“Keep an eye on emerging platforms and trends,” said Lauren Devens, digital marketer at BNP Engage. “For example, I think Threads was discounted a bit as a viable alternative to Twitter or ‘X.’”

Threads is an app from Instagram where users can view and share public conversations. While Instagram once only offered photos, then videos, and then reels, they now offer a forum for users to share short pieces of text, links, photos, videos, or a combination of them. Think: X.

And, according to Devens, X is starting to see a drop in its user base since Elon Musk’s ownership of the platform and the controversy surrounding the Tesla CEO.

“People are predicting that Threads will catch up in terms of their features and active users,” Devens said. “So one thing that I would recommend is that contractors could consider joining Threads and just securing their username.”

While contractors don’t need to necessarily start posting on Threads right away, just signing up and getting their username squared away (one that's consistent with the rest of their social media platforms), contractors will be locked and loaded for when and if their audience starts using Threads.

"It's important to try and maximize your social media reach," advised Molly Bakewell Chamberlin, president of Embassy Global LLC, a Buffalo, New York-based marketing consultancy. "Encourage your followers to share your content across multiple platforms, community bulletin boards, among industry colleagues, and with great trade publications like The ACHR NEWS."

Jeff Bowab, vice president of sales at RYNO Strategic Solutions, said that YouTube is a social media platform that a lot of contractors aren’t taking advantage of.

“And then shorts and reels from Facebook and Instagram,” Bowab said. “The good news is once you get in a rhythm of shooting content, you can repurpose content across all of these platforms.”

It may seem daunting enough that contractors don’t even know where to start. That’s where devising a plan comes into place.

“Then repurposing content for your website, and for all the different social media channels that you're using, becomes really simplistic,” Bowab said.

Creating Content

In order to know what kind of content to create and then repurpose, contractors have to know what type of content resonates with their audience.

“[Contractors] have to consistently analyze performance metrics on the posts that they're sharing to understand what content is resonating with their audience, and then adapt their [social media] calendar according to what types of posts are getting the most engagement,” said Devens.

These types of posts might include authentic photos or informative videos, as opposed to purely promotional posts that may seem a bit stale.

Bakewell Chamberlin suggests demonstrating industry thought leadership by creating ongoing educational content.

“Explanatory posts or short videos offering HVAC system maintenance tips, energy-saving techniques, the importance and best practice usage of indoor air quality monitoring tools, or detailing the benefits and cost savings associated with upgrading to more energy-efficient HVAC systems,” Bakewell Chamberlain said by way of example. She continued that contractors could also develop “how-to” DIY guides for simple troubleshooting that homeowners can perform themselves before calling in a professional, or engage the customer service team and field technicians by having them compile a list of customer FAQs and answer one or two in a weekly or monthly 'Ask the Expert' Q&A guest post to encourage increased follower engagement.

Contractors can also share success stories from customers who have experienced benefits from their newly installed HVAC systems, such as energy and cost savings or enhanced comfort. Additionally, Bakewell Chamberlain said contractors could offer seasonal promotions or season-specific content.

“Guide followers through a best-practice HVAC system maintenance journey by calendar month or seasonally, offering tips for pre-summer a/c checkups or winter heating system tune-ups," she suggested. "Help them stay proactive about their HVAC system health by offering timely and relevant monthly alerts, reminders, exclusive discounts, or package deals."

Contractors could also consider running contests on social media where followers can submit their unique HVAC system quirks, home improvement projects, or even quirky thermostat settings.

“Offer prizes such as free inspections, discounted services, or HVAC-related merchandise for the best monthly entries,” Bakewell Chamberlain said.

As far as how to record this type of content, Bowab said that phones have come such a long way that often they provide the right amount of quality needed for these posts.

“I don't think people expect professional quality from that standpoint, but I also don't think there's anything wrong with investing in a videographer to really get you some of your cornerstone videos that you're going to use over and over and over,” Bowab said. “Like maybe an introduction to the company, or introducing the team, or a customer testimonial that you might put on your website — invest in something like that.”

If a contractor’s budget is limited, a wedding photographer might be a good person to seek out when they aren’t so busy shooting weddings.

“During the week, you can often get them at a reduced rate, because they're happy for the work,” Bowab said. “They've got all the editing software, so they can do everything. It really is fairly cheap to have somebody spend four or five hours with you and do all these things.”

Starting New Habits

To really make the most out of social media, contractors have to post more frequently, get rid of canned ads, and commit to better content and planning.

If contractors are really trying to grow their social media, posting only once or twice a month isn’t going to help their efforts.

“I'd recommend trying to post two or three times a week per platform, see how their audience responds, and if they're not getting any engagement at all on a particular platform, then perhaps their audience just isn't there, so they can focus their efforts elsewhere,” Devens said.

Another thing Devens said to leave behind is relying solely on organic reach to help contractors reach their goals.

“Social media algorithms are changing a lot and consistently getting more competitive, so HVAC contractors should consider investing in paid social media campaigns to help them reach a more targeted audience in their specific area with the specific demographics that they're looking for to potentially attract some new clients,” Devens said.

A lot of contractors might approach social media a bit randomly, meaning they put out the same sort of canned ads or posts that have no structure or call to action. Contractors who fall into that trap might believe they aren’t getting any return on their investment in social media and that social media doesn’t work. In reality, though, it’s the tactics that no longer work.

“We get so many things thrown at us from a social media aspect on all the different channels that we're on,” Bowab said. “You've got to be quick to the point, you've got to have a call to action, and they've got to have some personality in them, because there are a million HVAC companies … there’s so much competition, and if you're just throwing out canned ads that have no rhyme or reason and no calls to action, it's going to hurt your brand in the long run.”

Bakewell Chamberlain said that contractors should consider local SEO optimization, which means including location-specific keywords in social media profiles and posts, using geotags on posts to increase visibility for local searches, and using relevant hashtags to increase engagement.

Additionally, they have to commit to better content and planning and follower engagement.

“Develop a content calendar to ensure a consistent posting schedule, including with some of the tips set forth above,” Bakewell Chamberlain said. “Respond promptly to comments and messages to foster engagement, pose questions to encourage further audience interaction and feedback, and run polls or surveys to understand customer preferences and needs.”