Renewable energy is driven by innovation. It is this truth that has allowed for these companies to successfully challenge fossil fuel technologies. But that’s only the beginning, for renewable energy companies to truly compete on the world stage, they have to keep modernising. With more and more of the population on the internet, social media marketing has become a vital tool for all companies today and it shows no signs of slowing down soon.

Why Social Media Marketing?

Social media has changed the face of digital marketing. It’s transformed the dynamic of running campaigns, and like renewable energy, the potential continues to grow every day. In our modern world you would be hard pressed to find an industry that wouldn’t benefit from a social strategy. That being said, there are industries more suited to it than others, and renewable energy is one of them.

Renewable energy is a broad and encompassing term, covering a range of different companies. Yet the one thing they have in common is that they are in an industry with a powerful message designed to drive global change. It is this reality that gives companies leverage on social media. The reason being that the conversation about sustainable, renewable energy has never been as relevant or important as it is right now.

So as long as you have the right message on the right platform, targeting the right people at the right time, your marketing will get results. So how can your business use social media marketing to its advantage?

Education

Did you know that consumers complete 70-90% of the buyer’s journey before even contacting the business? Long before a purchase is made, consumers spend their time researching you, your competitors, the cost, the benefits and more. Which is why education is key. You want to control the message your potential customers see which is where social media comes in.

Give consumers the knowledge they want in a way that suits your business. Through bite sized shareable content like blogs, videos, infographics and even polls you can set your business up as the authority for all things renewable energy. By becoming the industry standard, you can help build trust and subsequent sales. The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) offers a brilliant example of this, see how they use social media for outreach, pushing out information and lobbying.

Targeting

Social media marketing is useful for both growth and global exposure. Regardless of the size of your business, targeting can help you engage prospects and existing customers. Smaller companies can make waves locally when they announce new projects by targeting specific geographic areas be it streets, cities, or countries. This helps create a buzz as well as establishing a loyal customer base.

The benefit of social media marketing on Facebook and Instagram is that it allows you to target at the micro level and macro level. Targeting individuals is great if you have a particular customer profile you want to pursue. Simply target their interests, age, gender or by creating a lookalike to your current customer list. Similarly, if you find that most of your conversions are done on mobile, Facebook now allows you to create ads and timeline content especially for mobile devices.

This approach is both effective and cost-efficient – 92% of small business managers confirm that it is a crucial aspect of their digital marketing strategy. To ensure success, first start by identifying where your target audience spends time. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc. you can exploit their mechanisms for chosen goal; engagement, leads or click through.

Communication

Regardless of what industry you’re in, you need to meet your audience where they are. Communicating with your fans/customers is of key importance and for good customer service social media is crucial. Use your chosen platform to quickly reply to comments, questions and feedback. It’s all about being proactive, and on sites like Linkedin you can even on occasion pat yourself on the back for successes.

Customers and fellow industry professionals love success stories, if a customer leaves you a great review why not shout about it?  Share news, newly released products and behind the scenes. Social media is also excellent for running campaigns for engagement, some tried and tested techniques are competitions, community outreach and creative content. This helps keep your audience engaged, entertained and in the sales funnel.

Sharing Your Brand Story

Social media is all about creating a story and pushing a message. For your business, that message should answer the question: why should I buy from you? As a renewable energy company your business is already in good moral standing, social media can simply help to push that message home. Use your chosen platform/s to convey your brand narrative, whether through posting about the wonderful way your business benefits the community or by sharing your unique brand story.

Renewable energy is ripe for emotive and inspiring content, when combined with the right branding this can go a long way towards sales and engagement.

If you want see how Social Media Marketing can help your business, get in touch today.