A Comprehensive Content Strategy: Creating Content That Supports a New Service Launch
With so much product innovation happening in HVAC and solar, many companies are adding new services like battery storage or ductless heat pumps. With all the coordination and planning it takes to purchase the correct equipment, polish off your certifications, and nail down pricing, it is easy to forget that your website should reflect your new capabilities. But if your customers don’t know about it, what’s the point of your new service launch?
Here is a comprehensive guide to creating a suite of content on your site that will properly support your new service, from start to finish.
Excited About Your New Service? Let Your Website Reflect It!
From a new landing page on your site, to your Google My Business profile and social media, your customers should be able to find your new service on every channel that you utilize. A promotional push can give your new service a jolt so you can hit the ground running as soon as your new service launches.
But before you start blasting the internet, make sure you have these questions answered:
- What’s the name of your new service?
- Does it offer something different from your competitors?
- Is this new service available in your entire service area?
- Can this service be bundled or paired with any of your existing services?
The name for some services will be self-explanatory. If you are expanding from only residential solar installation to include commercial work, it’s fairly easy to choose a name. If, however, your new service is a bit more open ended — like a loyalty program or maintenance subscriptions — you could incorporate catchier phrases like “The Comfort Club” or “Turn Up for Tune-Ups.”
If you know your service area well enough to know that “basements” are much more common than “crawlspaces,” calling your encapsulation service “basement encapsulation” will likely resonate better with potential customers. (Doing some local keyword research, which we wrote about just last week, can help direct you here.)
Once you have these questions answered, take a look at the following channels and make sure they reflect your new launch.
New Pages On Your Site
These are pages you have direct control over, so make sure your information is comprehensive and complete.
Robust Service Page
Use a new service page to describe both the need for your new service and why you are the trusted contractor for the job. What can a customer expect without it? What are the benefits? What kind of equipment do you use, and what is your process? This is where you can differentiate your business from your competitors. Also, make sure this page is easy to find in your website navigation, and is properly keyworded for SEO purposes. If you are feeling a bit lost when it comes to SEO, you’re not alone—you can get up to speed in 30 minutes with our training webinar on SEO..
Case Studies
Have you tested this service out on your own home, or the home of a neighbor or friend? Take some quality pictures (you likely have a nearly professional grade camera in your pocket), and document the process. Maybe it’s a high quality air sealing job in an attic or a new tankless water heater installation. Providing “on the job“ photos will prove that this is a tangible and necessary service.
Reviews of the Service
Reviews are the lifeblood of internet research for many consumers and homeowners. If you have any quotes from real customers, use them! Also make sure to link to them from your service page, like a two-factor authentication for customers who are on the fence.
Updating Your Existing Content
If you have a healthy marketing email list, one of the most direct ways to inform your customers of your new service is to send them an email (or two). And depending on your email service provider (Mailchimp, Constant Contact etc) you may be able to resend the same email only to recipients that did not open the first blast.
Blog Posts
A series of blog posts can help generate interest before, during, and after your new service launch. Focus these blog posts on keywords that include your new service title, and semantically related keywords. This will help give the SEO around your new service a boost
Start with an announcement of your launch, complete with the date the service will be available. As the date approaches, a blog entry detailing the problems that lead to needing the service and its benefits will further generate interest. Then, after you’ve completed a few jobs you can compile stories and case studies from customers who have actually purchased the service and document how it helped them.
Google My Business
Make sure to update your GMB profile with the new service (if appropriate). This is where a good number of your leads will come from. A good list of GMB update tasks include
- Update both your “Categories” & “Services” in GMB
- Upload any relevant photos
- Add or update your business description & service area
- Use Google Posts to feature the service (repurpose your blog content!)
- Utilize the Q&A section
Facebook has become more of an amplification channel than a lead generating tool, so take your blog posts to Facebook and get a little extra mileage out of them by using Boosted Posts. It’s also worth considering Facebook paid branding ads to generate awareness, since you can build a custom audience and target your reach for better results. Your new service should also be included in your company description on your branded Facebook page.
Video
Creating a short, descriptive video will make your service pages more robust and can be used across multiple channels to increase engagement and understanding. You can use video not only on your own site but also on Facebook in ads and YouTube for retargeting and pre-roll opportunities. Video is here to stay, and in addition to providing a boost in SEO, it is becoming the preferred method for customer education, based on the strong emotional connection and engagement it provides.
Ready For Launch?
If your website were your own resume, you wouldn’t leave your most recently learned skill off the list, would you? Capturing new leads with your new service launch begins with letting your customers know what you’re up to. Make sure your online presence reflects all the hard work you’ve put into your new HVAC, home performance, or solar service launch!
Looking for more help on launching your new service? Contact us to learn more about how to leverage your website, GMB profile, and other channels for higher quality leads.