Here’s the million-dollar question: How do you differentiate your HVAC company from the other HVAC businesses in your area offering the same services? With the right HVAC advertising, of course!
However, not all advertising is created equal. To really tap into the potential advertising has to put your HVAC business on customers’ radars, you need a marketing plan that connects with all HVAC customers in your area, and makes them view you as the go-to company for their heating and air conditioning needs. Here are 6 advertising ideas you can easily implement that will help you stand out from the competition today:
1. Create Memorable Ads and Slogans
You can make your ads most effective by making your message strongly resonate with your target audience.
For instance, if you are pitching to homeowners, you can offer flexible HVAC financing options as one way your company is different from those HVAC companies that do not provide financing.
Or, similarly, if your target is businesses, you can advertise the fact you have a commercial financing offer that lets them bundle equipment, crane rental, and more into one payment.
Just as important is to make the ad that makes your offers memorable. You can use funny or catchy images and messages. For example, BGH Air Conditioners does a really great job of using humor to sell their air conditioners in these “Dads in Briefs” video ads series. The same idea applies to creating your company’s slogan. Yet, as Nolan Walker advises on slogans: “While wit and humor certainly make a slogan all the more memorable…many of the most powerful lines that stick with us (ex: ‘Just do It’ & “Because You’re Worth it’) focus on other powerful emotions.”
In addition to having a persuasive message & packing an emotional punch, your adverts should always include a call to action, like giving your business a call, signing up for your promo, or getting a free estimate.
2. Use Snail Mail
Postcards are a very effective advertising method for HVAC companies. Direct mail is effective in generating leads and is more effective in eliciting customer reactions than email. One study found that 79% of direct mail recipients opened the mail compared to 45% for email. What’s more, 40% of the customers made a purchase after receiving direct mail.
3. Build a Kick-Butt Website
Most prospective customers do online research before making a purchase decision. Even if you do traditional marketing, interested leads will always want to visit your website to learn more about your HVAC company.
A good business HVAC website should therefore have 1. a visually attractive homepage; 2. a services page; 3. your company’s contact information; 4. an effective lead capture system; 4. a call to action; and 5. a chat feature.
It is also a good idea for you to include a link to your financing offer application directly on your website.
4. Take a marketing deep dive
After setting up your website, you need to develop strategies for driving traffic to your business. A great place to begin is with keyword research. This way, you can find the terms customers use when seeking solutions to their HVAC problems. Tools like Google Planner can help you find the most popular keywords. In fact, with the Google Keyword Planner, you’ll be able to see how many searches per month a term is getting. GOTCH SEO Founder Nathan Gotch recommends searching “‘your city + heating and cooling,’ ‘your city + heater repair,’ or ‘your city + air conditioning.” So give those a try and see which keywords work best for your hometown.
Similarly, you should see what keywords your top three competitors are using to get the most traffic and top their Google and Bing rankings. Plus, take a look at what else they’re doing on social media, blogs, and YouTube, so you can create your own content in those marketing channels too–and best them! For a step-by-step guide on each of these points, check out this blog.
5. Seize the season
Seasonal advertising can help you generate a lot of revenue during peak seasons, and keep business going during the shoulder seasons. You can use season-specific themes for different reasons, such as detecting frozen pipes during the winter months. And avoiding a sweltering summer without AC. Just keep in mind, your marketing campaigns should start 6-8 months before the beginning of the season, so that customers have time to respond.
6. Show off your ratings
HVAC services are expensive, so customers want to be sure that they’re getting the best service at competitive prices. Make sure you ask customers to review your HVAC company on your website and other review sites to build your HVAC company’s credibility. You can also introduce a referral program that rewards customers who generate leads for your business.
For more insights on how you can boost sales for your HVAC company, check out our Credit for Comfort blog.
