HVAC, Marketing

HVAC Video Marketing: 10 Actionable Tips for Better Results

ServiceTitan
April 11th, 2024
11 Min Read

Video marketing drives the highest engagement in all industries, and it’s no different for HVAC companies. Reels and video ads can instantly grab the attention of your target audience and highlight the best advantages of your products and services.

If it’s your first time getting started with video, it may seem daunting to figure out:

  • What types of content work for HVAC companies

  • How to structure your videos

  • How to stand out on highly saturated platforms

This guide will walk you through our best-kept secrets for HVAC video marketing with actionable insights you can implement today.

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Is Video Marketing for HVAC Companies Worth it?   

Video may be a powerful medium, but it can quickly inflate your marketing budget.  

Studies have shown that 91% of consumers want more online video content from brands. All major content platforms, from Facebook and Instagram to TikTok, have shifted to a video-first model.

Their algorithms favor content creators and brands who post reels on their platforms over static images and other media. 

Marketers have been adapting to this new marketing paradigm, with 86% using video as a marketing tool. The same professionals reported these assets increased website traffic, allowing them to engage more leads in their funnel.

So yes, videos are a great addition to your HVAC marketing plan and worth the investment. If you want to see for yourself, track your campaign’s ROI (return on investment) with ServiceTitan’s Home Services Marketing platform.

With the platform, you can create unique phone numbers and assign them to each campaign, so ServiceTitan’s system automatically attributes incoming customer calls to the originating campaign.

This makes it easy to know which campaigns generate calls and—most importantly—revenue.

ServiceTitan’s Home Services Marketing software also ranks all campaigns by generated revenue—instead of just clicks—and displays the zip codes where your ads perform the best.

You can use these insights to pause or tweak campaigns that aren’t working and reallocate more resources to high-performing areas and campaigns.

Now, let’s consider how to make your content effective to maximize your returns.

Tips for Better HVAC Video Marketing

Look at the 10 most important video production strategies for HVAC companies.

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1. Know your viewers

The secret to effective marketing assets is specificity. This means knowing your audience down to a T before shooting your video.

To identify your buyer persona, ask yourself:

  • Are my HVAC customers commercial or residential?

  • Which online platforms do they hang out on most frequently?

  • What are their major pain points and preferences regarding HVAC services?

Having your audience profile in mind will ensure you tailor your video content to your viewers and keep them engaged.

2. Don’t try to sell

Instead of barging in with your offer immediately, think about how to provide value to your audience first. They must know, like, and trust you before buying from you.

Come up with content ideas that educate or entertain your viewers (bonus points if you can do both simultaneously) while establishing your brand as a trusted expert in the HVAC field. Once they know why they should listen to you, they will be more likely to be interested in your products and services.

3. Hook viewers in the first three seconds

If you fail to engage your viewers in the first three seconds of your video, they will scroll on or close the page and never get to the rest—no matter how brilliant it is.

Start your video with a powerful hook that strikes curiosity. Address their pain points, paint a vivid picture of the importance of your topic, or open with the most surprising part of your script.

4. Use captions

Many of your viewers will be watching your videos on the go–– waiting in the dentist’s office, sitting on the train, or waiting in line in the supermarket.

This means that your content will be on mute. If they can’t read your video's captions, they will scroll on before you say “air conditioning.”

Most video apps automatically produce captions for your content, so adding this to your marketing workflow should be easy. Plus, adding closed captions on your screen lets you reach those in your audience who are hearing-impaired.

5. Optimize for video SEO

Besides closed captions, you can apply a few other tricks to make your video SEO-friendly. This is particularly important for posting on YouTube since it’s a search-based platform with videos listed in Google results.

To improve your ranking, make sure you:

  • Identify the main keywords that are most relevant to your video

  • Include them in your title, description, and video transcript

  • Make your title and description curiosity-driven and relevant to your content

  • Write a comprehensive video description

  • Add video tags

If you’re unsure how to fill in these details, you can model top-performing videos in your niche.

6. Include a call to action (CTA)

Engaging your audience was the most challenging part, but don’t forget to tell them what to do once they’ve watched your video. The best way to include a call-to-action in your content is to ask them directly as a part of your script.

You can also include an end-slate slide at the end of your video to point them to your website. Additionally, you can include links to your products and services in your video description.

7. Use different video formats

Nailing the right video format for the platform you’re posting on is key to your content’s success. Here are a few video formats you can test out on your various communication channels:

  • 15-second reels for TikTok and YouTube shorts

  • 1-minute reels for Instagram and Facebook

  • 5-20 minutes videos for YouTube

  • A 5-minute brand video for your website

You can also repurpose your long-form content to create multiple versions of short reels for other platforms.

8. Know the different video platforms

We’ve established that video format is critical, depending on your sharing platform. However, there are a few other key differences between how social media channels prioritize content.

  • YouTube is best for high-quality, long-form video content that’s informative and entertaining.

  • Facebook can work for short to medium-length videos that are highly relatable, shareable, or engaging.

  • Instagram is a visually-driven platform where short-form videos (reels) perform best.

  • TikTok is known for engaging videos, often with creative effects and trends that appeal to a younger audience.

9. Have a video content plan

Producing video content takes time, but you must maintain a consistent posting schedule. Create a monthly content production flow to structure and keep your video marketing workflow efficient.

Start with a few short-form video ideas, or one long-form video you can repurpose into a series of snippets. Work out a visual language of effects, fonts, and filters that you can replicate for other videos to keep your feed consistent.

Keep an idea bank for potential new videos in your pipeline and prioritize the best each month.

10. Distribute your video content

Last but not least, it’s time to distribute your video content to get it in front of your target audience. You can do this through various channels.

Your blog

Enrich your blog content and keep visitors on your page longer by including videos in your articles. For example, you can include video tutorials about installations and maintenance in your how-to pieces. You can also record some quick tips for optimizing HVAC systems and place them in your listicles.

Your email list

Another way to distribute your video content is to put it in your upcoming email newsletter or the email sequence you send out to new customers.

ServiceTitan can help you promote your videos through automated email campaigns. With its Marketing Pro feature, you can create hyper-targeted audience segments and measure the ROI of your campaigns.

Since ServiceTitan is specifically designed for HVAC companies, you’ll find plenty of beautiful, ready-made templates that you can fill in and send out in minutes.

Your social media pages

If you want to keep your followers hooked, you must maintain a consistent posting schedule — and there’s no better way to do that than with short, engaging videos.

Research and test the best time for posting on each social media platform and plan your content schedule in advance. Weekday afternoons are generally best for sharing your posts on most platforms.

Now, let’s look at what types of video content work best for HVAC companies.

Content Types to Include in Your HVAC Video Marketing Strategy

1. Educational videos

Educate your audience on HVAC-related topics and how your products work. For example, you can create videos like:

  • How-to videos or tutorials on installing equipment

  • The importance of regular maintenance

  • Best practices for filter replacement, thermostat programming, or optimizing energy efficiency

  • Tips on troubleshooting HVAC systems

  • Updates on emerging industry trends

This will help you establish your brand as a trusted source of expertise and valuable insights.

2. Case studies and customer stories

Case studies and client testimonials are excellent tools for social proof of your products and services. Authentic stories from satisfied customers can strengthen your product positioning by spotlighting real-world results and tangible benefits.

Illustrate your customers' challenges and the solutions you provided to tackle them. Whether it's improved indoor air quality, enhanced energy efficiency, or unmatched customer service, highlight the value you've delivered.

Emphasize the measurable impact your offerings have had on their lives or businesses. These case studies won’t just resonate with potential customers but also serve as a powerful validation of your expertise in the HVAC industry.

3. Behind the scenes

BTS videos can give your audience an insight into the inner workings of your company. This transparency creates trust with customers, establishing you as a credible brand in the HVAC industry.

Showcase the expertise and dedication of your team by introducing your technicians in action, such as demonstrating an intricate installation process or providing a glimpse into the daily operations at your facilities.

You can also take viewers on a virtual journey through your showrooms, spotlighting top products and their standout features. By offering an insider's perspective, behind-the-scenes videos can show your commitment to quality and professionalism.

4. Equipment reviews

Showcase your HVAC products in action, highlighting their features, efficiency, and ease of use. Demonstrate how they address common pain points or enhance comfort in residential or commercial spaces.

To dial things up a notch, you can showcase the most dramatic transformations of indoor environments before and after installing your HVAC products. Highlight improvements in air quality, temperature control, and energy efficiency to demonstrate the value of your solutions.

5. Answering questions

Producing FAQ videos is a great way to address common questions and concerns about your HVAC systems from your audience. You can collect ideas for your Q&A from:

  • Your social media comments,

  • Your customer service inbox,

  • Or your sales calls.

You can write up your questions yourself if you don’t have enough customer material. Consider what might interest your viewers and potential new customers about selecting, installing, maintaining, or troubleshooting your systems.

Let’s look at how top HVAC brands applied these content formats to drive engagement.

HVAC Video Marketing Examples to Inspire You

1. Thornton & Grooms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RBflpYrE4I&ab_channel=Thornton%26Grooms 

Here’s an example of how Thornton & Grooms demonstrates one of their maintenance procedures. In this video, one of their HVAC technicians leads viewers through cleaning their air conditioner drain line. He educates potential customers on how to inspect the system for debris and clear it step by step.

YouTube is a great platform to share educational videos like this because the automatic timestamps help customers immediately jump to the section they need to find quick answers. Plus, if your viewers ask questions in the comments section, you can address their concerns. 

2. Air Mechanix

This TikTok reel shows that you don’t need to produce high-fidelity videos to engage your audience. In this one-minute clip, Air Mechanix introduces their team one by one. It’s fun, it’s short, and it drives the message home without a single word spoken.

Source

To replicate this format, all you need to do is to:

  • Film your crew

  • Showcase their names

  • Add an upbeat song

Don’t forget to add relevant hashtags so TikTokers can discover you on their For You page.

3. Dring AC & Heating

Dring AC & Heating demonstrates how their staff installs a new carrier system in this video. These companies keep their reels under a minute on TikTok, since this platform is designed for short and snappy content.

Source

To replicate this, simply film your team carrying out an installation process on your phone and cut a few snippets of the most important parts. You can speed up your video playback and add music to make it more engaging. 

Like Dring AC & Heating, you can include a call-to-action at the end of your video and in your description to ask viewers to follow you.

Over to You

Video marketing is a powerful tool to engage new audiences and get customers interested in your HVAC products and services.

Remember to keep your content relevant to your specific audience profile and optimize it for your posting platforms to maximize its performance. Experimenting with different video formats and content types will help determine what works best for your followers.

ServiceTitan is a cloud-based software home service companies use to streamline their business operations, manage customer interactions, and boost revenue. Over 100,000 contractors nationwide use the software.

ServiceTitan HVAC Software

ServiceTitan is a comprehensive HVAC business software solution built specifically to help service companies streamline their operations, boost revenue, and achieve growth. Our award-winning, cloud-based platform is trusted by more than 100,000+ contractors across the country.

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