How Solar Energy Can be Optimized into a Lead Acquisition Strategy?

solar energy revenue

Solar panel companies can benefit significantly from digital marketing in generating leads and attracting new consumers. A steady flow of leads assures the Solar company's consistent new business and commercial growth. With the advancement of solar energy technology, its application in various products is becoming increasingly accessible and widespread. Not only has solar panels gained use-cases in providing electricity to households or factories, but also in a number of other ways. Hence, it's important to have a right lead-acquisition strategy to ensure you get consistent and quality leads for your business.

CodeDesign is a leading digital marketing agency ranked #1 in Lisbon, Portugal. You could work with us to accelerate your business growth.

Have a complete grasp on your target market 

Solar Energy target market

When we talk about the adoption of solar panels by a specific set of homeowners, This includes age, income level, geographic location, and type of residence (e.g., homeowners vs. renters). For solar energy, homeowners in regions with high sunlight exposure and higher energy costs are often ideal candidates. Also, shifting to renewable sources has its own ecological effects and a lot of consumers would make the change for nature’s sake.  Hence, it’s also important to understand the values, interests, and lifestyles of potential customers.  

Many solar energy adopters are environmentally conscious, value sustainability, and are open to adopting new technologies. Apart from the feel-good factor, many customers with high electricity bills or those living in areas with less reliable grid power might be more inclined to consider solar energy solutions. Hence, the first step that you should take is to build a customer persona that actively resonates with your offers.

There are two segmentations that you could go with when planning your marketing campaign:

Geographic Segmentation: Targeting areas with the most sunlight exposure and where electricity costs are high.

Behavioral Segmentation: Focusing on consumers who have shown an interest in renewable energy, sustainability, or cost-saving technologies.

Now, the way you reach out to these customers and the copy that you’ll feed them would differ from your segment to segment. For example, when you are addressing the environmentally concerned segment, you might want to craft messages that resonate with the eco-conscious consumer, emphasizing the environmental benefits of solar energy.

On the other hand, when talking with customers who are more inclined towards the economic benefits of installing solar panels, you might want to showcase the long-term savings and potential return on investment.

Not only that, but many potential customers of yours might not be very well aware about the process of solar installation and if their space is enough for the work to be done. In such cases, providing information about the technology, installation process, maintenance, and benefits to demystify solar energy and build trust might turn out to be instrumental.

But, you could also leverage data and analytics:

Customer Data Analysis: Using data to understand energy usage patterns, preferences, and previous interactions with green technologies.

Predictive Modeling: Identifying potential customers who are most likely to convert based on their profiles and behaviors.

Select the right marketing channels to ensure that your promotions reach the right audience who are ready to purchase

Local SEO would help you to capitalize on the local market

STEP 1: Claim your Google My Business Listing

Google My Business is a free tool that improves your business’s visibility in local search results. It allows you to build your local business profile with a URL, description, photos, videos, contact details, operating hours, delivery areas, and reservation service links. You also get the option to add a cover image along with Google Maps and Street View to give your potential customers a better sense of your business before they visit.

Here's how to set up your Google My Business:

- Visit google.com/business.

- Select "Manage now."

- Type in the name of your business and click "Next."

- Input your physical address.

- Select a primary business category that best describes your services.

- Include your telephone number.

- Add the URL of your website.

Google generally decides how your business will be verified. Typically, they mail a postcard to your business address, which should arrive within about a week. Once you receive it, return to your GMB dashboard and input the code to finalize verification. In certain cases, phone verification is an option. If you're eligible, you'll see a "Verify by phone" choice in your profile. Click "Verify now" to receive a verification code through an automated call, then enter this code to complete the verification process.

STEP 2: Focus on local keywords related to your solar panel business

It's no brainer that conducting keyword research is one of the most crucial steps in SEO strategy development. The more accurate you are with the keywords that you want to rank for, the better are your chances of improving your results. See, you would want to rank for keywords that actually bring the right audience to your website or landing page ultimately leading to lead generation or sales. The ideal keywords are those with significant search volume from your target demographic and which your website realistically has a chance to rank for. 

When selecting keywords, it's important to balance relevance to your audience's search behavior with the practicality of ranking for these terms.

There is a basic concept of ranking for keywords that ultimately has the potential of bringing  a return to the investment. On the other hand, let’s say you are only going for the short-tail keywords like "solar panel" simply because it's related to your industry can be a strategic misstep. This is because these keywords don’t bring targeted audience. Secondly, you’ll end up competing with websites that have way higher topical authority than yours. Such general keywords don't clearly indicate the searcher's intent. 

Therefore, investing effort in this direction might not be fruitful. Instead, I suggest focusing on medium-tail keywords, which are more specific and draw in a more targeted audience to your site. For instance, using "affordable solar panel systems" as a keyword can be more effective, as it offers clearer insight into search intent and attracts a more relevant audience.

STEP 3: Strategic local citations are the way to win in the long term

Citations play a crucial role in local SEO. Listing your business on reputable online directories tells Google that your business is genuine, improving its credibility and visibility in search results. The number of citations, their accuracy, and the quality of the directories used all contribute to how Google views your online presence, so choosing sources carefully is crucial. 

Citation management requires a deliberate approach. Certain elements must be considered to maximize your online visibility, including NAP consistency. NAP consistency means maintaining a consistent name, address, and phone number across all citations.

Paid Advertising could help you capitalize on the final stage buyers

Solar Energy target market

How do you win the search engine paid marketing game?

Identify Your Keywords and Bids

To enter into an ad auction, you first need to choose which keywords you want to bid on and decide how much you're willing to spend per click on each of those keywords. If you see, there is a subtle difference between advertising on Google and any social media platform. On Google, when somebody types in certain search terms, they get to see the results, as opposed to the news feeds on the social media platforms. 

So, when you start your campaign you need data about the keywords, meaning which ones have the intent that matches your end goal and do they even have the right traffic. So, the first step is conducting a thorough keyword research and then putting them in the campaign. This way, you let Google know which keywords you want to target and how much you're willing to pay for them.

Entering the Ad Auction

Once Google determines that a user's search query contains the keywords you bid on, you'll be entered into the ad auction. However, not every search query will trigger an ad, and not every ad will appear on every search query. What do I mean by this? See, a lot of search terms may end up having the search terms that you want to rank for, but there is a great possibility that these keywords don’t have the right intent or Google’s algorithm feel they won’t bring you conversions.

Search engine marketing is a major part of Google’s business, and if advertisers get more results, they’ll put in more money. So, things are optimized in your favour and platforms like Google want you to succeed as it ultimately means their success.

Winning the Ad Auction

The ad auction considers two factors when determining which ads to display on the search engine results page (SERP): your maximum bid and your ad's Quality Score. Your Quality Score is an estimate of the quality of your ad, keyword, and landing page. A higher score means that your ad is relevant and likely to provide a good experience for the user. Google rewards ads with higher Quality Scores by giving them better ad positions even with lower costs less per click.

It's essential to keep in mind that simply bidding the highest amount doesn't guarantee that your ad will be displayed. A combination of factors, such as the relevance of your ad and its quality, play a crucial role in determining the ad's placement on the SERP. You can check your Quality Score, which is reported on a 1-10 scale, in your Google Ads account's keywords' "Status" column.

Retargeting is again a solid strategy to re-initiate the conversation with your interested prospects

For a solar panel company like yourselves, utilizing retargeting ads is a strategic way to personalize your advertising and boost sales. A significant number of consumers, as highlighted by Accenture Interactive, show a preference for brands that remember their interests and provide relevant offers. By embedding a simple code on your website, you can gather insights into your visitors' browsing habits. This information is invaluable for segmenting your customer base and tailoring advertising messages that resonate with different groups.

With these insights, you can craft targeted display ads that cater to the specific interests of various customer segments. This approach keeps your brand actively in the minds of potential customers who have already expressed interest in solar solutions. Implementing a dynamic remarketing campaign like this is straightforward and can significantly amplify your marketing impact. Therefore, it's essential to harness the power of retargeting ads to maintain visibility and relevance among your potential customer base.

Regarding display advertising, such as banner ads, this provides an excellent opportunity for solar panel companies to reach their intended audience effectively.

Take, for instance, advertising on a home improvement website. As a solar panel provider, you can showcase your services in an environment frequented by homeowners interested in renewable energy. Placing banner ads on relevant pages not only promotes your products but also guides an audience already inclined towards renewable energy solutions directly to your website. This strategy is effective for increasing brand visibility and driving more traffic to your site.

Generate more qualified leads with these amazing techniques

Offer Free Educational Resources: When you provide detailed information to your customers about the exact tangible benefits that they’ll be having with installing solar panels, you’ll ultimately develop more trust. Thus, you could start with developing comprehensive guides, eBooks, or articles that explain the benefits and workings of solar energy. This can include topics like cost savings over time, environmental impact, and the technology behind solar panels.

Conduct Webinars and Online Workshops: We encourage our clients to become active on platforms where their customers generally hang about. Let’s say you are targeting businesses to help them install solar panels in their office, then LinkedIn is undoubtedly one of the most preferred channels. At the same time, you could analyze what platforms suit your needs. Host informative webinars on topics like 'Transitioning to Solar Energy,' 'Understanding Solar Panel Installation,' or 'Solar Energy and Sustainability.' These sessions can be a platform for experts to share knowledge and for consumers to engage directly with your brand.

Ensure that your prospects understand your value proposition

Case Studies and Success Stories: Customers tend to believe the testimonial and case studies about other fellow buyers. Hence you could think of ideas like sharing real-life examples of how solar energy has positively impacted other customers. This could include testimonials, case studies, and before-and-after scenarios of solar panel installations.

Interactive Tools: Now, it’s very easy to create online tools like solar savings calculators, which help potential customers estimate their savings from switching to solar energy. These tools can be an excellent way for customers to engage with your brand and understand the financial benefits.

FAQS - Frequently Asked Questions 

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