How to Get Quality Leads Without Wasting Ad Spend with HVAC Grow’s Cary Blackburn

If you're tired of burning money on outdated marketing strategies and want real, profitable growth for your contracting or home services business, this episode of Business Success Tips is a must-watch.

“If you're not contacting a lead within two minutes, you're going to lose them.”
— Cary Blackburn

Paul Sanneman, founder of Contractor Staffing Source, sits down with Cary Blackburn from HVAC Grow to break down what works (and what doesn't) when it comes to digital marketing for contractors.

Whether you’re in HVAC, Roofing, Plumbing, Remodeling, or Turf, Cary delivers an insider’s playbook on how to generate high-quality leads, use AI to scale your response times, and spend your limited marketing budget smarter—not harder.

📞 Ready to build a better business?
Call Paul Sanneman at (858) 727-0165 or visit www.contractorstaffingsource.com to learn how he helps contractors hire top-performing teams.
Want expert marketing help? Contact Cary Blackburn and his team at www.resultsgrow.com to learn how to make your phone ring with real leads.

💡 Key Takeaways Contractors Need to Hear:
1. Traditional SEO Is Dead (Or Dying)
Cary breaks down how SEO has changed since 2012. In short? Organic listings are buried beneath Google Guaranteed, Paid Ads, Map Packs, Questions, and other elements. Your ranking doesn’t mean squat if nobody scrolls far enough to see it.

Google’s algorithm now heavily favors authority websites, ad spend, and proximity. That means if you’re a contractor trying to show up across your entire city—you’re likely invisible unless you pivot your strategy.

✅ Tip: Stop relying on SEO alone. Start putting budget into ads that convert NOW.

2. The Best Performing Ads in 2025 Are Facebook, Instagram & Google Ads
Facebook and Instagram offer inexpensive leads—sometimes as low as $15 per lead, depending on your market and ad quality. Google Ads cost more (around $50/day minimum) but bring higher buying intent.

HVAC Grow has helped businesses in places like Orlando generate consistent roofing leads for under $25. But in high-competition markets like Austin? Expect closer to $200 per lead.

📍Localized strategy matters more than ever.

3. Beat Private Equity Giants with Smart, Relevant Ads
Even if you're up against companies spending $100,000/month, you can win. Cary explains how relevance beats budget when:

Your ads match the exact keyword a user searched

You direct leads to specific landing pages (not generic homepages)

You answer leads immediately—within 2 minutes—or you lose them

🔥 Pro Tip: Use AI to respond instantly after-hours, via phone or text. HVAC Grow builds systems that speak to leads—even in Spanish—automatically.

4. AI Works—But Only When You Use It Smartly
AI is revolutionizing how contractors do business:

AI phone systems answer calls 24/7 and sound just like humans

AI texts back instantly and in any language

AI writes ad copy, headlines, descriptions, and more

But Cary cautions: let humans verify and refine content for the best results. Use AI to save time, not to replace strategy.

🧠 The future is hybrid: Smart tech + sharp people.

5. Marketing That Doesn’t Deliver an ROI Is Useless
Stop worrying about your website design or search ranking if your phone isn’t ringing.

Cary emphasizes the only numbers that matter are:

Cost per lead

Close rate

Net profit per sale

And Paul Sanneman agrees: If you're not making at least 3X your ad spend, it’s not working. Paul also shares his recruiting perspective—speed-to-lead matters just as much for hiring as it does for sales.

📢 Don’t Waste Another Dollar Guessing What Works.

Call Paul Sanneman today at (858) 727-0165 or visit www.contractorstaffingsource.com to hire smarter and grow your team.

Reach out to Cary Blackburn and the team at HVAC Grow via www.resultsgrow.com to level up your leads, sales, and customer engagement—without getting buried by Google.

Their results-driven approach helps you: ✅ Spend smarter
✅ Convert faster
✅ Beat bigger players—without their budgets

💬 If you learned something valuable, drop a comment and share your biggest takeaway! Who’s running your marketing? Could it be working harder for you?

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