In case it’s helpful, here’s an example of how Promote helps customers connect with the right pro for their job, and how it can help pros succeed! Imagine you’re a customer: let's say you're looking for someone to clean your windows next weekend. You see a few great pros in the list, so you reach out to two of them. But later, you get a message that they’ve both declined. You're back to square one and Thumbtack hasn't worked well for you. At this point, you'd probably give up and deal with dirty windows. But let's say you searched in the new system. This time, you’d see another pro at the top of the list - good reviews, decent price. That pro set up Promote, just for larger window cleaning jobs in your neighborhood - a perfect fit for you! The pro knows they'll be charged automatically for each new lead that matches these preferences, but they think it's worth it because they'll be shown much higher on the list for those jobs AND get a 20% discount on each lead. You reach out, the pro sees the lead, knows they've paid, and immediately responds with a super helpful message about what's next and you go ahead and book. Boom! To recap, Promote is a way to tell Thumbtack exactly what you’re looking for so we can get your business in front of as many of those customers as possible. To do that, you set preferences to tell us what jobs you want and commit to paying for every lead that matches those preferences. (BUT - if the lead is not a match, you don't get charged automatically. We'll send you the lead and you only pay if you reply). Hope that was helpful!   ... View more

Thanks so much to all of you who sent in questions and suggestions on how you’re appearing in search results! We got over 600 responses, and so appreciate all of your interest and passion. Our team is working through your feedback to make sure the new system is working for you. There are a few aspects of this change that have caused some confusion and concern, and I want to address those carefully here for all of you: Question: Why did we make this change when many pros are voicing that they preferred quoting for jobs? Answer: When we let customers search for and evaluate pros right away, customers are more likely to find the right pros and ultimately hire those pros.   In the old Thumbtack, every customer had to fill out a long form and then wait -- often hours or even days -- before seeing a single pro.  Think about how you shop for anything -- you would be far less likely to try to use Amazon or drive to a store if they made you fill out your detailed shopping list at the door and you weren't even sure if they had what you needed. Browsing pros in search results gives customers the ability to understand the types of pros in their market and choose who they are most excited to work with. That means when a customer reaches out, they are informed and more serious about working with you. By showing more pros in search results, we’re connecting you with more customers. And you’re only paying for leads-- customers who’ve seen what you offer and have decided to reach out to you . Question: Can I control which leads I pay for and when? Answer: Absolutely! We only want you to pay for the leads you want. So we’re giving you new controls to do just that. On Thumbtack, you pay for the leads you want. When we send you new leads, you can see the customer’s project details. Y ou can decline the job if it’s not a good fit (and you won’t pay a cent!) or you can pay to respond to the customer if it’s a job you want to pursue . The best way to get more of the leads you want is to promote your business for the jobs you're most excited about. You set your preferences so we know what jobs you want. When you get a new lead that matches these preferences, you’ll pay automatically and get 20% off. You’ll also get a rank boost in search results! After you've promoted your service, check out the Jobs tab and express your interest in other jobs you think you could be a great fit for. You'll only be charged if the customer decides to get in touch with you. Question: What is “Promote” and how can it help me? Answer: Promoting your service is a way to get more leads -- if you tell us what leads you’ll always want, you’ll get 20% off those leads and a rank boost in search results. I know we’ve made a lot of changes lately, so I want to do a thorough job of explaining this: We know promoting your service looks a lot like Instant Match, but for customers who are now seeing you in search results, it works really differently. Now any pro can show up in a customer’s search results. Generally, you’ll rank higher if you provide a better customer experience (i.e., you have a great profile, plenty of great reviews, and you respond quickly). Promoting your service is the best way for you to show up as high as possible in the list, for the customers you’re most interested in. When you promote your service, you set your preferences to tell us exactly what customers you want. You’ll get a rank boost in search results, you’ll pay automatically for leads that match your preferences, and you’ll get 20% off those leads. Sometimes a customer might reach out about a job that doesn’t perfectly match your preferences. When that happens, you won’t be charged automatically and can decide to pay to respond to the customer if it’s a job you want. We’re going to host another Q&A in the community to answer your questions about how ranking and Promote work, so stay tuned! I know that was a lot of information, but thanks for sticking with me and I hope it helped to clear some things up. Thanks so much for your thoughtful feedback and keep the conversation going! ... View more