HVAC Marketing Tips: Effective Strategies That Work

The HVAC services market—heating, air conditioning, and ventilation—is highly competitive. To make sure you get the jobs your company deserves, you’ve got to set your company apart from the competition. Learn about HVAC marketing strategies that work and get your HVAC company noticed.

Mordor Intelligence expects the HVAC market to grow by 6.1% between 2021 and 2026. That’s faster growth than most industries. It’s time to gain the advantage with these HVAC marketing tips.

HVAC Advertising Channels to Consider

HVAC marketing strategies and advertising channels give you the chance to reach potential customers with information about your HVAC services or products and your company. You can help past and soon-to-be customers with questions they may have, offer a promotion, show off your work, and so on, all while getting one step closer to your marketing goals. 

But not all channels are suitable for all of your business objectives, and you shouldn’t feel like you have to invest in them all. Pick one or two and start there. Then adjust your marketing game as you see what works best for you.

Lead Generation Services

General cost: $$Experience level: Beginner

According to Lyfe Marketing, 85% of marketers say that a business’s marketing plan should include lead generation. Yet only 42% of business owners have an active plan in place.

Lead generation is simply the process of attracting potential customers to your HVAC business. Depending on your budget, you can choose to use either paid or organic tools, or both. 

Paid marketing means visitors arrive at your site after they click on an advertisement for your company. Prices vary but can range from a few hundred dollars a month to thousands per year. Organic marketing means visitors arrive at your site via search engines. You pay very little or nothing to generate leads.

Paid lead generation:

• Google or Bing Adwords 

• Pay-Per-Click 

Organic lead generation:

• SEO

• Word of mouth

• Referrals

• Unpaid posts on social media

Using Angi for lead generation can help you grow your HVAC business and increase your exposure to millions of local homeowners looking for contractors just like you.

Social Media

General Cost: $ (paid strategies can add up)Experience level: Beginner to intermediate

Posting updates, photos, and videos on sites like Instagram and YouTube can take time. If you’re a busy contractor and don’t have the staff to update pictures and content often, it can seem a bit overwhelming. But when you consider that millions of people access social media every day, it’s not a marketing channel you want to rule out. 

Here’s a look at how HVAC businesses can use social media marketing to engage prospects and get more jobs.

Instagram

Instagram is an excellent platform to post before and after photos, and you can target people in your local area much easier than with some other forms of social media. 

Besides basic Instagram, you may also want to check out these other ways to connect with potential customers on the platform:

• Instagram Reels: Best for 15-second videos showing clips of things like the newest compact air conditioner or another new item.

• Instagram IGTV: For videos over 60 seconds. Great for times you want to highlight your installation process.

• Instagram Stories: Give your customers a behind-the-scenes view of you fixing a common air conditioning or heating issue and let followers ask questions. Stories disappear in 24 hours.

YouTube

According to Datareportal, 79% of internet users have a YouTube account. That may be because people like watching DIY videos. So, anyone who might be searching for HVAC repair and maintenance or the latest energy-saving system just might end up logging into YouTube.

HVAC video ideas for YouTube:

• How to perform a DIY fix to get your customer by until help arrives

• The type of compressor that fits most everyone's needs

• How to clean out an outdoor air conditioning unit

• How to make sure units are in good working order for seasonal changes

Whatever platform you choose, social media marketing can impact your business in a good way. Use one platform for a while and then change it to see which works best for your HVAC business.

Referrals/Recommendations

General Cost: $Experience level: Beginner 

Word-of-mouth is one of the best advertising channels to build your business. A referral or recommendation from someone happy with the quality of your work can do wonders when marketing to soon-to-be customers. People generally prefer to hire an HVAC  contractor who has positive feedback from satisfied customers. 

Referrals from satisfied customers are priceless. They build trust and credibility for your business and set you apart from your competition. It is one of the most profitable ways you can market your HVAC services.  

Here are a few ideas to make sure your great work gets noticed:

• Each time you finish a job, ask the homeowner to recommend your HVAC company to friends and family.

• On every invoice, make sure you have a link to your website so happy customers can fill in feedback.

• Give satisfied customers a discount on a future job just to refer your company to others.

• Contact happy customers via email and ask them to recommend your company.

• Offer a giveaway on social media if customers recommend or refer your company.

During the Slow Season

If there are certain months of the year when business is slow, you can try these marketing tips to keep your customers engaged in your business all year long.

• Offer a seasonal special. Discount your HVAC services for a limited time or offer a special price on a new unit to get you through a slow period.

• Reach out to existing customers. Offer a special deal like $50 off HVAC maintenance for next season.

• Keep in touch via email. Email past customers with industry updates and new services you’ll offer in the spring.

• Get more referrals. Contact satisfied customers and ask them to refer you to a neighbor or friend for a gift card.

• Market a seasonal product or service. Advertise furnaces in the summer and a special on AC units in the winter.

• Partner with a local business. Work with local business owners and your local chamber of commerce to brainstorm off-season marketing ideas.

• Teach your customers a DIY project. This may be a good time to post a video showing your customers how to clean a filter or unfreeze a unit.

• Try print media. Send out a brochure in the wintertime for a spring special to make new connections.

Before You Advertise

Marketing can build your brand, advertise your services, and promote your HVAC business. 

But if you want to gain the most from your efforts, you might want to ask yourself a few questions first.

• Who will handle your advertising? Do you have the staff to manage your advertising efforts, post on Facebook, and shoot videos?

• What is your budget? Many advertising channels are free. But if you choose to try paid ads, you’ll want to nail down your budget first.

• Is your website up to date? It does little good for your business to have old information or outdated product photos. 

• What are your goals? Do you want to find new customers, keep in touch with past customers, offer a promotion, show off a new service, or all of the above? 

• Are you prepared? How much work can you handle? Can you answer your customers' questions to build trust in your business? 

Marketing Your HVAC Business Takes Time

Marketing your HVAC business can take time and energy. But if you reach the goals you set, it’s time well spent. You want people in your area to know you’re the best at what you do, and advertising can set you apart from your competition. You’ll gain new customers and grow your business. 

Looking for a fresh way to advertise your HVAC business? Save time and energy—and get more qualified leads—by signing up for Angi Ads today.