HVAC marketing red flags to avoid

The right digital marketing plan allows an HVAC business to grow. But not all marketing efforts result in more potential customers. If you hire a marketing company that doesn’t understand the HVAC industry, they may target the wrong audience or spend your marketing dollars on a lousy strategy. Here’s what you need to know to avoid a marketing mess.

Why do HVAC companies need marketing?

Digital marketing strategies bring more potential customers than word-of-mouth alone. The number one aim of digital marketers is generating leads. Tools like social media marketing, email marketing, pay-per-click advertisements and search engine optimization (SEO) all work together to bring new customers to your HVAC company.

HVAC lead generation is the primary driver of success for small HVAC businesses. More revenue means room to expand for HVAC contractors.

What should you avoid when working with an HVAC marketing company?

Investing money in HVAC digital marketing strategies doesn’t automatically yield positive results. Some marketing companies don’t have the knowledge or experience to put together a successful HVAC marketing campaign. Here are some red flags business owners should screen for when hiring an HVAC marketing agency.

Lack of an adequate marketing plan

A good marketing company will have a fully-developed, multi-faceted marketing plan that includes the following elements:

• Market research studying the competition and patterns in the industry
• Customer demographics for targeting pay-per-click (PPC) ads — your target audience may be homeowners and commercial building owners within your service area, or a marketing company may get even more specific based on past sales
• An understanding of the services your HVAC company provides and what makes your business stand out
• A mission statement that aligns with your vision as a business owner
• A list of marketing services the company will provide to grow your customer base
• A budget broken down by marketing expenses
• A process for responding to both negative and positive reviews and feedback from customers
• Quantifiable goals and how they will be measured

If the marketing company doesn’t have a comprehensive marketing plan, how will you hold them accountable for results?

No web design experience

A visually appealing, high-quality, professional HVAC website is essential to building an online presence for your local business. The website design should be mobile-friendly, modern and easy to navigate. It should list the HVAC services your company provides, such as heating and air conditioning, as well as your business’s email and phone number.

A marketing company should also set up a blog that you can easily update with business news and engaging content to improve your search rankings.

The digital marketing company you hire should ensure your website has various features to capture visitors. This includes several call-to-action (CTA) buttons across your web pages like “request a quote,” “contact us” or “download a brochure.” Collect the customer’s email in your contact form since research shows email collection forms have the highest conversion rates.

No plan to incorporate local SEO or email marketing

The right digital marketing agency for your HVAC business should have more strategies in its toolbox than just Google Ads. Marketing experts should also have the knowledge and experience to execute strategies to improve your ranking in Google searches, including content marketing.

Even if your team members write the content themselves, the marketing company should provide support with the overall HVAC SEO strategy. The agency should also have ideas for email marketing campaigns to target both new and existing customers.

Does not utilize social media platforms as part of the online marketing strategy

By 2027, a projected six billion people will be social media users. If the marketing company you interview doesn’t include social media marketing in your overall strategy, the agency will do you a disservice.

Having a social media presence requires more than just setting up a Facebook page with your contact information. You’ll also want to post engaging content regularly, promptly respond to online reviews for your HVAC business and analyze data to shape your strategy. A good HVAC marketing agency will include social media in its proposed marketing plan.

Negative reviews or unsuccessful past campaigns

Look at the marketing company’s website for case studies showing the agency has successfully worked with home services companies in the past. Research the company thoroughly to reveal any issues, including negative reviews on third-party websites.

A good marketing company will have glowing testimonials and examples of successful campaigns available.

Find an HVAC marketing company you can trust in Broadly

Broadly provides all the software tools you need for online marketing and reputation management at a much more affordable cost than hiring a full-service marketing company.

You can get a dedicated designer to help you build a responsive website with live chat to better serve your customers. You’ll be able to set up automated email campaigns that save you time and allow you to connect with customers. And you can respond to all your online reviews across multiple platforms from one app.

Plus, with additional tools to support team communication, payments and more, Broadly has everything you need to grow your business. Ready to see why Broadly is the only marketing service you need for your HVAC company?