Adams Hudson

Advertising, of course, is the most direct way to promote your company. You control when it runs, where it runs, and what it says. In newspaper advertising, for instance, you select the size and placement of the ad through your contracting process. You also have the “sign-off” authority on ad content.

The beauty of advertising is that you’re in the driver’s seat. That also means you bought the car.

If you want to stretch your advertising dollars as far as possible, publicity is the way to catch a “free ride.” Free publicity can’t replace direct-response advertising as a way to generate leads. But it can increase your company’s name recognition and remind your customers of your existence. It also helps with “top of mind awareness.”

My friend and publicity expert, Tom Peric, has helped me innumerable times in publicity. He has been on the other side of the editorial desk and knows what editors like, love, or want to set afire. His insight is largely responsible for any success I may have had in gaining publicity.

Publicity builds credibility in a way that’s beyond the scope of advertising. It puts your message of professionalism and quality service in the hands of an independent authority figure, such as a newspaper reporter. It has been calculated that publicity is worth three times the cost of what the ad space would cost you in sheer credibility.

The trouble with publicity as a promotional tool is that many people think that, since it’s free, it doesn’t take any work. Actually, it does. Generating publicity requires a plan and procedure just like any other mission that must be accomplished. However, there are common methods and established traditions that are simple to duplicate once you know what they are. In this section, I’ll go over some of the public relations methods you can use to draw attention to your company — for free.

Press Releases

However — and this is really important — your informative release positions you and your company as a voice of authority, thus implying credibility and merchant worthiness. It is invaluable in terms of its ability to attract the best kind of prospects for future business.

Press releases can cover a variety of subjects. In the case of HVAC companies, releases most often come from a few general categories: company news, industry news, safety issues, and weather/seasonal changes.

Company news is the easiest part. Most major daily newspapers have business sections in their newspapers that allow companies to announce new hires. When you hire a new salesman, technician, or office worker, make that announcement by sending a press release to your local paper’s business editor. Include a photo and you significantly increase the chances of being published.

You can also send announcements about office expansion or relocation, increased services, company mergers and acquisitions — any news from your company that you want to let the public know.

The other three categories I mentioned — industry news, safety issues, and weather/seasonal changes — may overlap. Safety and seasonal changes may tie together for an opportunity to let the public know that annual furnace inspections can help prevent house fires or carbon monoxide poisoning.

Industry news about indoor air pollution can give you a chance to discuss ways that the public can protect their indoor home environment. Anything on IAQ that helps allergy sufferers find relief may be printed during the height of allergy season.

Industry-related releases depend on your insight and experience as an HVAC professional. You are using your expertise to provide a valuable service to the public. You are giving them important information that can help improve their home’s safety, reduce their energy costs, or protect the environment. This is news, plain and simple, and editors want news.

Being successful with such “timely” issues as these begins with your awareness. You must be paying attention to opportunities to serve. When the weather starts to change, that should trigger you to give the public some useful information. When you hear an industry announcement, that’s another trigger to serve the public.

Style And Format

First, use your letterhead to give your release the authority of a “company announcement.” Then make sure it’s clear who in the company is sending the release and who needs to be contacted if more information is needed. Put your name, title, and phone number — even your e-mail address — beneath the letterhead information.

Next, the phrase “For Immediate Release” should appear at the top of the page, flush left, under your contact information.

Leave one or two blank lines, and then write your headline in bold. Use a strong headline that makes it clear why this information is important. Skip a line, then add a “dateline” that gives your location (city and state) and the date of your release. A long dash usually separates the dateline and lead paragraph.

The first paragraph is crucial. You need to grab the reader’s attention, and you also need to make sure it includes the essential “who, what, when, where, and how” information. Fully explain your message in the paragraphs that follow.

Perhaps 2/3 to 3/4 of the way into your release, attempt to squeeze in a “soft sell” approach that tells the reader you can solve this particular problem for them.

Briefly, include something like, “Mr. Furnace added, ‘No matter who you use for service, make sure you get a carbon monoxide check.’ He noted that his company is giving Baytown homeowners a free carbon monoxide inspection with seasonal checkups.”

See? This is a very soft sell, positioning you as the good guy, and displaying your ability to solve the problem without screaming at them. Your release will not be printed unless you adhere to information and news above company bragging and sales. In fact, any blatant sales attempt will likely get your entire release thrown out, even if the rest of it is great.

Use the last paragraph to solidify your company’s credentials. Tell your location and years in business and include information about the kinds of products or services you provide.

For samples of press releases that you can use for your HVAC business, see “Sidebar: Press Release Templates” below. Simply copy the templates and fill in the blanks with your own information to begin generating publicity for your company.

Press Release Distribution

Sending lots and lots of releases won’t increase your chances of publication if they aren’t any good. If an editor begins to notice that the releases you send have little or no value, the editor will start to ignore your releases.

But don’t be discouraged by the fact that editors don’t want to waste their time — who does? Remember that the purpose of the media organization is to provide helpful, interesting information for their audience. If your release will help them do that, they will use it.

If you know the name of the reporter or editor, you can address the press release to that specific person. If you don’t, address it to the appropriate title. The general rule for titles in most media organizations is as follows: