In today's world where everything is in constant competition for a consumer's time and attention, it can be challenging for small business owners to stand out. It's not enough anymore to just have a basic website and direct mail coupons. If you’re a small HVAC contractor who needs to make their marketing dollars stretch as far as possible, your focus should be on your strongest and safest bet: local neighborhoods. Here are a few simple proven local marketing tactics that can make sure your HVAC business is noticed by your local community.
Wrap Your Company Vehicle
The easiest way to enhance your brand and add a high level of professionalism is by wrapping your company vehicle. Not only will you gain brand recognition from the local community as you travel to and from appointments, but also this will add credibility and trust to your brand name. Homeowners will immediately recognize you when you pull up for appointments. A vehicle wrap is also a great place to list additional services offered that a customer may not otherwise know about such as plumbing or home security.
It’s extremely important that the entire presentation of your company vehicle be pristine, not just the wrap. Technicians who are driving company vehicles should be dressed cleanly in uniform, fully alert while driving, and keep up with the overall cleanliness of their vehicle.
Google My Business Page
When local consumers search for HVAC companies, they usually do so within a 5- or 10-mile radius because they have a time-sensitive need. Therefore, it is crucial that your HVAC business has a Google My Business page. Google My Business is free to set up and you can display important information about your business such as your hours of operation, phone number, website, and service areas. This is one of the simplest and most effective ways to be found online in a geographically-specific search.
Each positive customer review that you receive on Google enhances your page's visibility in search and map results. The best way to collect reviews is to ask for them. To make collecting reviews even easier, you can set up an automated email or text message that personally invites each customer to write a review after their appointment. Reviews are also a great way to gauge what people actually think about your business and get ahead of any potential issues before they arise.
Nextdoor Business Page
Nextdoor allows businesses an opportunity to connect with their local customers via a unique, neighborhood-based social media platform. Unlike Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tik Tok, Nextdoor requires all users to verify their home address before joining so that users can be placed within a specific neighborhood and only view content relevant to their local community. This allows a strong community connection to be built where ideas, concerns, recommendations, etc. are shared.
For businesses, this provides a unique marketing opportunity to be in front of a local audience that is present and engaged with their community. It's completely free to sign up for Nextdoor with a business account and claim your Nextdoor Business Page. Doing so will allow your business visibility in your target neighborhoods where consumers are searching for and recommending businesses like HVAC contractors. Nextdoor proudly shares their impressive statistics that 88% of their users shop at local businesses at least once per week and 67% of users share recommendations with their neighbors.
Businesses are allowed two free business posts per month and you can sponsor more for an additional cost. Small businesses have also found success through Nextdoor's "Local Deals" to advertise special offers, promotions, etc. to a target neighborhood. Prices for these Local Deals depend on the size of your audience and the duration of the deal.
Setting your business apart takes risk and creativity, but it's important to be smart in your marketing decisions and to "show up" when your customers are looking for the services you provide. Try out these local marketing tactics and let us know what success you have!
