Often in the solar industry, the debate about advertising or not strikes a nerve. Many clients and people I know resist any sort of advertising as they believe it’s a waste of money and their time.
They have good reason to think this. And here is why it’s been not effective.
First, they have done a trade show booth or are counting on their sales people to be their main source of company awareness of who they are and what they offer.
Second, they have tried to do some social media ads or done some radio ads. Maybe they have even tried to put something in the local newspaper to garnish attention.
All with little results.
Why?
In doing the post mortem on their activities, one thing always jumps out: they are tactics. Short term ways to get the phone to ring. Sometimes this can bring in quick cash. A spike in activity alleviates the pain.
But it is not a long-term solution.
It is why frequency matters. This is also called a campaign. Politicians use them. Macy’s department store uses them. Retailers tie in significant dates on the calendar to their offers. You have seen them before. Presidents day sale. Fourth of July. Thanksgiving. The dreaded Black Friday sale.
Why don’t solar companies do this? Well, some do. Usually the big companies. It is part of why they became big companies. They understand the marketplace and the buying habits of humans.
You want to be a household name, before someone needs your services. You want to be in their minds and in the mind of the community, way before they are ready to buy solar.
It is like planting seeds. It does take time. They are slow to grow. You don’t know which seeds will sprout. But if you continually plant seeds, you will have a higher chance of success and not count on the one or two crops to provide you with the bounty you’re seeking.
What does it take to create a campaign?
A few detailed things you’ll need to do.
- How can you emotionally connect to your prospective audience?
- How to tell stories that are relatable which will be memorable?
- How to get those stories in the minds and hearts to make you the only company they want to contact when they are ready for your services?
To do this, you need to shift away from selling solar panels and products. That is not what people are buying. What people are buying from you is something much different. Sure, we can say that most people are buying solar (or leasing) because of tax advantages or reducing their monthly expenses.
But what are the emotional triggers that saving money gives them? More time with their family because they don’t have to work as much? Retirement dreams? Send the kids to a good school? A long-deserved vacation? Saving the planet?
These are all feelings based. Sure, we all justify with logic a purchasing decision, but we all lead with feelings. Persuasion starts with feelings.
Ask anyone who has bought an engagement ring. Watch the Bachelor to see how powerful people tune in each week to know what will happen next.
And for men, we like drama too! Football or sports come to mind? I know a lot of men sitting on their couches all Sunday in the winter watching the NFL. We talk about statistics, rival teams, matchups, fans, weather etc.
You get the idea.
Your goal is to create campaigns that stop someone from what they are doing, and lean in and want to know more about you and your services. Just like eavesdropping on a conversation in the local coffee shop of the people sitting next to you.
Spend the money on the campaign to pay dividends throughout the year. This will impact your bottom line and top line. You will create a following. You will become a household name in your market.
If you want to learn how to do this effectively, come take our new course in 2019- Marketing Mastery Masterclass. We show you how to do this. You’ll learn to write powerful marketing campaigns. Improve your website messaging. Write emails that grab the attention of your prospective audience. And make more money.
Think strategically in 2019.
