How a Local Roofing Contractor Became a Viral Internet Video Sensation

Skywalker Roofing Company
How a Local Roofing Contractor Became a Viral Internet Video Sensation
December 30
By Luke Wilson | Roofing Contractors

Skywalker Roofing founder and owner Luke Wilson didn’t set out to become a YouTube sensation. He simply had some insights about roofing gained through years of professional experience that he felt were worth sharing. Video felt like the best media for sharing these insights. And since YouTube is the most popular video platform on the internet, it also made sense to Luke to post these videos on YouTube in order to get them in front of as many people as possible. The basic premise was to create a playlist entitled Roofing Mythbusters, featuring a series of short video episodes in which Luke would attempt to answer some frequently-asked questions about roofing, with topics including roof system design, roofing material options, and roof installation techniques. The first episode dropped in June of 2019, and several other Roofing Mythbusters episodes have been added since then. Little did Luke know how many people these videos would end up engaging!

Roofing Mythbusters wasn’t Luke’s first effort to publish video content. Skywalker Roofing has been publishing videos to their own website for years, and they’ve actually had their own YouTube channel since 2013. But what’s been different about the Roofing Mythbusters series is the way it’s been able to engage a much wider audience than Skywalker’s previous video offerings. Skywalker has built up a catalogue of over 70 videos on its YouTube channel, but three of Skywalker’s top five most-viewed videos are all episodes of Roofing Mythbusters.

What’s made Roofing Mythbusters so popular? Is it because Luke Wilson bears something of a resemblance to famous pro wrestling personality Steve Austin? (In some circles, Luke is now known as the “Stone Cold” of Roofers, in fact!) Is it thanks to Luke’s soothing choice of background music? While both of these could be factors, the success of Roofing Mythbusters probably has more to do with the fact that Luke has lots of good information to share about roofing, and he does so in a laid-back, conversational tone that really just seems to resonate with folks.

And in addition to the points mentioned above, another really positive aspect of the Roofing Mythbusters videos is the quality of the content itself. Whenever many businesses choose to share an “informational” video on YouTube, Facebook, or other platforms, the result is often little more than a veiled commercial of sorts for their own products and services. That’s not how Luke Wilson wanted to approach the Roofing Mythbusters series at all. He really just wanted to present some real information about roofing in plain talk, which would be helpful to anyone who might choose to click on the video – whether they reside within Skywalker Roofing’s service areas of North Carolina and Virginia or not!

The roofing myths that Luke “busts” in each episode are either in response to real questions that he’s heard many times from real customers and clients, or they’re simply meant to address some of the more commonly-held misconceptions that many tend to have about roofing. For example, one episode answers the question “How hot is your roof?” by taking actual temperature readings of various roofing materials on a sunny day, with some results that may surprise you. Another episode compares the features of composite tiles to those of natural slate. Still another episode breaks down the importance of roof venting, and why proper ventilation matters to the health of your attic and your overall roofing system.

But as good as the response has been to these episodes, none of them have been able to hold a candle to the reception generated by Roofing Mythbusters Episode #4, Corrugated Metal Panels vs. Standing Seam Metal Roofing. Metal roofing continues to gain popularity across America thanks to its look, its durability, and its low-maintenance properties. Even so, not all metal roofing materials are the same, and there are some distinctly different approaches to metal roof design and fastening techniques. In this episode of Roofing Mythbusters, Luke decided to compare some of the pros and cons of 29-gauge corrugated metal paneling to the superior performance of 24-gauge standing seam metal roofing. It’s a well-done video with lots of valuable content, but even Luke couldn’t have envisioned how much engagement this video would generate. As of the writing of this blog, Episode #4 of Roofing Mythbusters will soon surpass ONE MILLION VIEWS on YouTube, and that’s been achieved with ZERO paid promotion or advertisement!

It’s not just about the sheer number of views, either; this video has also generated over 9000 likes and more than 850 comments! In fact, it’s the conversation strings found in the video comment section that have been some of the most fun to follow. People from literally all over the world have joined in to share their own thoughts and observations, to the point that the video comment conversation has almost seemed to take on a life of its own. In fact, the engagement generated by this corrugated metal vs. standing seam metal video prompted Luke Wilson to launch another YouTube playlist focused solely on answering more roofing FAQs – many of which came from the comment section of this Roofing Mythbusters episode – in an honest, unscripted fashion. Several of these videos in the NO SCRIPT with Luke Wilson playlist have gone on to generate thousands of views in their own right.

As we mentioned at the top of this blog, Luke Wilson never set out to be an internet star – even if he’d had a desire to do so, most would agree that this would be a pretty unrealistic goal for a roofing contractor whose headquarters are based in little old Stokesdale, NC. But Luke has managed to produce a video that’s generated ONE MILLION VIEWS all the same, and much of that really has to be credited to the quality of content it contains. Interested in having your own video go viral? Here are three tips from Luke himself if you want to make that happen for yourself:

1. Have something to say.

Remember, Luke didn’t set out simply to generate views, likes, and fans with his Roofing Mythbusters videos. He set out to say some things that he felt were worth saying, in hopes of truly benefiting any who might choose to watch. That’s a good rule of thumb for you to follow in creating your own video content, too.

2. Make the extra effort to produce a video of high quality.

While Luke will occasionally just pull out his phone and shoot a video on the spot, he also recognizes that there’s a lot to be said for production quality if you really want your video to resonate with the masses. For that purpose, Luke has chosen to partner with Safehouse Studios to help produce most of the videos that he publishes on the Skywalker Roofing website and on YouTube.

3. Have the right digital marketing partner that can help your story to get both seen and heard online.

As we also mentioned above, Luke has spent ZERO advertising dollars on getting his YouTube videos seen, yet he has a video which has now surpassed one million views on YouTube. In addition to producing videos with real content quality, you also need the right digital marketing partner to help get your content in front of your target audience. For all things digital marketing, Skywalker Roofing turns to Cibirix as its trusted digital marketing partner.

We thank you for taking the time to read this blog, as well as for being willing to engage with our Skywalker Roofing videos. And if you’re in need of any roofing, gutters, windows, siding, blown insulation, deck additions, porch additions, or other related home improvement services in NC or southern VA, we invite you to connect with us! Come experience the Skywalker Roofing difference for yourself!

Luke Wilson

Luke Wilson

Owner - Skywalker Roofing

Luke Wilson started working on roofs with his dad when he was a teenager, and eventually launched Skywalker Roofing in 2003. Skywalker operates in 5 locations across NC & VA, and now includes windows, siding, and other exterior services. Luke also hosts the popular Roofing Mythbusters series on YouTube.

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