How to Leverage Print Marketing in Your HVAC or Plumbing Business

Contrary to common belief, the use of print marketing is far from dead. As a matter of fact, incorporating print media into your HVAC or plumbing company's marketing tactics can be more cost-effective, better at targeting local consumers, and more preferred than online marketing. In a recent consumer survey of 1,200 people and more than a dozen advertisement channels, 82 percent of participants ranked print ads as the channel they trusted most to make a purchase decision.

Though online marketing may be an effective way to spread the word of your services, harnessing the power of print marketing can take your operations to the next level. Check out our guide for leveraging print marketing in your HVAC or plumbing business. 

Why Incorporate Print Marketing in Your HVAC or Plumbing Business?

Incorporating print media into your company's marketing tactics boasts various benefits, from a stronger customer base to higher profits. Before rushing to create print marketing collateral, it's important to understand the perks of print marketing and how you can apply them to your unique operations.

Improve Your Brand Awareness

Print marketing is especially good at creating a strong sense of brand awareness. Brand awareness is a term often used in marketing to refer to the level of consumer recognition of a product or company by its name or logo. Developing brand awareness is crucial in promoting new services, introducing a new business, or distinguishing your company from the competition. 

For HVAC and plumbing companies, both new and old, introducing yourself through postcard mailers or local publications is an excellent way to establish a necessary sense of local credibility. Similarly, the quality of your print media will speak to the quality of your service. With your logo hanging on a customer's fridge, it's easier for them to recognize your company and remember your services once they're needed. 

Not to mention, online advertising only provides so many characters to inform customers of your company. With the ability to use print media in your desired format, potential new customers can be provided a more detailed introduction to your business and services. Tangible marketing materials create a stronger sense of focus, rather than online advertisements, which are scrolled by rapidly and forgotten even faster. 

Connect and Build Trust With New and Old Customers

With dozens of online advertisements circulating a customer's social media daily, it's very easy for a company's ad to get lost in the shuffle. Furthermore, frequently recurring online advertisements can come off as spammy to customers and have the complete opposite of the desired effect, causing consumers to ignore your ads out of annoyance. Plus, these ads tend to be very generic and fail to address location-specific needs. 

Take the time to do local research and construct personalized messaging that portrays a company initiative that's caring and loyal to the community. You'll want to offer services you know your local customer base needs. For example, those who live in areas with strong winters would appreciate seasonal special advertisements for system winterizations. These extra steps of personalization can help cut through the clutter of online saturation and build a better bond with customers. 

Experience a High Response Rate

While we're not completely eliminating the need for online advertisement, combining both print marketing and digital marketing can effectively drive higher customer response rates than the sole use of online advertisement.  Print marketing goes beyond the fast-paced movement of the internet and social media to ensure longevity.

The physical aspect of print media also gives you the ability to slow down and physically place company information in areas where your target audience appreciates it. Whether this is a typical neighborhood handout or a local hardware store bulletin advertisement, physical print media is an efficient way of providing an in-person look into your offered services, helping drive overall response rates.

How to Incorporate Print Marketing in Your HVAC and Plumbing Business 

Print marketing collateral is quite universal. The material can be physically mailed, placed on doorsteps, handed out during service visits, and more. Along with the numerous ways of distributing advertisements, there are several varieties of print materials to incorporate into your marketing.

1. Re-Envision Standard Print Marketing

Print marketing doesn't mean a boring, cookie-cutter template that's stuffed into mail slots on a monthly basis. Recycle the content you create and spread it across a variety of print options to reach a broader customer base.

Some of the top print options HVAC and plumbing businesses should consider include:

• Business cards: As one of the most classic forms of print marketing, step it up a notch and customize a unique business card that can be handed out after service calls and act as a "personal" contact for customers.
• Seasonal Newsletters: Update new and old customers on what's been happening with your business and its placement in the local community, along with any details regarding new services or seasonal promotions.
• Postcards: This smaller print media can be quickly mailed or handed out with an offer, QR code, or announcement to inform customers of current service promotions and company contact information.
• Door Hangers: Use door hanger advertisements in residential and commercial areas for a neat and quick advertising option. Along with company information, consider offering incentives for first-time customers.
• Loyalty & Thank You Cards: Recurring customers are at the core of successful businesses. Demonstrate gratitude and secure brand loyalty among your routine customers by sending out personalized thank you notes after service calls and during the holidays.

2. Target with Direct Mail Marketing

While you can hire someone to physically hand out your company's marketing materials, there are readily available services that can help streamline this process. Direct mail marketing is a process of developing personalized marketing materials and mass sending them through the local postal service. 

USPS's Every Door Direct Mail service provides valuable tools that work alongside local businesses when mapping print marketing campaigns. Through this service, business owners can target specific demographics such as age, income, and household size to more efficiently reach their desired client base. 

3. Network and Advertise Locally

Print marketing doesn't solely involve sending print advertisements to customer homes. Consider recycling previously distributed information and purchase an ad placement in a local newspaper, school newsletter, or local bulletin. From school fundraisers to routine mail, local circulating coupon books are also a perfect opportunity to advertise service specials and gain new customers. 

Likewise, consider pitching a guest article or submission post to a local magazine. Check around town for local trade publications, or reach out to industry experts like ACHR News. Remember to consider your target audience and place your details in areas where they would most likely find it. Link with local businesses, like hardware stores, and ask if you can put your advertisements in their business to gain access to that specific customer audience. 

Get Started with Your Print Marketing Today

From simple business cards and thank you letters to in-depth newsletters, print marketing can reach your customers in ways digital marketing cannot. Whether your HVAC or plumbing business is in its start-up stages or operating for years as a local industry leader, print marketing will hold its values through all years of operation. Research your local market today and see what print marketing options work best for your HVAC or plumbing business.