Windfree Solar

🟢 Objective

Windfree Solar, one of the most respected local solar companies in Illinois, came to BuilderGrowth without a dedicated marketing department. The business was overly reliant on the CEO—an excellent closer who was bogged down by marketing tasks and lacked the systems to scale.

They had no CRM, no visibility into key metrics, and no digital strategy beyond Google Ads. Our objective was to establish foundational marketing infrastructure, free up the CEO’s bandwidth, and scale both residential and commercial lead flow through storytelling, systems, and smart automation.

🛠 What We Did

1. Stepped in as Fractional CMO + full marketing team
   
   
2. Rebuilt and SEO-optimized their website
   
   
3. Took over and optimized Google Ads account
   
   
4. Launched YouTube ad campaigns
   
   
5. Built out a CRM + lead tracking system
   
   
6. Designed email marketing automations
   
   
7. Developed brand story and brand guidelines
   
   
8. Managed and negotiated trade show presence and sponsorships
   
   
9. Created a metrics dashboard for visibility and performance tracking
   
   
10. Pitched and secured Forbes feature as Best Local Solar Contractor in Chicago
    
    

🧠 Strategic Process

The breakthrough came from introducing visibility and structure into the business. We created a feedback loop between marketing and operations that allowed the Windfree team to make smarter, faster decisions.

By freeing up the CEO from marketing minutiae, we enabled him to focus on larger commercial deals—aligning the internal resources with revenue-driving activities. Our systemized campaigns and CRM infrastructure turned ad spend into scalable growth.

🎯 Results

• 2x increase in inbound leads within one year
  
  
• Hundreds of percent increases in web traffic and impressions
  
  
• Significantly improved efficiency and bandwidth for the CEO
  
  
• Landed a high-impact Forbes feature
  
  
• Elevated brand presence at trade shows and in the local solar market
  
  
• Implemented a full lead capture and conversion funnel across platforms
  
  

📍 Current Status

Active – Windfree Solar remains a BuilderGrowth client. Together, we continue to build infrastructure and launch targeted campaigns to help the company grow its commercial pipeline and deepen local market share.

🔁 Closing Reflection

Windfree Solar represents the type of values-aligned, mission-driven business we love supporting. Their commitment to sustainability, equity, and underserved communities makes our partnership more than just marketing—it’s movement-building. BuilderGrowth has helped them become visible, efficient, and scalable in one of the most vital industries of the decade.

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