Why Your Construction Business Got Burned by Marketing (And Why It’s Not on You)

You’re not crazy. Most marketing agencies are not fit to work with construction companies.

If you’ve worked with a marketing agency before — and walked away feeling burned — you’re not alone.

We hear it all the time:

• “We paid $1,500 a month for someone to post on social media… and got nothing from it.”

• “They promised results but didn’t even know how our business worked.”

• “We were stuck in a long contract, just waiting for it to end.”

• “The guy we hired set up some automated system that spammed our customers.”

And this isn’t just bad marketing. It can be straight-up damaging to your business.

Here’s the truth: It’s not your fault.

Most contractors aren’t marketers.

You’re not supposed to know how SEO works. You’re not supposed to babysit your agency or triple-check everything they’re doing.

You hired them to make your life easier, not harder.

But here’s what usually happens instead:

• You get locked into a long-term contract with no exit.

• You get cookie-cutter strategies that could work for a cupcake shop or a yoga studio.

• You get “fluff metrics” like clicks and reach — but no actual leads.

• You never really know what’s working or where your money’s going.

Sound familiar?

That’s because most marketing agencies aren’t built for construction businesses.

They don’t understand your industry or your clients.

And they definitely don’t understand what a “good lead” looks like in your world.

They’re more focused on looking clever than getting dirty and doing what works.

And we’re not here to bash other agencies. Most of them mean well.

They just don’t realize how much damage they’re doing.

When you don’t understand the construction world (how jobs are won, how referrals work, how trust is built), it’s easy to make things worse while thinking you’re helping.

At the end of the day, you’re the one left holding the bag.

And that’s the real problem.

Why Agencies Fail Construction Companies

The truth is, most marketing agencies are built to serve trendy brands, not trades.

They’re great at running ads for coffee shops, clothing boutiques, and influencers.

But when it comes to helping a construction company grow? They’re completely out of their depth.

Here’s why they keep getting it wrong:

They Don’t Know Construction

You ever talk to a marketer who’s never stepped foot on a job site?

They nod along… but have no idea what you actually do.

• They don’t understand the sales cycle in construction.

• They don’t know what a good lead looks like.

• They probably don’t know the difference between asphalt and concrete!

You might be a GC, a hardscaper, a roofer, or a builder — but to them, you’re just another logo in their client folder.

They’re guessing. And that guesswork is costing you time, money, and opportunities.

They Sell You “Visibility” Instead of Results

“Let’s get your name out there.”

Sound familiar?

That’s code for: we don’t know how to bring in real leads, so we’ll talk about likes, reach, and traffic instead.

The problem? Visibility means nothing without strategy.

You don’t need vanity metrics. You need to get in front of the right people — people who are ready to hire — and give them a reason to call you.

They Push Cookie-Cutter Packages

Most agencies have a one-size-fits-all playbook.

• $1,500 a month for social media posting

• A few blog posts with some “SEO”

• Throw some money on a few ads, and hope for the best

They don’t stop to ask: what stage is your business at? Which construction service is the most profitable for you right now? What does this actual service process look like after some books with you?

They just sell what’s easy for them to deliver, whether or not it’s what you need.

They Lock You Into Long-Term Contracts

This one stings the most.

You’re not even happy with the work... but you’ve got months left on the contract.

So now you’re paying to be ignored.

They know you’re not happy.

So they do just enough to avoid breaking the contract, but not nearly enough now that they know you’re on the way out the door.

You feel stuck. And worse, you start thinking maybe you’re the problem.

You’re not.

Here’s What Real Marketing Looks Like for Contractors

Alright, enough about what doesn’t work.

Let’s talk about what does.

If you’re a contractor — whether you’re building homes, pouring concrete, doing high-end landscaping, or managing crews across multiple job sites — you don’t need some trendy “growth hack.”

You need a system. One that’s built to actually match how construction businesses grow.

That’s where our Foundation First approach comes in.

Step 1: Nail the Foundation

You wouldn’t build a house on soft dirt. Marketing’s the same way.

Before we ever talk about ads or SEO, we make sure your foundation is solid.

That means:

• A website that actually converts visitors into calls and estimates

• A logo and brand that looks sharp, professional, and trustworthy

• Photos and videos that show your work, your crew, and your process. Customers need to see you’re the real deal

When someone searches your name, they need to land on a page that makes them say:
“Yep, this is who we’re hiring.”

Not:
“Is this company still in business?”

Step 2: Build the Engine

Once your foundation’s in place, then we turn on the traffic.

This is where we bring the right people to your business — people looking for what you do, in the areas you actually serve.

We do this through:

• SEO: So your company shows up on Google when people search for what you offer

• Google and Social Media Ads: So you're visible right now when someone needs a contractor

• Social Media: Not just for likes, but to build trust, show real work, and stay top of mind

Everything works together.

There’s no guessing, wasted ad spend, or fluff.

And we track real results — not impressions or “reach,” but how many calls, forms, and booked jobs you're getting. LEADS.

Step 3: Grow Long-Term

We’re not here to set up a few ads and disappear.

We’re your marketing partner — month in, month out. As your business grows, we help you:

• Dial in lead quality

• Adjust for seasonality

• Test new services or locations

• And make sure your marketing keeps pace with your goals

One of our clients — Joas at American Builders — doubled his revenue in just a few months.

And we’re just getting started.

Why H&A Marketing Is the Last Agency You’ll Ever Need

We’re not a jack-of-all-trades agency that works with dentists one day and yoga studios the next.

We work with contractors. Period.

We know how your industry works, we speak your language, and we’ve built a system that gets results.

We Know What a Good Lead Looks Like

A “lead” isn’t someone clicking a blog post.

It’s not someone liking your Instagram reel.

A good lead is someone in your service area, with the right budget, ready to hire. And we’ve built our entire system around bringing you more of them.

We Don’t Do Guesswork

Every recommendation we make is tied to a strategy.

We don’t sell “awareness.” We don’t throw spaghetti at the wall and hope it sticks.

You’ll know what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and what results it’s bringing in.

We Won’t Lock You In

We don’t believe in long-term contracts. We believe in earning your business every month.

You’ll never be stuck paying for something that isn’t working.

And if something’s not working, we don’t spin it like it’s your fault. We fix it.

We’re Built for Construction

We know how important trust is in this industry. We know that one good job can lead to five more — if your branding backs you up.

We’ve built websites for builders, shot photos for landscapers, managed SEO for commercial roofers, and run ads for manufacturers.

If it’s in the trades, we’ve probably helped grow it.

And if you’re tired of playing marketing roulette and ready to work with a team that actually gets it — we’re here.

You’re Not Just Hiring an Agency — You’re Hiring Harry

Most agencies won’t tell you who’s actually behind the work.

With us, it’s simple. You’re hiring someone who’s already done this — at a high level, in the construction world, over and over again.

Harry Stanley III isn’t just a marketing guy. He’s been on the ownership side. He’s built agencies.

He’s built brands. He’s helped scale companies that install roofs, sell solar, and manage crews.

This isn’t theory.

This is what he does.

• He launched his first agency from scratch, scaled it, and sold it in under three years.

• As Marketing Director at Meraki Solar, he drove an extra $3.7 million in revenue — in just his first year.

• He became CMO and Co-Owner at Inspire Roofing, where he built the brand, systems, and full marketing engine behind one of the fastest-growing roofing companies in the region.

• Then he partnered with American Builders… and within a few months, helped double their revenue. Not in theory. In real dollars.

Today, Harry works as a fractional Chief Marketing Officer for select construction companies through H&A — something only about 1% of CMOs with his level of experience even offer.

He works directly with owners to:

• Spot bottlenecks in your marketing and sales

• Build repeatable, scalable systems

• And drive real, trackable growth — not just traffic

Whether it’s your website, your ads, your content, or your lead flow, Harry’s job is to make sure your marketing actually does what it’s supposed to:

Get you noticed. Get you leads. Get you paid.

Ready to stop guessing and start growing?

Let’s talk.