It is essential to know how to market your HVAC business because the industry is very competitive. At the end of 2024, there were 114,555 HVAC contractors in the US. The sector continues to grow at a rate of 3% per year.
Almost every home and business owner needs heating, cooling, or both. The average homeowner spends $350 per year on maintenance and repairs. With the right HVAC marketing plan, you can get your share of these customers.
In this article, we will discuss how to market your HVAC business. You will read about essential marketing strategies and campaign ideas. We’ll also show you if your marketing plans are working and tell you about common pitfalls to avoid. The piece will end with ideas you can adopt today to get started with your HVAC marketing plan.
Why Marketing Is Critical for HVAC Businesses
Why come up with an HVAC company marketing plan? The cost of not doing so, in terms of lost revenue, might actually be higher than the price of an ad campaign. The following three reasons show why every HVAC business needs to focus on its marketing efforts:
Building Local Visibility & Trust
HVAC companies all offer similar services. Your expertise may differ slightly, but most customers won’t notice such nuances. Instead, they will focus on whether or not you are trustworthy. Why? You will come into their home and work on their most expensive and important appliance. Marketing is the primary way to show that you are reliable and can deliver the results each customer expects.
Building trust is only part of the picture. You need to build trust with the right people. Your target audience is home and business owners in your service area. If you don’t connect with people who will actually hire you, your appointment book will remain empty.
The Cost of Not Marketing (Missed Jobs, Weak Referrals)
Marketing costs money. However, the cost of not marketing is higher than the cost of placing ads, hiring an SEO expert, or designing a website.
You’ll lose revenue when people opt for your competitors because they don’t know you’re there. You’ll miss jobs that you might have otherwise gotten with timely promotions or a higher search engine ranking.
Why Digital & Offline Both Matter
Today, a lot of marketing is digital. Does this mean you should avoid offline marketing? No. Print ads still matter. Things like promo codes and QR codes on printed mailers or signs can direct people to your digital marketing campaigns or website. These can increase digital traffic by up to 10%.
Also, long-term brand building is important, accounting for 60% of return on marketing investment. Offline ads can play a key role in this process. This is especially true since you will target a local area. Mailers, signs, or local sponsorships can raise your profile. This will get homeowners to recognize your brand, whether they see it online or offline.
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Core Marketing Strategies for HVAC
By now, it’s clear that marketing your HVAC business is important. The next step is to learn how to market your HVAC business correctly. Remember, you want to reach the right local audience, build your brand, and increase trust. There are many ways to do this. However, four specific strategies are the most effective:
Local SEO & Google Business Profile Optimization
You should have the right local keywords on your website. But this is only one of four vital steps to get web traffic from local homeowners.
- Fill out your Google Business Profile page. Add pictures, service descriptions, and contact information.
- Ask customers to leave reviews on your Google Business page. This improves the profile and may help with your search engine results page ranking.
- Use local keywords like “HVAC repair near me” and “heating and air conditioning service in [your city].” Add these naturally into your website content.
- Get links from other local sites. These could be other businesses, home improvement blogs, or news sites.
All four of these steps help people in your service area find you online and on Google Maps.
Paid Advertising (PPC, Local Services Ads, Social)
SEO is effective, but it takes time. Paid ads, from services like Google Ads, give you immediate traffic. This channel is effective, but you need to do it correctly because you have to pay for every click.
- Set the right location. This means ads will only appear for people searching in your service area.
- Use precise language. For example, mention your HVAC services, reliability, or warranties.
- Use data. Google Ads offers analytics on clicks and actions. Use these to see if your ads are actually bringing new customers.
People searching for HVAC services often need quick assistance. Consider advertisements that offer same-day services or emergency repairs.
Content Marketing: Blogs, Videos, & Storytelling
Content marketing helps build trust. You can use content like blog posts or videos to showcase your HVAC expertise in the following ways:
- Answer common questions. For example, make a video about the early signs of furnace problems. Or write a blog post about how often you should replace your furnace filter.
- Provide basic how-to instructions. Topics might include how to set your thermostat or the steps for changing your furnace filter.
- Cover seasonal topics. Offer maintenance tips people can use to prepare their HVAC system for summer or winter.
Putting this content on social media and on your website will improve your reputation as an HVAC professional. Always make sure the content is non-technical and understandable to someone who knows nothing about HVAC systems.
Review & Reputation Management
Reviews are a vital part of building a brand and establishing a reputation. However, not all feedback is going to be positive. Here is how to manage reviews and ensure a positive reputation:
- Get reviews from as many customers as possible. Ask for them as soon as you finish the service.
- Respond professionally to all reviews. Thank customers for positive reviews and offer solutions to people who leave negative reviews.
- Engage with customers on social media. People often look for social proof when researching HVAC service providers. Engaging on social media shows that you are responsive and willing to communicate with customers.
Always remain professional when communicating with customers. Keep interactions positive and offer solutions for negative feedback instead of making excuses.
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Campaign Ideas & Tactical Marketing Plans
Your HVAC marketing ideas should be based on the needs of your customers and their communication preferences. The following four tactics will help you build winning HVAC marketing campaigns:
Email Marketing & Automation (Promos, Maintenance, Reminders)
The first step is to find a platform that lets you automate communications. This includes sending emails based on each consumer’s preferences and past services. This helps target promotions and time reminders for scheduled maintenance.
You can also use automations to get feedback and request reviews after a customer gets service from you.
Seasonal Campaigns (Summer, Winter, Etc.)
Time campaigns for the upcoming season. For instance, offer discounts on furnace tune-ups during the autumn and provide deals on AC inspections or cleaning during the springtime.
Direct Mail & Local Offline Tactics
Create mailers offering promotions to your local target audience. Also, consider additional strategies such as sponsoring a local event or sports team. Think about having a table at local trade or home improvement shows as well.
Promotions/Offers & Bundling Services
Come up with some basic promotions that will help you get business. For example, offer lower prices to people who pre-book seasonal services at the start of the year. Offer a subscription-like deal that gives customers seasonal tune-ups for their air conditioner and furnace. Or bundle duct cleaning with furnace or AC inspections.
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Planning & Measuring Your HVAC Marketing Efforts
The marketing ideas for your HVAC business need to be practical and affordable. How can you achieve this? Set a budget before you start and make adjustments as you go to ensure you get a good return on your investment.
Setting a Marketing Budget (Typical Percentages)
Your marketing budget should be affordable. Your ads, web design, and SEO should not eat into your operations budget. Most experts advise spending 5% to 10% of revenue on marketing. Service companies typically spend a little bit more. They use 11.8%, on average, on marketing.
Tracking Leads & ROI (Call Tracking, Attribution)
You need to be sure your marketing efforts are bringing results. It’s important to see if the ads, SEO, and efforts on other channels are actually leading to more business. You can do this by using software to track leads. With the right tools, you can track leads to see which marketing strategies are working and which aren’t worth the effort or investment.
Adjusting Strategy Based on Performance
Measure new leads and sources of web traffic. If the numbers do not meet your goals, consider making changes. However, when you do make changes, use the same data to see if they improve results. With this approach, you can make more informed decisions and ensure that your strategies deliver real, measurable results.
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Best Practices & What to Avoid
It takes time to build a robust marketing operation for your HVAC business. It’s important to get the fundamentals right. You avoid pitfalls that could derail your efforts. You also need to avoid pitfalls that could harm your reputation or complicate your SEO or paid search campaigns.
Consistent Branding & Message Across Channels
Make sure you use the same marketing language and branding across every channel. For instance, your social accounts and website should have the same logos and taglines.
Don’t overlook the basics. The same contact info and opening hours should appear everywhere, including on your Google Business Profile. Also, make sure pricing and promotion info is updated on every channel.
Establish consistency on all your channels. Then, make a plan to check for consistency whenever you update or add content. For example, make a checklist for publishing seasonal promotions or making pricing updates.
Overpromising vs. Delivering Quality Service
It might be tempting to promise more than your competitors. Even if you are more skilled, results can be subjective. Customers may think that you didn’t deliver as promised.
Instead of making promises, focus your marketing on delivering quality services. Mention past successes, credentials, experience, and expertise. Use warranties as a way to provide peace of mind for your customers.
Too Many Platforms, Poor Execution
It can be tempting to use every platform at your disposal. However, using every available channel can be time-consuming and lead to inconsistent branding. Instead, focus on your website and Google Business Profile. Then, select one or two social channels that are the most popular in your area.
Also, make sure your channels support your content marketing efforts. For example, if you make how-to videos, you might want to use YouTube. Only add more platforms if you can easily manage those you already have.
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FAQs
Many business owners have questions about HVAC business marketing. Here are three of the most common queries:
How long until I see results from marketing?
The speed of the results varies depending on the type of marketing.
- Paid search ads can work quickly. However, it might take one or two weeks to optimize the ads.
- Email and direct mail campaigns can start working in a few days.
- SEO takes longer. You might not see a noticeable increase in web traffic for three months or more.
Strategies like content marketing are an ongoing process. You need to add new blog posts or videos consistently to get results.
Do HVAC businesses need both digital and offline channels?
Digital marketing is essential. However, direct mail marketing and referrals are still effective. Things like QR and promotional codes can connect offline ads with your digital marketing campaigns.
Which marketing strategy gives the best return for small HVAC companies?
Marketing strategies build on one another. For instance, content marketing can help improve your local SEO. A good Google Business Profile can bring more reviews and improve your reputation. Because of this, a holistic approach is best for long-term marketing success.
Conclusion & Next Steps
Creating winning HVAC marketing strategies is an ongoing process, with some steps taking three to six months. Even so, there are things you can do right now to start the process.
Quick-Start Checklist to Build Your HVAC Marketing Plan
The first steps to creating a marketing plan focus on the fundamentals. Keeping things simple ensures you have a strong base on which to build future marketing campaigns.
- Make measurable goals. For example, say that you want to increase web traffic by 50% or get 30% more service appointments.
- Define your target audience. Where do they live? Are they homeowners, landlords, or business owners? What services do they need?
- Create your Google Business Profile, if you haven’t already. Fill out all the informational fields and add images.
- Write your core branding message. Decide what sets you apart from the competition, and figure out how to communicate it to your target audience.
Finally, come up with some simple promotions. These could be related to the upcoming season, such as “tune up your furnace before winter” or “prepare for summer with an AC inspection.”
Prioritizing Channels Based on Your Business & Market
You might wonder, “What are the best channels for marketing my HVAC business?” These will vary depending on your specialization, customers, and location. There are three steps to help you find where to focus your initial efforts:
- Find which platforms your customers use. Does your traffic come from Google Maps? Facebook? Google search results pages?
- Define what’s currently working best for your business. Where do you get most of your customers?
- Research which strategies your competitors use. Which social platforms and search keywords are they using to attract customers?
Answering these questions can help you decide which platforms and channels are best for your marketing efforts.