but those details can be powerful differentiators to a homeowner. • Use your manufacturer relationships. Contractors may have access to training, certifications, warranties, technical expertise, marketing resources, and product knowledge that should be incorporated into their own marketing and customer education. • Understand your customer as deeply as your craft. The contractors who stood out weren't simply chasing the newest tool or trend. They understood their numbers, their customers, and their craft—and focused on building better systems around what was already working. The core takeaway: Don't chase every shiny new object. Understand your business, fix the inefficiencies, document what works, share your expertise, and use new technology to strengthen a solid foundation—not replace one. Missed an episode? Catch up with our full playlist of Trades Secrets podcasts found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-v2ElYWOqX8jZlaKuHz1krepsTZVY1As Plus, explore MORE actionable marketing tactics that are not over your head, and apply to ALL trades here: https://tradessecretpodcast.com Find out how we can help you grow your business: https://elevmarketing.com/ Read about the latest in the field: https://elevmarketing.com/blog/ Connect with us on social media: Facebook X Instagram (Elevation Digital Marketing) Instagram (Trades Secrets) LinkedIn At Elevation Marketing, we have a tight team of experts in SEO or Search Engine Optimization, Google Ads, Google Local Service Ads, Google Display, Social Media Ads, Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Content Marketing, and Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO). With a niche focus on Contractor Marketing and working for the Trades, we've been able to make a significant impact on our home services clients. We are more than an agency, we're your marketing partner. Elevating you elevates us. Email us at experts@elevmarketing.com to talk! Find out how we can help you grow your business: https://elevmarketing.com/ Trades Secrets: Contractor Marketing is for home services contractors and who are looking for easy to implement marketing tips and strategies. This podcast is for you if you're looking for actionable marketing tactics that are not over your head, and apply to ALL trades. We'll keep you apprised of what's new, and what should be on your radar for all things digital marketing.
