When running an HVAC business, lead generation is an ongoing goal. If you can convert the leads, the more you have, the more jobs you can secure. That is why you should consider implementing an HVAC digital marketing strategy for your company.
Like with any type of marketing, there’s more than one correct way to generate new leads. There are various ways that have been proven methods, and the best strategy is to combine several of these methods with each other. This will allow you to get leads from various areas instead of counting on leads from one source. It comes back to that saying, don’t put all your eggs into one basket.
However, once you get the leads coming in, you need a sales team with an effective strategy to convert them into sales. The following will cover how you can increase leads for your HVAC business.
Best HVAC Lead Generation Methods
In recent years, consumer behavior has drastically changed, which has impacted the way companies are reaching their targeted audience. There are some traditional methods that continue to be powerful sources, including referrals; there are other powerful methods you might not have thought about.
Below are some of the best sources for HVAC leads:
- Local SEO
- Your Website
- Social Media Marketing
- PPC Advertising
- Video Marketing
- Email Marketing
It is best to be cautious when it comes to joining lead generation websites, which is why we have not listed any.
The Best HVAC Lead Generator: Your Website and SEO
A successful digital marketing strategy contains many elements, but SEO is the main focus. Paid social media marketing and PPC advertising can help get immediate results, but SEO offers long-term, organic leads. Sustaining your leads over time without additional effort is the most cost-effective approach, no matter what industry you’re in. SEO helps increase traffic to your website, generate leads, and with the proper approach, sales.
Lead Generation With SEO
Over 97% of users search online when needing to find a local service or business. Out of those, 93% use search engines to find them.
Search engine optimization (SEO) helps your site rank higher in search results using keywords. Search engines like Google use multiple ranking factors, but with proper SEO, you will have a better chance of ranking well. For instance, if someone was looking for a local HVAC service, they may search “HVAC services in Houston, TX.”
SEO targets an audience that is already looking for what you are officer, in this case, HVAC services. During the summer, their central a/c unit may not be working properly, or their heat may not be coming on during winter. The point is, they are looking to hire someone to fix a problem, and SEO with effective lead generation can help you land them as clients over your competition.
There are various case studies that back up these claims as well. Each one stating the importance of how effective SEO is to businesses, no matter the niche or industry.
In fact, proper SEO can:
- Increase organic traffic
- Generate new leads
- Increase phone calls and email contacts
- And more.
If you are experiencing a low number of clients but know the area is needing your services, it could be your marketing strategy. We have assisted businesses that used other marketing vendors and were not getting the results they had hoped due to poor strategies. By optimizing their existing content, they had published, we were able to significantly increase their conversion rates by 400%.
Lead Generation From Your Website
Your website is like a salesperson that never takes a break. Not only does it need to grab the attention of homeowners, but the content and design also need to convert them into leads and sales. To do this, there are certain things that encourage users to take action:
Page Load: You should ensure the pages are loading fast; you only have seconds to get their attention.
SEO Optimized Content: This tells search engines your page and content are relevant to their search more than others.
Security: If you’re asking users to input sensitive information, they want security. An SSL certificate is one method.
Mobile-Friendly: You want your website design to be responsive.
Use Clear Call-to-Actions: Your CTA is what encourages users to subscribe, join your newsletter, or reach out for a free quote. Put your CTA at the top half of each page.
Use content to answer common questions that homeowners have.
Backup your answers with proof or case studies, if possible, make yourself sound like an authoritative figure in the industry.
It is best to put your contact information in the top-right corner of the website, along with other areas. Make it easy to find; users won’t search for it.
How To Use PPC Advertising To Get Fast HVAC Leads
SEO is a long-term strategy, which is the most cost-effective method. But, if you need to generate leads quickly, a pay-per-click (PPC) strategy could be what you need. With SEO, it could take months before you get steady leads. With PPC, you could begin getting leads soon as your campaign goes live.
While you could sign up for Google Ads yourself and create a campaign, you could waste a lot of money if you don’t know what you’re doing, who your targeting, what keywords to use, and so on. Unless you have experience in PPC marketing already, it is recommended you hire a specialist to help create and manage your campaigns.
A PPC specialist will have the knowledge of the complex nature of PPC advertising and know which mistakes to avoid that can save you money and keeps your business’s best interest at the front.
How To Use Social Media For HVAC Leads
Social media has a bunch of myths floating around, and the truth is while it is useful, it remains just a small portion of a fully effective digital marketing strategy. Simply creating a Facebook page will not provide drastic increases to lead generation. However, if you are thinking, having a Facebook page would not benefit an HVAC company, then you would be wrong.
Having a social media presence will help with user engagement. It is important to engage with your current customers, as well as potential clients. Many people use social media to get an idea of a company’s experience and customer service before deciding on who to use. Also, social media helps create digital word-of-mouth advertising through referrals, boosts traffic, increases brand loyalty, and many other factors.
The following is some advice for HVAC companies using social media:
Use your target audience’s preferred social media platform: For HVAC businesses, Facebook will be the preferred platform.
Content for your audience: Again, think of your target audience and share content they will find relative and useful. Avoid simply sharing promotional posts; no one wants to see 100% sales posts. Offer useful resources to small things homeowners can do themselves to save money and time. This will help build your company image and authority.
Paid Advertising/Post Boosts: Just like with PPC campaigns, you can boost your posts and get in front of your targeted audience through Facebook and many other social media platforms. In fact, it is often cheaper than PPC advertising.
Maintain a presence: While Facebook is the most preferred and a must-have for HVAC companies, do not forget to maintain a presence on other platforms as well. This includes YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Nextdoor.
Engage customers with an authentic voice: You should not respond rudely to users, even if they were rude first, left negative feedback, or any other reason. First, being rude will reflect on your business, making it look bad. Also, even if you remove the comment, the internet won’t forget. There have been many companies lose a ton of business for a single rude comment, don’t be one of them. Instead, simply respond in a professional manner as you would expect to be responded to in a friendly and timely manner.
How To Use Email Marketing For HVAC Leads
By incorporating a monthly newsletter, you can share useful information and advice for homeowners while building up your authority. Additionally, this helps drive more traffic and sales because the more someone becomes familiar with your company, it will be the first name they think of when needing your services.
Here are some statistics to consider email marketing:
- Emails are up to 40x more effective than Twitter or Facebook.
- 90% reach the recipient’s inbox, compared to roughly 2% of Facebook followers seeing your newsfeed post.
- Click-through rates are up to 600% higher from email campaigns than a tweet.
- Emails are up to 500% more likely to be viewed than a Facebook message.
How To Use Video Marketing For HVAC Leads
Studies have shown that over 80% of people today prefer watching videos compared to reading. That is likely why YouTube is the second most popular search engine, coming right behind Google (which also owns YouTube now).
In addition to videos being the preferred method of receiving new information, when used effectively, it can increase conversion rates significantly. All you need is quality videos placed on your website, distributed on platforms that your target audience uses, and provide useful information in the video. For example, a how-to video.
