Marketing comes in all shapes and sizes.
For utility companies and those who sell energy-related products and services, the world of marketing (include mobile) and social media is becoming ever more important. Without proper brand promotion, companies stand to watch the competition race by them.
So, how can utility companies and other energy providers use marketing and social media together to push their brand and win the hearts and minds of consumers?
Energizing Brand Promotion
It all begins with knowing the consumer market you want to promote to.
If you fail to do some research on your demographics, do you really know who you are promoting to? Through research, you can zero-in on the average consumer in your area, their approximate income, how big of a family they might have, their potential utility needs and much more.
The same holds true when it comes to commercial energy plans.
As more and more businesses spring up, the opportunity to sell energy-related products and services to companies increases.
That said it is just as important for utility providers to do their homework and know the who/what/where of the business world they want to serve.
Once you have your demographics in place, here are several ways to put energy into your marketing efforts:
- Traditional marketing – Yes, traditional marketing still does work for many companies. Simply put, emails, letters, pamphlets etc. can be effective if done properly. Don’t make your marketing efforts be in vein; put relevancy in any promotions you do so that they do not end up in the round file;
- Blogging – This is a great marketing means by where you can post relevant energy news on your website. Some things to keep in mind; keep the posts relevant, short, interesting and informative. If you have lots of copy with little detail and/or no imagery, it tends to drive the reader away. Your blog also needs to be updated regularly; blogs which are infrequently updated tend to get less views, something that can also impact your site’s Google ranking;
- Social media – Never underestimate the value of social networking for marketing your company. More and more utility providers have turned to social media in order to not only present consumers with products and services, but also keep them abreast of assistance when storms impact your area. This was clearly evident just a few years ago when Superstorm Sandy hit the East Coast. Utility providers in other parts of the country have also relied on sites like Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and others to update residents and business owners when electric service is disrupted for a variety of reasons.
With a number of marketing tools at your disposal, you should be putting the maximum amount of energy into promoting your brand on a daily basis.