Every home needs HVAC (heat, ventilation, air conditioning) services. The question is: how can you ensure that the customers in your area use your HVAC service instead of hiring the competition?
Traditional advertising in print and broadcasting is still an important part of reaching a local audience, but these days you can also have a lot of impact when you market your business online. This is especially true considering how many consumers use the internet to research information about local businesses.
According to the Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) report “Total Retail: Retailers and the Age of Disruption”, 73% of consumers surveyed reported browsing online prior to making purchases, either online or in-store. This puts even more emphasis on your online efforts.
While you should incorporate both online advertising and SEO in Charlotte, NC or your area of operation into your marketing strategy, you also need to consider how social media can contribute to your online success. If you want to build up your HVAC business and truly compete in your industry, here are a few helpful tips for implementing a social media aspect.
1. Create a Plan
It’s always easier to reach your destination if you know where you’re going and how to get there. Any social media effort should begin with setting forth clear goals, both short- and long-term, and then creating a plan to achieve them.
You’ll want to choose platforms that are relevant to your brand and that make it easy for you to reach and engage your target audience. You also need to brand your profiles in keeping with your business and your other online efforts (website, blog, etc.).
From there you should set up a schedule for posting, interacting with followers, and tracking the results of your efforts. These efforts will help you hone your strategy for the greatest possible success moving forward. A solid plan for operating your social media accounts will make the process easier and more effective.
2. What’s in a Name?
The name of your HVAC company provides your business with a unique identity, but it may not necessarily help you to get found by those seeking your services. For example, suppose your business is Smith & Sons HVAC. This name is special because it represents your family-owned business and showcases your values.
However, it’s a fair bet that few consumers, if any, are searching for your name in relation to HVAC services. Searches are more likely to include the name of your town, such as “Charlotte HVAC” or “Charlotte, NC HVAC”, just for example.
The good news is that you can capitalize on this knowledge by creating social media pages that are a lot more search-friendly. In addition to your business-named social media profiles, you should set up profiles associated with your location. Believe it or not, this could help your social media pages reach top rankings for Google searches.
3. Get Involved
One of the biggest mistakes many businesses make when it comes to using social media to grow their operation is failing to commit to the process. Social media is an instant gratification format. Users want to interact. They want to be acknowledged.
Although you don’t necessarily have to be connected every minute of every day, you do need to make an effort to respond to comments and queries posted on your accounts in a timely manner. Posting regularly and participating in conversations with followers helps you to engage customers and make the most of the medium.
4. Content Marketing
Nobody wants to be bombarded with pushy sales tactics. These days, consumers, especially the millennials that live on social media, want to interact with companies that they feel connected to.
Content marketing centers on providing added value for consumers through the content you post, with reviews, tutorials, and industry updates designed to show your expertise without necessarily making a sales pitch. Just don’t forget to work in an appropriate call to action.
5. Use Tools and Metrics
Your Charlotte, NC SEO company can take you a long way when it comes to growing your HVAC business through all of your online efforts, social media included. That said, it might all be for naught if you fail to follow up.
There is an absolute glut of tools available to help you automate, optimize, and get more for less, not to mention track and analyze metrics. If you’re not using these tools you’re missing a huge opportunity to better understand your audience and cater to their needs. This allows you, in turn, to reach your goal of growing your business through social media.
