If you’re wondering how marketing for pool contractors is changing, here’s the answer: content is king, and AI is watching. In 2026, contractors who show their process, teach what they know, and consistently show up on video will be the ones closing high-ticket jobs. Not the cheapest. Not the loudest. The most trusted.
Why should pool contractors care about AI in marketing?
The reason pool contractors should care about AI is simple: it’s already shaping who gets recommended, and who gets ignored. According to Marcus Sheridan (yeah, the “They Ask, You Answer” guy), AI isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the new gatekeeper. As AI models continue learning from the internet, they’re learning from real people. Real builders. Real educators. And guess what they favor? Experts who show their work through video and content.
Marcus dropped a truth bomb: your YouTube channel is going to be your most valuable digital asset in the coming years. AI isn’t guessing who’s legit, it’s pulling from people who’ve been documenting, educating, and leading with authority.
So when homeowners ask AI tools things like “how much does a pool cost” or “who should I hire to build a koi pond,” AI’s not scrolling through Yelp. It’s pointing to the builders who’ve put out real, helpful content. That’s the future. If you’re not visible, you’re invisible.
How can YouTube help pool builders get more high-quality leads?
YouTube can help you get high-quality leads by turning your expertise into authority, and making AI work for you, not against you.
Marcus talked about a single blog post they wrote titled “How Much Does a Fiberglass Pool Cost?” That post alone pulled in over $35 million in revenue. Not because it was salesy. But because it answered the damn question.
The lesson? People want answers. And when you become the builder who answers questions with confidence, clarity, and transparency, you win trust. You get visibility. You become the builder AI recommends and homeowners remember.
YouTube isn’t just a place to post drone footage and finished jobs. It’s where you prove you know your stuff. Where you break down pricing. Walk through the process. Show your face. Be real. You’re not just competing for leads anymore, you’re competing for trust. And YouTube is your proof of authority.
What kind of content should pool builders be posting right now?
The content pool builders should be posting is exactly what they’re already doing, just documented and shared.
This industry is visually stunning. But for some reason, contractors are getting lapped by boring-ass real estate agents who post the same house walkthroughs over and over. Real talk, your work is cooler than theirs. But they’re winning on content because they show up. You don’t need gimmicks. You just need to show your process.
Record mid-form videos (5–15 minutes) explaining something simple. How you prep a yard. How you lay out a patio. Why this design works better. Answer common questions. Then chop that into short-form clips for Reels, TikTok, and Shorts. Repeat daily.
Your content doesn’t have to be new. It just has to be visible. One guy at the event said, “I feel like I’m always saying the same thing.” That’s the point. You’re in it every day, your audience isn’t. They forget what they saw this morning. Say it again. And again. That’s how you win. Visibility beats variety every time.
Why do most contractors fall behind in content, and how do we fix it?
Contractors fall behind in content because they overthink it, and they underestimate its power.
You’re building beautiful stuff every day. But you’re not documenting any of it. Maybe you wait until the end to get a few photos. That’s not enough. There’s content gold in every step of the build:
- Explaining the layout
- Unloading materials
- Answering client questions
- Fixing mistakes on site
- Walking through design choices
You’re already doing the hard part. Start recording it. You don’t need Orbeez in a pool to get views. You need to show what you’re doing and why it matters.
The fix? Make content creation part of your workflow. Treat it like any other tool. Schedule time. Assign someone. Make it non-negotiable. The builder who shows up wins. Period.
How does content help you stop competing on price?
Content helps you stop competing on price by shifting the conversation from “how much” to “why you.”
Most homeowners aren’t cheap, they’re just uninformed. They’ve been trained to look at price first because that’s all they know how to compare. But when you educate them, you flip the script. You show them what quality looks like. Why process matters. What to watch out for with lowball bids.
When you lead with content, you lead the conversation. Suddenly, you’re not just another bid. You’re the trusted expert. The one who showed them what to expect. Who taught them how pricing works. Who gave them clarity when everyone else was vague.
That’s how you raise prices without pushback. That’s how you attract dream clients. That’s how you stop being seen as “expensive” and start being seen as “worth it.”
What does it mean to be the ‘sum of your decisions’ in business?
It means everything in your business, your jobs, your stress, your reputation, is the result of your own choices.
Derek Keller dropped this idea at the event: SUM = SUM. It’s an Excel formula, sure, but it’s also a mindset. Your results are the sum of your decisions. Who you work with. What jobs you take. What stories you tell yourself.
If you keep saying yes to the wrong clients because you “need the money,” you’re choosing stress. Choosing burnout. Choosing to miss out on better jobs that align with your business.
Being selective is hard. But it’s how you protect your brand, your energy, and your margins. Say no more often. Stick to what you’re best at. That’s where authority lives.
When should contractors say no to a job, even a big one?
You should say no to a job when it doesn’t align with your value, your bandwidth, or your sanity.
One guy at the event shared that he took on a $500K job at a discount just to “win the bid.” Now he’s regretting it. The client is a nightmare. His crews are tied up. He’s losing money. And he’s missing out on better jobs he had to turn down.
That’s the cost of saying yes to the wrong thing. Big jobs aren’t always good jobs. If a client isn’t a fit, or if the margins aren’t there, you’re better off walking away. Because bad clients never get better. They just get more entitled.
Set boundaries. Stick to your price. Work with people who respect your process. It’s not just about money, it’s about momentum. Bad jobs kill it. Good clients build it.
How can pool builders stay top-of-mind without burning out?
To stay top-of-mind, you need a system, not hustle. And that system starts with content.
This is what Aqua Leads builds for contractors: The Authority Engine. It captures your process, turns it into video, amplifies it with ads, and nurtures leads automatically. So you’re always in front of the right people, even when you’re on a job site or taking a break.
The real goal? Freedom. Predictable leads. Fewer tire-kickers. Clients who trust you before they ever call. You don’t get that from random Facebook ads or lead gen scams. You get it from showing up consistently with value. That’s authority. And that’s what sells.
Ready to stop chasing leads and start attracting the right ones? Join our community, get a free Facebook Ads strategy, or book a call today: https://linktr.ee/aqualeads
