Brett Hansen is a Fractional CMO at Free Agency, a firm providing strategic marketing leadership to home service contractors. He helps HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and garage door companies turn marketing spend into booked jobs and revenue while retaining ownership of their websites, content, and data. Brett also focuses on the future of search, including visibility in AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity. Drawing on experience at Scorpion and WebFX, his approach prioritizes transparent reporting, accountability, and lasting growth.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn
- [1:44] Brett Hansen’s approach to helping contractors own their marketing data and build transparent agency partnerships
- [4:41] The fractional CMO’s role in managing marketing budgets, analyzing performance, and driving accountability
- [12:45] How Brett diversifies marketing channels beyond Google Ads to maximize revenue and return on ad spend
- [17:29] Referral programs, targeted promotions, and untapped revenue opportunities within existing customer databases
- [20:37] Brett’s journey from software sales to building a career in home services marketing at Scorpion and WebFX
- [25:35] Why giving marketing campaigns enough time to optimize is essential for long-term success
- [28:49] What contractors should ask their marketing agencies about performance expectations, reporting, and accountability
- [38:41] Brett’s costly lesson in chasing more leads while overlooking operational inefficiencies and missed revenue
- [42:58] Career-shaping mentorship, trusted industry relationships, and the value of building a strong reputation
- [47:11] The difference between creating demand and finding it by reaching customers where they’re already looking
In this episode…
More marketing spend doesn’t always mean more booked jobs. Growth starts with reaching homeowners already looking for help. How can contractors turn that demand into revenue?
For Brett Hansen, a fractional CMO in home services marketing, the answer is to meet homeowners where they’re searching and turn interest into booked jobs. That starts with diversifying beyond Google Ads, testing lead aggregators, and reengaging past customers with referrals and relevant offers. Brett also emphasizes tracking revenue, responding quickly to inquiries, and spotting booking or scheduling gaps before raising the ad budget. Contractors need clear performance expectations, transparent reporting, and ownership of their marketing data. These practices help businesses capture existing demand and grow revenue without simply chasing more leads.
In this episode of Outsmart & Outgrow, Glen Moore sits down with Brett Hansen, Fractional CMO at Free Agency, to explore why effective marketing finds demand rather than trying to create it. Brett explains how to diversify lead sources, generate more revenue from existing customers, and hold marketing partners accountable for results. He also shares costly lessons about marketing budgets, operational inefficiencies, and the importance of building trusted industry relationships.
Resources mentioned in this episode
Quotable Moments
- “Where can we find ways to diversify … our ad spend to get better profitability?”
- “The other thing I look at is … how often are we using the database that we already have?”
- “Kind of my biggest thing is … don’t put all your marketing in one basket.”
- “You really can’t have a lot of holes in your fundamentals within the business.”
- “You can’t go around hiring and firing SEO companies every 3-6 months.”
Action Steps
- Diversify your marketing channels: Testing lead aggregators and other advertising platforms alongside Google Ads reduces dependence on one source and helps capture more customer demand.
- Reengage your existing customers: Referral incentives, targeted promotions, and maintenance plans help generate additional revenue without constantly having to acquire new leads.
- Look beyond lead volume: Tracking booking rates, response times, completed jobs, and operational gaps helps identify missed revenue opportunities before increasing marketing spend.
- Hold marketing partners accountable: Setting clear performance expectations, reviewing campaign results, and maintaining open communication helps contractors maximize their return on investment.
- Take ownership of your marketing assets: Maintaining control of your website, content, and advertising data protects your business and makes it easier to switch providers without losing valuable resources.
Sponsor for this episode…
This episode is brought to you by Bear Fox Marketing — a digital marketing agency helping ambitious businesses get found, attract better leads, and grow with confidence.
Through SEO, AI Search Optimization, content marketing, paid search, social advertising, and local marketing, Bear Fox has helped more than 1,000 home services, HVAC, manufacturing, and technology companies drive qualified traffic and increase their revenue.
Explore our services to learn more and book a free strategy call.
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