Over the last few years, HVAC marketing has changed.
HVAC companies that once utilized Yellow Page advertisements and radio advertising now must turn to a new way of marketing in order to avoid becoming obsolete, so to speak.
By accepting the fact that things have changed, you will be able to identify HVAC marketing strategies that will work for your business and help it grow in this world where digital marketing is more important than ever before.
With the identification of these strategies, you can take your business to new heights. After all, many of your competitors likely have not adapted to the new marketing needs, allowing you to get a leg up on them.
Let’s take a look at seven different HVAC marketing strategies that you can begin implementing now.
1. Consider Content Marketing
One marketing tactic that HVAC companies fail to use is blogging.
This is by far the easiest method to market your business. Content marketing helps you be located on Google, stand out from the competition, and build trust with consumers.
When implementing a content marketing campaign, it is imperative that you are creating content of value. Therefore, you should curate HVAC-related articles that cater to your local market.
As you develop topics, think about your customers. Consider what they do, what steps they should take given the current season, and create content that will help them!
This may include product demos, training videos, success stories, or Q&A articles.
Don’t forget to ensure you are including popular keywords in your content, as this is what will help you rank higher in the search engine result pages (SERPs) and faster.
Properly written content will:
- Increase organic traffic to your site based on the keywords used and content written.
- Answer questions that your customers need answers to
- Improve your credibility with consumers
- Work well alongside your other marketing efforts (think social media).
Remember, consumers go to Google and type in a question to find the answer to their specific needs.
Therefore, when you create content that addresses their questions and needs, you have the potential to attract some of the most qualified leads ever. You are providing them with the answer to their question.
If you don’t have the time or skills to write for your company, hire someone to do it for you. It is an investment that is well worth it in the end.
2. Distribute Promotional Items
Another HVAC marketing strategy that you could implement is the distribution of promotional items that are relevant to your particular industry.
This can include anything and everything from pencils and pens to notepads and mouse pads that have your company logo and/or slogan printed on them.
You can also do highlighters, calendars, letter openers, glasses, hats, and tote bags.
Try to think about what your customers may be most interested in and would use regularly, as this will help increase the chances of your business remaining at the forefront of their minds.
For instance, if you offer pens with your company name and number on them, they may use your pen to pay bills or take notes.
When they do this, they have your business in mind and will likely think about your company when their AC stops working or the heater stops blowing warm air.
Promotional items are great to give out to your employees at the end of the year or as prizes during an event.
In addition, they are excellent to be given out at trade shows or other events where you are advertising your company.
3. Use Local Search Engine
More often than not, a consumer who is interested in HVAC services will go online to look for services that are local to them.
They are more likely to choose one of the HVAC companies that pop up first.
Therefore, you want to get your website ranked as high in the SERPs as you can.
One way to do this is to ensure all information about your company is correct. This pertains to information on local directories and business listings.
Your Google Business Profile is an important aspect of local search engine optimization. While customers can obtain a lot of the information they need from your website, your Google Business Profile will index the content provided.
Keep track of and manage this profile to ensure all photos, videos, and data are correct. You can also gain insights into how customers came to land on your site.
Best of all? Your Google Business Profile is free!
Unfortunately, so many businesses aren’t taking advantage of this — and they’re losing out.
Google performed a study that shows that half of consumers who performed a local search contacted or visited a business within one day.
4. Gather Customer Reviews
While word-of-mouth marketing is still great, the truth is that online reviews are far more powerful in today’s digital age.
Did you know that roughly 88% of consumers will make a decision regarding their business dealings and purchases based on what they have seen online?
To get these customer reviews, request that they review your business as soon as they feel comfortable in doing so.
Alternatively, you can have a URL where a review can be placed on your business card.
You could also follow-up with your customers via email about their experience and ask that they leave a review.
Whether the feedback is negative or positive, it is important to respond as quickly as possible.
This shows other consumers that you value the opinions of your customers and are happy to resolve problems (if there are any) quickly.
5. Use Service Ads
Once you have created or updated your Google Business Profile, go a step further and consider Google Local Service Ads.
These ads will be the first thing that appear in the SERPs when a web user searches for HVAC companies.
In the SERPs, the very top spot will showcase those who have invested in these service ads. Next, there are the PPC ads, the local 3-pack, and the organic results.
Therefore, it is becoming increasingly difficult to appear in the organic search results for geographically related queries.
To ensure you don’t “disappear,” invest in both the Google Local Services ads and PPC ads, which will send your company to the top of the page for a related search query.
6. Implement Geofencing Ads Strategies
HVAC companies operate locally, and as a result, geofencing can be an effective marketing strategy.
Geofencing allows you to target a specific area, whether it is a neighborhood or a competitor’s primary location.
Since geofencing focuses on ads by location, it is imperative that you do your research ahead of time. You need to know where your customers are and what areas may be good at finding new customers.
Take a look at your current customers and target neighborhoods similar to those.
In addition, you can create a geofence around the location of a competitor if you believe they may make the switch to your company.
Make sure that you use a call-to-action that is to the point and non-spammy.
Give them a reason to contact your company. For instance, a good example of a CTA for an HVAC company is “Get $100 off your new HVAC installation when you call today!”
7. Consider Going Social
Some people believe that only certain industries should be on social media, but with over 74% of consumers making a purchase decision after being influenced by these platforms, almost all businesses can see the value in going social.
Unfortunately, only around 26% of businesses use social media to their advantage.
Because of this, you have a leg up on many of your competitors by implementing a social media marketing campaign.
In doing so, you will:
- Build awareness of your brand.
- Advertise your services and promotions.
- Engage with current and prospective customers.
- Share content related to your company and industry.
Going social can not only help you create lasting relationships with customers, but it will also help you gain and retain more customers.
To get the most benefit from social media, make sure you are answering comments and messages and posting valuable content.
Wrap Up
The digital marketing efforts that you implement are likely going to be the same or similar to the ones that are implemented by your competitors (if they’re current with digital marketing).
And that’s okay. Because what you really need to be concerned with is how your HVAC marketing plan is executed.
By improving brand awareness and visibility through digital marketing efforts, there will be a higher chance of reaching success.
Need help determining just how much you need to invest in your HVAC digital marketing efforts? Check out our marketing calculator!
