HVAC Marketing Strategies

A targeted, seasonal campaign can be a quick-to-implement and effective tactic for HVAC professionals. Take a cue from the weather and spin up a corresponding maintenance offer.

From maintenance plan subscriptions to automated email reminders, HVAC businesses can take advantage of past customers to drum up ongoing, repeat business.

When HVAC systems fail, customers often turn to online search—making their way down the list of results to secure the earliest possible service date. Search ads can put you toward the top for a better shot at the job.

Nothing blocks the flow of your HVAC business faster than a mediocre website. First make sure your website is polished, easy to navigate and optimized for conversion with strong calls to action; then work on getting people there with the right keyword strategy, content, technical fine-tuning and search ad campaigns.

When the AC goes out on a hot day, customers want whoever can come first to fix it—and often that's the company that pops up at or near the top of their first online search. Be there with the right local, regional or national search marketing campaign. To get good ROI on these competitive campaigns, you'll need an expert partner to run them.

Perhaps second to a customer's question of "When can you come?" is "How much will it cost?" First-time-customer or seasonal discounts can provide motivation to seal the deal; discounts to those who sign up for annual maintenance subscription plans are another way to convert leads. Any good offer is fodder for ad messaging.

For every HVAC emergency, there's a customer who needs a new system eventually, but has the luxury of time. These prospects might spend several days or even weeks collecting information and quotes from different companies—during which time you can help sway their decision. An automated email drip campaign with educational content is a great way to establish your expertise and foster preference.

Even in commoditized industries like HVAC, good branding can provide an edge by building name recall and familiarity. In the aforementioned search scenario, prospects might skip over the first result in favor of the second or third, if they recognize that company's name. The accompanying reviews and ratings will also sway decisions. Leverage brand-oriented tactics like display ads, TV and radio to get your name out there.