The purpose of any marketing game is creating a brand that promises a great experience for the consumer. This was a complicated task even in the heyday of traditional marketing, such as telemarketing, print and television ads. In the current climate, however, it's even more difficult for a utility to get its message in front of consumers, let alone try to build a brand. With Mashable1 reporting 200 million people registered to "No Call" lists and 86% of people skipping TV ads, marketers are left wondering if they’re wasting marketing budget dollars when using traditional communication techniques.
This shift in consumer habits is the reason that digital marketing and content marketing for utilities is emerging as an effective utility marketing tool. According to the Content Marketing Institute2, 86 % of successful marketing departments understand content marketing's value for branding enough to have someone in charge of content marketing strategy. If you're still not sure that content marketing for utilities is the right approach for improving your utility's brand perception, here are a few ways the strategy has already proven successful.
1. Economical and Cost-Effective
Blog posts and articles, social media and white papers are the most common types of content marketing, and generally free or very low-cost. When it comes to content marketing for utilities, the content is the foundation from which the rest of this particular utility marketing strategy expands. Even when you factor in all costs associated with producing and publishing content, most marketers are still ahead of the game. Demand Metric3 reveals that content marketing typically costs about 62% less than traditional marketing methods. Additionally, when social media followers recommend your content by sharing it, you're getting even more bang for your utility marketing buck. Zuberance4 estimates the ROI for content marketing to be a $10 return for every $1 invested.
2. Provides Solutions to Customers
Addressing consumer interests and concerns is one of the most effective ways to utilize content marketing for utilities.5 For example, your blog post on the newest, most efficient household appliances or commercial equipment puts your utility in the right place at the right time to connect with consumers or businesses that are actively shopping. It has the potential of grabbing the attention of the ones who may not have been thinking of replacing that 10-year-old refrigerator, too. This type of digital marketing provides a valuable solution that has the potential for being shared across social media platforms.
3. Guiding and Educating Customers
Clear guidance and easy navigation are just two of the things Entrepreneur6 says users expect when they visit a website. Your brand will stand head and shoulders above the rest when you provide instructional content that guides customers through using online tools, billing and even simple applications on energy efficiency incentives and rebates.
4. Establishe Your Utility as a Thought Leader
Many utilities have thought leadership as a goal. You may not realize it, but customers expect utilities to be an authority on everything associated with their area of expertise. Many utility marketing programs often fall short, but content marketing can help bridge this gap. Content on when seasonal maintenance on homes should be performed, downloadable e-books that educate on different methods to reduce energy usage and blog posts that guide consumers through choosing and buying new equipment or appliances are just a few of the possibilities for using content marketing for utilities to set your company up as a trusted authority.
5. Graduate from Old School
There's no arguing that for any brand to be successful, it has to keep up with the times. Embracing current utility marketing mediums such as content and digital marketing will give your utility "street cred" with consumers of the current generation, the Millennials. This is one of the emerging segments that needs “proof” as to what any company, and in particular, a utility, can do for them. According to Statista,7 52% of Millennials surveyed in the U.S. said that it's important for them to find brands they can build a relationship with and to be loyal to.
6. Empower Your Customers, Super-Charge Your Brand
Consumers of the 21st century want to be empowered. They want what they want, when they want it -- on their timetable, not yours. Digital self-serve mediums facilitate this and make your brand a hero in the process. As NanoRep explains, utility marketing should look at creating knowledge bases that support and encourage consumers to do it themselves. The fact that around 60% of consumers prefer web-based self-service information for problem-solving should make it clear how valuable educational multimedia content is to your brand.
Content marketing requires a time and resource investment, but can be much easier for utilities with an expert by their side. J&C can provide the content marketing assistance a utility needs, along with a complimentary marketing assessment to improve your overall digital marketing. If you think you could benefit from J&C's expertise, contact us today.
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Topics: Content Marketing, Utility Industry
