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HVAC 101

GROW YOUR BUSINESS'S VISIBILITY

Guerilla Marketing / HVAC 101 Marketing

If you are just getting started with your HVAC business, you probably have a lot of questions about the best ways to attract clients. One of the most confusing parts of HVAC marketing is where and how to spend money, and which advertising mediums you should choose. 

Before you get started spending money on digital or traditional advertising, here are eight ways to grow the visibility of your HVAC business.

1. HVAC Job Site Signs

These aren't just throwaway signs, they are part of building your brand. For this reason, it’s crucial to make them professional, eye-catching, and easy to read from a distance. Ideally, an HVAC job site sign should include your company logo, a concise tagline, phone number, website, and perhaps a key service offering. While your signs should be big enough to be noticed, always consider local restrictions. Position your HVAC jobsite signs for maximum visibility to passing traffic and neighbors.  Finally, you can consider adding a call to action, like "Ask about our AC tune-up offer”.

2. Thermostat and HVAC Unit Decals

Every time the homeowner looks at their thermostat or AC unit, it’s a chance to see your company name and contact information. Of course, you don’t want to make the decals too large or annoying, otherwise people will tend to remove them. Keep your company decals clean, uncluttered, and professional-looking. Include your logo, phone number, and website. Place decals prominently on the thermostat (e.g. near the display) and on the exterior unit where they are visible but won't interfere with operation. Consider adding a small space on the decal to write the date of the last service or next recommended maintenance.

3. QR Code for Reviews

QR codes for your new HVAC business can make gaining customer reviews a breeze. Link the QR code directly to your Google Business Profile, Yelp page, or other preferred review platform. Include the QR code on HVAC job site signs, invoices, business cards, service stickers, and even your social media profiles. Encourage reviews by adding a short message like, "Scan to share your experience" or "We appreciate your feedback".

4. Customer Referral Program

New customer referrals are one of the best sources of revenue for a new HVAC business. As your customers experience your service, you should take advantage of their goodwill and satisfaction. After completing every job, provide referral cards or a simple online form for customers to submit referrals. Always keep track of new customer referrals and always thank both the referring customer and the new customer they referred. A personal thank you goes a long way. If allowed in your area, you can even offer rewards for successful referrals, such as discounts on future services, gift cards, or even cash. Mention your referral program on your website, social media, and in your communications with customers.

5. Google Local Search Ads (LSA)

Local Service Ads, (sometimes known as Google Guaranteed ads) appear at the top of Google search results when people search for HVAC services in your area. The benefit of these types of ads is that are highly targeted and effective for reaching potential customers who are actively looking for help with HVAC problems. To get the most value from your LSA promotions, you must ensure your Google Business Profile is complete and up-to-date. Include accurate contact information, hours of operation, and services offered. It’s also crucial to keep adding new customer reviews as often as possible. As a first step, Local Service Ads can be an effective way to promote and grow your HVAC business. When you gain new customer leads, keep monitoring the performance of your LSA campaigns and make adjustments as needed to maximize your ROI.

6. Community Sponsorships

Not all promotions you do for your new HVAC business have to focus only on growing your business. In fact, one of the best ways to grow your visibility is to get involved in your local community. Sponsoring local sports teams, and community events, or joining the Chamber of Commerce or BNI groups can help increase your HVAC brand visibility and build trust within the community. Take advantage of branding opportunities associated with community sponsorships, such as putting your logo on team jerseys or banners. Remember to choose sponsorships that align with your target HAVC market. For example, sponsoring a youth baseball team might be a good way to reach families. If you don’t have the funds to donate, you can also actively participate in the events and network with other members.

7. Local Online Groups

Another method to grow your HVAC business is to participate in local Facebook groups, Nextdoor, and connect with potential customers in your community. If you are part of online groups, don't just spam the groups with advertisements. Be sure to follow the rules of each group and avoid posting overly promotional content. Offer helpful advice, and insights, answer people’s questions, and only share relevant information about HVAC services. By consistently providing valuable information, and being a friendly, helpful person, you can establish yourself as a trusted HVAC expert in the community.

8. Organic Social Media Presence

As your business gets established, you should begin to increase your online presence on search engines and social media. Although people don’t usually visit social media to see HVAC promotions, they will see your posts and activity if you are consistent. Try sharing useful and helpful tips on topics such as maintaining HVAC systems, information about saving money, avoiding system breakdowns, and even behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business. To enhance your posts, high-quality photos and videos to showcase your work and make your posts more appealing. Always respond to all comments and messages promptly and engage in conversations with your followers. As you focus on organic reach here, you can begin to supplement with targeted social media ads to further expand your reach.

Reputation Management

In today’s world, everyone checks online reviews before hiring anyone, especially for something as important (and expensive) as HVAC repairs and new systems.

If you want your HVAC business to thrive, you need to build a solid online reputation.

Think of it as your digital handshake, and the first impression you make. This guide will break down why reviews are so crucial, especially for Google, and how you can get more of them.

Increase Brand Trustworthiness

Google Reviews

Online reviews are the modern version of word-of-mouth. People trust what other customers say a lot more than what you say about yourself. The more reviews you can gain from customers, the easier it will be to rank higher, and to attract more business.

For HVAC companies, customers are often making a big purchase decision, so they want to know they’re making the right choice. Seeing a bunch of happy customers giving you 5 stars is a great way to allay their fears.

Google will also rank business profiles that have a large amount of reviews. When someone searches ‘HVAC repair near me’ Google is going to show them the businesses it thinks are the best matches, and positive reviews play a big part in that. Positive reviews can highlight your strengths, your skilled technicians, speedy service, or quality of work. Any reviews that describe these aspects of your services will help people feel confident in choosing you.

How to Get More Reviews for Your HVAC Business

While some customers might leave reviews on their own, you’ll often need to give them a little nudge. Here are some tactics for getting more reviews for your HVAC business:

  • Just Ask! Train your team to politely ask for reviews after a job well done. Explain how their feedback helps others and helps you improve.
  • Make it Simple and Easy: Give customers direct links to your Google Business Profile, Yelp, or wherever you want reviews. QR codes are also a great help for most people.
  • Timing is Everything: Ask for a review right after you’ve finished a job, and the customer is happy and satisfied.
  • Don’t Be Afraid to Follow Up: Sometimes people forget. A friendly reminder can go a long way to getting people to post a review.
  • Respond to All Reviews: Good or bad, always reply. Thank people for their feedback and address any concerns. It shows you care and are listening.
  • Use Your Email List: Include links to your review sites in your emails. You can even send special emails to happy customers asking for reviews.
  • Stay Up-to-date: Regularly check your online reviews and respond to anything that pops up. Tools like Google Alerts can help you track mentions of your business online.

Remember that managing your online reputation is a must for any HVAC business. Building trust, showing your expertise, and making it easy for happy customers to spread the word all get a lot easier with customer reviews. Do it right, and you’ll see a real difference in your business.

GAIN YOUR CUSTOMERS' TRUST
Birdeye

Online reviews are the modern version of word-of-mouth. People trust what other customers say a lot more than what you say about yourself. The more reviews you can gain from customers, the easier it will be to rank higher, and to attract more business.

For HVAC companies, customers are often making a big purchase decision, so they want to know they’re making the right choice. Seeing a bunch of happy customers giving you 5 stars is a great way to allay their fears.

Google will also rank business profiles that have a large amount of reviews. When someone searches ‘HVAC repair near me’ Google is going to show them the businesses it thinks are the best matches, and positive reviews play a big part in that. Positive reviews can highlight your strengths, your skilled technicians, speedy service, or quality of work. Any reviews that describe these aspects of your services will help people feel confident in choosing you.

Online Review Management

Birdeye’s software provides contractors the ability to monitor and respond to online reviews for your HVAC business across multiple platforms, such as Google, Facebook, Instagram, and many others. 

Their AI-driven online review software can even respond to reviews for you, and can also provide a direct API integration with home service software providers such as Service Titan and HouseCall Pro. When your technician closes a job, Birdeye sends a review request via both email and text. This connected technology gives your HVAC business the ability to ask for reviews in the heat of the moment. 

Web Chat Tool

Web chat has become a staple in our industry.  Many consumers today prefer to correspond via chat versus calling your company.  This function allows your business to communicate with new or existing HVAC customers 24 hours a day. 

You can set up your web chat to let consumers know it is after business hours, and someone will contact them the following day.  It functions seamlessly with your company dashboard.  Once someone begins chatting on your website, it can be taken offline and will text directly back and forth with the homeowner. 

Mass Texting Tool

How many times has your office left multiple messages trying to schedule service or maintenance appointments?  In contrast, how many unread texts do you have on your smartphone versus emails? Text marketing has a much higher attention rate than email, and using Birdeye gives you the ability to create mass text campaigns.

Here are a few examples: 
1. Text existing customers who are due for maintenance visits. 
2. Text the ones that were missed that month.
3. Offers on IAQ products or manufacturer discounts on a new system in the shoulder seasons. 

You can also send individual texts to let a customer know your technician is running late.

Online Listing Management

Ensuring your HVAC company information is correct across the internet is vital these days.  Consumers want to communicate with you from various sources, and all sources must have the same information.

Keeping your Name, Address, and Phone Number consistent across online directories adds credibility to your business. It helps your organic search rankings, and it keeps customers updated about business hours, holidays, or address changes.

Search engine algorithms can become confused when your data does not match across platforms such as Google, Apple Maps, Facebook, Yelp, and many more.

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