The warm summer months will be here soon, and that means more fun in the sun with friends and family members … unless you get stuck working long hours in front of your computer. Now is the time to plan ahead. After all, marketing and PR doesn’t stop just because the sun is calling.

So, what do you need to do now?

Five Steps to HVAC Content Strategy and PR Prep for Summer Fun

1. Develop unique offers.

Why is your HVAC business unique?

Why will customers want to purchase your services over the competition this summer?

Start by answering these questions. Then, use your answers to develop discounts, giveaways, coupons, and other special offers that stand out and provide value.

If you are at a loss for ideas, hold brainstorming sessions with your team, review what the competition is doing (and do something different), and look at what businesses in other industries are doing successfully.

You can also run a simple survey online and ask your targeted audience members what they really want in the months ahead. Be creative and keep your customers top-of-mind during this process, and you’ll develop some great offers.

2. Create marketing messages.

Once you know your future offers, figure out how you are going to communicate this information.

Will you use an email series, landing page, press release, direct mail piece, or social media posts?

Who is responsible for each marketing and PR tactic, and how will you track results?

Decide which venues are best to reach your target market and note that it takes several different “touch points” and various mediums to get the best results. A single email is not going to significantly increase sales.

3. Organize distribution. The next step is to add all of this information to a simple spreadsheet so that your team members know what is happening in the future, who is responsible for each task, and the deadlines involved. That way, there are no surprises, and everyone can prepare the appropriate communications in advance.

4. Set tracking mechanisms. In your spreadsheet, be sure to include a way to track the results for each marketing tactic. For example, if you create a specific landing page for each offer, you can send potential customers to this unique website page and check your analytics to see how many people clicked on that link. You can also track the number of people who made purchases from this page. If you send out an email, you’ll want to be able to see the open rates and how many recipients actually clicked on the offer link.

You get the idea. These tracking processes take time to set up correctly, but they are essential to the success of your campaigns. This data lets you know what’s working and what isn’t in real-time so you can make changes. Otherwise, you can waste a lot of resources on a campaign that doesn’t work.

5. Consider hiring a pro.

You may be thinking that you just don’t have the time or resources to do all of this work. Successful marketing and PR results take time, skill, and effort, but know that you don’t have to do all of it yourself.

If you don’t have experience and training in copywriting, search engine optimization, content marketing, or public relations, find someone who can help you. There are numerous experts available at all different price points, ranging from free interns to part-time freelancers, consultants, or full-service marketing agencies.

This way, you can concentrate on your core HVAC business responsibilities and leave the communications work to the experts.

Good Times Await, HVAC Pros!

When good weather arrives this summer, you can be outside having fun with your family and friends. Just prepare your content marketing strategy and PR activities now.

Develop creative, unique offers and determine how you are going to track and communicate them effectively. And if you don’t have the time or expertise to develop this yourself, find an experienced professional to help you based on your needs and budget.

Otherwise, you’re going to be stuck in front of your computer screen working away. And that’s no fun day at the beach!