If you are an HVAC contractor, then you know that besides your HVAC tools, marketing is an essential tool to your success.
With so many companies competing for business, it is important to find creative and effective ways to stand out from the crowd when marketing your HVAC company.
In this article, we will discuss 15 HVAC marketing ideas and the HVAC marketing tips HVAC contractors can use to get ahead of the competition.
- 1. Create a Reputable Website
- 2. Maintain a Helpful HVAC Blog
- 3. Employ Local Search Engine Optimization Techniques
- 4. Optimize Your Google Business Profile (Formerly Called Google My Business)
- 5. Get Listed on Important Directory Sites
- 6. Run a Paid Ad Campaign
- 7. Use Email Marketing
- 8. Optimize Landing Pages for Appointments
- 9. Effectively Utilize Social Media
- 10. Run Periodic Promotions and Specials
- 11. Get Referrals From Past Customers
- 12. Participate in Local Events
- 13. Run Quality Direct Mail Campaigns
- 14. Generate Reviews from Satisfied Customers
- 15. Use Call Tracking Software
- Conclusion
1. Create a Reputable Website
The first step to successful HVAC marketing is creating a reputable website. This is definitely one of the best ways to advertise an HVAC business. Your website is often the first point of contact between you and potential customers. It’s important to make a good impression with it.
Make sure your site is professionally designed, easy to navigate, and informative. Include clear calls to action and contact information so that potential customers know how to reach you.
When designing your HVAC business website, be sure to include the following:
- Your company name, logo, and contact information
- A clear and concise description of your services
- Testimonials from satisfied customers
- High-quality photos and videos
- A blog with helpful articles about HVAC topics
Simplicity is key when it comes to the design of your HVAC business website. Stick to a clean and professional layout with easy-to-read fonts. Include plenty of white space so that visitors don’t feel overwhelmed by too much information. Use high-quality photos and videos to give potential customers a sense of your work.
Once your HVAC business website is up and running, you’ll need to promote it to attract visitors. There are several effective strategies you can use, including search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. By using a combination of these techniques, you can reach a wider audience and generate more leads for your HVAC business.
Want to see quality HVAC websites in action? Check out our list of the top 10 local HVAC websites.
2. Maintain a Helpful HVAC Blog
An effective way to market your HVAC business is to maintain a helpful blog. Use your blog to provide valuable information about your industry, such as tips for choosing the right HVAC system, energy-saving tips for homeowners, and advice for maintaining a healthy home.
By regularly writing helpful blog posts, you can position yourself as an expert in your field and attract more potential customers to your website. In addition, every time you publish a new blog post, you provide fresh content for search engines to index.
Not sure what to write about? Here are some marketing ideas for HVAC company blog topics.
- How to choose the right HVAC system for your home
- The benefits of regular HVAC maintenance
- How to save energy with your HVAC system
- The importance of indoor air quality
- HVAC troubleshooting tips
- How to prepare your HVAC system for winter
By writing helpful and informative blog posts, you can attract more visitors to your website and generate leads for your HVAC business.
3. Employ Local Search Engine Optimization Techniques
If you want your HVAC business to be visible to potential customers in your area, you need to employ local search engine optimization (SEO) techniques.
Local SEO is a type of SEO that focuses on optimizing your website for keywords related to your location. For example, if you’re an HVAC contractor in Los Angeles looking to be found on Google searches, you would want to optimize your website for keywords like “HVAC contractor Los Angeles” and “air conditioning repair Los Angeles.” This is an excellent idea on how to get HVAC customers locally.
In addition to optimizing your website for local keywords, there are specific types of SEO to work on. Focus on the three main types of SEO.
- On-page SEO
- Off-page SEO
- Technical SEO
On-page SEO refers to the content on your website. You can improve your on-page SEO by including keywords in your title tags, descriptions, and anchor text.
In addition, be sure to include city and state names in your website’s metadata. This will help Google determine the location of your business and rank you higher in local search results.
Off-page SEO refers to the things you can do outside of your website to improve your ranking in local search results. There are several effective off-page SEO techniques, including claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile listing, building citations, and getting reviews from customers.
Technical SEO is a bit more complex than on-page and off-page SEO. It refers to the technical aspects of your website, such as your site’s structure, code, and speed.
While technical SEO can be a bit tricky, there are several things you can do to improve it. For example, you can use keyword-rich titles and descriptions, optimize your website’s loading speed, and make sure your website is mobile-friendly.
If you remain diligent in your efforts, you can see a significant improvement in your HVAC business’s ranking in local search results.
4. Optimize Your Google Business Profile (Formerly Called Google My Business)
Google changed the Google My Business name to Google Business Profile recently. Google Business Profile is a free listing that allows large and small businesses to manage their online information, such as their hours, phone number, website, and reviews.
It’s important to optimize your Google Business Profile listing because it can improve your visibility in local search results. In addition, potential customers can use your listing to find out more about your HVAC business and decide whether or not to use your services.
There are several things you can do to optimize your Google Business Profile, such as adding photos, responding to reviews, and including keywords in your business description.
You should use citations when building out your Google Business Profile. Citations are mentions of your HVAC business on other websites. They help improve your visibility in local search results and can be a valuable source of HVAC leads.
Build citations by submitting your business to online directories and listing sites. In addition, you can also get mentions from other websites, such as news articles, blog posts, and press releases.
Be sure to include your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) on all your citations. This will help Google verify your business’s information and rank you higher in local search results.
Don’t forget to use keywords in the title and description areas of the profile. When potential customers search for HVAC businesses in their area, they’ll likely use keywords, such as “HVAC contractor” or “air conditioning repair.”
If you want your HVAC business to show up in local search results, be sure to include these keywords in your title and description. In addition, you can also use other related keywords, such as “heating repair” or “furnace repair.”
5. Get Listed on Important Directory Sites
In addition to optimizing your Google Business Profile, you should also get your HVAC business listed on important directory sites.
There are dozens of online directories where you can list your business, but some are more important than others. For example, Angie’s List and HomeAdvisor are two popular home services directories that can help generate leads for your HVAC business.
In addition, you should also get your business listed on local directories, such as the Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau. Here are a few additional directory websites to focus on.
- Yellow Pages
- Yelp
- Foursquare
- Bing
- Nextdoor
Getting listed on these important directories improves your HVAC company authority and allows potential customers to find your business more easily. It also presents you as an expert in your field.
6. Run a Paid Ad Campaign
Running paid ad campaigns should become a large part of your HVAC company marketing plan. As part of our HVAC advertising ideas, we recommend you use creative HVAC ads on Facebook, Google Local Service Ads or PPC ads, and Bing to reach potential customers in your area.
Facebook Ads, one of the most productive advertising for HVAC, allow you to target people based on their interests, demographics, and behaviors. For example, you can target people who live in your city, who have recently moved to your city, or who need home improvement solutions.
Google Local Service Ads help reach potential customers who are actively searching for HVAC services in your area. You can also use Google Local Service Ads to target people who have already visited your website.
Bing Ads is another option for running paid ad campaigns. Bing Ads allows you to target people based on their interests, demographics, and behaviors. Many HVAC owners fail to recognize how successful a Bing Ads campaign can set them apart. Most of your competitors probably don’t represent themselves on Bing. Use it to your advantage.
In addition, as part of your HVAC advertising, you should also consider running a retargeting campaign. Retargeting is a type of advertising that allows you to show ads to people who have already visited your website or interacted with your brand.
For example, you can show ads to people who have visited your website but haven’t booked an appointment. By retargeting these potential customers, you can increase the chances of converting them into actual customers.
There are several different platforms you can use to run a retargeting campaign, such as Google AdWords, Facebook Ads, and Bing Ads.
7. Use Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the best ways to stay in touch with your customers and generate leads for your HVAC business. You can use email to send out monthly newsletters, special offers, and promotions. You can also use email to send out appointment reminders, customer satisfaction surveys, and thank-you notes.
Email works well to stay in touch with your customers and keep them updated on what’s happening with your HVAC business. Use email marketing to cultivate relationships with existing customers. For example, you can send birthday greetings, holiday greetings, and other personal messages.
You should also use your website to generate email subscribers and then work to turn them into customers. To do this, you can add an email sign-up form to your website. Then, send out a monthly email newsletter. One way to encourage subscriber sign-ups is to offer a free HVAC service, such as a free estimate or a free consultation.
Offering a helpful lead magnet is the most effective way to get website visitors to sign up for your newsletter. Instead of asking them to sign up for a general newsletter, give them a free resource that helps them in some way.
For example, you can offer a free HVAC maintenance checklist, a guide to energy-efficient HVAC systems, or a coupon for a discount on HVAC services. By offering helpful resources, you’ll be able to quickly turn website visitors into email subscribers and then customers.
8. Optimize Landing Pages for Appointments
If you want to generate leads for your HVAC business, then you need to have optimized landing pages on your website. A landing page is a specific page on your website that’s designed to capture a lead’s information.
For example, if you’re running a Google AdWords campaign, you would send people who click on your ad to a specific landing page. This landing page would then have a form for the person to fill out with their name, email address, and phone number.
The goal of this page is to get the person to fill out the form and become a lead. Once you have their contact information, you can then follow up with them and try to convert them into a customer.
There are several things you can do to optimize your landing pages for appointments. First, make sure the page is easy to find and navigate to. Second, use persuasive copy that convinces people to book an appointment.
Third, include a strong call-to-action that tells people what they need to do. And fourth, use images and videos that help explain what your HVAC business does.
Build A Professional Website!
9. Effectively Utilize Social Media
Besides running ads, another marketing idea for HVAC businesses is the use of social media platforms. Social media is a powerful HVAC marketing tool. With social media, you can reach a large audience of potential customers quickly and easily.
Use social media to post updates about your HVAC business, promote special offers, and answer customer questions. You can also use social media to run ads and boost your posts to reach a larger audience.
Make sure you’re using social media effectively by creating engaging content, using relevant hashtags, and tagging other businesses and influencers in your posts.
Don’t forget about the visual aspect of social media. If you want your business to stand out, you need to use high-quality videos and photos. For example, post videos of your HVAC technicians working or photos of your company’s work.
Here are specific tips your HVAC company should use on various social media channels.
Twitter is a good platform for promoting special offers and coupons. You can also use Twitter to answer customer questions in real time.
Instagram is a visual platform. Use it to post vibrant before and after pictures of past jobs you’ve completed for HVAC clients. On Instagram, you should also post photos of your team at work and company events.
Facebook works well to post photos as well. Or, you can post customer video testimonials. Nothing sells as well as third-party verification about how well you perform for customers. On Facebook, you can use surveys to learn more about your target audience.
LinkedIn is a platform you can use to post articles about the HVAC industry. Use LinkedIn to reveal your industry knowledge, answer questions in the comments of articles, and invite potential customers to set appointments.
10. Run Periodic Promotions and Specials
A great way to generate leads and appointments is to run periodic promotions and specials. For example, an HVAC promotional idea could be offering a free HVAC inspection or a discount on HVAC services.
Make sure your promotions are well-designed and easy to understand. You should also promote your specials through your email list, social media channels, and website.
You can even run Google Ads to promote your specials to people in your area who are searching for HVAC services. By running promotions and specials, you can attract new leads and convert them into customers.
11. Get Referrals From Past Customers
One of the best ways to get new customers is to get referrals from past customers. When you do a good job for a customer, ask them if they know anyone else who could use your HVAC services.
You might also offer incentives for customers who refer someone to your business. For example, you can give them a discount on their next HVAC service or a gift card to a local restaurant.
When asking for referrals, avoid asking customers if they know anyone who can also use your services. Instead, ask them, “Who do you know that can use our HVAC services?” You need to get your customers thinking of specific people you can help. Otherwise, most people will simply shrug and say they don’t know anyone else.
Even better, ask them this: “Who are the top three people you know who can use our services?”
Help your technicians learn this simple script. Teach them to take out a pad of paper and ask the question with pen in hand. Customers will see that your technicians are serious about getting a referral and are about to write the answers down.
If you let people say they’ll think of someone to refer you to later, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll ever get referrals from them. You must do it right there at that moment. If you link up the incentives they’ll receive at the same time, you should start getting more referrals than you currently do.
12. Participate in Local Events
Another method for generating leads is to participate in local events. For instance, you can sponsor a youth sports team, set up a booth at a community festival, or sponsor a charity event.
When you participate in local events, you’ll get your company’s name out there in the community. You can also use these events as an opportunity to meet potential customers and give them your business card.
Make sure to wear branded clothing with your company’s logo and name when you participate in local events. You should also have plenty of business cards on hand to give out to people who express interest in your HVAC services.
13. Run Quality Direct Mail Campaigns
Many local businesses forget about the power of snail mail. If you want to stand out from your competitors, consider running quality direct mail campaigns.
When designing your direct mail campaign, decide to use high-quality materials. You should also include a strong call-to-action that encourages people to set an appointment with your HVAC company. Use vibrant colors on your direct mail pieces. This will help your piece stand out from the rest of the mail that potential customers receive.
Make sure your ad is clear and concise. You don’t want to overwhelm potential customers with too much information. Include enough information to pique their interest and encourage them to set an appointment with your HVAC company.
Consider using an abnormally sized card. For example, you can use a postcard that’s larger than the standard size. Doing this will help your piece stand out from any other mail customers receive.
To get the most bang for your buck, target your direct mail campaign to a specific audience. You might target homeowners in a certain neighborhood who will respond favorably to advertisements about HVAC services.
To get started with a direct mail campaign, create a list of advertisements you can send to potential leads. Think about simple headlines and subheadlines that will grab the attention of potential customers as they sift through their mail.
Your ad should also include a clear call to action that tells the reader what to do next. For instance, offer a free estimate for HVAC services or a discount on the first service.
Once you have your ad designed, it’s time to start reaching out to potential leads. You can either rent a list of leads from a direct mail company or buy a list of leads. If you decide to rent a list, make sure you’re renting it from a reputable source. You don’t want to end up wasting your money on a bad list that doesn’t contain any good leads.
Start by sending a small batch of ads to test the response rate. If you get a good response, you can then send out a larger batch of ads.
14. Generate Reviews from Satisfied Customers
One of the best ways to market your HVAC business is to generate reviews from satisfied customers. Customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, so it’s important to have positive reviews from your customers.
There are several ways to generate customer reviews. The most effective way is to simply ask your customers to leave a review after they’ve used your services. You can also include a link to your Google Business Profile listing in your email signature and on your website.
You might also consider setting up an automated email campaign with several calls-to-action to leave your business a review. In addition, you can offer incentives to customers who leave reviews. For example, you could offer a discount on their next service or a free gift.
Reviews are one of the most important ranking factors in local SEO. Businesses with positive reviews are more likely to show up in local search results.
Of course, it’s important to make sure that your HVAC business is providing excellent customer service. This will help ensure that you get positive reviews from customers.
15. Use Call Tracking Software
In your efforts to gain more market share than competitors, start using call tracking software in your HVAC business. It’s software that allows you to track the results of your marketing campaigns.
Call tracking software also allows you to see what keywords potential customers are using to find your HVAC business. Use this information to improve your website and make sure it’s optimized for the right keywords.
Here’s how call tracking software works with Google Ad campaigns.
When potential customers click on your ad, they’re automatically redirected to a call tracking number. The call tracking software then records the call and ties it back to the original ad that it originated from.
The information is valuable because it allows you to see which of your ads are generating the most calls. You can then adjust your budget accordingly and focus on the ads that are working.
Over time, use the data from the call tracking software to phase out ineffective ads. If you closely track which ads work and which ads don’t bring in business, you will eventually run tightly-controlled paid ads that help you stay profitable.
When used correctly, call tracking software will help you gain more market share than competitors who fail to use this type of updated marketing strategy.
Conclusion
By implementing these 15 HVAC contractor marketing tips, you can start to gain an edge over your competitors. These HVAC marketing strategies will help you attract more customers and grow your business.
Don’t wait to put these marketing HVAC business tips into action. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll see results. And remember, even if you only implement a few of these strategies, you’ll still be ahead of most of your competition.
Keep in mind that these are just a few tips to get you started on HVAC marketing. For more information about how to market your HVAC business, check out our blog, join our Facebook group, or contact us directly at (866) 794‑1658.