Most installers and indeed small businesses are busy with their day-to-day activities and will find it hard to promote themselves says Gerard McAllister from Assertive Marketing.
So, I just wanted to touch on how you can promote your business in a more efficient manner and one of the easiest ways to promote yourself is on social media
Although this may seem like a normal process of getting noticed it is actually part of a growing trend in the marketing industry and this trend is called content marketing.
Content marketing
Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately to drive profitable customer action. It is different to the advertising model where a business will pay for specifically written ads, content marketing is about building an online interest from a potential customer.
However, a lot of solar businesses are simply just putting their installs online hoping for someone to notice. This is ok, because at least it is doing something, but there is an easier way. Here are some steps you can take to market your solar installer business.
Have a plan
One of the most important elements of social media or content marketing is consistency. By having a plan to follow you can keep the consistency that is so important.
In this plan answer the following:
What do you want to achieve?
Is it about more sales or better brand recognition? By answering this question, you can work out what content you will need to produce.
Who do you want to target?
Commercial business or the consumer market? Is it on-grid, off-grid, hybrid or all?
What are your strengths?
What are you good at? What makes you more profitable? There is no point getting a project where you will not make any money. If you are building a business, it’s better to get the jobs that work for you, so find out what they are.
What problem are you solving?
Now that you have worked out what is best for your business your target audience will become clearer. This audience must have a problem to solve. Start with a problem your customers or potential customers may face. Then solve that problem. If you are helping them out and if you are true to what you say they will start to trust you.
The type of posts
As mentioned earlier, you are now no longer posting about your installs and how great you are. You are posting about a problem you have solved. Sure, you can use the pictures and videos, but the message has changed. Something like Customer ‘A’ wanted to save on their commercial electricity costs, so you solved the problem with a 20kW solar system with battery storage. They now have reduced costs.
Lead them to your website
Your website is the only digital asset that you own. Social media platforms are not yours and are therefore shared by everyone even your competitors. Your post should lead the audience to find out more on your website. The story that you have written must be posted on your website. What is put on social media is a snippet, a picture or a link that goes back your website. From here you can own the customer and give them an experience that is truly yours.
Being found on Google searches
This strategy even works with website optimisation (or being found on Google). People will search for that problem, if you answer it then Google will give you with a higher ranking. They will find your story (that is posted on your website) and click on it to find out more.