HVAC Marketing For Boosting Leads and Winning New Business

What Is HVAC Marketing?

Businesses need to constantly grow. Otherwise, they will inevitably fail and cease to exist. However, growing your business in a highly competitive industry is tough. With the recent economic recession, it has become even harder to achieve.

This is true even for key industries like HVAC. Companies need a more strategic approach to sales and marketing. This guide will help you take your business to the next level.

Understanding HVAC Marketing

HVAC systems are big business. Nearly 50% of all energy used in the home goes toward heating and cooling – and that’s before you even reckon with commercial HVAC use.

The high demand for HVAC installation and repair has created a competitive landscape for HVAC technicians. However, 84% of HVAC repair customers don’t have a particular company in mind when they search for the services they need.

Securing business as a HVAC technician is almost entirely down to marketing – which means you need to set yourself apart from competitors with a great HVAC marketing strategy.

Read on to learn how.

HVAC marketing is the process of promoting and advertising your HVAC company. More than that, it’s the way you differentiate your company from its competition by building a clear, coherent brand and strong relationships with customers. HVAC marketing aims to put your company in front of potential clients who are:

• Local to you
• In need of HVAC services
• Looking for a provider they can trust

Good HVAC marketing should create awareness of your brand, build trust with prospective customers, and offer them the information that empowers them to make the right decision.

In this guide, we’ll cover the strategies businesses use to achieve those goals, including:

• Web content marketing
• Social media marketing
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Lead and review generation
• Word of mouth

Why Do You Need to Invest in HVAC Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing for HVAC companies is a direct investment in your business’s future.

Here are the benefits of a good HVAC marketing plan, along with what you stand to gain from each of them:

Interested in more marketing materials for contractors? Check out our pages:

• Roofing Marketing
• Roofing SEO
• Contractor Marketing
• Contractor SEO
• Construction Marketing
• Construction SEO
• Landscaping Marketing
• Home Remodeling Marketing
• Plumbing Marketing

The 10 Best HVAC Marketing Strategies

Not every business’s approach to HVAC marketing looks the same. A lot depends on the size of your business, your intended audience, and your business’s brand identity.

With that said, there are some cornerstones of any HVAC marketing plan that work reliably in many different contexts. In this section, we cover those strategies, along with examples of how they work for real HVAC businesses.

HVAC Marketing Strategies at a Glance

Before we look deeper into each of the digital marketing strategies for HVAC, let’s first review how to build a general marketing strategy for your business.

How to Start with a Comprehensive Marketing Strategy

You wouldn’t start installing a HVAC system with no plan, no tools, and no understanding of how the process works. Would you take that approach when marketing your business?

A marketing strategy is the overarching, high-level approach you take toward promoting your business. In most cases, it involves the following steps:

1. Define your business goals
2. Identify and research your audience
3. Identify and research your competitors
4. Identify your unique selling point (or USP)
5. Build your messaging
6. Decide on your marketing channels
7. Keep measuring progress in the long term

Building good HVAC marketing strategies takes a lot of thought and care. An expert marketing agency is a solid investment. They offer the insight and experience you need to start marketing your business like a professional from day one.

That way, your actual internet marketing efforts have direction and purpose, making them more efficient and effective.

Top Tip: If you do choose to work with a marketing agency, look for one with experience working with HVAC clients. For example, dNOVO has worked with businesses like Toronto-based Air Makers in the past.

1. Build an Amazing Website

Your website is the first aspect of your company most interested searchers will see. Think of it as your virtual storefront, and you’ll understand why it needs to make the right impression straight away.

A well-designed website creates a better overall user experience. Here are the elements you need to consider when designing:

• Optimization: Is your website streamlined and fast?
• Appearance: Does your website look good?
• User experience: Is your website well-organized and easy to navigate?
• Engagement: Does your website make good use of features like live chat to engage customers directly?
• Informative: Is your website full of helpful, instructive web content?

It’s extra important to build a website that works on mobile browsers. When asked, 57% of users said they wouldn’t recommend a website that wasn’t mobile-friendly. That’s over half of your potential customer base.

Aim for a design that works well on both mobile and desktop browsers, like Air Makers’ website:

Source

Top Tip: Don’t neglect the speed of your website. Research shows that making your site faster by just 0.1 seconds increases conversions by 8%.

2. Write and Record Excellent Content – and Share it on Your Site and Social Media

Content marketing is your opportunity to prove that you’re an expert in your field. Keep your site fresh and current with new content, showing customers that you have a finger on the pulse of the industry.

The content you create might include:

• Blog posts
• Case studies from your previous customers
• Thought leadership content
• Videos
• Podcasts
• Email newsletters
• Social media posts

Whatever you create, remember to share it on social media to maximize your content’s reach. A whopping 74% of customers research businesses on social media before committing, so putting yourself out there on platforms like Facebook and X is a smart move. 

Here’s RCI Air Conditioning Company sharing a blog post to Facebook:

Source

The same research shows that user-generated content performs better on social media than traditional ads. In fact, it receives four times more click-throughs, making it a lucrative option for brands hoping to increase their engagement and visibility on social media.

Top Tip: Don’t try to excel at every type of content. Focus on the content that’s most relevant to your audience, and concentrate on delivering real quality and expertise.

3. Run targeted ads on Google

There are two main options for online targeted advertising: pay-per-click (PPC) and local service ads.

The most popular PPC ad service is Google Ads. With services like this, you pay a small amount every time a customer clicks on your ad. However, you make that money back tenfold in new leads generated by those clicks.

When choosing which ads to display, Google takes into account factors like your landing page experience, the relevance of your ad to the user’s search terms, and your ad’s expected click-through rate. 

Google local services ads draw their information from your Google Business Profile. They show a preview of your profile, highlighting information that customers need to know, and offer both call and message buttons so you can choose how potential leads reach out to you.

These ads appear at the top of a Google search result page. This is the local service ad section that appears when a user searches “HVAC Chicago”:

These approaches yield faster results than SEO, offer a low barrier to entry, and enable you to target audiences by demographic and location. They ensure your business is always in front of its most relevant audiences.

Top Tip: Because local service ads show customers a preview of your Google Business Profile, you need to make sure yours is active and up to date. 

4. Try Nextdoor in your local areas

Nextdoor is more than just social media for your neighbourhood. It’s a powerful platform for local advertising, with 76% of Nextdoor users reporting that they’ve been influenced by a recommendation on the site.

As an HVAC business, it’s crucial to concentrate your advertising efforts in your local area. Because Nextdoor is so locally focused, it’s a great way to put your business in front of the people most likely to seek out its services.

Here’s how to build your business’s presence on Nextdoor:

1. Create and populate your free business page, like Market Mechanical HVACR in the San Francisco Bay Area (see screenshot below).
2. Create Nextdoor business posts for members of your local community to interact with and share
3. Buy Nextdoor ads to put your business directly in front of people likely to need its services

Top Tip: Don’t feel the pressure to create totally new content for Nextdoor. Instead, reuse your web content in the form of Nextdoor Business posts to introduce it to a wider audience.

5. Build a strong Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) lets customers communicate directly with your business. That means you need to keep your profile active and responsive to show customers you’re engaged and interested in their repeat business.

Here’s how to make your GBP work in your favor:

1. Get verified: On average, verified businesses receive 1,803 views per month from Google searches.
2. Ask for reviews: Searchers trust businesses with higher numbers of positive reviews, so don’t be afraid to ask current and former customers to leave a good review.
3. Reply to feedback: It shows you’re responsive and engaged, even if all you have to say is a quick thank you. For example, here’s Miami-based HVAC business Direct Air Conditioning responding to a review from a satisfied customer.
4. Share photos: They stand out and catch the eye of casual searchers.
5. Publish Google posts: They show that your business is active and demonstrate your expertise.

Top Tip: As with Nextdoor Business posts, you should consider reusing your web content as Google posts to maximize its value and broaden its reach.

6. Invest in HVAC SEO and local SEO

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the art of optimizing your business’s website for search engines. The best-known way to do this is by using keywords, the search terms that customers use when looking for businesses like yours.

General HVAC-related keywords are very competitive, and you’re unlikely to rank highly in search results if you use them. Instead, focus on targeting customers in your area with more specific local SEO techniques.

These include:

• Targeting long-tail location keywords: Try creating location pages designed to rank for location-specific keywords. In this example, Air Makers targets the keyword “furnace repair Toronto”
• Listing your business: Local and digital directories like Yelp often hold great positions in Google search results.
• Google Maps SEO: If you use local keywords in your Google Business Profile, you’re likely to rank highly in Google searches that make use of the term “near me” because Google pulls results from these searches from your GBP location.

This should be a key part of any marketing strategy: 80% of local searches result in conversions, so don’t neglect it.

Top Tip: The more specific the local keyword, the more likely you are to rank highly for it. Don’t be afraid to target keywords referring to your county, your city, or even your neighborhood.

7. Use a CRM and a sales pipeline to manage and track leads efficiently

Customer relationship management, or CRM, is software built to help you manage your interactions with current and potential customers. It’s highly customizable, so you can design your system around your business’s needs.

Your CRM should reflect your sales pipeline – the different stages of your customers’ interactions with your business, from lead generation to post-purchase. 

Good CRM software should accomplish several things:

• Keep your sales leads organized so none of them slip through the cracks and all of them receive follow-up when appropriate
• Help you to qualify leads, so you aren’t wasting time on the 50% of prospects that aren’t a good fit for your business
• Show which marketing channels are bringing in the most leads, so you know what to invest in – or leave behind – based on meaningful data

These are valuable tools in managing your HVAC marketing strategies effectively, especially as your business starts to grow.

Top Tip: Look for CRM software that automates routine tasks, so you and your team can concentrate on securing leads and doing the work you do best.

8. Try review generation software to build trust with clients and leads 

Research shows that 93% of consumers read two or more reviews when researching a company or HVAC contractor. When people see a business being praised by its customers, it builds trust. In terms of lead generation, reviews really matter.

However, asking customers for reviews is time-consuming and hard to scale. Review generation software automates the process, taking the work off your hands and letting you focus your attention elsewhere.

When integrated with a CRM, review generation software sends out a request for a review at a stage in the sales pipeline that you choose. Usually, that’s the point when your work has been completed, so clients can leave a comprehensive review.

Platforms like reviews.io – a dNOVO client – help you to request reviews from clients using its Flow review collection feature. Via email, it prompts customers to engage on a timeline that suits you and your business.

Top Tip: Give customers options for places to leave a review – like Yelp, Facebook, your Google Business Profile, or any other platform you use regularly. Then respond to their reviews for reputation management and to show that you’re keen to engage with your customers.

9. Implement call-tracking software

Call-tracking software allows businesses to monitor the sources of incoming phone calls. Like CRM software, it’s a means of understanding where your leads are coming from and what parts of your marketing strategy are working.

When calls come in, the software gathers information from your phone calls to record information like:

• The areas where your customers are calling from
• The ads, websites, and even keywords that inspired a customer to call
• Whether or not the call resulted in a conversion

All of this data paints a useful picture of which of your marketing tactics are most valuable to your business.

For example, let’s say your HVAC business has the highest rate of calls from blog posts about fixing AC units. However, these calls don’t have the highest conversion rates. You can use the information from call tracking to determine how to tailor your blog posts to increase conversion rates for these calls.

Beyond that, call tracking software logs the times when customers call to help you understand when peak times might be. This level of insight shows you when to staff up your phone lines to eliminate missed calls and deliver a better customer experience.

Top Tip: Never get complacent about your marketing strategy. Call-tracking software is a tool you can use to tell you what’s working and what isn’t. Use that information, and don’t be afraid of changing whatever isn’t serving your business.

10. Start a referral program for your customers

When surveyed, 92% of consumers said they trust referrals from people they know. Like reviews, direct referrals are a fantastic way to grow your customer base.

On that basis, consider setting up a referral program. Referral programs offer customers benefits, like discounts or cash rewards, for referring new clients to your business. They encourage word of mouth, reward customer loyalty, and build trust with new clients.

Encourage customers to use your referral program by:

• Outlining the program’s terms clearly on your website, like Northern California-based HVAC service Royal Aire
• This page clearly sets out the perks, conditions, and means of accessing the referral program; it’s everything a customer needs to get started.
• Asking current customers for future referrals directly, when the moment feels right to do so.
• Gifting your customers business cards, or even “swag,” to keep your business at the forefront of their minds after your work is complete. Remember, anything you give customers should have your business name, contact information, and website on it.

Top Tip: Consider offering customers who refer new clients a discount on future services, which will encourage them to keep coming back when they need you again.

How To Implement These Strategies and Grow Your Business: 3 Options

It’s time to bring your HVAC marketing ideas to life, but how? To implement all these strategies, you have three potential approaches:

1. Learn marketing best practices and DIY it
2. Build a team of in-house specialists
3. Hire a digital marketing agency

Let’s review them one by one.

Learn HVAC Marketing Best Practices and DIY It

Of course, you could learn HVAC marketing strategies on your own and handle the work of promoting your business yourself. Many HVAC companies manage their marketing this way.

The problem is that it takes away from the time they could be spending on installing HVAC and building all-important client relationships.

HVAC marketing may sound simple (and if we’ve done a good job with this guide, you should have a grasp of the basics by now), but it takes years to build the kind of expertise that helps businesses stand out.

Be honest with yourself: Would you rather spend years doing that or doing the work you love in the field?

It’s also highly likely that you’ll make some common beginner mistakes if you choose to DIY your marketing. Newcomers to marketing are prone to focusing on the wrong things – like social media followers over genuine customer relationships, for instance.

Our other approaches make it easier for you to focus on what you do best and let the professionals handle everything else.

Build a Team of In-house HVAC Digital Marketing Specialists

If you hire your own team of in-house HVAC marketing specialists, you get the benefits of their experience and expertise. They’ll handle all aspects of your marketing for you, while you focus on HVAC installation.

However, this option comes with a catch. You need to take responsibility for managing your new team, a serious commitment that requires real managerial and leadership skills.

An in-house marketing team also comes with major expenses. Your staff members need compensation (including salaries and benefits), office space, and any tools necessary for them to do their jobs. 

Those costs add up fast, often before your marketing strategy has meaningfully increased your business’s income.

In-house staff also tend to lack the resources that come with an external agency. They won’t necessarily have the wide-ranging expertise or vendor connections that you need.

Finally, if you don’t have any expertise in marketing, hiring the right people for your team may pose a challenge. You risk ending up with a team that isn’t doing what you need it to do, all while hurting your bottom line.

Hire an Expert HVAC Marketing Agency

Hiring an HVAC digital marketing company is the least expensive of these three options, and it offers the best return on investment.

You get access to outstanding talent, experience, and expertise, but you only pay for the services you need. You aren’t responsible for training anyone, and you don’t have to deal with logistical hurdles like employer contracts or in-house office space.

Finding the right agency can be tricky. As a starting point, look for agencies with:

• Transparent pricing breakdowns
• Experience in HVAC digital marketing services
• Comprehensive, relevant portfolios and case studies that prove success in their field
• A willingness to work with your in-house marketing staff if you have them
• Policies against working with your competitors if they start working with you

dNOVO offers all of the above, making it the best choice for anyone in need of HVAC marketing consultants.

You’d advise your customers to hire an expert to deal with their HVAC issues. It’s worth your while, in the long run, to take the same advice when managing your marketing needs.

Make Your HVAC Marketing Count With Expert Support

Marketing is the lifeblood of any HVAC business. It generates leads, builds your business’s identity, and lays the foundations of customer trust.

An investment in HVAC marketing is an investment in your business. You can’t afford to let it slip in the name of saving money or time.

Recommit to your business today by reaching out to a marketing agency. With insight, resources, and expertise in your corner, you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.

Ready to start? Then Contact us directly to learn how we can help your HVAC business grow!

HVAC Digital Marketing FAQs

Do you still have questions about your HVAC marketing strategies? Read on for answers to some of the most common queries.

How To Gain Customers In HVAC?

The best way to gain customers in HVAC is to combine multiple approaches that target your business’s core local audience. Start with a robust marketing strategy that understands your audience’s needs, and work from there.

Common HVAC marketing approaches include video and social media marketing, customer referral programs, and proactive lead generation through a robust sales pipeline. 

How Do I Market An HVAC Business?

To market your HVAC business online most effectively, focus on making it as visible as possible to your target audience. Start by building a great website that showcases your brand, and optimizing it for Google search so potential leads can find it.

Then, to make your business more visible to local audiences, set up an active Google Business Profile and invest in targeted ads through pay-per-click advertising.

How Do I Market My Small HVAC Business?

A small HVAC business should focus its digital marketing efforts on local methods. Target long-tail location keywords when optimizing your website for SEO so that your business ranks highly in searches based on location.

Nextdoor is a great platform for small business marketing because of its heavily local focus. Consider building a strong presence on Nextdoor as part of your social media marketing.

How Much Should An HVAC Company Spend On Marketing?

HVAC advertising costs vary depending on factors including the size of your business and the scale of your target audience. Costs may range from $2000 to $11,000 per month, and there is no upper limit to what you can spend on HVAC marketing.

To limit costs, consider investing in expert marketing support to help you target your marketing strategy and spend your money more smartly.

Who Is The Target Audience For Hvac?

Both homeowners and businesses need HVAC services. To narrow down those wide audiences, try to target audiences based in your local area.

It’s also smart to set up separate pages on your HVAC website for personal HVAC services and HVAC services for businesses. That way, you can target both audiences with keywords they are more likely to search for.