Generating HVAC leads is never easy, but especially if you are an HVAC company struggling with the process, we’re here to help. Something no one can deny is that some companies or businesses have it harder or more difficult when it comes to this need, and although generating those HVAC leads won’t be as difficult as you might think, it does take a lot of work, which is why we can’t say it will be easy either.
But without going in circles, how can you deal with this need for your company? Should you hire someone to handle the project for you or work around what your budget and skills can deal with?
For starters, it isn’t always necessary to pay for experts, at least not initially. Therefore, we suggest you focus on the basics first. Then, you can start thinking about hiring someone.
We will share several tips to make sure you’re generating the leads your need for your HVAC business.
Create Content on Your Social Media Regularly
This sounds logical, and many people will say, “but I’m already doing that.”
Well, here’s a question for you: are you sure the content you’re creating is valuable and something that is worth posting? Or that truly brings the results you’re looking for?
If you’re here trying to figure out what to do, we doubt you’re having any success with your social media or were about to make some serious mistakes if you haven’t started.
Many companies, not only HVAC ones, forget about how crucial it is to be regular in social media to achieve results. If you’re having a hard time achieving results even when posting regularly, it is all about the content. Again, it must be valuable.
What we can suggest is to post about the latest in HVAC news and new products or services. Share it with potential customers through posts, pictures, or videos. Remember that the latter type of post will boost your views and leads more than the previous ones.
In Instagram, for example, many HVAC companies share reels about how they install some of their products or how their workers perform some services.
It is an easy and simple way to engage more people and bring leads that will be interested in the video and think, “oh, I actually need that service,” or something similar.
Other social media platforms are amazing, but remember that the same content doesn’t work in each of them. So, adjust your strategies and posts based on the ones you’re using.
Optimize Your Website for More HVAC Leads
If you’re not using your website for HVAC lead generation, you may be leaving to waste an important tool to grow your revenue.
A website optimized for improved HVAC SEO can also work to capture HVAC leads during the slowest season. However, we prefer to see it in a general way: working on your site will always generate leads as long as it is properly supervised and optimized.
We usually lose count of how many people underestimate the relevance of having a great website that doesn’t look good only but also meets Google algorithms and other parameters that determine its success in being a lead generator.
If you didn’t know and want to start improving your site, Google ranks responsive websites that are mobile-friendly higher in searches.
Customers looking for local HVAC companies online will likely need one soon or right away. You can easily convert them to an HVAC leader by making sure you are found first. How can you do this? We have left some extra tips below:
- Improve your website: Make it appealing with a clean, user-friendly design that focuses on SEO keywords.
- Make it easy for customers to contact you: Make sure your website has a prominent display of your phone number and that it is answered 24 hours a day.
- Show why your HVAC company is special and its message: Showcase your HVAC techs in behind-the-scenes videos and emphasize how you can help your customers.
- Reviews and testimonials: Use them to highlight your HVAC service. People read about what others think and their experience with your company, which is why the more you add, the better.
- Blogging and podcast: It can sound a bit cliché, but blogs and podcasts are BIG when it comes to driving more leads. People generally read reviews and information regarding your company and some crucial tips you can offer in exchange for views and, eventually, leads.
- Calls to Action (CTA) really engage: Offer specials, discounts, or other incentives to drive traffic to your website and increase HVAC service lead.
It is all about content marketing as well.
Because it’s cost-effective and produces tangible results, content marketing is very popular.
If you are looking to increase your leads in 2021 for contractors, creating new content and optimizing it can help get the ball rolling.
As a full-time HVAC contractor, it can be difficult to create content. Therefore, you might feel like you are missing a lot of content during the process of creating and posting it.
However, it is necessary, and you can rely on third parties if needed, especially if you are not familiar with copywriting and how to handle creating all the content that is needed:
- Blog Posts: They should be published monthly to keep your website active and circulating with content.
- Citation Listings: Managing your citations in online directories will ensure that your company is professional and easy to find.
- Website pages: To design a high SEO potential website, the use of structured and schema data is needed.
Leads drive every heating and cooling company. It’s not only lead quantity that matters but the quality as well. Each of these methods can generate maximum lead generation. However, it is important to execute them properly.
Invest in targeted email marketing
According to Megan Bedford, who works with skilled trades, targeted email marketing is less expensive per HVAC lead than traditional advertising channels.
It also keeps your brand top of mind for customers, and it’s considered one of the most effective marketing channels.
Email marketing is effective as long as it is targeted and designed for your business. It also needs to be relevant to your customers.
Many companies make the mistake of copying and pasting content, preparing it for an email, and sending it to all their email contact list.
HUGE no!
You want to make sure that your customers or potential leads feel identified with your message, or more like it is truly directed for them.
Also, remember that email marketing is more than just writing a message overall. Instead, keep in mind you must send targeted automated campaigns in smaller batches to certain customer groups.
On the other hand, engaging, educational content on HVAC safety and indoor quality can be provided with links to your YouTube channel or blog.
You can send multiple messages, but you must only email the following message to those who haven’t opened the first one.
Remember to regularly clean up your email lists by removing inactive or unengaged contacts.
Spamming people who aren’t truly interested will bring you a bad reputation as well. Ever listened to someone say, “they keep sending me emails! It is annoying?” Well, we have, and a lot.
Finally, subject lines? Keep them free of spam triggers. A bad grade is usually earned when using the exclamation point or word “free” in your subject lines.
Know your target audience
Simple, crucial, and something everyone mention but also that everyone forgets.
But why is it so important to know your audience? Isn’t it easier to cover more people?
Well, if you’re not familiar with inbound and outbound marketing (which you should), you wouldn’t know that both are easier if you know your target audience. Y
You can create a marketing persona by knowing your target audience and their typical behavior. You can then create content that is targeted to your audience and messaging that will help you sell more or get more people requesting your services.
However, how can you identify your target audience?
If you’re having a hard time with this, don’t feel bad. Usually, the simplest steps are actually the most difficult ones because they build the entire base of your business, and knowing your audience happens to be just one of them in this case.
To make your life easier and guarantee you’re going in the right direction, what about asking yourself these questions?
- What types of businesses are your targets?
- What is the most common KDM for your company to target?
- Which age group should you target? Or more like, what age are your potential clients?
- What is the most important thing for your target customer when they buy/contact you?
B2B Appointment Setting? You MUST Master It
Inbound and outbound marketing, two factors we mentioned earlier.
Between the two, you will notice that inbound marketing is the most important for people who are starting to get familiar with both of them and even those who have been in businesses for a while.
Should we tell you a secret? They’re both equally important.
Every business needs B2B lead generation. Even if you think you are doing just fine, we guarantee you’re missing out on new business opportunities without focusing on this marketing.
A B2B appointment-setting program can help you build a pipeline of high-quality leads for your HVAC company.
A common myth about B2B appointment setting is that it’s just glorified telemarketing when it actually goes beyond cold calling.
It involves prospecting, creating email marketing campaigns, designing and nurturing leads until they are ready to buy. You’ll be the best choice for anyone searching for HVAC services in your area if you have a B2B appointment.
PPC – Pay-per-Click
It doesn’t matter who you ask; PPC is a great way to generate leads for your HVAC company, even when it can cost some money.
PPC allows you to target the most important keywords in your industry, similar to SEO. However, where SEO can take a while to show results, PPC works immediately as it’s a paid form of advertising.
PPC works on an auction system that allows you to bid on the keywords that you want to rank. If you want to place an advertisement that appears when someone types “HVAC advice,” you can bid on it depending on the price you are willing to pay.
Your HVAC company’s ad in Google will be displayed if you are the highest bidder for that keyword.
This means that it will appear above the organic results when someone searches that exact query. The best part is that PPC is quite effective and profitable since over 30% of people who search choose the top three ads, which means valuable leads are coming to your website.
But is this why the option is profitable? Not quite.
Instead, we have to remark the fact that you have to pay for an ad when it is clicked on. This makes PPC a cost-effective strategy for generating HVAC service leads since it maximizes your ROI, and there’s no need to worry much about it.
Don’t Miss Your Mobile Users
If you didn’t know, over 50% of the traffic to your website is coming from mobile devices, which means you can’t forget about them in terms of optimizing your website and other platforms.
It’s essential that you have a mobile-friendly website. For HVAC businesses, mobile is even more critical as over 45% of searches are local.
You’re losing valuable leads to your competition if you don’t have a mobile-friendly site.
To fix this, prioritize the design of a mobile websiter by developing one in-house or maybe by partnering with a web design agency, and you can improve your lead generation results fast.
Take the time to design this since it is critical to have one that isn’t for your mobile users mainly. Instead, you have to find a balance between your users, leads, and potential clients.
Think About Your Lead Generation Forms
A well-designed lead generation page can make all the difference. You should review your lead generation form on a regular basis to identify potential improvements and what isn’t performing as you expected.
If your form asks users to enter their email address, phone number, and name, it can negatively impact your lead generation rates.
However, removing the need for a phone number can significantly affect your lead generation rates.
Have you noticed some that only request a simple name and email? You can use the same format.
Optimize your HVAC lead generation forms with A/B testing.
This approach allows you to see which design factors affect lead generation rates. You can link the changes to specific features by only changing one feature in your test.
Chatbots Will Change Your Life
Chatbots can seem like a simple trend, but they can also be a valuable tool for lead generation.
Chatbots can increase engagement and direct your audience towards your most valuable content assets and lead magnets.
Since they allow AI to do all the heavy lifting, you can be available live for your customers and prospects even without having to hire extra staff.
You have two options: hire a developer or use Chatfuel and Smooch to create your bot.
Don’t let your foot stop the pedal if your funnel appears dry or even full of leads. Be creative in your lead generation efforts. Your tried-and-true methods may soon be outdated or no longer relevant to your audience.
Therefore, try to adapt to new technologies and alternatives even if you aren’t that fond of them since it is a matter of how good your business will do thanks to them.
Interview an Influencer
You know that influencers have a lot of social capital and reach, so this is why companies will always aim to use them as a way to advertise their services and products.
They are often well-known and have high levels of social proof. This is why getting an endorsement from these guys is hard but worth your time.
There are many creative ways to grab their attention, including roundups and ‘best of’ lists.
You can contact multiple influencers in an influencer roundup to get different perspectives on the same question. These lists, which require no work on the part of the influencer, are great for sharing flattery and are easy to find.
The designated influencers can share these pieces of content if they are done correctly. This allows you to tap into their followers and get your brand in front of your target audience.
However, seriously, take the time to choose the right influencers since there’s no point in having people who know nothing about your service or are unable to meet your expectations.
Many believe that the most popular ones are the key to bringing more leads, but this is entirely wrong.
Offer Virtual Estimates or Quotes
This strategy will help you qualify HVAC leads faster than driving across town to do in-home estimates, and you will also save a lot of time and money.
You can connect with more customers each day if you qualify leads faster. This increases your chances of finding leads that will generate the most revenue.
Ligtenberg states that even during lockdowns, HVAC companies have been able to thrive by switching over to virtual estimates.
If you aren’t sure how to do this, consider doing it via Zoom, WhatsApp, or even email to send the details. Many people will appreciate your efforts in making it even easier.
Now, we want you to keep in mind that there are a few things to add or identify:
You can estimate the cost of repairs virtually. You can easily estimate the cost of a new HVAC system by looking at the equipment and duct layout.
It’s good to have online scheduling as well since most people who request virtual estimates are tech-savvy. It doesn’t need to be complicated. Using a simple contact form on your main website and appointment scheduling on the Facebook page can do the trick.
Which technology will you use? FaceTime is simple to use. However, not all customers will have an iPhone or iPad. Consider a free video calling tool, such as Zoom, that can work with your customers’ web browsers, so they don’t have to download anything.
Free Listings & Directories
You can quickly build free listings on other directories like Yelp and Thumbtack by creating a strong Google My Business account.
First, this will help you rank higher in customers’ searches. Second, they will give you quality samples from each directory. This evidence will give you a better idea of which directory is most likely to send you valuable leads.
Each directory listing counts towards a local citation. According to SEO tool Moz, local citations impact both search rankings and customer experience:
How high your HVAC company ranks in search depends on how many local citations you have and how accurate your local data is.
Customers will find you more manageable if your business data is accurate across all local citations. They can also get their questions answered and decide to patronize your company.
The key to maximizing local search rankings and customer experience lies in the consistency of name, address, and phone (NAP).
Contractors with high NAP consistency are able to build strong local SEO rankings. These rankings will eventually lead to free-rated HVAC leads as these companies appear in online searches.
From there, improve your click-through (CTR) rate with tactics that make your business look more prominent to local leads, such as collecting more customer reviews.
A Lot to Take On?
For once, we have to agree.
Dealing with lead generation will end up being easier the longer you work with it, but what happens when you’re starting or don’t know how to handle things properly? Getting exhausted is inevitable.
It is common and logical to feel overwhelmed with all the steps and strategies you have to include. However, we’re confident you will get a bit used to everything every day.
Now, if you’re wondering if you should give up on some, the answer is no.
It is alright if you start slow and take on more options and steps to generate more HVAC leads slowly, but the more methods you use to bring value and generate clients, the better your company will do.
And if you need help, remember there are lead generation companies that can lend you a hand.
The Local Lead Generation Process for Your HVAC Business
All right! So, everything is about building properties and generating leads. But how does the process actually take place? Are there other steps I need to know?
The steps I mention below are what students from our local lead generation program follow to generate leads for businesses like yourself. So I’ll help you see what we do. And how if you join our program, you can simply generate leads for your own business (unless you want to start a side hustle and build a laptop lifestyle business).
Essentially, our lead generation can be divided into four steps:
The first is prospecting. You need to take the time to do market research on a niche (industry) and determine how many phone-driven businesses are there.
Keep in mind that this is local research as you need to know how many companies need leads. For example, you may search for “plumbing services Youngstown OH.”
You will find dozens or even hundreds of businesses trying to get themselves in front of the customers by ranking on Map Listings, organic results, and even Ad.
The second step, building. When you find a niche (plumbing, tree services, a software company, real estate…), you will need to start building your digital properties. You don’t need to be an expert in HTML or coding. It can be easy with the right tools.
The third step is now taking time to rank your lead gen website. With the site done, you need to work on SEO strategies and start dominating those Google search results. If you’re new to SEO, it stands for Search Engine Optimization.
To keep it simple, it consists of the entire process of growing a company’s visibility on search engines like Google and generating organic traffic. And remember this, local lead generation is part of the strategies.
Moving on to step four, once you rank the site, you will start getting your ROI and profits. You only need to rent it out to a local business interested in the leads the site generates. You can offer a couple of free leads to their move on with the actual pay per lead.
To review steps 1-4 above, I described it to a normal student who is building a lead gen business to help local service providers generate more calls. But replace the student with you as the business owner. And replace sending the leads to a business to simply siphoning the leads to your personal business.
By the way, fun fact, about 20% of our students in our local lead gen program are actually business owners who went through the program. And they use the skillsets we teach to generate leads for their own business.
An Example of Lead Generation: Home Advisor
You must be thinking, “if lead generation sounds so good so far, how come I haven’t seen any company?” That’s the thing; there are many out there. You just don’t know they are dedicated to it.
HomeAdvisor is one of the best examples you can find on the Internet as it is a top lead generation company that has spent millions building its brand but also earned even more zeros for this same reason.
They started small as everyone else but invested in building their brand awareness to make people who are looking for home services go to their website and find what they need. They are over 75% of people’s first choice when they need those services.
If you don’t get HomeAdvisor that much or need a refresh, users need to submit their information to request a service and get a professional or expert who can provide it.
HomeAdvisor’s job is to share your information, which makes you a lead, with local companies so they can contact you and offer the service you’re requesting. For sharing this lead information, HomeAdvisor gets paid by the companies. This happens for every single lead they send to multiple businesses.
Business owners who don’t have marketing skills or don’t even know how to have any online presence will always rely on those pages to list their services. They will save time and effort, but companies like HomeAdvisor can make them spend lots of money as leads aren’t exclusive (one lead is sent to multiple companies after all).
Using Facebook Ads aka Paid Ad Platforms: Do They Generate Leads?
They DO generate leads. If not, no one would use them.
However, you need to remember two facts:
- Paid ads or platforms can be expensive.
- They don’t generate “natural” leads.
Whenever someone sees or clicks in one of those ads, over 80% of them did it by accident or are trying to close/report it.
Why? Because they aren’t looking for those services. At least not at the moment.
What those ads do instead is interrupt their time on the platforms. Users aren’t there to find companies or businesses unless they are searching for a specific company’s user, and for that, there’s a search bar. This is why it is hard to convert them to actual customers who will show interest in the companies’ services. Also, you’re limited by a budget.
When using lead generation, everything is organic. You aren’t forcing others to pay attention to your business but rather being there when they need you. This is why Google’s organic traffic will always beat paid ads, and the reason companies continue investing in it, which is a lot cheaper as well.
What Is Local SEO?
Don’t worry… I didn’t get it at first either. Following the short explanation, local SEO focuses on scaling businesses’ visibility on search engines. However, this is only for those who serve their communities face-to-face.
What does this mean?
Experts and professionals like painters, plumbers, and dentists (but not only them) offer their services to their local customers. Why? Because they can’t deliver them unless they are located in the same area of their customers.
To make sure those businesses get more leads, you need to rank them locally by claiming the business listing on Google to place them on Map Listings. Local SEO also involves online reviews, citation management, and how you manage your entire online presence in the local area.
If you are going to bet on lead gen, you need to adapt yourself to today’s world: The Internet.
Keep in mind that although traditional channels and methods like billboards, warm calls, and pamphlets still work, they aren’t part of your tools. Whenever someone needs a service, they go to Google and search for it.
“Dentist in Miami” or “plumbing services in Orlando,” etc. And you can keep coming up with services or professionals people need and look for. Thus, you need to make sure you’re using Google to get the companies in front of their clients.
Users will always click on the first search results (those near the top), and many of them will be either Ad links (people paid to place their websites there), Map Listing, and then you get websites. Almost all of them are your goal and where you should always aim to place yourself.
Can My HVAC Business Utilize a Local Lead Generation Strategy?
If you want customers, you better know you need it. Following the previous explanation, lead gen is all about placing businesses in front of their customers, choosing them over their competitors.
Put it simply – it’s all about closing deals and having clients for those companies to make money. The main difference with the usual methods companies use for this is how lead generation approaches different channels to get them in the right place of the market to get customers.
Those channels are all focused on the Internet as most people are searching for products but also services across the net. The issue is that the Internet is way too broad, and businesses don’t know how to place themselves. They usually try, but they get one common result: losing money and time.
How Powerful Are Organic HVAC Leads from Google?
For companies looking for customers, it’s everything. For you? Pretty much the same. When you build a business with digital properties, you get to make thousands of dollars a month.
This isn’t a “get started today and get rich tomorrow” thing, but it is HIGHLY scalable, and ROI + positive results are guaranteed. Learning a fairly decent and very needed set of skills to create your digital properties and start ranking them on Google is required.
I have invested in several online businesses over the years, and if there’s something uncertain, whether you will get your ROI or not, even more than the actual profit.
However, this business moved my earnings from five figures a year to a month in ONLY passive income while sitting comfortably at home.
On my laptop. Anywhere. Anytime.
You can look at one of the first sites I built back in 2016, and it continues making me over $1.000+ every month. The best part is that I don’t need to touch it or the rest I’ve built over the years, just like this digital property.
What Makes Lead Generation SO Alluring?
Here it goes: you can work from home.
The main issue with regular business opportunities is how much you need to invest in staff, equipment, or rent to have a place to sell your products or offer your services.
We all know the hassles of traditional businesses that involve regular expenses, which are extremely high. Can you afford it? I don’t think so, and even if you can, is it worth it? Now, it isn’t only about the money. You also need to put in a lot of work, and it isn’t only during the first couple of months or years. Usually, it is as long as you continue running it.
You can save yourself those headaches and bone-breaking tasks and expenses with lead gen since it is more about generating leads with digital channels—mainly websites.
Websites can be VERY cheap to build, and with many tools online, you get to do it in a couple of hours instead of days. Any virtual or digital business is scalable and won’t need constant maintenance.
So, let’s summarize this:
- You save money in regular expenses with traditional and most online businesses as what you need is yourself and digital properties (websites).
- You can bet on passive income.
- There’s no need to hire more people to get started.
- You can generate leads in multiple industries, which allows you to work on any niche you want.
How Can I Get Started in the Local Lead Generation Program?
Anyone can start and learn. That’s the beauty of this business model. I knew nothing about SEO, Map Listing, and everything I’ve mentioned so far. It is all about learning the skills, gaining experience, and deciding to take the step.
Remember that this business model will never get old as business owners are always looking for leads. They need to do business and scale their companies. Why not do the same while helping others and still making money?
You can start with this local lead generation course highly recommended for anyone wanting to grow in the business. It is a close training that will take you through each step and make sure you are able to get your ROI, profits and take control of your life.
You will be added to an incredible lead generation family ready to help you 24/7 when asking questions on the group. Anyone is welcome who’s willing to put in the work. Click here to watch the lead gen webinar.