Energy Efficient Marketing
http://www.contractortalk.com/id/articles/6/1/Energy-Efficient-Marketing/Page1.html
Aaron O’Hanlon
Aaron O’Hanlon is a marketing consultant with FootBridge Media , a marketing firm, specializing in the contracting industry. He is also the web administrator to RenovateYourMarketing.com , a free marketing resource for contractors. It is his mission to create awareness of marketing online to the home improvement industry, and to educate, inform and assist contractors on taking over their own online presence. By Aaron O’Hanlon
Published on 05/31/2007
With energy costs increasing every day, many contractors are not using this “energy crisis” as a valuable way to increase new clients. Contractors, regardless if you are an HVAC contractor or a windows installer, can create a marketing angle and system that utilizes this energy crisis, to promote your products and services that will benefit the homeowner in the long run.
Energy Efficient Marketing
With energy costs increasing every day, many contractors are not using this “energy crisis” as a valuable way to increase new clients. Contractors, regardless if you are an HVAC contractor or a windows installer, can create a marketing angle and system that utilizes this energy crisis, to promote your products and services that will benefit the homeowner in the long run.
As I am always telling my clients, educating your potential clients is the first step to having a long lasting relationship. Simply replacing windows, installing a new furnace, or even adding on a new room, energy efficiency should be important. Important enough that contractors need to emphasize this in their marketing materials.
Each marketing piece that you create, should promote the actual dollars they will be saving by using your specific services and products. For example, if you are a full design remodeling contractor who occasionally does replacement windows, creating a marketing campaign for windows, with the message that with the installation of energy efficient windows, will lower the homeowners utility bills, allowing homeowners in the long run to expand their home, request more of your services or simply have lower monthly costs with an energy efficient house.
A vital part of this energy efficient marketing is to educate not only your marketing department, but also your sales staff. If your sales force “buys in” to the benefits of “energy efficiency” then it will take your marketing and closing ratio a little bit higher.
If you do not want to create your own marketing materials, then simply get some public brochures and information in regards to energy efficiency. You can make these requests at http://www.energystar.gov/, or find articles in your trade magazines. Much like the way many contractors use Remodeling Magazine’s “Cost vs. Value” Report, there is tons of information on energy efficient savings. I know that Energy Star, actually has a monthly cost calculation software that can help you demonstrate the savings of a specific product or service on a monthly basis.
Besides marketing materials, one of the best tools “right now”, is press releases. Energy crisis and high utility bills are all over the newspapers and media shows. If you write a press release, explaining how your services and products cut back on utility bills, then you will have a higher chance of getting it printed, or even snag yourself some free air time on your local news.
As I am always telling my clients, educating your potential clients is the first step to having a long lasting relationship. Simply replacing windows, installing a new furnace, or even adding on a new room, energy efficiency should be important. Important enough that contractors need to emphasize this in their marketing materials.
Each marketing piece that you create, should promote the actual dollars they will be saving by using your specific services and products. For example, if you are a full design remodeling contractor who occasionally does replacement windows, creating a marketing campaign for windows, with the message that with the installation of energy efficient windows, will lower the homeowners utility bills, allowing homeowners in the long run to expand their home, request more of your services or simply have lower monthly costs with an energy efficient house.
A vital part of this energy efficient marketing is to educate not only your marketing department, but also your sales staff. If your sales force “buys in” to the benefits of “energy efficiency” then it will take your marketing and closing ratio a little bit higher.
If you do not want to create your own marketing materials, then simply get some public brochures and information in regards to energy efficiency. You can make these requests at http://www.energystar.gov/, or find articles in your trade magazines. Much like the way many contractors use Remodeling Magazine’s “Cost vs. Value” Report, there is tons of information on energy efficient savings. I know that Energy Star, actually has a monthly cost calculation software that can help you demonstrate the savings of a specific product or service on a monthly basis.
Besides marketing materials, one of the best tools “right now”, is press releases. Energy crisis and high utility bills are all over the newspapers and media shows. If you write a press release, explaining how your services and products cut back on utility bills, then you will have a higher chance of getting it printed, or even snag yourself some free air time on your local news.