10 Easy Marketing Ideas for your HVAC Business
You’re out and about, all over town every day. That doesn’t leave you a lot of extra time to promote your business—or even think about promoting your business.
Or maybe you’re asking yourself, How do I market my HVAC business?
We understand.
So we’ve compiled a list of simple tips to help kick-start your marketing campaign to grow your current customer base.
Most of these easy HVAC marketing ideas are free, and can easily be implemented into your daily routine.
Ready? Here we go.
1. Wear your HVAC company shirt to the grocery store on the weekends.
You’re going to see a lot of local homeowners there, so go ahead, wear your company shirt with pride while perusing the produce section.
Why this works
You’ve turned yourself into a walking billboard for your business.
2. Post homeowner tips on Facebook, Instagram, or even TikTok.
We know, we know. Everyone has been saying it for years.
And yet, we’re here to say it again: social media can increase awareness of your company, services, and expertise.
Post small tidbits of information, like when to replace the air filter in their furnace. Pepper your social media feed with issues to look out for so they know when to call you.
If someone adds a nice review, share it with your audience to help increase consumer trust.
Why this works
This works for two great reasons:
First, by posting on social media, you’re keeping in regular contact with your customers and target audience.
Second, providing homeowner tips and simple HVAC advise is like providing a layer of transparency in your business. You aren’t keeping all that information to yourself; you’re readily sharing it with whoever may visit your page.
3. Send off-season reminders—and coupons.
Send a Christmas card (personally signed by you!) with a coupon for early bird AC checkup.
Just be sure to include an expiration date and a coupon code specific to this offer so you can track the response rate.
Why this works
How many Christmas cards did you receive last year? Nowadays, Christmas cards stand out.
4. Work the concession stand at high school games.
Talk to someone on the athletic booster club committee to see if you help keep those fans fed and hydrated.
By working the concession stand, you’ll get to meet a lot of local homeowners—and business owners. Offer to help out the booster club at a few home football or basketball games. Just be sure to wear your business shirt or hat.
Why this works
An event like this gives you the chance to connect with a lot of homeowners in your area. They are likely to form a favorable impression of you if you’re helping out at a school event.
5. Get in with Google
There is a fantastic FREE service from Google that allows you to manage a Business Profile/a>.
Just enter your business name, website, phone, and hours to appear on Google search results pages and on Google Maps. You can even add pictures, answer questions, plus customers can review your business (you can respond to those reviews).
If you do customer follow-up—like emails, postcards, or even just the invoice—add a little note or even a QR code with a link for them to review your business.
After you’ve earned a few reviews (from Google, Yelp, or your Facebook page), add those to your website, or include one in emails you send to customers.
Not sure where to start? Watch the short video below from Google Small Business and see how easy it is to get your business listed.
Why this works
This works because a majority of U.S. internet users search with Google—and they trust the information Google gives them, including local business recommendations.
6. Park your truck or van in the driveway instead of the garage.
We see this everywhere around us, in the suburbs and the small towns: small, one-man HVAC businesses where the owner just parks their van or truck in the drive.
This is HVAC marketing at its easiest.
Perhaps they’re just parking outside because their garage is packed. But because their van or truck is outside—that’s just like a billboard ad.
Parking your work vehicle in your drive or on the street is simple, easy, local advertising.
Why this works
Unless you live at the end of a dead-end street, a lot of people are going to walk or drive past your house and your billboard, er, HVAC business van.
7. Small talk can really pay off.
If you played football for the local high school and see the homeowner’s son also plays football for your alma mater, talk about it.
If they have a rowdy Border Collie and you have one too, talk about it.
The quality of your work is the most important aspect in building trust.
But it’s those small, personal connections that help build rapport with homeowners. It’s that trust and rapport that can lead to word-of-mouth referrals for your HVAC business.
Why this works
Consumers trust business owners who aren’t afraid to show their human side.
8. Join your local chamber of commerce
This is not a direct marketing campaign to your customers, but it adds value to your business’ name and garners trust.
After you join the chamber of commerce, announce your membership on your website, on your Facebook page, or put it on your promotional calendars; put it everywhere.
Why this works
Consumers are more likely to trust a business that is a chamber of commerce member than one who is not, because it shows loyalty to the community. In fact, a research study showed that consumer favorability increased almost 45% for businesses who joined their local chamber of commerce.
9. Leave a small giveaway at every visit.
One of the easiest things you can do is leave a small giveaway with customers at each visit.
Fixing a furnace? Place a small mini sticky calendar on the furnace so they know who to call if problems arise. That mini calendar acts just like a business card for your HVAC business, but since it’s stuck in place, it won’t get lost.
Why this works
While we may not look at our furnace every day, we check it often enough to see your company logo and business branding again and again and again and… well, you get the idea. Trust us, promotional calendars work.
10. Smile when you say hello.
Ok, so this one is more a reminder of professional etiquette, but it really does have to do with your business’ image. And it has to do with trust.
The homeowner opens the door to a cheerful “hello!” and already you’ve set a nice, friendly image for yourself. If, however, they open the door and you say, “Hi, I’m Bill. Where’s the furnace?… well, you might get the job done as well as the friendly hello guy, but you’ve set a different tone for the customer.
Why this works
First impressions can really help give you a boost. A friendly first impression puts the homeowner at ease, and a friendly HVAC professional is likely to get more referrals from happy homeowners.
So there you have it. Ten really simple, budget-friendly, actionable HVAC marketing ideas that you can easily implement into your everyday routine.
Some of them take very little time and effort, but can have a great impact on how you are perceived by your customers.
Remember, your marketing is what you make of it.
Need some help getting your promotion started?
We can help. We’re promotional products experts, and we work with small business owners like you every day. We can help fulfill your logo giveaway needs. Call us at (800) 475-2255 or send us an email.
Don’t forget to check out OnTheBallPromotions.com for all your promo product needs.