3 Engagement strategies for solar installers "on Facebook with graph search liked to be"

Facebook's new graph search is still in a test phase now, but it will start sitewide in the coming months. And if it does, your solar company had better "liked to be" from your customers.

What is the graph-search? It is an internal Facebook search engine which will allow very easy, your potential customers are looking for Facebook for people, places, and businesses, who "like their friends." In addition you can narrow your search to a specific local location or at the national level. Is even more important, you can search for companies, who also like their boyfriends, so looking for graph search can be broad.

For example, you say that I'm looking for a solar installer in the San Francisco Bay area. In the current Facebook I can my friends wonder whether they know a good solar installer in the field. If I actually wanted Facebook, would show in my stream on or off on the Facebook page of a Web Search powered by Microsoft's change would kill me.

If graph search starts, I no longer need post; on my wall to my Facebook friends recommendations questions I'll look already solar installers and find that, in companies, like my friends, if any. Plus, I'll see what my solar installers friends connections like that and I'll be able to narrow the search to a specific city.

What that means, that your brand is social currency more important than ever be. So, you should be "happy" and "luved" on Facebook from all your current and past solar customers. Furthermore, you're a national brand, do you have to be more local, create separate local pages for each city you serve.

Whether local or national, the challenge is customers on your Facebook page, either before, or during, and after the sale as always - as well as maintaining this relationship long after the sale. This is difficult, because people do not like to be on Facebook spam. It is a private social space, and assume that you have a good installation, eliminates the need, contact your solar business on Facebook. She will be sold. The installation is finished. No further information is required. In contrast to or ignore.

How do you liked get and keep the relationship after the sale go? Here are three short strategies.

Strategy 1: Post your useful blog posts, cartoons, etc. on Facebook. Once again, the solar blog is an invaluable and far reaching marketing tool. When you say prospects where you want your Facebook page to get solar useful updates about local discounts, tax information, seasonal discounts, product updates, they have a reason like your page at least in the beginning. Your blog is the conduit that information and posting on Facebook.

Strategy 2: build a community.It is not only sufficient to publish blog content and to ignore your Facebook page. Their Facebook page is a small island, and the people who like your page... They are not only interest in solar. So, if you post content and news stories, extend you your horizon to green issues, the families, as interest in organic foods, energy efficiency, and electric cars. Ask your followers energy efficiency and recycling questions. Create surveys. Have also a personality, and of course, in response to questions fast solar. If you create the right kind of welcoming and interactive community, your customers want your Facebook relationship continues long after the sale.

Strategy 3: build a referral program.I assume that all of your customers your company and sales people love. If this is the case, you will need no monetary customer referral program, but I don't think that it can not hurt, especially with family income is tight. So, if you have very a well-established referral program. If you don't ' have, create one. Offer $300 to $500 for each completed sale. Ask new members to be a member, like your Facebook page. This is the login. Then, after a month, your Facebook followers about the program and its financial benefits remember and if someone receives a placement fee must publicly congratulate this referral partners on your Facebook page.

Of course, any of these strategies takes time and work, but they are also relatively inexpensive. If you would rather pay money and advertise only on Facebook, the company developed new routes to potential customers with graph search, as well as the target. You have to show even a better idea of work and which are not, and are specific to certain demographics news able to craft.

Facebook is the largest popularity contest on the Web really at the moment, and it is important for solar companies to win this competition. Thus, it cannot ignore, instead implement a strategy...UnThink solar.

Tor Valenza advises solar companies in marketing, communication, a.k.a.. "Solar Fred" and branding. Would you like more solar marketing info? Sign up for the solar-Fred-marketing newsletter or contact Fred solar solar UnThink. You can follow also @SolarFred on Twitter.

The information and opinions in this blog are solely those of the author and not necessarily the RenewableEnergyWorld.com and company, the advertising on this website and other publications. This blog was written directly by the author and has not been reviewed for accuracy, spelling or grammar.

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We can use one "smart home" future reach?

New Hampshire, USA-the concept of smart grid utilities and consumers continue to confuse. Is it more cost effective? What is the best method for providing? Is the public ready for this? Do we need it actually?

J.d. power and Associates recently his "2011 smart energy behavioral segmentation consumer study," analyzes the consumers know and practices relating to energy efficiency and smart grid initiatives. The study divided consumers into different segments, to "innovator," customers, which significantly investing expenses for environmental and financial benefits "indifferent", those who are likely to change not their energy habits.

The study hopes utilities methods to optimize the energy efficiency and consumer habits to give. "Instead of focusing on how customers perceive intelligent energy, itself, is key to a stronger commitment in the understanding of the types of behaviors which require different types of customers behaviors, the utilities are - hope to promote," said Peter Shaw, senior director of the smart energy practice with j.d power and associates.. "Provides an efficient framework to optimize effective customer education and engagement strategies developed intelligent behavior in large to introduce various customer populations."

So which working methods for the majority of consumers? We live in a world, tech-savvy, where the public eagerly awaits the next iPhone so they can spend their free time on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Can utilities on our Web-based culture be?

Test projects run including the (NRECA) demonstration project funded by the Department of energy to determine the possibilities, in the United States, national rural electric cooperative association. It aims to reach more than 700,000 consumers in 12 Member States. The project has many objectives, of which cost-cutting and efficiency is, which often are distances between houses and where utilities are forced, major efforts to travel services. It is to its customers with energy-efficiency practices to educate.

The project is innovative technology strategies including local shows to achieve Web portals and other advanced infrastructure to improve the energy monitoring and efficiency, its objectives.

Other well-known companies are gearing up to release "smart home"-technology. At the last 2011 solar power international map in Dallas, Texas, Sanyo announced that there is a with Brightgrid partnership is, to unveil a new solar leasing program. With each contract, they include a free 3D television. What has this to do with a smart House? Sanyo shows the aim to release of a home energy of management system on the TV show, there are away.

Customers are able to their energy view consumption habits their renewable system efficiency monitor and use media statistics social with family, friends and neighbors share. "We try to make a joint." "People are now separated, and we try straight, restore", said Matt White by Sanyo. Be connected not only consumers, will they be trained. The system includes games and other features, to inform users about energy efficiency. "It is the next step in a smart home," said White.

Recently, SunReports have the social media market with a Facebook application that displays solar panel efficiency. "If you publish it on Facebook, you can use your friends questions about," Oh, I didn't know you had solar. As is, that the work? "Promotes dialogue and awareness of solar for all", said Tom Dinkel, CEO of SunReports. The overall goal is to promote the adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency.

So you take each test project with innovation, utilities closer on the smart-grid in our lives to integrate a small step. The question is: they are on the right track?