Why You Should Diversify Your Marketing

Diversity has become something of a buzzword recently in both business and culture. But when it comes to digital marketing for HVAC or plumbing companies, we can tell you definitively that diversity is something every shop needs.

To put it simply: diversity in marketing means splitting up your investment of time and money across multiple channels. It’s just like diversification in the stock market: spreading your investment across multiple companies or funds allows you to reap financial gains in different sectors while minimizing the losses when things turn down.

So why incorporate diversity in your marketing? We’ve highlighted the top reasons below, with real-world examples:

Broaden your prospect pool

Most of the shops we work with have a pretty broad target demographic. For example – a typical plumbing or HVAC company could work with anyone who owns or rents a home with a heating or air conditioning system. That’s a big group of people – much larger than the number of people you could appeal to on any one form of marketing, from a social media network to an email list.

The best marketers understand they need data to hone in on specific sections of that big group to find the people that would make especially good clients. But if you’re only making posts on one social media network, for example, you could be missing out on a completely different source for that data. Even if you feel like your posts on that one network have been doing well, you might exponentially increase your social media ROI just by adding one new network to the mix.

Of course, you can’t be on every network. Do some research on the specific places that make the most sense for your shop based on your ideal buyer persona, and then come up with a strategic plan of attack for one new channel at a time.

Collect feedback on your messaging

How do you present your organization to others? These days, it goes beyond basic elements like the way you speak and act. No matter which platforms you use, the content you post, or the offers you put out there online, say a great deal about your shop. And if you don’t post content or use digital marketing channels? That says something, too.

The best way to get varied, valuable feedback is to get input from as many potential customers as you can. When you diversify your marketing, you access people with an entirely new set of opinions and beliefs who may have a different response to your messaging. The better your understanding of how people perceive you online, the easier it becomes to adjust that messaging to give the best possible impression. 

Improve internal marketing skills

Every digital marketing campaign for HVAC or plumbing businesses has someone in charge, just like someone needs to handle customer service, accounting, cleaning up the shop, etc. In many cases, several of these roles may be handled by one person.

Whether you’re one of those many-hat-wearing business owners or someone who handles digital marketing for plumbers or HVAC contractors, you’re ultimately responsible for the shop’s success or failure in this area. Sure, you can hire a partner for help with marketing, and they may bring you quite a bit of value – but when the dust settles, you’re the one that has to ensure your campaigns are running smoothly enough to provide the results you need.

So why wouldn’t you want to get better at marketing?

We’re not suggesting you sit down and learn every nuance of technical search engine optimization (SEO) or get an in-depth understanding of data analytics, but it does help to at least have a high-level grasp on different marketing channels. This can help you think more strategically about how to use your limited resources for digital marketing. And when you do decide to work with a dependable digital marketing partner for HVAC companies, it will give you a better understanding of their services and make you a better client partner.

When you diversify your marketing platforms, it gives you an opportunity to learn new techniques, software tools, and data measurement methods. This improves your skills as a marketer, which in turn makes you a better business owner and operator.   

How to get started with marketing diversification

As mentioned, there is a point where your HVAC or plumber marketing campaigns can become too diverse. This causes your marketing team and budget to get spread too thin, which will put a bottleneck on the results you achieve on any one channel.

Instead of jumping onto every possible channel as soon as you can, take some time to do your research. What other shops like yours have found success on different channels? Which channels are most likely to have the kinds of customers you want to work with? These two questions are a great starting point. 

After deciding on another channel to use – whether it’s paid ads, organic social posts, or even email – come up with a plan, and don’t give up too early. It can take quite a while to see substantial results from a new marketing channel.

If you’re thinking about getting started with a new kind of marketing or have recently started on a platform but aren’t sure how it’s going, it can be helpful to work with an expert. Click here to set up a call with our team so we can better understand the specifics of your marketing and offer some suggestions on how you can attain sufficient diversity.