Some of you may recognize a couple of new names and faces at The NEWS. I’m one of them. I’ll be covering the business management beat, and, as such, I’ll be responsible for FYI, Newsline, and Contractor Profiles. Before coming to the news, I was a local editor at Patch, a hyperlocal news network owned by AOL. My first three weeks here at The NEWS have been great – everyone, from my coworkers to contractors to manufacturers have been extremely welcoming. I think I’m going to like it here.

I’m going to use my first blog to talk about – you guessed it, blogs. If you’re not blogging on your HVAC website, then you’re missing out on a great opportunity. Blogs add instant legitimacy and are a great way to show you know your stuff.

In the past few weeks, I’ve read some stellar industry blogs – Bell Home Solutions, Magic Touch Mechanical, and Pullen Air Conditioning Inc., to name a few – that have not only given me insight to the company, but also into the HVAC industry itself.

The topics can be about current events and legislation, how-to-type tips for installations, the importance of HVAC maintenance, spotting warning signs, or anything else that catches your fancy. The blogs don’t have to be long or in-depth. In fact, it’s a great place to post pictures of before-and-after installations. They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

An added benefit is that by updating your blog page regularly, your website may actually rank better in Google searches, since the search engine factors in content freshness and originality. So if you’re not already blogging, it's something you should definitely consider.