Solar Marketing Ideas To Generate Leads

How To Find Solar Customers?

If you're like most solar professionals, lead generation isn't your favorite aspect of the job. But you also understand that without leads, the remainder of the task is impossible. Sales, installations, and delighted clients can only occur if you create enough leads to clinch transactions.

The point is, lead generation doesn't have to be that awful. It doesn't have to include cold-phoning or slamming doors in your face. After all, it's 2022, and there's a better way. Actually, there are other better options.

Not only are they more enjoyable to execute, but they also provide greater results, creating prospects who are truly interested in solar energy and eager to take the next step. In other words, leads that actually become customers.

How To Generate Solar Leads?

Previously, solar companies could generate leads primarily through telemarketing and door-knocking. These tactics are proving too time-consuming in most cases currently, however, leaving them with less of an influence than they did previously.

Top solar installers are increasingly equipping themselves with technology and other tools that allow them to create commercial solar leads in a fraction of the time it used to take.

As competition among solar providers grows, the ability to produce high-quality solar leads is more important than ever. Although this may be one of your least favorite business responsibilities, it is also one of the most important for a successful solar installation company. It is difficult to close sales and expand a business if you are not competent at generating fresh leads. Marketing endeavors, on the other hand, may be quite expensive, depleting firm resources.

Let’s take a look at the top 10 tactics of solar lead generation for sustainable sales:

Inbound Ads:

Our initial strategy is inbound advertising. Inbound marketing entails bringing leads to your firm via the use of relevant content targeted to your target audience.

Inbound marketing tactics make it easy to establish yourself as a trusted source in your field. In the long run, they also make sales more predictable. As a result, inbound advertisements may be an effective strategy for attracting leads at the top of your funnel. They perform especially effectively for leads who are interested in solar energy but don't know much about it, such as:

• How does solar work?
• How long can I use a solar panel and who maintains it?
• How much does it cost? How much can I save?
• How can I sell the solar energy that I don’t use?
  

Create great content and landing pages around these typical "pain points" for the best outcomes. You may then direct potential customers to them through sponsored advertisements on Google or other media. Given how tough it is to rank organically for competitive keywords, this is an exceptionally beneficial method. Begin with the essentials, such as a clear call to action and frequent testing, as with any advertising campaign.

Property Intelligence Research:

This is a method of proactively finding houses that are a good fit for solar using freely available tools. For example, you may gather a focused list of possible consumers by discovering residences on Google Maps with appropriate locations relative to the sun. Because you're locating residences that are a natural fit for your offer, this is an excellent lead generating approach for solar. And here's a pro tip: concentrate on places where you may see houses with solar panels already installed. According to a research published in The Journal of Economic Geography, people are more willing to invest in solar if their neighbors had done so before.

There are several approaches to property intelligence study that may be taken with a little creative thought. Here's a simple example:

• Choose a street in your neighborhood and look for residences facing south on Google Maps.
• Find the addresses of the homes using Street View.
• To obtain contact information, enter that information into a reverse lookup engine such as Peoplesmart.com or Whitepages.com.
• Contact them with a customer quotation.
  

There are two primary drawbacks to using solar lead. One, no matter how excellent a match you discover, you're still reaching out to someone who has likely never heard of your company. And chilly outreach yields varied outcomes. Two, this strategy requires a significant amount of time. You're probably looking at hours of work before even contacting a few of excellent fits. Even so, there is no assurance of success. Still, you never know what will happen.

Cost Savings Calculator:

The most appealing aspect of solar energy is the potential cost reduction. People, on the other hand, are likely to desire a tailored estimate of how much they can save before making a purchasing decision. This alleviates their concern about spending and puts the advantage of lower costs in front of them.

That is why a cost savings calculator is such an effective lead generation tool. Showing someone how much money they can save with solar makes the purchase more appealing. This is a critical phase in the lead generating process since it might shift someone from "not interested" to "maybe it makes sense."

You may use your cost-cutting calculator to decide what you provide your new lead along with this information. This is your initial point of contact with a possible new customer; now is the opportunity to add value. Consider Understanding Solar. Along with my savings estimate, they began providing me material to help me learn more about the issue. They would be the first solar company I would consider if I were in the market.

Combine your cost calculator with a WhatsApp chatbot to make it even more useful. This is a bot that can amuse your prospects while guiding them through the cost calculation inquiries. Because you are immediately connected with your leads via their phone, you can then provide additional support with any queries they may have.

Informative Blog Posts:

Everyone understands the importance of strong content in modern marketing. It's a technique to establish authority in your sector, acquire your audience's trust, and create the narrative so that introducing your product feels more natural. Content marketing also allows you to organically steer the reader along the funnel. By providing lead magnets for your audience to sign up for, you make it easy to get them closer to making a purchase.

What type of content marketing is particularly significant in the solar industry? Solar is a technology that many people do not completely comprehend, which leads to several misunderstandings. This offers the ideal environment for educational information. Topics might include general information on solar energy, the numerous benefits that adopters can expect, or a comparison of solar to alternative energy sources.

Product Explainer Videos:

Videos are more effective than text-only content for explaining complex concepts. They allow you to swiftly educate your audience and answer any concerns or objections they may have. That is why films are an effective lead generation strategy for consumers farther down the funnel: they are likely already convinced of the benefits of panels and are looking for solutions to more specific queries.

While any topic related to solar is fair game, consider product explanation videos. As previously said, solar technology is frequently difficult to comprehend. Your films help to clear up the misunderstanding. You can use an online video editor and advanced AI tools like a voice generator to create accessible content, making it easier for your viewers to grasp and retain information.

While you can host films on your website, there's nothing stopping you from creating a YouTube channel. Another advantage of YouTube content? It's congruent with what your leads usually identify solar firms with technological savvy.

Website Chat:

The solar business is distinct in that it is a technology that most people do not completely comprehend and has yet to achieve mainstream acceptance. As a result, people naturally have uncertainties and inquiries.

This is when website chat comes into play. This is a fantastic application that allows you to respond to people's queries in real-time. You may share vital information regarding solar rates and installation while also creating trust with your prospect. Website chat also makes it simple to provide specialized lead magnets to your site visitors via sign up forms. This information not only benefits your prospects, but it also allows you to promote your solar services and goods to them in the future.

Webinar:

Hosting a webinar displays that you have extensive understanding of the subject matter. This automatically lends credibility to your company or group. A webinar is also very personal, allowing you to put a face to your organization and gain the trust of your audience. Webinars, like online courses, allow you to actively mold your audience's view on solar energy while also offering your own services. What are some frequent solar difficulties, and how does your organization solve them?

The difference, of course, is that webinars take place in real time. Your influence grows naturally when you connect with your audience and directly answer their queries. It is considerably easier to move leads directly to the next level of the funnel.

Webinars are extremely effective when co-hosted by two people. In contrast to the more static aspect of a self-hosted webinar, the flow is dynamic, and rapport becomes a natural component of the event. Insights emerge that would not be feasible in a solo webinar, increasing the value to your audience. A partner also provides you access to a new audience and expands your lead generating opportunities.

Customer Reviews and Testimonials:

Before making a purchase, 54% of consumers read at least four product reviews. Most of your leads are likely to read even more because installing solar panels is a huge choice for them.

This is why reviews and testimonials are critical to your lead generating efforts. They demonstrate to potential consumers what they can anticipate from doing business with you while also providing you with much-needed social proof. Reading reviews is also frequently the last step before making a purchase. As a result, they are critical in converting a lead into a buyer.

But how can you earn these endorsements? One of the most effective methods for obtaining testimonials is through innovative and compassionate follow-up.

Local SEO:

Local SEO is the practice of encouraging your business to appear in local searches ("shoe store near me"). This is critical for solar lead generation since many of your potential consumers will search for "solar installers near me" before contacting any firm they discover.

While there are several strategies that may help you succeed with local SEO, one of the most significant is just adding your organization on Google My Business. It's surprising, therefore, that more than half of firms haven't done this. This not only drives fewer customers to their business, but it also overlooks leads with the highest buy intent.

Video Consultation:

Solar panel installation, like everything that deviates from the norm, is likely to elicit criticism from your target audience. They may form an opinion regarding the feasibility of solar panels before speaking with you. As a result, they are less inclined to schedule an in-person appointment.

Thankfully, video is a low commitment way for you to chat. This satisfies your lead's desire for individualized solar information from a real person. It also allows individuals to get solutions to their questions without ever leaving their house. During a video consultation, be prepared to answer any questions your lead may have regarding price, installation, and overall advantages. You should also display the items. This reassures your boss and identifies you as a reliable partner.

And what about the golden rule? If you're providing a video consultation, make it simple for them to proceed to an in-person meeting. This is the most probable place to make a sale.

Solar Advertising Ideas:

Organic Social Media:

Social networking is an excellent source of new leads. The trick, though, is to engage and participate in useful dialogues rather than uploading vast volumes of data.

Begin by determining which platforms your target audience prefers. However, prioritize quality above quantity: Because social media can tell the difference between lousy content mills and excellent material, actively engaging people with quality postings will go much further than churning out mindless content.

Some social media networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, include customer service capabilities to assist you in serving and managing your consumers. Potential consumers can directly enquire about your services via messages or comments on your page, allowing you to respond quickly.

Paid Social Ads:

Social networking is a valuable marketing platform, but getting organic leads without doing a lot of labor may be challenging. If you want to spend money rather than time, sponsored social advertising might be a smart option, but make sure your advertisements are tailored to stand out from the crowd.

People are exposed to so many advertisements these days that we've acquired "ad blindness," which means that our brains don't even notice commercials unless they're intriguing or unusual.

Paid advertising appears in social media channel sidebars and news feeds, putting your business in front of others vying for prime social real estate. Most social media networks provide advertising options ranging from $1 to $10 per day.

Paid Search Ads:

You pay to appear in front of clients who are looking for businesses like yours when you use sponsored search advertisements.

Google is the most popular search engine on the internet. People that search for "solar installers near me" are actively looking for your services. Because these are "high intent" prospects, they are likely to convert at a significantly greater rate, making them worthwhile to invest in. Google understands this and provides a spectrum of tools and services to assist you in getting there. Google Ads offers targeted advertising solutions for sales, leads, website traffic, product and brand consideration, brand recognition and impact, and app promotion. You may choose from a variety of campaign styles to highlight your product or service.

SEO & Content Marketing:

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of improving material to appear higher in search results. When a potential client searches "solar installer in Delaware" or "best residential solar installers," for example, excellent SEO strategies can help your firm appear towards the top of the search results.

Content marketing is a strategy that works in tandem with SEO. Content marketing, like SEO, is popular, but it may be difficult to attract visitors without a significant investment.

Developing and implementing an SEO strategy and content marketing plan, on the other hand, is far from a "beginning" marketing strategy. Both need extensive knowledge, a significant amount of time and devotion, and, you guessed it, money. It's preferable to avoid either unless you're ready to hire someone devoted to the work or have the resources to invest into the endeavor.

Solar Energy Marketing Plan:

Attracting quality leads with effective internet content, like most things, will get simpler with time. Begin with a user-friendly website and gradually add relevant content, blog entries, and social media campaigns. Remember that the goal is to build your organization as a reliable name in your community.

Once you have a regular flow of leads, the next stage is to ensure that you can complete those jobs swiftly. With our marketplace of designers and engineers and the All-in-One solar design software,

ARKA 360 can assist you in managing the permitting and engineering processes. Sign up for free and schedule a demo to help you turn projects around quicker and with less effort.