With so many groundbreaking discoveries in renewable energy, it’s critical the findings reach the right audience. Renewable energy marketing communicates this knowledge to those who could be using it. But renewable energy isn’t the only industry that’s constantly changing — new digital marketing trends are developing daily, too.
Renewable energy is driven by continuous innovation. For example, it recently became able to compete with fossil fuel technologies, which will affect the way renewable energy evolves in the near future. Yet there is more work to be done with renewable energy to make a positive impact on our planet.
With several hurdles perpetually plaguing the renewable energy industry, here are three trends that are worth knowing and implementing to communicate your renewable energy efforts.
No matter what industry you’re in, you need to meet your audience where they are. These days, if you’re not on social media, you don’t exist. The latest trend in social media is the use of Stories. Stories rose to popularity with messaging app Snapchat and have now permeated the rest of social media, with titans Facebook and Instagram each offering their take on the concept. Businesses and consumers alike use this platform to give glimpses into the stories of their brands or lives. With the ability to tag others and share others’ stories within your own, this underground method of social media just might be the best tool in the storytelling toolkit.
Not convinced? Green Mountain Energy’s Instagram page actively promotes its efforts in changing the way power is made. Green Mountain has saved some of its Stories onto its profile, known as Highlights, so audiences can see the company story, the company’s work in communities around the country and more.
In today’s digital world, SEO is more important than ever. Within SEO, voice search has become hugely popular among users. From mobile usage to in-home smart devices such as the Amazon Echo, voice search is being used to locate everything, including information on renewable sources. It’s a solid tool in any renewable energy marketing strategy.
So what can you do to optimize for voice search?
Start by making sure your website loads quickly and is mobile responsive. Then take a look at the language on your website: Is it straightforward and simple? While you want the language to sound professional to match your brand, don’t overcomplicate it; write it with voice search phrases in mind.
One way to go about this is to structure your website pages to ask questions that are then quickly answered. These short answers are more likely to appear as results in voice search if they are broken out this way. For example, if a user is looking for solar energy services, they might ask their mobile device’s personal assistant, “Where are the top solar energy companies near me?” Use long-tail keywords specific to your products or services your customers are likely to use.
You can also use semantic keywords, words or phrases with related concepts to your original keyword. Schema markup is another way to help search engines to pick up your content. The code you put on your website will improve how search engines read and display your page in search results.
Google and Facebook give advertisers the ability to create ads designed especially for mobile devices. This targets mobile users looking for your services when they’re out and about. Google allows you to make bid adjustments to appear at the top of the search results when users search on mobile devices.
Geographic targeting enables you to be found by people searching for solutions in your area. For example, if someone is searching for geothermal energy installers available near where they live, your solution could appear with a location-based ad. Targeting geo-modified keywords and variations with the phrase “near me” in Google Ads can help reach potential customers who are looking for your services.
Additionally, location extensions can be set up in Google Ads that include your business’ address, a map to your location or distance to your business. These extensions show up on mobile devices and computers on the search and display networks along with Google Maps.
We all know that trends come and go. And considering how rapidly both the renewable energy and inbound marketing industries are evolving, it’s easy to see why some companies wait before adopting a trend into their practices. But one thing to keep in mind when considering which marketing trends to select is that these strategies are at the forefront, the cutting edge, which is where the renewable energy industry will always be. Why not incorporate new ways to reach your audience and educate them on your breakthrough advances? It just might change the world.
Take a closer look at renewable energy marketing and how it can help your company drive more sales with our eBook, How Alternative Energy Companies Can Generate More Sales with Content Marketing.
