Many marketers look at content marketing as just an opportunity to sneak more search engine optimization onto their websites. They forget that the main purpose of content marketing is to build a relationship with the reader.
This is especially important for HVAC professionals, who want to quickly build authority and a positive relationship with their readers.
While it might not be a particularly new form of marketing, it is still one of the most effective. But how can you leverage it to make sure your website, blog, and social media are as effective as possible?
Here is a basic content marketing guide for HVAC companies and professionals to get you started:
Make sure you have the right goals
Before you start writing your content, it is important to know what, exactly, you are trying to achieve with this marketing strategy. If you just want more website traffic and are not planning on really trying to build a relationship with potential readers, then content marketing might be the right type of marketing for you.
Your goals should be not just to generate leads and increase sales, but also to share your ideas, cement your branding, and make yourself an authority on all things in your niche of the industry.
Choose the right type of content for your readers
A blog is a great place to start but it is not, necessarily, going to be the only type of content marketing you want to do. Another popular choice would be an ebook. How do you decide what type of content you want to develop? Blogs are ideal for shorter-form writing.
While you do want to write more than 400 words on a subject, anything longer than 3000 words would probably be a better ebook than blog post. Remember that the online reader’s attention span is short, but someone who downloads your ebook is expecting a longer read.
Start brainstorming topics
This is where many content marketing plans fail. You know you want to start a blog but when it comes time to actually start writing, you have nothing to write about. Or, rather, you have a few ideas for posts in your head, you write them, and then your blog lies fallow for months because you didn’t develop enough topics.
Now, before you ever start writing, is the time to come up with at least enough topics for six months. If you run out of ideas, check out a title generator—these will use your keywords to develop dozens of new article ideas.
For example:
- Why does my Heater smell with I Turn It On For The First Time?
- How Often Does My AC System Need a Checkup?
- Why Are Some Spots of My Home Cooler Than Others?
The point is, don’t let the well run dry!
Decide how you are going to track your results
If you don’t track your results, you won’t know whether or not your content marketing strategy is working. There are lots of options for tracking views and even for following users from your content to your website (to see if more of your visitors are contacting you).
There are plenty of free choices, including Google Analytics, which is a great option for someone just getting starting. Most tools will require you to install a plugin or add their code to your website.
Looking into ghost writers
If you have avoided content marketing because you do not think you actually have the time to devote to writing a blog post a week, now is the time to start looking for and testing out ghost writers. There are plenty of resources online for finding a qualified and inexpensive writer to take on your projects.
Do keep in mind, however, that the lower the cost of the writer, the lower the quality of the content will be. Don’t be afraid to pay a little bit more for your content writing—you’ll probably get a better piece, which will mean a better response when it is posted on your blog.
Decide what platform you are going to use
If you already have a website, it should be easy to add a blog to that website, depending, of course, on what platform that website is built on. If your website was custom-built and is hosted by your developer, it would still be an easy addition.
Platforms like WordPress and Weebly have in-built blogging and content management systems that make it easy to go in and post, edit, and search engine optimize everything you write. In some cases, you may want to start a blog that is separate from your website—using a free platform like Blogger could be an option in this instance.
Consider updating the appearance of your website
An old-fashioned or rudimentary website will undercut the authority that you build when you have a successful content marketing campaign. Don’t sell yourself short. These days it is not that difficult or expensive to create a high-quality, beautiful website that looks professional and modern.
Make sure that it’s a mobile responsive website, as the majority if your readers will find you using their mobile device. Remember that the world is going mobile, and more and more people are using iPads and Tablets and phones to do their browsing online and reading. Heck, this blog article itself is being typed up on an iPad using the WordPress app for iOS.
Conclusion
The fact of the matter is that there is a lot of competition in the HVAC industry, you know that. What separates you from the competition? If you’re thinking it’s your smile, or how long you’ve been in business, you need to keep in mind that Internet browsers are completely different than consumers you encounter in your day to day interactions.
You need a way to stand out in the crowd, and present yourself as the trusted HVAC expert in your local community. Content marketing is the best way to do this.
Many marketers look at content marketing as just an opportunity to sneak more search engine optimization onto their websites. They forget that the main purpose of content marketing is to build a relationship with the reader.
This is especially important for HVAC professionals, who want to quickly build authority and a positive relationship with their readers.
While it might not be a particularly new form of marketing, it is still one of the most effective. But how can you leverage it to make sure your website, blog, and social media are as effective as possible?
Here is a basic content marketing guide for HVAC companies and professionals to get you started:
Make sure you have the right goals
Before you start writing your content, it is important to know what, exactly, you are trying to achieve with this marketing strategy. If you just want more website traffic and are not planning on really trying to build a relationship with potential readers, then content marketing might be the right type of marketing for you.
Your goals should be not just to generate leads and increase sales, but also to share your ideas, cement your branding, and make yourself an authority on all things in your niche of the industry.
Choose the right type of content for your readers
A blog is a great place to start but it is not, necessarily, going to be the only type of content marketing you want to do. Another popular choice would be an ebook. How do you decide what type of content you want to develop? Blogs are ideal for shorter-form writing.
While you do want to write more than 400 words on a subject, anything longer than 3000 words would probably be a better ebook than blog post. Remember that the online reader’s attention span is short, but someone who downloads your ebook is expecting a longer read.
Start brainstorming topics
This is where many content marketing plans fail. You know you want to start a blog but when it comes time to actually start writing, you have nothing to write about. Or, rather, you have a few ideas for posts in your head, you write them, and then your blog lies fallow for months because you didn’t develop enough topics.
Now, before you ever start writing, is the time to come up with at least enough topics for six months. If you run out of ideas, check out a title generator—these will use your keywords to develop dozens of new article ideas.
For example:
- Why does my Heater smell with I Turn It On For The First Time?
- How Often Does My AC System Need a Checkup?
- Why Are Some Spots of My Home Cooler Than Others?
The point is, don’t let the well run dry!
Decide how you are going to track your results
If you don’t track your results, you won’t know whether or not your content marketing strategy is working. There are lots of options for tracking views and even for following users from your content to your website (to see if more of your visitors are contacting you).
There are plenty of free choices, including Google Analytics, which is a great option for someone just getting starting. Most tools will require you to install a plugin or add their code to your website.
Looking into ghost writers
If you have avoided content marketing because you do not think you actually have the time to devote to writing a blog post a week, now is the time to start looking for and testing out ghost writers. There are plenty of resources online for finding a qualified and inexpensive writer to take on your projects.
Do keep in mind, however, that the lower the cost of the writer, the lower the quality of the content will be. Don’t be afraid to pay a little bit more for your content writing—you’ll probably get a better piece, which will mean a better response when it is posted on your blog.
Decide what platform you are going to use
If you already have a website, it should be easy to add a blog to that website, depending, of course, on what platform that website is built on. If your website was custom-built and is hosted by your developer, it would still be an easy addition.
Platforms like WordPress and Weebly have in-built blogging and content management systems that make it easy to go in and post, edit, and search engine optimize everything you write. In some cases, you may want to start a blog that is separate from your website—using a free platform like Blogger could be an option in this instance.
Consider updating the appearance of your website
An old-fashioned or rudimentary website will undercut the authority that you build when you have a successful content marketing campaign. Don’t sell yourself short. These days it is not that difficult or expensive to create a high-quality, beautiful website that looks professional and modern.
Make sure that it’s a mobile responsive website, as the majority if your readers will find you using their mobile device. Remember that the world is going mobile, and more and more people are using iPads and Tablets and phones to do their browsing online and reading. Heck, this blog article itself is being typed up on an iPad using the WordPress app for iOS.
Conclusion
The fact of the matter is that there is a lot of competition in the HVAC industry, you know that. What separates you from the competition? If you’re thinking it’s your smile, or how long you’ve been in business, you need to keep in mind that Internet browsers are completely different than consumers you encounter in your day to day interactions.
You need a way to stand out in the crowd, and present yourself as the trusted HVAC expert in your local community. Content marketing is the best way to do this.