Residential and community solar is becoming increasingly popular, as more homeowners, businesses, and municipalities learn of the financial (and environmental) benefits. Expanded tax credits and rising energy costs have done nothing but further entice people to research solar options, providing a big opportunity for solar installation companies.
At the same time, competition for solar installation companies is increasing, as construction companies see the lucrative possibilities of getting into this growing market. This new landscape makes it more important than ever for solar companies to take their marketing seriously.
In this post, we’ll look at some examples of solar marketing successes and break down how they worked and why.
Generating Leads With Ecohouse Solar
Ecohouse Solar, a solar installation company based in Columbus, Ohio, was looking to overcome the winter sales slump and create a way to grow more consistent leads throughout the year. We implemented digital marketing best practices, revamped their Google pay-per-click (GPPC) ad program, and improved SEO and website user experience, including building a solar project cost calculator.
Solar Marketing Idea #1: Lead Generation
When Ecohouse Solar approached MAYO, they had previously engaged a third-party vendor to create a GPPC strategy, but unfortunately, they were not achieving the desired results. Sensitively understanding their previous experience, MAYO carefully examined their GPPC campaigns and discovered that the previous vendor had overlooked reliable conversion tracking. Our team then set out to address this issue, implementing a robust tracking system that provided accurate data on lead attribution. By doing so, we were able to give Ecohouse Solar deeper insights into which keywords and types of ads were delivering results, ultimately helping them to optimize their PPC campaigns for greater success.
The results: Ecohouse saw a 167% increase in Google ad conversions in 1 year.
Solar Marketing Idea #2: Lead Attribution
Ecohouse wanted deeper insights into where their leads were coming from and how they could prioritize those channels. They knew part of the solution was better utilizing their HubSpot capabilities, so they called on MAYO to take a look. After implementing some best practices, such as segmenting leads and improving the reliability of their web forms to Hubspot integration, we set up lead attribution by implementing UTM parameters.
The results: The ability to track whether leads were coming to the site from paid or organic sources, giving them a better understanding of the ROI from their marketing efforts.
Solar Marketing Idea #3: Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Ecohouse recognized that a website can be a primary driver for lead generation, so when they decided to undertake a website redesign, MAYO wanted to maximize their lead gen opportunities through the new site. First, we conducted fresh keyword research, wrote new optimized copy and revamped the site’s URL structure. SEO is often a long game, but Ecohouse saw improved keyword rankings and stronger lead flow after only three months.
The results: An increase in 7 keywords ranking in the top three positions of search results and an increase in 33 keywords on page one of search results.
Solar Marketing Idea #4: User Experience
Ecohouse wanted to address the top pain point for customers: cost. Looking for a way to quickly show people a project estimate, MAYO and Ecohouse worked together to create a project calculator. The pop-out calculator gives customized results based on a person’s electric bill, as well as solar panel production, solar array size and electric rates, to calculate the cost of a solar array that meets their needs.
The results: Ecohouse tracked 14 closed deals in the first six months after launching the calculator.
Solar Marketing Idea #5: Branding Refinement
Nautilus Solar Energy is a community solar company that operates solar farms and provides clean electricity to residential and commercial customers. They wanted to elevate their brand to improve engagement with the growing number of people interested in clean energy.
The brand strategy leveraged the affinity many have for solar and its potential for a cleaner future. Incorporating bright colors, inspirational, action based messages and images of moments made possible by solar power – the brand campaign called everyone to “Let’s Solar!”
The result: Improved brand awareness and engagement – driving an increase in community solar subscribers and social media followers. You can view the Nautilus branding portfolio here.
Tactics and Best Practices for Reliable Lead Gen
Whether it’s high-level strategies like branding or granular tactics like PPC, Ecohouse leaned on MAYO’s expertise to get them to the next level and keep them on the right track. Supporting a clean energy company like Ecohouse has been a dream for MAYO. Not only are we showing off what this skilled, service-oriented company can do, but we’re also able to help Ecohouse reach a wider audience and ultimately advance our clean energy transition.
