Hey - HVAC owners. Do you know who your target customer is? Do you know how to reach them effectively? Every digital marketing strategy needs an over-performing workhorse to grab more eyeballs. Content marketing can help! 

Content marketing refers to strategies that focus on educating customers about products and services rather than pitching them. As a result, HVAC companies can attract prospective buyers, engage with them, and transform them into quality leads. 

With so many different types of content, it can be overwhelming to decide which deliverable will resonate most with homeowners. Luckily, you've come to the right place. This article shares five high-performing types of content that HVAC business owners can use to supercharge their lead generation funnel.

Content Type #1: Blogging

As the world of online marketing continues to evolve, blogging has become more critical than ever. In fact, companies with blogs produce an average of 67% more leads monthly than companies that don't blog (DemandMetric). 

It is perhaps the most primary type of content used for content marketing efforts. Here's why.

• Blogging is a powerful communication channel that reaches prospective clients searching for your products and services: the internet.
• When executed correctly, blogging helps boost your HVAC website's ranking on search engine results pages.
• Blog posts generate more traffic for your website, resulting in a potential 434% increase in indexed pages (DemandMetric).

Examples of a Home Services Company Excelling at Blogging

Our client, Alco Windows and Doors, is an excellent example of a home services company that utilizes blogging to supercharge its business. Before working with Rizen, Alco was looking for a way to scale its organization.

Therefore, our team recommended an SEO-driven blogging strategy as part of a marketing package. Doing so brought Alco's website traffic from 200 sessions to 10,000 sessions a month. That's a 4,900% increase in highly relevant traffic each month! 

Read the entire case study here.

Where to Start with Blogging: 

You may know you need to be blogging for your HVAC company, but you don't know where to start. There are simple steps to take, such as choosing a blogging platform, registering a domain name, and purchasing web hosting.

If you have those initial steps covered, I recommend your next action item be reading How to Attract More Leads By Building a Home Services Blog.

Content Type #2: Video

In a landscape as competitive as the HVAC industry, it's essential to find new ways to make your products and services stand out. Video is a great medium to do just that.

While video marketing is nothing new, it is a type of content that businesses fail to utilize. However, many homeowners have busy schedules and often prefer to watch a short video rather than take 20 minutes to read the same information. 

Need a little more convincing? Here are a few statistics that showcase the benefits of video marketing:

• 9 out of 10 viewers said that they wanted to see more videos from brands and businesses. (HubSpot)
• Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in the text. (Insivia)
• Marketers who use video grow revenue 49% faster than non-video users. (WordStream)
• Video marketers get 66% more qualified leads per year. (Optinmonster)
• Including a video on your landing page can boost your conversion rate by up to 80%. (WordStream)

Example of an HVAC Company Utilizing Video Marketing

Fox Family Heating and Air is an HVAC business located in the Greater Sacramento, CA area. With over 30,000 YouTube subscribers, they are a great example of an HVAC company succeeding in the world of video marketing. 

They feature educational video content on their YouTube page with topics ranging from:

• Red flags when buying a new HVAC system
• Should I get a gas furnace or heat pump system?
• How long should my air conditioning system last?

You'll notice that most of their videos focus on teaching homeowners about the HVAC industry rather than trying to sell them on their products and services. However, with a total of 4,605,520 video views, it is perhaps their most effective marketing medium for lead generation.

Where to Start with Video Marketing

Any successful HVAC marketing strategy needs to include video. Ready to get started? Read our blog post: Jumpstart Your Social Video Marketing With These 3 Steps.

Content Type #3: Case Studies

Case studies are a powerful type of content for any business planning to supercharge their marketing strategy. This type of home services marketing medium provides real-world examples of how your HVAC business helped homeowners with similar goals as potential customers. 

A few reasons why I recommend case studies for businesses in the HVAC industry include:

• Case studies highlight a company's expertise and experience with homeowners in your area.
• Case studies reveal concrete examples to prospective clients, helping them see exactly how you can solve their challenges.
• Case studies effectively generate new leads, according to 63% of marketers (Neil Patel).

Examples of Case Studies Created by a Home Services Company

Alco Windows and Doors is another great example of a business that features case studies in its home services blog. For instance, here is a blog post that highlights a customer testimonial where they installed impact windows to a customer's home.  

Not only does the post outline a great story of the customer's challenges and how Alco helped - but also a video customer testimonial. As a result, it serves as a multi-component marketing medium that resonates with different audiences based on how they prefer to consume content.

Where to Start with Writing a Case Study

When writing a case study, start by outlining the challenges, the approach, and the results of the home improvement project. Doing so helps tell the story in an emotionally appealing way. For more insights on this type of content, read What is a Case Study? Important Tips for Impact Windows Companies.

Content Type $4: eBooks

In a perfect world, site visitors would browse your HVAC website and request an appointment before leaving. However, for most, this is not how a customer journey plays out. Studies show that buyers consume about five pieces of content before they're ready to be contacted by a sales rep (Influence & CO). 

For this reason, creating downloadable content such as eBooks is a strategic interim step for lead generation. By optimizing new or pre-existing content as a lead magnet, business owners can still collect contact information before someone is ready to sign on the dotted line. 

Examples of an eBook Created by an HVAC Business

Central Heating & Air Conditioning created, "HVAC System: The Ultimate Guide." It promises readers insights on popular heating and cooling systems for their homes and how to keep these systems running efficiently. However, in order to access the guide, site visitors must provide their name, email, and whether they are a homeowner, renter, etc. 

With this information, the HVAC company can create an email nurture campaign to stay in constant contact with readers. The goal is to gently nurture leads through the awareness stage to the decision stage.

Where to Start with Creating an eBook

Writing an eBook can seem intimidating. However, if you already have a plethora of content available, you can easily combine these resources to create a long-form ultimate guide. 

Content Type #5: Checklists

Checklists are another type of content that can supercharge your HVAC business. Similar to eBooks, checklists can be put behind a landing page where readers exchange their contact information for free content. 

Many homeowners love checklists because it ensures crucial steps of a task are not forgotten. And when it comes to installing an air conditioning unit or other home improvement tasks, forgetting an action can be detrimental. 

Again, placing different types of content behind a download form allows new ways for your sales and marketing team to collect contact information. Additionally, based on the piece of content they are downloading, you can have a better idea of what service they would be most interested in.

Example of a Home Services eBook

Take for example this property inspection checklist by Alco Windows and Doors. The goal of this checklist is to attract property managers who want to take preventative measures against surprise expenses and unhappy tenants.

Where to Start with Checklists

To get started with creating a checklist, think about what topics homeowners are often tasked with. Perhaps it's an overall maintenance checklist to prevent future problems and unwarranted costs. And remember -- the best HVAC checklists include clear headers, colorful designs, and brief copy. 

You Have the Roadmap - Now Supercharge Your HVAC Business with Rizen!

As marketing trends continue to evolve, HVAC businesses must adapt to these changes to stay competitive. Creating various types of content will undoubtedly be a vital part of your success.