The world thrives on energy. It might have started with fossil fuels, but today’s nuclear, hydropower, and renewable energy promises cleaner, more abundant options for an ever-changing future. As an energy company, you know this. But do your customers? Digital marketing plays a more significant role by helping customers understand the impact of their decisions. Are you using digital marketing to reach your audience?
Here’s something to think about: 90 percent of buyers say the experience a company provides during the sales process matters as much as the products or services they buy. When you need groceries, it’s easy to go down to your local market and comparison shop. For energy, your customers have much bigger questions and might not have the experience to understand the impact of their decisions. Sales education is everything.
That’s where digital marketing for energy companies comes in. According to a recent study, 74 percent of consumers use a search engine for consideration and purchasing. People search to discover what they don’t know. They want education before they move forward with decisions. If you aren’t educating your prospects, your competition is.
Why Digital Marketing for Energy Companies
Digital marketing is one of those terms that’s widely used yet might be a little confusing. Yes, digital marketing involves building websites, using social media accounts, and getting your name out to prospects. You can do that with ads, content, and word of mouth.
Your digital marketing is a collection of strategies used to get your brand in front of your potential buyers. That means figuring out where your prospects are and creating the correct content that will influence their desire to take the next step.
This is where the confusion comes into play: With so many opportunities, where do you start?
Digital marketing for energy companies starts with the question: Who is your audience? It lets you target individuals and businesses most likely to benefit from what you offer.
With this information, you can craft a message that appeals to your buyers. It lets you refine that message, giving people what they want and need to make educated decisions. From there, you can create a marketing funnel that starts with awareness and gives people the information they need at the right time to move forward.
Is it difficult? It can be. Is it easier with help? It depends on how fast you want to grow. Yes, all this data can be piecemealed together through online sources. But if you’re ready to grow fast, working with digital marketing companies may be the answer. You get higher levels of expertise and efficiency to help you grow your influence and revenue faster.
4 Effective Digital Marketing Strategies
It’s easy to find big promises online. A quick search will tell you to:
- Try Facebook ads.
- Use Google Search.
- Build a YouTube channel.
- Fill your site with content.
None of this advice is wrong; there are many strategies to help you get in front of your customers. However, these in particular work well within your industry:
1. Search Engine Optimization
Because most people start any buying process through online resources these days, your company needs visibility where they’re looking. For most, that’s with search engines. Search engine optimization (SEO) increases the quantity and quality of traffic a website or landing page gets from search engines. It’s the process of finding which keywords stand out within your industry and improving your chances of being where people are searching.
2. Pay-Per-Click
Pay-per-click (PPC) is all about pay-to-play. You can be on search engines, social media, and other relevant websites by placing ads. With PPC, you bid on keywords and only pay when a user clicks on your ads. This process takes milliseconds for Google and other search companies to direct your ad to an end user’s search display. It’s an effective way of testing ads and getting in front of your audience fast.
3. Content Marketing
Online thrives on content. You utilize it everywhere, from your website to social media, copy, and video. It’s the best way to inform readers about topics related to your business and industry. It establishes you as an authority and helps increase traffic to your website to generate conversions. When crafting content, remember it’s about education, not sales. You want your readers to look to you as the authority within the industry.
4. Social Media Marketing
With billions of active social media users, there are opportunities everywhere. Social media is an excellent tool for building brand awareness and growing your authority within your industry. Creating a posting schedule helps you stay consistent with reaching out and communicating with those interested in what you do. Ads help you target your advertising to specific geographical regions and users who meet your target audience qualifications.
Embrace Digital Marketing for Better Connections
Education can be more persuasive than advertising. Your customers truly want to understand what you do and how you can help them. Digital marketing leads the way by creating strategies to help your customers become more aware, better educated, and more willing to take the next step in buying what you’re offering.
A better-educated customer means a shorter curve in the conversion process, creating a customer who “gets” what you do without a lengthy one-on-one sales process. They come to the table ready to get into the details and do business with you.
Of course, to get there, you need a strategy in place. One that clearly defines every step of the sales process, from original searches to the content needed to close the sale. All of that can be used to develop strong sales and marketing tools that help drive customer engagement to new levels. Personalization is key here, but it’s easy once you start crafting your strategy.
Energy is a growing industry. With it comes heightened competition. How effective is your sales process? Are customers motivated and ready for buying as they move through your digital marketing strategy?
If not, let’s talk.
