With the right marketing plan, it's possible to grow your business by leaps and bounds. Use these 14 HVAC marketing ideas to generate more revenue.

No matter how long you've been in business, you need to market consistently. A good marketing strategy builds trust, increases brand awareness, and makes it more likely that people in your target audience will buy from you instead of hiring one of your competitors. If you're ready to increase your revenue and connect with more customers than ever before, start with these 14 HVAC marketing ideas.

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What Is an HVAC Contractor?

An HVAC contractor is a skilled professional who installs, repairs and maintains climate-control systems. These systems contain many components designed to keep homes comfortable, such as furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, compressors, and thermostats. Because HVAC systems are so complex, an HVAC contractor must be able to read blueprints, follow established safety protocols, and understand local building codes. 

What Licensing Do You Need to Be an HVAC Contractor?

Every state has different licensing rules for HVAC contractors, so the requirements depend on where you live. For example, Florida requires every HVAC professional to obtain a license or work as a technician apprentice under the supervision of a licensed contractor. If you live in Massachusetts, you don't need an HVAC license, but you may need a license to work with refrigerants. Missouri handles HVAC licensing at the city and county levels instead of the state level, with St. Louis and Kansas City maintaining some of the strictest regulations.

If your state, city, or county requires a license, you may have to pass a written examination, complete an apprenticeship program, obtain liability insurance, or meet other eligibility requirements. Check with your licensing body to find out exactly what you need to do to become a licensed HVAC contractor.

What Are Customers Looking for in an HVAC Contractor?

Every customer goes through a similar journey when buying a product or service. This journey has three stages: awareness, consideration, and decision. At the awareness stage, the customer realizes they have a problem. It could be something as simple as a clogged HVAC filter or as complex as a broken furnace during the coldest month of the year.

The consideration stage is when the customer researches possible solutions. They may read online reviews or consult buying guides to get ideas. This is also when the customer distinguishes must-have features from nice-to-have features. During the decision stage, the customer evaluates potential solutions and chooses one.

As an HVAC professional, you must understand what the customer is thinking at each stage of the buyer's journey. These are some of the most common criteria customers use to evaluate HVAC service providers.

Trust

For customers, hiring an HVAC contractor is a bit different from trying a new product. If the product doesn't work out, all they have to do is exchange it or return it for a refund. That's not the case with HVAC services. Whether you're installing a new system or maintaining an existing one, you have to go into the customer's home and interact with their family members. Therefore, customers need to trust that you'll treat them well, keep your work area clean, and use caution when accessing ductwork, compressors, and other system components.

Knowledge

Would you hire a technician who doesn't know the difference between a compressor and a condenser? Of course not! So why would you expect anyone to take a chance on an inexperienced HVAC pro? Customers want to know you have the knowledge necessary to install, repair, and maintain their HVAC systems without making critical mistakes. They should also be able to rely on you for tips on saving energy and reducing their utility bills.

Excellent Customer Service

Your customers also expect excellent service, especially when they're spending thousands of dollars on HVAC upgrades. Here are a few ways to wow customers and make them want to work with you again and again:

• Provide fast response times.
• Offer convenient service hours.
• Keep your work area clean and organized.
• Demonstrate in-depth product knowledge.
• Personalize every interaction.
• Use active listening to understand each customer's problem.
• Maintain a positive attitude.

HVAC Marketing Ideas

Now that you know what customers want in an HVAC contractor, it's time to supercharge your marketing efforts. Get a head start with these 14 HVAC marketing ideas any contractor can use to get more leads and turn them into paying customers.

1. Spruce Up Your Website

Many people use the internet to look up information about local HVAC contractors and determine which is the best fit for their needs. If you don't have a website or your site isn't as helpful as it could be, you're missing out on valuable opportunities to connect with your target audience. Here are a few easy ways to spruce up your website and make it more useful for potential customers:

Navigation: A visitor shouldn't have to click five or six links to view a list of services or find out how to request an HVAC estimate. If necessary, update your site's navigation menu to make it easy for potential customers to find what they need. Contact information: One of the main purposes of having a website is to generate new leads. That's why you need to make it as easy as possible for visitors to contact you. Every page of your site should have a contact form, along withyour company name, mailing address, email address, and telephone number. Providing a mailing address makes your business appear more reputable, putting potential customers at ease. Service list: Publishing a service list makes it easier for potential customers to determine if you're a good fit for their needs. This page should list every service you provide, along with a short blurb about each one. About page: A good About page positions you as an expert in your industry and helps customers get to know you. We tend to buy from people we like and trust, so adding an About page makes it easier to build relationships. Give prospective customers plenty of information about your background, such as your license number, professional certifications, and number of years in the industry, to make them more comfortable about contacting you.

2. Publish Relevant Content

Content marketing, or the practice of distributing relevant content to audience members, is extremely cost-effective. It also makes it possible to compete with large HVAC companies without spending your annual marketing budget in a matter of weeks. Good content educates people, provides information about your services, and helps potential customers make informed decisions. If you're not already using content to your advantage, here are a few ideas to get you started.

Blog Posts

If you think blogging is a waste of time, think again. Adding a blog to your website is a great way to expand your brand and connect with people in your target audience. As an added bonus, blogging also helps with search engine optimization (more on that later) and makes it easier to create additional revenue streams. If you don't have a blog, this is why you should start one:

Website traffic: When you write a blog post, you can incorporate relevant keywords, making it easier for people to find your website via Google and other search engines. Brand recognition: Every time you publish, you have an opportunity to distinguish your company from other HVAC firms. That increases brand recognition, making it more likely that readers will hire you. Audience engagement: When audience members are engaged, they're more interested in what you have to say. Blogging increases engagement by allowing customers to ask questions and interact with you directly. Authority: Potential customers are more likely to trust you if they view you as an authority in the HVAC industry. Blogging showcases your knowledge and expertise, turning your website into a trusted source for HVAC content. Customer education: Every time you write a blog post, you have an opportunity to educate current and potential customers about important HVAC issues. This positions you as an industry expert, builds trust and makes it easier for audience members to make buying decisions.

Infographics

Blogging has several benefits, but not every potential customer has the time to read 500 or 1,000 words about choosing the right furnace. That's why you should also publish infographics, which are charts and images accompanied by minimal text. Infographics are ideal for summarizing other types of content or providing a quick overview of a topic before diving into an in-depth explanation. For example, you can use an infographic to help potential customers understand the pros and cons of choosing one type of boiler over another.

Buying Guides

A new HVAC system is a major investment, so customers need to know they're purchasing high-quality equipment. One way to showcase your expertise is to publish a series of buying guides. A good buying guide should include product specifications, features, and benefits, along with helpful content on how to use each product. For example, if you recommend three types of furnaces, you can create a series of buying guides to explain the merits of each one.

Checklists

Checklists don't take long to create, but they have a lot of value for potential customers. They also build your credibility and make it easier for readers to understand why they should hire you. Follow these steps to create a checklist that gets results:

1. Identify your target audience.
2. Choose a topic.
3. Write the content for the checklist.
4. Have a graphic designer format the checklist in an attractive way.

If you do residential HVAC jobs, your target audience probably consists of homeowners who live in your service area. For commercial jobs, you might want to target business owners or property managers. The topic you choose should be relevant to that audience. Remember to close with a call to action, such as "Contact ABC Mechanical to make sure your HVAC system is ready for summer."

Case Studies

A case study explains how a customer benefited from using your services, giving you another form of social proof to share with prospects. Every case study you publish should introduce the customer, explain why they needed HVAC services, describe how the customer selected your company, and discuss how the customer benefited from working with you. This type of content is especially effective if you provide commercial HVAC services, as B2B customers often review them before making purchasing decisions.

3. Embrace SEO

Google and other search engines use bots to crawl web pages and index them. Every time you search for a specific word or phrase, known as a keyword, your search engine looks through its index to determine which pages are the most relevant. Search engine optimization (SEO) makes it easier for crawlers to find your pages, increasing site traffic and helping you connect with more prospects.

Even if you have no experience with SEO, you can give your HVAC website a boost by using these tactics:

Choose your keywords carefully: If you try to rank for "HVAC contractor," you'll be competing against more than 30 million pages. In contrast, "HVAC contractor in Coral Gables" returns fewer than 3 million results. It's helpful to have a landing page for each city or neighborhood you serve, as that makes it easier to rank for local searches. For example, an HVAC contractor in Philadelphia can benefit from using keywords like "HVAC repair Kensington," "HVAC maintenance in Fishtown," and "HVAC installation Penn's Landing." Write keyword-rich meta descriptions: Think of a meta description as a short summary of what a page is about. This summary displays below the meta title in search results, so it must be enticing enough to make users click it instead of opening one of your competitor's pages. Publish high-quality content: The more content you have on your website, the more opportunities you have for Google to rank your pages. Good content also compels users to spend more time on your site, which can help improve your search engine rankings. Make sure your links work: Broken links aren't just a nuisance for visitors — they can also hurt your page rankings. If a bot tries to crawl a broken link, the search engine may think your site is outdated or unhelpful.

4. Send Out Postcards

Digital marketing is extremely cost-effective, but don't miss out on the benefits of using traditional marketing techniques. Not every potential customer will use the internet to search for information on local HVAC contractors. If you don't reach out directly, you may never have an opportunity to work for them. Some forms of direct mail are expensive, but postcards are affordable and easy to mail, making them ideal for marketing a small business. 

To succeed with postcard marketing, keep it simple. Each postcard should highlight just one service, such as duct cleaning or furnace installation. Otherwise, you run the risk of confusing potential customers. Make sure every postcard has a call to action, such as "Call today for a free estimate" or "Visit our website to download a free HVAC maintenance checklist."

5. Create a Referral Program

According to a study published in the Journal of Marketing Research, customers acquired through a referral program are more valuable to a business than customers acquired via other marketing methods. This is because a referral is yet another form of social proof. Prospective customers are more likely to buy from you if a trusted friend or family member recommends your services.

Unfortunately, many customers don't provide referrals unless you explicitly ask them to do so. That's why you need a formal referral program. Every time you finish a job, make a habit of asking the customer to let you know if they have any friends, colleagues, family members, or neighbors who can benefit from your services.

6. Start an Email Newsletter

Email marketing is helpful for building relationships with prospective customers and making sure past customers don't forget about your business. Many companies also use email marketing to drive traffic to their websites, collect feedback, and personalize their content. If you don't have an email newsletter, start one as soon as possible. Just remember not to spam people with content that has nothing to do with them.

To get your email newsletter off the ground, try one of these ideas:

• Send out a weekly tip about increasing HVAC efficiency or reducing utility bills.
• Alert subscribers to discounts and other special offers.
• Let customers know if you plan to offer a new service.
• Educate subscribers about new HVAC technologies.
• Publish employee or customer profiles.
• Advertise job openings with your business.

7. Ask for Reviews

When you look for a service provider, you probably read reviews from previous customers to determine which company to choose. HVAC customers do the same thing, so it's important to ask for a review every time you finish a job. If asking for reviews makes you feel awkward, send a follow-up email instead of asking for the review in person. Thank the customer for their business, let them know how important reviews are to your business, and ask them to post a review on Google, Yelp, or another relevant site.

8. Buy Digital Ads

With television advertising, you have to hope your ideal customer is watching TV at just the right time to see your commercial. That's not the case with digital ads. In many cases, digital advertising is also more flexible and less expensive, making it ideal for HVAC contractors. Another major benefit of digital advertising is that you gain access to metrics that can help you make each campaign more successful. For example, you can see how many times someone clicked on your ads, how many times your ad appears on a specific site, how many viewers see your ad, and how many people click through to your website after seeing an ad.

9. Sign Up for Social Media

Many HVAC contractors believe social media is a waste of time. That couldn't be further from the truth. If you're not on Facebook, Twitter, or another social platform, you're missing out on valuable opportunities to engage your audience. Social media marketing is also helpful for soliciting feedback, driving traffic to your website, establishing yourself as an industry expert, and increasing awareness of your brand. Follow these tips to succeed with this type of marketing:

• Make sure your posts are relevant to your target audience.
• Post photos of recent projects to show off your work.
• Engage customers by responding to their comments.
• Publish new content at least once per week to keep things fresh.
• Increase your follower count quickly by running a contest.

10. Join Professional Organizations

When you join a professional association, you gain access to a variety of resources, such as trade magazines and conferences. These resources can help you increase your knowledge of the HVAC industry, making it easier to land new customers. Professional organizations also provide valuable networking opportunities, giving you an additional source of referrals. For example, if you meet a general contractor at an industry conference, they may contact you the next time they need someone to install an HVAC system in a new building or repair a customer's existing HVAC system.

11. Offer Local Deals on Nextdoor

Nextdoor isn't just for advertising yard sales and looking for lost pets. Business owners can use the Local Deals feature to promote their services. For example, you can set up a Local Deal to give users a 10% discount or offer a free HVAC inspection. To use Local Deals, you must claim your business page on Nextdoor. After you log in, simply click "Create Local Deal" and add details about your offer. Nextdoor gives you two display options: You can do a one-time deal for 7 to 30 days, or you can purchase a monthly subscription. With the monthly subscription, your deal is always available, getting it in front of as many prospective customers as possible.

One of the main benefits of advertising on Nextdoor is that it's a hyperlocal network. Rather than trying to market to the entire city of Albuquerque, you can post your Local Deal on a page reserved for people who live in Old Town, Northeast Heights, Coronado Village, or another specific neighborhood. This makes it much easier to find customers in your target area.

12. Use a Lead-Generation Service

In marketing, lead generation is the process of collecting contact information from the people in your target audience. Ideally, these people have an immediate need for your services and enough money to pay your asking price. Although lead generation is important, many HVAC contractors are busy installing new systems or doing repairs, leaving them little time to look for leads. If you don't have much marketing experience, it can also be difficult to assess the quality of each lead.

Using a lead-generation service makes it possible to generate high-quality leads even when you're busy with other things. At CraftJack, we also screen leads before we share them with you, making sure every person you call has an interest in your services.

13. Produce Educational Videos

YouTube isn't just for influencers; it's a great place to market your HVAC business. The platform has about 2 billion users, giving you endless opportunities to promote your services. One way to use YouTube effectively is to create educational videos to highlight your expertise. For example, you can show people how to clean their HVAC filters or make seasonal maintenance recommendations. If you create useful content, people are likely to share it, increasing awareness of your brand.

Like other HVAC marketing ideas, YouTube marketing works best when you focus on quality. You don't have to hire a professional videographer, but you do need to hold the camera steady and make sure you have adequate lighting. Before you post a video, watch the whole thing to make sure it represents your company in a positive light. Once you finish a video, you can post it on YouTube and then link to it from your website and social media profiles.

14. Sponsor Local Events

Sponsoring local events is a great way to get your company's name out there, as it shows you care about your community. If you need more leads, consider sponsoring a fundraiser for a nonprofit organization. Event sponsors usually have their names listed in programs and other publicity materials, making their companies more visible. If it's a well-publicized event, you may even find yourself being interviewed by a local media personality, drawing even more attention to your brand.

If you can't sponsor a fundraiser, consider hosting a workshop for community members. You can share HVAC safety tips, show attendees how to change their air filters or educate people about the importance of buying an energy-efficient HVAC system. Having a workshop is an excellent way to demonstrate your expertise and build trust among audience members.

Grow Your HVAC Business

Implementing just one of these HVAC marketing ideas can help you find new customers and increase your company's revenue. If you're serious about growing your business, CraftJack can help by sending you phone-verified leads and making it easy to follow up with each one. Get started today.