Marketing can be tricky for more technical industries. You know how to repair any HVAC system and can recommend the best replacement to your customers. But do you know how to get HVAC customers in the first place? That comes down to having the right pitch and the right brand. Not every HVAC technician has the skill set for marketing, whether online or in-person.
Even when you have a basic understanding of marketing, you may not have time to maintain it in the long term. Marketing can feel like a full-time job, and it’s an ever-shifting landscape. Twenty or 30 years ago, advertising online was hardly a consideration.
Today, digital marketing and making sure you show up on the first page of a Google search are critical. Do you need an HVAC website, or has all of your competition moved to apps? With so many options, where do you focus your attention?
That’s where we’re here to help. Take a look at these 15 HVAC marketing strategies that can address how to get more HVAC customers.
1. Corner the Local SEO Market for HVAC
If you’re an HVAC technician, you don’t need customers from around the world. You just need to know how to get HVAC customers in your area. For that, local SEO can be your best friend.
SEO stands for search engine optimization, which means using the best practices to move your business up on a Google search. Local SEO is SEO that is centered around your local area. When your customers search “HVAC technician in [your city],” you want your business to be the first thing that comes up.
There are a few ways to boost your local SEO, including:
- Set up a contact page on your website. Your contact page should list your physical address, as that will get picked up by Google’s algorithm. If you can embed a Google map leading to your address, that will make an even better impression.
- Create a Google My Business page for your business. This is something business owners should do to tell Google where to find your business, your hours, your services, and how to contact you. Users can easily find this both through a search or through the Google Maps app.
- Build local links. Try to get backlinks to your website from other local businesses and publications, and try to add more links to local establishments on your website. The more local links you build, the more official and specific to your location you appear to Google.
- Use local keywords in your content. Make sure to mention your local area and use common local keywords in your original content. This proves that your content is relevant to the local area, and helps increase your SEO.
2. Use Google Ads and Local Service Ads for Your Business
You can create a PPC ad on Google Ads that can go out to your target audience based on their data and their searches. When creating Google Ads, you’ll mostly want to make Google local services ads, a service that targets ads to your local area when local customers make a search. However, it’s a good idea to look through the various services that Google Ads offers, so you can see what works for you.
This is an affordable way to create ads, as well as an effective one. Google is by and large the most popular search platform on the internet. With Google Ads, you’ll even be able to look at your analytics (data Google tracks for your business) to see which ads work and which ones don’t. This will help you to waste less time with your HVAC marketing.
3. Encourage Customer Reviews
Did you know that 91% of customers read online reviews? And 84% of them trust those reviews as much as they trust recommendations from friends? Even simply a number of high positive reviews can make your business look better to both Google and to your customers.
Of course, it’s the customer’s decision whether to leave a review based on their customer satisfaction. However, you can work to encourage reviews by putting up signs or sending a follow-up email to ask customers what they thought of your service. As your reviews grow, so will your SEO.
4. Create Engaging Written Content
When it comes to digital marketing and SEO, they say “content is king.” What that means is that Google prioritizes high-quality, engaging written content. Long-form blogs with helpful information for your customers and lots of authoritative links or citations can stand out to Google’s algorithms, as well as to human customers.
You’ll want to use relevant keywords in your content so it ends up on the right searches, but be careful not to keyword-stuff. This can lead to penalties from Google and could knock you even further down the search engine’s rankings.
Aside from blogs, you can also come up with landing pages for each of your services or service areas. Offer an in-depth description of the service you provide and why that’s necessary for existing customers and new customers. This can be followed up with appropriate links leading someone to book service with you, and it looks great for SEO.
5. Choose Your Social Media Platforms
Most of your customers are probably on at least one social media platform. Putting your business on that platform can help to boost your brand and put you at the forefront of your customer’s minds.
But beware of stretching yourself too thin on social media. Too many businesses set up accounts on every social media platform they can think of and leave them neglected. Instead, do some research to figure out where your customers are.
For an HVAC marketing strategy, the most effective platforms are typically Facebook and YouTube. Facebook is often used by homeowners and families, and it allows you to post your business information such as your contact info and hours. You can post announcements or images of recent jobs.
YouTube offers a chance to post videos offering HVAC maintenance tips or explaining your process. You might also make a business page on Nextdoor, making it easy for your customers to recommend you to their neighbors.
6. Be Sure You Have a Website
Let’s back up a bit. We’ve mentioned your website a few times. Does your business have a website? An HVAC website is your central hub on the internet.
It should give your customers everything they need to know about your company: your experience, your services, your service areas, a look at your process, and a view of what existing customers have said including written and video testimonials. It also makes your business look more established.
Studies have shown that 30% of customers won’t even interact with businesses that don’t have a website. And of course, turning a potential customer into a lead is how to get customers.
7. Consider Putting Out a PPC Ad
It can take time to get your business onto page one of a Google search. In the meantime, however, a pay-per-click (PPC) ad can help ensure you come up on the right searches. A PPC ad is just what it sounds like: every time someone clicks the ad, you pay a little bit.
The upside, however, is that your ad is much more likely to appear on page 1, or at least on the top of the current search page. Although it is an upfront investment, if your goal is to find HVAC customers, this tends to have a great ROI.
8. Invest in an SEO Audit
An SEO audit is conducted by an SEO expert to get a sense of how your business currently ranks on Google searches. Your SEO audit will point out the strong parts of your digital marketing as well as the weak points.
From there, you can come up with a plan to improve those weak points, rather than going wide and boosting your SEO based on assumptions. An SEO audit will focus on your website, but also your brand’s presence online as a whole.
It might even include suggestions for what you can do to boost your HVAC SEO and get your business moving up the Google rankings.
9. Build Trust With Your Customers
It’s not just about how to get HVAC customers. It’s also about customer retention. One way to make sure your customers keep coming back — and keep recommending your business to others — is by building trust with them.
The main strategy for building trust is simply providing great service. You can also set yourself up as an expert by offering helpful information on your blog or having quality customer service available to answer any of your customers’ questions.
10. Cash in on Seasonal Advertising
You don’t only want to put out general, evergreen ads. You also want ads that are specific to your customer’s needs at the moment. That’s why it helps to make seasonal ads that focus on HVAC issues that could occur throughout the different seasons.
These are especially effective during the summer or winter when your customers will likely need you most. Holiday advertisements also add a bit of fun and memorability to your business.
11. Keep Your Customers Up to Speed With Email Marketing
Email marketing is a great way to both get and retain customers. If you have previous customers who have used their email to contact you, you can save that email to your email list.
When you have a new special offer or simply a blog that you think your customers would enjoy, send out an email to your entire email list. It’s also a way to remind potential customers who reached out but never booked service that you are still there and still able to help them with their HVAC needs.
Don’t spam anyone’s email, as that can be a turnoff. An announcement of a special deal, a follow-up email after service to ask for feedback, or a monthly newsletter are all effective email marketing options.
12. Make Use of Keyword Research
When you’re creating that written content for your website and social media, do some keyword research. Find out the keywords that are ranking the highest amongst customers looking for HVAC professionals, especially in your area.
There are websites that allow you to do this for free, but if you’re willing to pay, Google Ad analytics can offer a detailed breakdown of keywords relevant to your business. Try to get an idea of how often to mention those keywords naturally, so it’s effective but you don’t get penalized for keyword stuffing.
13. Analyze the Competition
You can also perform some market research on your main competition. What keywords rank highest for them, and how can you use those to your advantage? What marketing strategies work best for them, and what can you offer that they don’t?
You can’t steal their marketing material or plagiarize their blogs, of course. But as an HVAC business owner, it’s fair game to look at other HVAC professionals as a model for how to market your business. You can use marketing software to help you complete a competitive analysis to get started.
14. Make Sure Your Website Is User-Friendly
Did you know that Google also takes the user-friendliness of your website into account when ranking your web pages in its search engine algorithm? After all, if your website is clunky and difficult to navigate, customers might wander away.
Make sure your website is clean, clear, and easy to use both on desktop and mobile since many of your customers are likely to use both.
15. Don’t Neglect Offline Marketing
Digital marketing is essential for those in the HVAC tech world. But that doesn’t mean that physical marketing has gone away. Fliers, brochures, direct mail, and promotional items like pens or cupholders are still great ways to put your brand in front of other people.
You don’t want to go over the top and drive customers away. But, tasteful and strategic promotional items can help your customers begin to subconsciously become familiar with your brand. And of course, when they’re familiar with your brand, they’re more likely to turn to you.
Expand Your Marketing Plan With Help From Scorpion
The world of marketing is constantly changing, so even if you have a strong HVAC marketing strategy now, you may need to re-evaluate in a few years. This can be overwhelming, but the returns are worth it — more loyal customers to your business.
Fortunately, you don’t have to handle marketing alone. Scorpion offers marketing services and technology to a number of small businesses including HVAC companies like yours. We can help you find your customers and hold onto them. Contact us today to learn more or to schedule a consultation.
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