Is your marketing as advanced as your technology?
The rise of renewable energy, such as solar and wind and the need to transition to net zero has led to a growing market for clean energy products and services. However, with so many companies vying for a share of this market, it’s more important than ever for cleantech companies to position themselves effectively and stand out in front of their audience.
Below we have outlined six principles you should keep in mind when marketing your cleantech product or service and connecting with your audience.
Let’s dive in.
One of the essential principles for cleantech companies adapting to the digital era is the concept of transparency. With considerable information available online, B2B or B2C customers are increasingly interested in knowing where their energy comes from and how it’s produced. To build trust with your audience, you must be transparent about sourcing, production, and distribution processes. This can include providing detailed information about your company’s energy sources and its environmental impact.
Many tech-oriented companies need to remember that what is obvious for tech professionals might not necessarily be so for their customer audience.
Before they make a final decision, customers are already doing their homework online, and it’s your job to make it easy for them to learn all they can about the brand’s and product’s value. Your company’s website should be the primary source of information and seek to answer your visitors’ questions in a comprehensive way but using plain language.
By positioning your company’s experts as thought leaders, you establish credibility and authority in the industry and help educate the public about the unique benefits of your product. Ultimately, this helps generate brand awareness and attract new customers and partners.
Thought leadership can be achieved through various means, such as expert interviews and articles, publishing new research and whitepapers, speaking at conferences and events, and participating in industry groups and forums. Luckily, nowadays, all of this can be done online, which significantly expands the opportunities to establish thought leadership.
It is hard to imagine any business nowadays without a website. But do you really know how effectively it communicates your brand message, educates your customers, and sells your product? Only by actively measuring the relevant metrics will you be able to find out what needs improvement.
With the rise of smart grid technology, cleantech companies are now able to collect and analyse vast amounts of data on energy consumption and production. However, in the digital age, customer digital behaviour data also should be tracked and analysed. Google Analytics is the best tool to track a user’s journey on the website, what products gain the most interest and what content visitors prefer reading. This approach will help you to gain a deeper understanding of the customer’s evolving needs, allowing you to refine your company’s messaging and generate more compelling content for your audience.
In addition to data analytics, customer-centricity is also important. You should listen to your customers’ feedback and adjust your product or service accordingly to meet their needs and wants. Use digital tools to perform sentiment analysis, surveys and social media polls to help collect your audience’s feedback and use it to improve products and services.
The availability of various online channels, from your website to social media and email, gives your customers the freedom to reach you anytime and anywhere. Make sure to set up your online presence, ensure your customers receive value at every touchpoint and do not leave them disappointed.
It’s important to make sure it’s easy for customers to contact your company. If you do not have customer support, set up a knowledge base connected to a chatbot on your website or social media channels that can answer the questions immediately.
Create an email automation and use your website analytics to find out what information about your product or industry is the most valuable to share in a newsletter.
Finally, ensure you’re active on social media, engage with your audience, ask questions, and post content that gives them value.
The digital era has brought new challenges but more opportunities for cleantech companies. By leveraging these six principles, you can effectively communicate with your audience and stay competitive in the growing clean energy market.
It may be difficult to know where to start. Having worked with many cleantech companies, we always begin with reviewing your online presence, messaging and developing tactics to help you achieve your business objectives.
Contact us to see how we can help your business to adapt to the digital era.
