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Pop onto Nextdoor or any neighborhood information group on Facebook, and you’ll see them: posts asking for recommendations on everything from restaurants to auto mechanics and HVAC repair services — especially during the sweltering days of summer and the frigid chill of winter.
When you’re trying to attract new customers from communities located near your business, these are the places to be. Your potential clients are identifying themselves for you.
And just by responding helpfully, you can put your HVAC business on the radar of even more people who may not need your services right now but will be likely to remember you whenever they do.
Create a Social Media Plan
Social media, when used correctly, is a great tool for amplifying your business’s marketing and promotions.
One useful tactic is researching competitors’ social media channels and websites to figure out what they offer so you can emphasize the services that make your business unique. Another is posting information that potential customers — people seeking information on their HVAC systems and how to maintain them — may find helpful.
“With over half the world’s population on social media, it is no longer an option for companies to have an online presence — it is a necessity,” says Boston University’s PRLab, a student-staffed public relations agency that combines real-world experience with academic credits.
Get Started with Platform-Specific Strategies
To begin, PRLab advises crafting a unique strategy for each platform that you use, since each operates differently and will attract different audiences.
While the most popular social media platforms — Facebook, Instagram and TikTok — have lots of comparatively young users, their average ages, genders and preferences can vary widely from one social media world to the next, says global consulting firm McKinsey & Company. Tailoring your posts to the platform you’re using is crucial to maximizing its benefits.
Some key questions to consider, according to PRLab:
- Why am I using this platform?
- Who is my target audience?
- What brand message am I trying to push?
- What content works best on this platform?
- How can I make my content unique?
“Used well, social can positively affect your business by deepening customer relationships and adding new customer connections,” Matt Michel, co-founder of the trade group Service Roundtable, says in an article on the Contracting Business website. “Yet many contractors fail to take advantage of the opportunities because they get stumped on what to post.”
Elements of Successful Posts
Successful social media posts, Michel says, attract prospective customers’ attention and position the poster as the kind of business that people want to handle their HVAC work. Michel suggests posts that include:
- Pictures of new hires
- Photos of unique jobs — for example, HVAC work at an unusual or noteworthy location, or before-and-after images when you’ve replaced a much older system
- Selfies with well-known speakers at industry events that you attend
- Team members performing volunteer work
Once you start using a social media platform, make sure to post regularly — and check for feedback.
Customers may ask questions or make complaints there, and research shows that they want quick answers when they do. Some expect to hear back within an hour; others allow up to a day, McKinsey says. Only about 50 percent of businesses keep up, the firm adds.
Overall, as many as half of consumers who have a bad experience will complain about it on social media, according to one survey McKinsey cites.
And if they don’t get an answer? Some 81 percent won’t recommend that company to their friends.
Ready to start promoting your new business on social media? Contact the team at UpSwell for a free marketing assessment.
