Generating solar leads for your business is likely one of the hardest tasks you have.
When the solar leads are flowing, you have a steady supply of work and income. But as soon as they stop, your solar business begins to feel the pain.
Luckily, with the USA alone requiring around 7.85 billion solar panels to run on solar energy, there are a lot of potential leads out there. The key is simply to find them.
To help you do that, we’ve researched how the top solar companies generate solar leads for their business and we’re about to share everything we’ve learned with you!
3 Best Methods for Solar Lead Generation
The best solar companies use three effective methods to generate free solar leads:
- Getting listed on solar company directories
- Becoming strong members of homeowner communities
- Creating their own online communities
Let’s dissect how each of these works.
1. Get listed on solar company directories
Most of your customers will eventually perform a Google search for keywords like “best solar companies near me” or “solar panels installed in XYZ city”.
The first results that come up are solar company directories such as Yelp or SolarReviews.com.
Screen Shot Credit: Google
You want to be where your potential customers are searching. So, it’s important to get listed on these directories.
Some common directories you should get listen on include:
In addition to these general directories, it’s also beneficial to get on industry association directories for more high-quality leads. Two such websites include:
NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) has two directories to help people find certified installers: The Company Accreditation Directory and the Certified Locator Directory.
SEIA (Solar Energy Industry Association) directory contains companies and installers in the solar industry, as well as manufacturers, project developers, and financiers.
Not only does being on these directories help you show up where your customers are searching, it also helps with your website’s SEO. This means you have a better chance to show up in Google search results and acquire organic solar leads.
If you don’t already have one, make sure you create a Google My Business page to ensure you’re showing up in search results and directories.
2. Become a strong member of your local homeowner’s communities
Another great way to get your own leads is by joining and participating in local homeowner’s communities in the areas you service. To do that, you just need to figure out what communities there are and contact them.
One way to find them is by driving around the community and looking for fliers and signs advertising. Check out local coffee shops and ask around. Do a few Google searches.
Screen Shot Credit: Google
It’s also a good idea to contact the local Chamber of Commerce branch and ask them about such communities. If you keep asking around, eventually you’re bound to find them.
The key here, however, is to provide useful information and help to the community. Don’t just join looking for solar leads and expect to not have to contribute.
3. Create own online community
Lastly, one of the best solar lead generation methods is getting your own leads through an online or local community.
This could mean creating a Facebook group for people in your area interested in solar power or it could mean creating a local meetup for homeowners.
The broader you go with your group—as long as it’s focused on homeowners—the more people you’ll get. For example, instead of making a Facebook group specifically about solar, you could make a Facebook group for homeowners in your city.
This opens up potential partnerships with other businesses as well, such as real estate companies, electricians, plumbers, etc.
It could be a one-stop shop for homeowners to find helpful services in your area. If you’re really savvy, you might even charge those other businesses a commission for anyone they find through your group. Or you could just help promote each other.
Either way, creating your own community where you answer home and business owners’ questions and help them find what they need will keep you top-of-mind whenever your members are ready to call a solar installation company.
In our opinion, this is one of the best ways to generate high quality solar leads without buying leads. That said, buying leads has a place in your marketing strategy as well.
Click here to read our article comparing buying vs generating leads and which strategy you should use to find your solar leads.
Need Help Generating Solar Leads?
By providing you with fresh, persuasive, and SEO-optimized copy, I can help take your solar lead generation efforts to the next level. If you’d like to discuss your content marketing needs, contact me today for a free consultation at copywriter@solarenergywriters.com.
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