Renewable energy, especially solar power, is experiencing rapid growth in various sectors of the economy. Solar demand is at an all-time high as more industry leaders, businesses, and homeowners want to reap the benefits of solar. From energy bill savings to reducing a home’s carbon footprint, solar is the renewable energy source of the future.
However, solar marketing power is tricky. Competition is fierce, so solar companies need new, effective marketing strategies to stay ahead of the curve. All companies, regardless of industry, know that marketing is the core component of a successful brand.
Below is a helpful guide containing useful solar marketing strategies to help solar brands sell their products and generate revenue in a competitive sector.
Getting Started With Solar Marketing
For solar companies looking to market their products, it’s critical that they first understand the value of their products and what audience they’re trying to reach.
Identifying customer needs and how they can benefit from solar products is essential. By outlining the potential benefits of solar installations, customers will feel more confident in their purchase decision.
Here are some of the marketing challenges in the solar industry:
- Cost: Installing solar has high upfront costs and long payback periods, turning customers away from purchasing solar.
- Inertia: Customers may have a lengthy, time-consuming decision-making process when purchasing solar and assessing whether they can afford it.
- Reliability: Some customers may feel concerned about solar reliability and whether it will meet their unique energy needs.
- Complexity: The general public finds solar power complex by nature and may not be well-informed about its benefits.
To overcome these marketing challenges, companies must be transparent and helpful and leverage educational resources to provide their potential clients with more information about solar.
Four Key Digital Marketing Components for Solar Companies
There’s no denying that more consumers are using digital tools like tablets, laptops, and smartphones to research solar companies in their area.
Potential customers may type in a simple Google search of “solar companies in my area.” Companies looking to rank highly on a search engine results page (SERP) should incorporate the following key components.
Solar Website Best Practices
Without a solid website, it would be challenging to try and create an effective solar marketing strategy. Having a good, clean website design is a critical starting point.
Here are some other website best practices to follow:
- The site must work on mobile devices.
- Use bold colors aligned with the company’s design and logo.
- Ensure the website and associated web pages load quickly to avoid site abandonment.
- Include company contact information such as an address, telephone number, email address, and About Us or FAQ pages.
- Prioritize easy and seamless site navigation.
- Ensure all information regarding solar products and services is accurate and concise.
Modern companies must understand the importance of their website. A website is essentially a company’s online headquarters where they can make a lasting impression on potential clients.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Any digital marketer would tell a solar company to make search engine optimization (SEO) a top marketing priority. SEO involves improving a website’s visibility when people search for related keywords on a search engine. Therefore, SEO can help companies rank higher on a SERP and generate more traffic to their websites.
SEO best practices may not be top of mind for companies that do not have a dedicated marketing department. However, using basic SEO strategies and following the latest SEO trends can help solar businesses bring their marketing to the next level.
Content Marketing
Useful and engaging text and video content are essential for a solar marketing strategy. Most marketers will leverage content marketing strategies to gain website traffic, generate leads, and keep customers interested in their products and services. It’s understood that high-value content can help build a company’s credibility and trustworthiness.
Content marketing aims to create a stellar user experience (UX) for website visitors. Customers engaged with content are more likely to become paying customers. Be sure to follow the best content marketing practices to ensure any content produced is authoritative, trustworthy, and based on expertise.
Social Media Marketing
Anyone with a smartphone likely uses one or more social media platforms. Businesses can engage with customers through social media, share information about products and services, and respond to customer inquiries, feedback, or issues.
Solar companies can promote their business on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and other social media platforms. A social media marketing (SMM) strategy allows solar companies to connect with existing and potential customers easily. Customers can even share testimonials regarding a company and whether or not other potential customers should consider purchasing solar products or services.
Solar marketing can be complex and may require companies to use trial and error. Because solar is a growing sector, effective marketing strategies can help businesses outperform their competitors.
Create a Competitive Solar Marketing Strategy
Understanding customer needs, educating them on solar’s benefits, and using key digital marketing tools will help solar companies develop an effective and competitive marketing strategy. Both residential and commercial clients install solar panels to save money over the long term. That trend will likely continue. Consider following some of the suggestions above to get started with solar marketing.
