7 Most Profitable HVAC Marketing Tactics for 2023

Oleksandr Rohovnin

11 minutes read

Many of our neighbours are installing new HVAC systems and solutions. It’s not just them, though; people worldwide are increasingly concerned about indoor temperature and air quality.

This trend has made HVAC marketing a priority for numerous savvy business owners. For those in the advertising sector, the goal remains the same: win the hearts of your prospects and leads to convert them into paying customers. While this seems straightforward, the ever-growing competition and rapidly evolving technologies make it challenging. However, challenging doesn’t mean impossible.

Here are five effective marketing strategies for HVAC companies to stay ahead of the competition.

1. Create a Comprehensive HVAC Marketing Plan

Regardless of your chosen advertising methods — whether it’s word-of-mouth, social media, email marketing, affiliate management platforms, or a combination — you cannot launch an HVAC marketing campaign without a well-thought-out plan. This plan should detail how, where, and to whom you will advertise.

Here’s how you can create your HVAC marketing plan:

1. Identify Your Advertising Channels: Depending on your business and market, you might opt for traditional HVAC marketing strategies (printed media, postcards, direct mail, etc.), digital marketing (website, SEO, email, social media, affiliate networks, etc.), or a combination of both. To choose the most effective advertising methods for your HVAC business, you need to research and quantify the potential reach of each marketing tool you plan to use.
2. Consider Industry Specifics: Marketing for HVAC companies shares similarities with marketing for other industries, but it cannot be copied blindly. HVAC marketing is subject to seasonality, so heating and cooling marketing efforts will vary throughout the year. Winter might be more effective for heating advertisements, while summer could be the best time to promote air conditioning solutions.
3. Determine Your Budget: Whether you allocate your budget by season, marketing channel, or target audience, you need realistic figures to set achievable goals. This ensures you have sufficient funds to capitalise on your HVAC business opportunities.

A well-defined HVAC marketing plan will revitalise your marketing efforts, maximise the return on investment, and ensure the best customer journey for your clients.

2. Begin with an Engaging HVAC Website

Did you know that 96% of your website visitors aren’t ready to purchase? Even those who show interest need an extra nudge.

Here’s your on-site HVAC marketing strategy to convert more prospects into customers:

• Emphasise Value: With ever-shortening attention spans, you have about eight seconds to capture your prospects’ interest before they move on. Deliver your message promptly without lengthy introductions or irrelevant content. Keep it concise, engaging, and conversational.
• Use Effective Calls to Action: Make it clear to your visitors where they can find what they need. Short, descriptive, well-placed CTAs surrounded by valuable content will boost your sales. For example, a concise, inviting CTA can significantly increase engagement.

Source: ABS Heating and Air Conditioning

• Incorporate Persuasive Hooks: Since 95% of purchase decisions are made subconsciously, psychological triggers can be highly effective. Here are some techniques to convince prospects that you are their best choice:
  • Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): The idea of missing out on a beneficial product drives people to make a purchase. Limited offers, countdown timers, and other FOMO elements can help increase conversions.
  • Loss Aversion: People dislike losing what they already have more than they enjoy acquiring new things. To leverage this, offer a free trial or monthly subscription and then transition to a paid service.
  • Simplified Choices: Surprisingly, offering fewer options can increase your conversion rate by preventing decision paralysis. Limiting your offerings to a few relevant choices can help avoid overwhelming your prospects.
• Reciprocity: By offering something valuable, you can encourage your customers to reciprocate by subscribing, sharing, providing feedback, or making a purchase.
• Customise Your Content: HVAC is often considered a necessary but unwelcome expense, so your content must be precise. Tailor your content to fit the specific needs of your segmented audience. Ensure your website has sections for all target buyers to avoid generalisation.

Remember, your website is your primary conversion tool and the centre of your business operations.

Source: Brody Pennell Heating & Air Conditioning

3. Enhance Your Website’s SEO and Improve Local Search Visibility

Many HVAC customers begin their search journey on Google, making search engine optimisation, particularly local SEO, essential. Here are your key on-site SEO tools:

• Clear Website Structure: A well-organised XML sitemap, along with title tags and meta descriptions, will make your website more appealing to search engine crawlers, likely improving your rankings across various keywords.
• Optimised Google Business Profile: A thoroughly completed Google My Business page allows for direct communication with customers and is a guaranteed way to boost your local search rankings and gain insights into how customers discover you.
• Effective Geofencing: By using geofencing targeting, you can concentrate on high-intent local customers by restricting ad displays to specific GPS radii and radio frequencies. For instance, during the summer heat, you can target every lead within a 20-mile radius to promote limited-time offers on cooling systems.
• Relevant Transactional Keywords: Your keywords should not only be SEO-optimised but also pertinent to local searches. For example, if you are based in Florida, keywords like “affordable HVAC systems in Florida” are more likely to attract customers than “HVAC systems in the US.” Additionally, always consider the competition level when determining which keywords to promote.

Just as with email marketing, each SEO strategy should enhance the value of your content. You may be able to trick Google’s algorithms, but you cannot deceive your prospects and leads.

4. Cultivate Your Email Subscribers

Since the first emails were sent in the 1970s, email marketing has evolved into a $10-billion industry with immense potential. With 306 billion emails being exchanged daily, capturing even a small fraction can lead to success.

Three key aspects of effective HVAC email marketing are:

However, the basics may not suffice. You might need something extra to stand out in the crowded inbox. Consider using AMP-powered emails, for example.

• AMP technology allows for in-email purchases and real-time content updates, enabling recipients to get precise information at every open (e.g., the number of seats left on a flight) and make purchases without leaving the email.

Additionally, you can differentiate yourself with engaging subject lines, compelling CTAs, and interactive content such as quizzes, calculators, and infographics. Regardless of the tools used,  you should stay focused on the relevance and quality of your content, as these are the primary drivers of sales.

5. Harness the Potential of Social Media

With over 82% of Americans maintaining at least one social media profile and the user base growing by approximately 2% annually, you can’t afford to overlook more than three-quarters of your audience.

Here’s how you can enhance your HVAC social media marketing:

• Create a Business Profile for Each Social Account: Business profiles on social media offer more features to help convert your followers. Fortunately, managing a social media profile isn’t more complex than running a website: prioritise quality over quantity, be consistent, and uphold your brand image.
• Utilise Paid Social Ads to Gain More Customers: Slideshows, carousels, images, and paid ads can attract more prospects with minimal commitment and no risk. There’s no minimum price for paid ads; you can pause the campaign whenever you wish.
• Generate Buzz: Shareable visuals, provocative ideas, thought-provoking facts, interviews with influencers, pre-launch contests, giveaways — there are countless ways to engage your followers.

HVAC-related content might be less engaging than food, fashion, or pets, but that doesn’t mean you should remain silent. Engaging HVAC social media posts can boost brand awareness, gather valuable customer data, and convert some of your followers.

6. Accumulate as Many Online Reviews as Possible

Online reviews are a readily accessible promotional tool for HVAC businesses. When people shop, they seek out reviews, recommendations, and the experiences of other buyers with the product.

• Online research precedes 87% of buying decisions
• Prospects read approximately 10 reviews before making a purchase decision
• 88% of customers trust user reviews as much as personal recommendations

To incorporate social proof into your HVAC marketing, include case studies, testimonials, reviews, awards, integrations, feedback from customers and influencers, and user-generated content. Websites like Google allow you to request reviews — do so unobtrusively, encouraging your customers to reciprocate rather than feeling pressured. Here are a few strategies to garner more reviews for your HVAC company:

• Activate All Major HVAC Review Websites: Register and maintain your presence on as many review sites as possible, such as Google My Business, Facebook, Yelp, and Home Advisor. Respond to both positive and negative reviews.
• Provide Incentives: Bonuses are an effective advertising tool for HVAC businesses. Nothing motivates customers more than a discount on an air conditioner during a heatwave. Many of your customers will gladly leave feedback in exchange for saving a few hundred dollars.
• Ask for Reviews After the Service: Add a review link to your invoices and receipts as a gentle reminder for customers to leave feedback.

7. Participate in SaaS Affiliate Marketing 

The U.S. spent $8.2 billion on affiliate marketing in 2022, making affiliate networks one of the top marketing strategies for HVAC companies. And why not? An affiliate network opens up thousands of high-intent leads and allows you to manage affiliate links and track affiliate sales to ensure you receive the expected returns. Whether you’re buying or selling HVAC leads, affiliate software automates the process while considering your preferences: the number of leads to buy or sell, the price per lead, and the lead’s profile (such as demographics and exclusivity).

Here’s how you can find a suitable affiliate programme:

• Check the programme feedback. To avoid low-quality programmes and scams, research the programme’s background and reputation before diving into the technicalities.
• Assess the Technical Aspects:

1. Consider the revenue model. Choose from various payment models like Pay Per Click, Pay Per Sale, Pay Per Impression, and Pay Per Lead that align with your goals and budget.
2. Estimate conversion rates. While exact conversion rates are unpredictable, even approximate figures can guide you in deciding whether the programme is worthwhile.
3. Evaluate the Toolkit. Review the programme’s lead generation tools and affiliate tracking systems to ensure they meet your requirements.

• Review the Agreement: Read through the programme’s terms and conditions thoroughly.

The advantage is that you can always join a free trial affiliate programme to test if this type of HVAC business marketing suits you, making informed decisions once you’ve weighed the risks and potential benefits.

Maximising Your Affiliate Income with an Affiliate Tracking System

Tracking your affiliates is essential as it allows you to compare the performance of different traffic sources — both in terms of quality and quantity — enabling smarter marketing decisions. This approach enhances your ROI and establishes you as a trustworthy affiliate partner.

• Any automated affiliate tracking programme will import all affiliate data into an affiliate marketing dashboard, enabling real-time assessment and adjustment of your strategies.

Affiliate tracking programmes have elevated HVAC marketing to a new level, where advertisers and publishers can rely on data rather than guesswork.

Automate Your HVAC Marketing with Phonexa

Automation reigns supreme in today’s marketing landscape, and HVAC businesses are no exception.

• More than half of all businesses utilise automation to enhance their marketing efforts
• Automation software generates four times more qualified leads
• 77% of marketers achieve higher conversion rates using marketing software

Whether your HVAC company operates locally or internationally, scaling is only possible through automation of tasks that can be streamlined. Among its range of products, Phonexa’s software suite includes:

• LMS Sync for lead tracking, distribution, and analytics. Depend on consistent leads to sustain your business, utilising lead data to identify top-performing HVAC marketing channels and measure conversion rates. LMS Sync maximises lead potential and opens avenues for new revenue streams.
  • Begin by tracking leads to identify successful marketing channels.
  • Next, distribute captured leads to the most suitable sales representative, ensuring a seamless customer journey.
  • Finally, refine ongoing campaigns and develop new ones with analytics tools such as real-time reporting.

• Call Logic for call tracking, distribution, and analytics. Whether leads are captured through pay-per-click campaigns, offline HVAC marketing, or social media, trace every caller’s journey to you. Real-time reports enable trend-spotting, resource allocation optimisation, customer journey enhancement, and strategy identification for generating more call leads.

• E-Delivery for email and SMS HVAC marketing. Simplify email and SMS outreach with E-Delivery, assessing campaign results across recipient groups. Seamlessly integrate with your Email Service Provider (EPS) to gather data, compile reports, and evaluate deliverability metrics.

Book a demo to discover how Phonexa can assist in marketing your HVAC business.

Frequently Asked Questions