For HVAC contractors, growing HVAC leads is important to ensure the long-term success of their business. Developing a strong marketing plan for home services businesses can significantly impact customer acquisition and retention, customer perception, and profits.
According to Statista, the projected market size for the worldwide HVAC industry is $367 billion by the year 2030. North America’s valuation is at $13.8 billion. This presents a significant amount of potential for your HVAC business to grow and capitalize on.
So, why are your business’s marketing efforts so important? Whether you’re trying to bring in new customers, appease your existing base, or expand your service areas, marketing plays a vital role in all your business activities.
Keep reading to find out why marketing is a must for your HVAC company and the strategies you can use to attract qualified leads.
How Can Marketing Help My HVAC Business?
- Improves and increases sales.
Did you know that according to current projections, the number of sold HVAC units in 2024 will surpass 151 million? There is a massive opportunity for sales in this industry, and through effective marketing, your business can stake some claim on it!
- Improves existing customer’s perception.
Marketing isn’t just about attracting new customers but also about going above and beyond with your existing ones. Keep your current customers updated, for example, through solid content marketing (a blog page or helpful how-to videos!). You can also use text messaging tactics to create a direct line of communication and update your clients on appointments, contracts-in-progress, and more!
- Spreads brand awareness and word of mouth.
By marketing your business, you can expand your brand’s exposure to more homeowners and other potential HVAC clients. You don’t need to be a marketing expert to spread word of mouth about your small business. But by building recognition of your business and the services it offers, you can grow your sales funnel significantly in the long run.
- Grows your customer base.
One of the primary goals of marketing is to attract more customers. Marketing your business is one of the primary methods of getting your business and brand out there. Effective marketing campaigns and a memorable brand voice can help take your small HVAC business to the next level. By marketing your business through various channels and strategies, your business’s reach and clientele are bound to grow exponentially.
13 Effective Marketing Strategies for Your HVAC Business
Now that you’re aware of the importance of marketing your HVAC business, let’s get you started with the strategies you can use to do so! There are several marketing strategies to choose from, including:
Offline Marketing Strategies
Yard signs and on-the-job signage
A creative way to boost your business brand while in the middle of a job is by using effective signage and yard signs.
For example, suppose you’re delivering and setting up the air conditioning and heating systems for an office building. While the work is being done, the area may be closed off to workers. To indicate that, you can use signage that also includes your brand logo. This is a simple yet fantastic way of capturing the attention of potential leads!
While this may be a commercial example, this type of exposure can help all HVAC contractors grow their residential business as well.
Billboards
Billboards are an effective and eye-grabbing way to promote your HVAC business; they get the job done through their extravagant display.
Though they tend to be a little more on the expensive side, billboards are a great way to give a large audience of potential customers information about your business.
With a punchy tagline, you can offer information about your hours, location, and phone number at a glance. You never know just who might end up calling in!
Referral programs and builder/contractor referrals
Referral programs are where you leverage your existing base of happy customers to attract more potential leads. The advantage of customers sourced through referrals is that you have the benefit of trust from the get-go.
When a customer receives a recommendation from a friend, family member, or someone else they’re close to, your business comes across to them with a stamp of approval. This can save a lot of time spent on informative marketing and brand awareness activities.
In exchange, you build rewards for your referral source customer. This can be anything from, for example, a free fitting for an air conditioner to discounted follow-up maintenance. Your business can even offer free job site visits and assessments. What you decide is up to you!
Additionally, consider implementing a builder or contractor referral program. Partner with a roofing company or real estate agent and send each other referrals. This is a great way to build a robust ecosystem within your industries and gain more leads. Everyone wins!
Vehicle/Car Wraps
This is a form of marketing where you advertise your business on your trucks and vans. You can do this by opting for a wrap—that is, painting on an extra layer of finish onto your vehicle’s surface.
Your vehicle can display your business name, logo, contact information, and more!
How does this work as marketing?
While you park your car in the driveway of a homeowner or an office parking area, passersby will see your car and the services you provide. You can pick up leads effortlessly while on the job!
Direct Mail
Through this method, your business can reach potential customers by sending them a flyer, brochure, or pamphlet directly to their mailbox!
Make sure any marketing materials you send to homeowners and potential customers:
- Are free of clutter and pleasing to the eye.
- Are aligned with your brand.
- Include your business’s contact information.
- Have a clear call-to-action.
Pro-tip: You don’t want to overwhelm your audience by constantly sending them advertisements in the mail. Track the effectiveness of your direct mail and adjust the campaign’s volume accordingly. Spamming potential customers is the quickest way for direct mail to end up in the trash!
Business cards
Business cards are a great way to give potential leads an overview of your business in a concise and easily distributable format.
On your business card, make sure you don’t go overboard with detail. Provide the essential contact information for your business, but don’t treat it as a brochure to list every single one of your products and services.
Business cards are meant to be succinct and personal. Keep it short, simple, and sweet!
Trade magazine print ads
Print ads, like door-to-door knocking, are an old-fashioned tactic, but they’re still effective and maintain a certain level of charm.
For small home service businesses, print ads in a trade magazine can go a long way.
For example, senior citizens and retired homeowners may prefer reading print ads through trade magazines and other physical sources compared to online methods. You’re making your business more accessible to a key demographic through a medium they prefer.
To make your print ads attractive, make sure they’re in line with your business tone and aesthetic!
Online/Digital Marketing Strategies
A large number of your customers are online, and a great way to attract them to your business is by leveraging social media and different online marketing strategies. Here are a few to inspire you:
Google ads/PPC and Google Local Service ads
Have you heard of the pay-per-click model? This is the concept Google Ads and PPC ads work on.
Internet users on Google see ads that are explicitly delivered to their search intent and interests. For example, if a customer is searching for HVAC services nearby and your business is in the vicinity, they will see your ad.
If the user clicks on it, you gain a lead. The price of this click/lead, however, is a small fee to Google.
Developing a solid search engine optimization (SEO) strategy can help you nail your Google ads. Specifying keywords relevant to your services can also help with more effective targeting. These Google AdWords can boost your local SEO and attract more online leads.
If you want to target your ads to potential customers based on your location, you can use Google Local Services.
A lead looking for HVAC contractors will find your business as part of the Google Search results:
Pro-tip: Gain a competitive edge by getting your business verified or “Google Guaranteed” with Google My Business. You can establish more credibility and trust from the get-go this way.
Facebook and Instagram ads
Facebook and Instagram are two other social platforms you can use to boost awareness of your business and connect with more customers. Facebook ads and Instagram ads can both be tweaked and tailored to target a very specific demographic.
If you have an in-depth understanding of your ideal audience and demographic, these ads are the way to go!
Facebook’s ad campaigns are an effective marketing strategy for HVAC businesses who want to promote their posts to a specific demographic. Facebook ads allow its users to target the ads based on a predetermined set of factors (location, gender, age, and more!)
Instagram ads work on the same concept as Facebook ads in that they can be targeted toward specific demographics and based on Instagram’s algorithms. Instagram ads can work in four distinct ways:
- They can appear as a “story,” in which users can “swipe up” to be redirected.
- They can appear as a “sponsored post” and will pop up on users’ scrolling feeds.
- You can post directly on your business’s actual feed and gain a following using hashtags.
- You can partner with realtors and other related industries to cross-promote services on social media.
Keep in mind that Instagram is a platform more specifically for a younger audience who prefer bite-sized content!
Lead generation services (HomeAdvisor and Thumbtack)
A lead generation site like HomeAdvisor or Thumbtack is a great way to connect with potential leads through a detailed and relevant listing of your services. These listings don’t come free, but they help you attract qualified leads that can be vouched for by these websites.
HomeAdvisor helps customers find HVAC contractors and services on the basis of their budget and the specific job they are looking for.
Thumbtack offers similar services where customers can filter through categories of professionals before finding the one they need.
To start gaining leads on Thumbtack, begin by listing your business as a “Pro”. Then, all you have to do is let Thumbtack know what kind of jobs or services you provide. Thumbtack will then match your business with customers looking for that exact service!
Building a website and tracking your visitors
Building a business website is an essential part of maintaining your online presence. Your business website acts as a digital storefront with potential customers, providing them information regarding the services you offer, your prices, and even customer testimonials!
Your HVAC website should be a direct reflection of your business and its excellence. Ensure your website is:
- Visually attractive and has pleasing aesthetics.
- Easy to navigate and featured effective web design.
- Informative and engaging, comprising all essential information.
- Call-to-action driven and that every page is functional.
- Engaging and informative.
- Mobile-friendly.
Have you built that dream website already? Then you should also be tracking your visitors. By monitoring site visitors, you can gather more intel into their behavior and wants. For example, you can see how long they spent on specific pages, where they exited your sales funnel, and more. You can also gather information on their age, gender, and location, allowing you to build a better and more detailed buyer persona to ideate your potential audience and better serve them.
Check out this list of website visitor tracking tools to get familiar with your options!
Pro-tip: You can take your online engagement strategy further by also building and facilitating a mobile app for your customers.
Landing pages
So you’ve got your website. The next step is to develop landing pages.
Landing pages are standalone web pages with the specific intent and design to help track inbound customers and measure the effectiveness of individual marketing campaigns.
For example, suppose your HVAC business is running an Instagram ad. If a user clicks on the ad or “swipes up” to then arrive on your landing page, you can attribute that lead to the source: the Instagram ad.
Landing pages usually come with some form of a lead magnet—that is, an attractive offer to a potential customer in exchange for their contact information. This can be a free appointment, free ebook, or more!
Review and reputation management
Online reviews are a great way to build social proof for your business. If your existing customers are happy with your services and put in a good word, you’re much more likely to attract more leads!
Through effective online reputation management, you can build a strong relationship with your customers (both old and new) and solidify your brand perception!
Signpost can help you get the 5-star reviews your HVAC contractor business deserves. We can help you handle negative reviews, engage with more leads, and grow your 5-star ratings through our review management service.
Automated Marketing Strategies
Automation is the go-to tool of today’s digital age that marketers are keen to grasp. Here are the automated marketing strategies you should consider as you work on your HVAC marketing:
Interactive website and chat/text options
In order to take your HVAC website to the next level, you have to make them interactive. A great way to do that is by introducing chat to the platform.
Your customers shouldn’t have to hunt down your contact information or jump through hoops to get in touch with you. Using text and chat platforms makes it easy for them to contact you through your website whenever they need to.
Signpost’s live chat service can help you take your website and service to the next level!
Automated emails
Email marketing is one of the most cost-efficient strategies you can use to get in touch with your HVAC leads. If you have an existing database of your customer contact information, it’s time to extract those email addresses and make use of them.
It’s likely your customers will need yearly appointments, for example, for jobs like AC maintenance and heating checks. You can set up email lists and newsletters for this purpose, depending on the different customer segments and the type of jobs catered to each.
How can you do this effortlessly? Through email automation.
Signpost’s marketing automation services can ease the load on your email marketing and other digital marketing strategies.
Market Your HVAC Business with Signpost
Are you looking to boost your online reviews?
Or maybe you want to automate your digital marketing function?
Either way, we have you covered at Signpost. Help us help you take your HVAC business to the next level! Book a demo with us today to find out how Signpost helps business owners reach their full potential!