Digital Marketing for Contractors

Hosted by FatCat Strategies

Business Marketing Education

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Episodes

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

A podcast for home improvement contractors to help you crush your lead goals and take your business to the next level. Join us each episode as we give you powerful insights and practical tips on the best digital marketing strategies to help you grow your home improvement business.

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60 recent

June 10, 2026Episode 226 min

Why Your Google Business Profile Isn’t Generating Calls

Send us Fan MailYour Google Business Profile is probably the highest ROI digital channel you have, and it is free, so why isn't it generating calls? In this episode, Meredith and Caitlyn break down the five reasons a GBP underperforms for most replacement contractors, and the exact fixes for each.They start with why the local map pack matters more than your website or your ads for capturing high-intent, bottom-of-funnel calls. Then they walk through the five culprits: an incomplete or outdated profile (categories, services, service areas, hours, and attributes), a weak review strategy (volume, recency, and response), stale photos and unused Google Posts, the proximity problem and how to compete in outlying markets, and the most underrated issue of all, getting GBP calls and never crediting the channel because the tracking and intake questions are not set up.They close with a Good/Better/Best framework so you can prioritize the work, plus three things you can do Monday morning to start fixing it.In this episode:Why the local map pack drives your highest-intent callsThe five reasons your GBP isn't generating calls (and how to fix each)Categories, services, service areas, and attributes that actually move rankingsThe three review mistakes: volume, recency, and responsePhotos and Google Posts as a freshness signalHow to compete in markets where you don't have an officeWhy you may be getting GBP calls and not know it, plus how to track themA Good/Better/Best roadmap and three Monday-morning next stepsReady to find the gaps in your own profile? Head to fatcatstrategies.com and book a strategy call.Want to find out how we can create a custom digital marketing game plan for your contractor business? Schedule a call with us at fatcatstrategies.com.

June 3, 2026Episode 121 min

Agency Horror Stories

Send us Fan MailSeason 4 kicks off with the episode we've been wanting to do for a long time. Meredith and Caitlyn walk through four real horror stories from contractors who came to FatCat after getting burned by other agencies — names left out, lessons left in. From the agency that held a contractor's website, ad accounts, and Google Business Profile hostage, to the "lead inflation" reports that counted every wrong number and telemarketer as a win, to the revolving door of account managers, to the agency quietly running a contractor's closest competitor. The episode closes with a lightning round of eight red flags to watch for the next time you're shopping for a marketing partner.What you'll learn:The four ownership questions to get answered in writing before you sign (website, domain, ad accounts, tracking numbers and data)Why "leads are up and cost-per-lead is down" can be a mirage — and how to demand real definitionsHow account-manager churn quietly erodes your campaignsWhy service-area exclusivity protects you from subsidizing a competitor's educationAn 8-point red-flag checklist for vetting any agencyGot a horror story of your own? Email us (address in the show notes) and we may feature it anonymously in a future episode.Want to find out how we can create a custom digital marketing game plan for your contractor business? Schedule a call with us at fatcatstrategies.com.

May 20, 202644 min

How AI Search Is Changing the Way Homeowners Find Contractors: A Yelp Conversation

Send us Fan MailThe way homeowners find contractors has changed more in the last 18 months than it did in the previous decade. Search has become recommendations. Websites have become trusted platforms. Clicking has become asking. And one name keeps showing up in the AI results: Yelp.In this special-format episode, Caitlyn Noble sits down with Phil and Ryan from Yelp's partner team to break down why Yelp has quietly become one of the top citation sources for ChatGPT, Bing Copilot, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini — and what that means for replacement contractors who've been treating their Yelp profile as a listing they claimed once and forgot about.Includes live examples of how Yelp data flows into AI recommendations, what makes Yelp users different from Google searchers, and a free AI Visibility Audit at fatcatstrategies.com/AI.Want to find out how we can create a custom digital marketing game plan for your contractor business? Schedule a call with us at fatcatstrategies.com.

May 13, 2026Episode 2322 min

What Contractors Should Automate First (And What Should Stay Human)

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Caitlyn and Meredith wrap up a stretch of AI-focused conversations with a practical question every contractor needs to answer: what should you actually automate, and what should never leave a human's hands?They share a simple framework for thinking about it (operational vs. relational moments), then walk through six things you should automate this week, five things to protect at all costs, and four gray zones where the answer lives somewhere in between. The episode closes with a four-question decision tool you can run any new task through when you're not sure which side of the line it belongs on.If you're either nervous about automation or a little too eager to hand things over to AI, this one's for you.In this episode:• The two-bucket framework: operational vs. relational moments• Six things to automate first (and why)• Five moments that should always stay human• The gray zones: follow-up, social media, review responses, and proposals• A four-question decision tool for anything you're unsure aboutWant to find out how we can create a custom digital marketing game plan for your contractor business? Schedule a call with us at fatcatstrategies.com.

May 6, 2026Episode 2225 min

AI in Sales Follow-Up: Turning More Leads Into Booked Appointments

Send us Fan MailMost contractors are sitting on leads that should have closed but didn't, and the reason is almost always the same: follow-up. In this episode, Caitlyn and Meredith break down how AI can make your sales follow-up faster, smarter, and more consistent without taking over your life.You'll hear the five highest-leverage ways to use AI in your follow-up process: speeding up your first response, building a full multi-touch sequence, personalizing messages based on actual sales conversations, addressing common objections head-on, and re-engaging cold leads from months or years ago. The hosts also walk through a real-world bathroom remodel scenario from form fill to booked appointment, share the most common mistakes contractors make when they start using AI, and give you a simple starting point you can put to work today.If you've ever wondered why some contractors book 50 to 60% of their leads while others stall out at 30%, this one's for you. The difference usually isn't talent. It's persistence, and AI is what makes that kind of persistence realistic for a small team.Want to find out how we can create a custom digital marketing game plan for your contractor business? Schedule a call with us at fatcatstrategies.com.

April 29, 2026Episode 2121 min

Practical AI for Contractors: 10 Ways to Save Hours Every Week

Send us Fan MailNo theory, no hype, just 10 specific ways home improvement and remodeling contractors can start saving hours every week, starting today. Whether you've never touched an AI tool or you use one every day, there's something in this episode you can put to work this week.In this episode, you'll learn how to use AI to:Write and polish your estimates and proposalsRespond to your Google and online reviewsDraft your follow-up emails to leadsWrite social media captions and post ideasCreate or rewrite your website copySummarize your sales callsWrite job postings that attract the right peopleBuild out SOPs and training docsAnswer customer FAQs fasterDraft your email campaignsYou'll also hear which tools are worth your time (spoiler: you don't need a contractor-specific app), why sticking with one AI makes everything better, and the one ground rule to keep in mind before you type anything into a prompt.Your challenge: Pick one thing from the list and try it this week. Just one. Then tell us what you tried.Want to find out how we can create a custom digital marketing game plan for your contractor business? Schedule a call with us at fatcatstrategies.com.

April 22, 2026Episode 2029 min

Reviews, Reputation & Referrals at Scale

Send us Fan MailYour reputation is your marketing. In home improvement, where trust is everything and a single project can cost tens of thousands of dollars, reviews and referrals are probably the most underestimated growth lever you've got. Yet most contractors treat them as something that just happens in the background.In this episode, Caitlyn and Meredith break down how to actually manage the three Rs with intention:• Managing your reputation across every platform homeowners check, not just Google (Yelp, Houzz, BBB, Facebook, Angi)• Responding to reviews the right way, including the ones that make you want to throw your phone across the room• Building a systematic process that gets you more Google reviews consistently, because volume and velocity both matter more than you thinkPlus, how to put all those reviews to work across your website, paid ads, and sales collateral, because a five-star review sitting unused on Google is a wasted asset.If you've been treating reviews as something that just happens in the background, this one will change how you think about them.Want to find out how we can create a custom digital marketing game plan for your contractor business? Schedule a call with us at fatcatstrategies.com.

April 15, 2026Episode 1926 min

Paid Ads 2026: What Still Works

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Caitlyn and Meredith break down the current state of paid advertising for home improvement contractors and separate myth from reality.They cover four key platforms—Google Search, Local Service Ads, Meta (Facebook & Instagram), and YouTube—highlighting what’s changed, what still works, and where contractors should focus their budgets in 2026.Listeners will learn: Why Google Ads are more expensive—but still effective How LSAs have become a top-performing lead source Why retargeting is the most valuable Meta strategy How YouTube can influence homeowners early in the decision processThe episode emphasizes the importance of a coordinated, multi-channel strategy focused on visibility, trust, and consistent follow-up throughout the customer journey.Want to find out how we can create a custom digital marketing game plan for your contractor business? Schedule a call with us at fatcatstrategies.com.

April 8, 2026Episode 1829 min

AI for Contractors: Real Use Cases (Not Hype)

Send us Fan MailAI is everywhere right now — and for contractors, it can feel overwhelming.In this episode of Digital Marketing for Contractors, Caitlyn Noble and Meredith Medlin cut through the noise and focus on what actually matters: real-world AI applications that contractors can use today to improve marketing, lead response, and visibility online.We break down three high-impact use cases:AI for content & SEO — scaling location pages, blog ideas, FAQs, and review responses faster AI search visibility (GEO) — how to show up in AI-generated search answers like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews AI for lead follow-up & CRM workflows — improving speed-to-lead, automating text follow-up, and keeping your pipeline clean The big takeaway? AI is a tool, not a strategy. The contractors who win are the ones using it thoughtfully to support human expertise, not replace it.If you’ve been wondering where AI actually fits into your business, this episode gives you a practical roadmap.Want to find out how we can create a custom digital marketing game plan for your contractor business? Schedule a call with us at fatcatstrategies.com.

April 1, 202643 min

Turning Happy Customers Into Your Best Sales Team with Get The Referral

Send us Fan MailReferrals are every contractor’s most valuable — and most underutilized — lead source. In this episode, we sit down with Jamey Vumback, founder of Get The Referral, to break down how contractors can transform their customer base into a scalable, predictable referral engine.We cover why most referral programs fail (hint: lack of process), how to systemize referrals across your team, and how top companies are generating 20–40%+ of their revenue from referrals alone.If you're tired of rising lead costs and want higher-converting, lower-cost opportunities — this episode is a must-listen.Learn More HereWant to find out how we can create a custom digital marketing game plan for your contractor business? Schedule a call with us at fatcatstrategies.com.