Wow. That’s really all we can really say about 2020. If last year had your head spinning and you’re looking for ideas on how to move forward during a global pandemic, you’re in the right place.

I have good news (exactly what you need, right?), all of your future customers are in the same place; in front of their screens. All you have to do is get in front them. Here are 5 ways that your solar company to utilize the digital tools available to get more interaction, leads, and customers.

1. Social Media 

This again? I know social media can be a bit daunting for businesses. You spend a lot of time creating content only to see very few interactions. However, there are some new features on all of the major social sites that you should take advantage of. These are Stories (Facebook & Instagram, and Fleets (Twitter). 

Stories and Fleets are essentially the same thing, just different platforms. The beauty of these features however is that they get prime real estate at the very top of a users app. This is free, easily accessible and every follower you have will see it, unpaid. 

2. Google My Business

Google has spent a lot of time, money, and effort beefing up their Google My Business (GMB) presence. It’s likely that you already have a GMB page, but aside from posting your address, website, and hours, you probably haven’t spent much time optimizing your page for results. This is the year to change that. If you’re looking to have a better search engine presence, especially locally, your GMB page needs to be in pristine condition. 

You can do this by making sure all of your business information is correct. Secondly, post pictures of your office, your staff, and projects you’ve completed. If you run special offers, make sure those are posted on your GMB page as well. Lastly, pay attention to your reviews! Reviews on Google are becoming increasingly important and you have to be diligent about getting great reviews, responding to them and addressing any bad reviews that might be present.

3. Inbound Marketing

This might be the less known option of the 3 I’m writing about today, but it’s equally as important. Inbound Marketing is a method of attracting people to your website by answering the questions they have about your service online. 

For instance, if I’m thinking about solar panels for my home, one of my first questions might be “Can solar panels save me money?”. As a business owner who is using the inbound marketing methodology, you would have anticipated this question and answered it in a blog, video, or social media post.

Review The Case Study: Inbound Marketing & Solar Industry

I search for my question in Google and I find your blog article on the cost savings associated with installing solar panels on my home. I click on it to get an answer to my question and probably some other information as well while I’m on your site. 

Inbound marketing is a great way to get new leads to your website without paying for traditional ad space. 

Implementing an inbound marketing strategy along with your social media and Google My Business page are 3 legitimate ways for you to crush your marketing goals in 2021. 

By now, you’ve probably heard about Inbound Marketing and how it has helped companies get more leads and customers; but you might be wondering if inbound marketing can work for solar companies like yours. The answer is simple: Absolutely!

What is Inbound Marketing?

Inbound marketing is a technique that has been around for over 10 years now. It was created due to the realization that the internet changed marketing (and sales!) forever. No longer was the buyer behind the eight ball when it came to choosing products and services. They are now in the driver’s seat.

So with that in mind, Inbound Marketing is defined as a technique for attracting customers to products and services through content marketing, social media marketing, and search engine optimization. Inbound marketing is creating the right content to be found by the customer at the right time.

Review The Case Study: Inbound Marketing & Solar Industry

How Can Inbound Marketing Help My Solar Company?

The inbound marketing methodology works extremely well for industries that have long journeys for their buyers. A buyers journey is the process a buyer goes through starting at the awareness stage and ending at the decision stage. Purchasing solar panels for your home is a big investment and most people want to do as much research as possible before making a decision. An effective lead generation strategy for solar companies would be to have content on their website to help answer the questions these potential buyers have.

The process might look like this:

1. A potential prospect (let’s call him George) is curious if adding solar panels to his home can save him any money, so he Googles, “Can solar panels save money on my energy bill?”
2. With an inbound marketing strategy in place, you’ve already created content that answers that question. So when George gets his search results, he clicks on a blog article you created.
3. The blog article you wrote answered George’s question and also provided him with another piece of valuable content that moved George further down the sales funnel.
4. Now that George is in the funnel, other content you’ve created will be slowly given to him to help him make a decision about getting solar panels for his home.

Do you have proof that Inbound Marketing Works For Solar Companies?

Yes. In fact, this case study shows how one solar company grew new leads by 49% in just 6 months. By implementing an inbound marketing strategy you can set yourself up for future success as more and more people look for alternative ways to consume energy.