Marketing in HVAC and construction isn’t easy. Owners juggle busy schedules, tight margins, and constant project demands. Marketing often gets pushed to the side or handled in a piecemeal way that never seems to add up. The result? Sporadic activity, wasted spend, and frustration when the phone doesn’t ring.
One week, it’s a few hundred dollars on radio advertising. The next, a Facebook post after months of silence. The website sits outdated, vendors rotate in and out, and leads trickle (or don’t show up at all). For too many HVAC and construction companies, marketing looks exactly like this: scattered efforts with no plan, no accountability, and no consistent results.
Marketing in this state is a series of random acts: scattered, uncoordinated efforts with no overarching plan. And it’s not unusual: about two-thirds of small and mid-sized businesses lack a formal marketing strategy. Without one, companies often pour money down the drain, wasting as much as 60% of their marketing budgets due to inefficiencies and poor planning (Proxima).
Consider the numbers:
- Up to 60% of marketing budgets are wasted due to inefficiencies and lack of planning (Epitomise).
- Only 27% of sales leads ever get a follow-up contact from a company’s team (rep.ai) .
- Acquiring a new customer can cost 5 – 25x more than retaining an existing one (invesp).
- Increasing customer retention by 5% can boost profits by 25 – 95% (HBR).
For many owners, this isn’t just about statistics. It’s about the reality of wasted spend, inconsistent lead flow, and sleepless nights worrying whether payroll will get covered. Sales teams get frustrated, too, pointing fingers at marketing for low-quality or neglected leads. With no system in place, there’s no accountability and no predictability. The pain is real, but there’s a better way.
The RACE Framework: A Roadmap to Growth
Instead of guessing and hoping, HVAC and construction firms can adopt a proven framework, RACE: Reach, Act, Convert, Engage.
Think of it as a continuous cycle: you Reach new prospects, prompt them to Act, Convert them into customers, and Engage them so they stick around and refer others. Each stage flows into the next, creating a repeatable system that delivers growth without chaos.
At Big Storm, we’ve seen how RACE transforms disjointed efforts into an integrated engine. Let’s look at what each stage means for HVAC and construction businesses.
Reach: Attracting the Right Audience
Reach is about visibility. You can’t rely on word-of-mouth alone. To grow, your business needs to show up where prospects are searching.
That means showing up in Google results when someone types “HVAC repair near me” or “kitchen remodel contractor.” Tools like Google Ads management and Local Services Ads put you at the top of those searches. For example, Big Storm helped Comfort Systems run geo-targeted Google and Facebook campaigns. Instead of sporadic ads, we built an always-on presence during peak seasons. The result was a steady increase in inquiries rather than short-lived spikes
Additionally, a well-optimized local SEO strategy ensures your company appears in Google Maps with positive reviews and up-to-date information. Social media advertising adds another layer, putting your brand in front of homeowners and developers even before they start searching.
Content marketing plays a role here, too. A blog post like “Top 5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Remodeler” both informs and attracts. Sponsoring a local event or contributing to a community newsletter keeps your name circulating offline as well.
Act: Engaging Prospects
Once a prospect finds you, the Act stage is about encouraging them to interact by visiting your site, requesting a quote, or calling your office.
Your website is the linchpin here. A high-converting site must be clear, mobile-friendly, and designed to guide visitors toward action. When Big Storm redesigned Vemco’s website, the difference was immediate: longer time on page, more form submissions, and more qualified inquiries.
Trust signals seal the deal at this stage. Testimonials, certifications, and case study snippets reassure potential clients they’re in good hands. And clear calls-to-action buttons that say “Get a Quote,” phone numbers at the top of the page, or a chat widget remove barriers to contact.
Most importantly, speed matters. If someone fills out your form, responding quickly makes you seven times more likely to qualify the lead. Yet the industry average response time is a shocking 47 hours. Companies that act fast win.
Convert: Turning Leads into Customers
Convert is where interested prospects become paying customers. This stage is about follow-up, process, and persistence.
First, respond fast. Businesses that reply within an hour are nearly seven times more likely to connect. Being the first vendor to respond can capture 35–50% of sales. Wait longer than 30 minutes, and your odds of reaching the lead drop 21-fold.
Second, streamline your sales process. A simple CRM or even a shared spreadsheet ensures no lead falls through the cracks. Create clear steps to contact, schedule, quote, close, and assign ownership. Consistency across your team builds trust with prospects.
For example, Big Storm worked with Mountain Heating & Cooling to implement a digital sales pipeline that logged, tracked, and followed inquiries from Ads to Phone Calls to Scheduled Visits. The system streamlined follow-through, boosted close rates, and gave leadership full visibility into the pipeline.
Finally, nurture leads who aren’t ready. Research shows 80% of sales require multiple touches, yet 44% of reps give up after one follow-up. Automated drip emails or scheduled check-ins keep your company top-of-mind until the customer is ready to commit. Adding limited-time promotions or seasonal offers can also provide the nudge needed to move forward.
Engage: Building Loyalty and Referrals
The sale isn’t the end; it’s the start of a long-term relationship. Engage focuses on retention, repeat business, and referrals.
For HVAC companies, maintenance agreements lock in repeat income while ensuring systems run smoothly. For construction firms, periodic follow-ups create goodwill and new opportunities.
Email newsletters with tips or project spotlights keep you visible in inboxes. Asking for reviews not only strengthens your reputation but also boosts local SEO. Referral programs turn happy customers into brand ambassadors. Even small gestures like a thank-you note or holiday card can create loyalty.
Remember, retaining a customer is far cheaper than finding a new one, and just a 5% increase in retention can boost profits up to 95%. Loyal customers become your most profitable marketing channel.
The Payoff: Why Strategy Wins
Shifting from random acts of marketing to a RACE-driven plan brings powerful benefits:
- Predictable lead flow replaces feast-or-famine cycles.
- Cost per acquisition drops by 20-30% as wasted spend disappears.
- Margins improve because you attract better-fit clients and retain them longer.
- Owners gain peace of mind knowing the pipeline isn’t left to chance.
- Teams align around shared goals, creating accountability and momentum.
One business owner compared it to trading “rain dances for a sprinkler system.” Instead of praying for leads, you generate them reliably.
Case Study: Great Northern Metal Company
Great Northern Metal Company (GNMC), a Montana-based metal siding supplier, faced the same challenges as Mark. Their marketing was scattered, their website outdated, and their visibility low. Contractors didn’t realize the full scope of their services, and GNMC felt stuck.
With Big Storm’s help, GNMC adopted the RACE framework. We rebuilt their website into a resource hub, optimized it for SEO, and launched targeted Google campaigns. Calls-to-action guided visitors to quote requests, which were logged and followed up on systematically. Email campaigns and case studies kept clients engaged after the first purchase.
The results were striking:
- Qualified leads doubled (+100%) through their website.
- Organic search traffic increased 800%, from invisible to authority status.
- Overall site traffic grew 400%.
- Rankings improved across critical industry keywords.
- Over five years, GNMC generated $5 million in additional revenue.
Owner Jesse Kjelsrud summed it up: “The phones are ringing more often…the growth we’re seeing doesn’t just happen.”
Stop Random Acts: Your First 30 Days
If you’re ready to break free from marketing chaos, start small. In the next 30 days:
- Audit your current marketing activities and tools; cut the waste.
- Define your target audience and unique selling proposition.
- Fix easy wins on your website, like clear services, CTAs, and mobile usability.
- Start tracking leads, even in a simple spreadsheet.
- Reconnect with past customers for reviews or referrals.
- Pick one channel (like Google Business Profile) and commit to improving it consistently.
- Align your team around response times and responsibilities.
- Sketch a 90-day plan with 1-2 goals for each RACE stage.
These simple steps shift you from random acts toward a strategic digital marketing plan.
Ready to RACE Ahead?
You’ve seen how the RACE framework transforms HVAC and construction firms from wasted spend and missed leads to predictable pipelines and loyal customers. Now it’s time to act.
Big Storm specializes in crafting tailored marketing strategies for service-based businesses. We help clients implement Google Ads management, boost local SEO, and use marketing automation to convert leads faster.
Contact Big Storm today to start building a marketing system you can count on. With the right strategy in place, leads become predictable, priorities stay clear, and your team works in sync.