How To Build a Winning HVAC Marketing Plan for Your Business

The HVAC industry is competitive, which makes effective HVAC marketing necessary. With many businesses competing for the same customers, it’s crucial to be strategic when advertising your business to stand out. You should be able to catch the attention of your target audience.

Levy Online has specialists dedicated to helping HVAC businesses create a marketing plan that generates leads. 

Get more information today to have a competitive advantage.

HVAC Marketing Involves Having a Successful Website

While traditional marketing approaches, such as word-of-mouth referrals, print ads, sponsorships, and the use of billboards, are effective, having a website is vital because it helps customers discover you online. You want to grab the attention of customers both online and offline.

Your website should be simple but professional. This means it should be easy to navigate and include all the information a user needs to take the desired action. Additionally, it should be visually appealing. You need to use high-quality images of projects, and your color theme, throughout the website.

Essentially, your website should include:

• Your business name and visual elements that represent your brand
• The services you offer
• Your service areas
• High-quality photos of projects and staff members
• Customer testimonials
• Contact information and a booking system so potential clients can schedule appointments easily

Local SEO for HVAC Businesses

It’s critical to integrate local search engine optimization (SEO) in your marketing approaches to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). 

So, what is Local SEO?

When a user searches a query related to HVAC, the respective search engine, be it Google, Bing, or Yahoo, will consider the user’s location to give them relevant results. Thus, a user will see businesses close to their current location. Local SEO services aim to improve a business’s visibility in local SERPs.

For starters, you need a Google Business Profile (GBP). With this free online tool, businesses can create listings that appear on Google Search and Maps. An effective GBP has a business’s accurate name, address, and phone number (NAP), photos, a highlight of services and service areas, and reviews. A business can use their profile to respond to questions, and post updates to keep customers informed.

You should also optimize your website for local SEO by creating local service pages. If you offer services in different areas, each of the areas should have a separate informative page on the website. Ensure you use local keywords to rank higher when a user searches for HVAC services in the areas you serve. You should also use keywords strategically throughout your website content. Have location-related keywords in meta descriptions, headings, and blogs.

Being listed on relevant local directories and review platforms, such as Yelp and HomeAdvisor, can also help you rank higher on local SERPs. Users searching for the services you offer on such platforms are likely to find yours.

Also, consider building backlinks from quality websites. You can partner with local businesses through guest posting, sponsor local events, or utilize resource sharing and, in turn, earn backlinks. For instance, you can guest blog for a home service directory or magazine and include a link to your website. If you host a joint event, both of you can write about it and promote each other’s websites. 

Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly since most local searches are done using a mobile device. It should have a design that adapts to any screen size. Additionally, it should be fast. A slow-loading website can negatively impact user experience — a user is more likely to leave a website without taking the intended action.

We have professionals skilled in web development and UI/UX design who can help you build a successful website.

Social Media Marketing

A significant percentage of users rely on social media to find home service providers. Thus, HVAC businesses should be active on social media. HVAC contractors can use their pages to connect with potential and existing customers, and build brand awareness. 

You should create engaging content on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok. Engaging content includes:

• Eye-catching before and after photos of projects
• Educational posts, such as maintenance tips for different HVAC systems, tips for improving energy efficiency in a home or business, or how to troubleshoot common problems
• Content about a typical day in the company 
• Promotional content, like giveaways, discounts, new product/service announcements, and seasonal reminders

Social media marketing requires a strategy. You need a content calendar to ensure you are consistent. Besides, you need a plan that outlines your goals, target audience, and preferred platforms.

Understanding these aspects can help you optimize social media marketing. For example, when it comes to selecting a platform to post content on, consider the purpose of the content. 

Facebook is great for sharing educational content and engaging with your community. Use Instagram to showcase before and after photos and videos of projects and post maintenance tips. X works well when you want to engage in industry conversations or share quick updates. TikTok is great for engaging with a younger audience who are new homeowners or business owners. 

You can also consider posting long-form content on YouTube to educate your audience on HVAC systems, and LinkedIn is excellent for connecting with commercial customers, or networking with other professionals in the industry.

Our company offers social media services to help businesses have a strong online presence that allows them to improve brand awareness.

Paid Advertising

Paid advertising benefits businesses in numerous ways. This HVAC marketing strategy helps companies reach a wider audience, and build brand recognition. Additionally, it allows a targeted reach. You can reach a specific demographic, or people with particular interests or behaviors using a paid ad.

However, how does it work?

Paid advertising involves paying a publisher to have your ad displayed to certain users. Advertisers bid to win the top slot on a particular platform. The advertiser with the highest bid, whose ad is of good quality and relevant to the user’s query, will rank higher. Paid ads are shown on search engines, like Google, social media platforms, and websites. You will pay each time a user clicks on your ad. Thus, you can control your budget.

Our digital advertising services help clients understand how to optimize paid ads. It can be disappointing to invest in an ad and not see results. Our team will help you understand how to manage your budget and ads.

CTV Advertising

So, what is connected TV then?

Connected TV (CTV) is any television that can access and stream content from the internet, including smart TVs and traditional TVs connected to an external device, like streaming sticks, gaming consoles, or set-top boxes.

CTV advertising involves displaying ads on connected TVs and streaming devices. This approach combines the strong emotional connection that viewers usually have toward television content, and the targeted reach online advertising offers.

HVAC companies can leverage CTV advertising to reach potential customers, as it enables highly targeted ad delivery. Typically, publishers collect data from users’ TVs to show them relevant ads when they are watching a movie, TV show, or any other video content. Thus, you can specify the users you want to reach based on the data. Your ad can be targeted by audience demographics, interests, behaviors, and locations.

For example, when advertising your business to a new service area, you can choose to only display the ad to homes and businesses within that geographical area. Your ad can also be shown only to users who have actively been searching for a service you offer.

Including CTV advertising in your HVAC marketing plan allows you to enjoy benefits like precise targeting, cost efficiency, expanded reach, measurable results, and enhanced engagement.

Want to add CTV/OTT ads to your HVAC marketing plan? Let’s talk.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is a highly effective marketing tactic for HVAC businesses. Building an email list and sending subscribers educational content and reminders for maintenance or discounts can help you build trust with customers. You can collect emails through website sign-ups or social media interactions.

Email marketing campaigns should be developed for a specific goal. Consequently, it’s crucial to segment your list. A welcome email should go to new clients only. Emails with information related to residential or commercial services should be sent to the respective customer type. Other factors you can use to segment clients include location, type of equipment, interests, demographic level, engagement level, and maintenance plan.

Traditional Marketing

As mentioned before, traditional marketing approaches are effective for HVAC businesses. Localized direct mail campaigns (sending physical mail to specific homeowners or neighborhoods) can help you increase engagement. You can send brochures to a service area to inform home and business owners about your business. 

Your mail should include personalized messaging — the message should mention the name of the homeowner (if they are an existing client) and the specific neighborhood. You can also include testimonials from customers within the location in question to make it more relatable. 

Moreover, you can send mail about seasonal offers. For example, before summer, you can remind clients of your maintenance services, which will be discounted up to a particular date.

Direct mail can help you build relationships, which can help establish trust and a community. 

This marketing approach can also have a high response rate as compared to others because people tend to keep physical mail longer. Therefore, a potential customer is more likely to remember you when they need an HVAC service. They will simply find the mail and contact you.

The use of newspaper inserts is another traditional marketing approach that can benefit your business. Unlike printing an ad in the newspaper itself, with this approach, you partner with a newspaper to place fliers or brochures inside newspapers. Thus, you can target specific geographic areas within the newspaper’s distribution zone.

Your newspaper inserts should be educational. You can offer maintenance tips, provide the benefits of regular HVAC maintenance, and so on. It can be beneficial to include a QR code on them, which customers can scan to access more information about your services and promotions.

HVAC businesses have been using door hangers for years, and this marketing strategy continues to be successful when implemented correctly. You can leave door hangers in specific neighborhoods to grab attention. The door hanger needs to be visually appealing and informative. You can use a door hanger to announce a new service or a discount.

Other traditional marketing tactics to use include networking with business owners at local events, distributing business cards, and using vehicle wraps on your company cars, turning them into moving billboards.

Make Your HVAC Brand Unforgettable

HVAC marketing does not have to be complicated. Understanding your business and objectives for marketing can help you make informed decisions. Levy Online has helped many businesses offering home services stand out from the crowd. Contact us today to get started.