Angie’s List and the Better Business Bureau.
Your affiliations there build trust, and
Angie’s List can also drive new business
your way. Listings in online directories
like Google Places and Yelp also create new
ways for customers to discover you and
read reviews.
To expand your web presence, get
listed wherever you can and link to your
company website from the directories. Not
only will you give prospects more ways to
find you online, you’ll also boost the search
performance of your site, because the search
engines like those directory links.
4. ADD A MOBILE WEBSITE.
Recent research by Google indicates that
94 percent of US-based smartphone users
look for local information on their phone
and 90 percent take action as a result, such
as making a purchase or contacting the
business. A mobile website is a relatively
small investment that helps you attract
new business and retain customers.
When you deliver a great customer
experience with a mobile website
that is optimized for the small
screen, you give customers
another reason to choose
you and stay with you.
5. USE PAY PER CLICK
ADVERTISING TO
ATTRACT NEW BUSINESS.
Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising
boosts customer acquisition by
putting your ad in front of cus-
tomers when they are searching for
a new provider. When you mount an
aggressive pursuit for new busi-
ness using a special offer, it makes sense
to bid high for the most relevant search
terms to ensure prominent placement at
or near the top of the search page. If the
offer is enticing and the ad is well written,
your PPC ad could be your best source of
new leads.
PPC can also drive business for specific
products and services, such as emergency
backup generators. Whenever there is a big
storm in the forecast, raise the bid amount
on your generators ad to get it to the top of
the stack.
6. ADVERTISE IN LOCAL MEDIA.
Advertising in local print and broadcast
venues can be costly, but it makes sense
in certain situations. If you are pursuing
new business with special offers, the local
newspaper is a great place to spread the
word. Stretch your advertising dollar by
placing your ads strategically to reach the
communities that interest you most.
Broadcast advertising is also useful for
boosting brand recognition, but you’ll want
to be selective to keep the costs under con-
trol. Choose broadcast outlets that align well
with your markets to avoid wasting your ad
dollars. If you expect customers to be on the
move due to problems with competitors,
broadcast makes sense. You’ll make sure your
name is fresh in these customers’ minds.
7. SPEAK UP ABOUT NATURAL GAS.
Conversions to gas heat are the biggest
threat to many heating oil dealers. Rather
than standing by to let the utilities raid your
base, reach out to your customers and open
their eyes about natural gas.
Spread the word by adding a section to
your website where you compare natural
gas and heating oil side-by-side. Send
customers a letter regarding fuel choice
and direct them to your website and the
American Energy Coalition (AEC) website.
You should also include current inserts on
natural gas in the bills you send.
Experience tells us that pricing for
natural gas and heating oil will probably
re-converge within a few years as demand
surges to natural gas. When that day
comes, natural gas will not offer a single
advantage over Oilheat. Don’t be shy!
By advocating forcefully for heating oil
today, you are doing your customers a
favor and helping them avoid a costly
mistake.
8. TRACK YOUR SALES LEADS.
Every home comfort com-
pany needs new accounts and
additional business from current customers
to thrive. As new leads come in, it is vital
to convert them to sales without frittering
away any opportunities.
The best tool for monitoring and nur-
turing leads is a lead-tracking system like
PriMedia’s Lead Pro. All leads are recorded
and tracked in an online system, where
they can be managed with contact informa-
tion, notes and reminders. Rather than
relying on salespeople to manage their own
leads, you gain centralized control, so you
can review activities and direct sales more
effectively.
9. SPEAK OUT.
A good public relations campaign
can generate positive publicity for your
business at an affordable price. Start by
choosing your topics and formulating
your talking points. Comparing natural gas
and heating oil is a topic that is likely to
spark the interest of reporters and editors
in your area.
Contact each of the media outlets that
cover your area, including larger newspa-
pers and TV and radio stations, and initiate
a conversation. You can offer to write an
opinion piece for an op-ed page and let
them know you are willing to field ques-
tions for any stories they’re writing about
energy and home comfort.
Once you are known as a go-to energy
executive for the media, you might get
your company in the news repeatedly.
Just remember to choose your words
with care every time you speak with a
reporter.
10. AMPLIFY YOUR POSITIVE REVIEWS.
Positive customer reviews are extremely
beneficial because they create confidence
in your business and encourage new cus-
tomers to sign on. Gather all the positive
comments you can about your company
and place them prominently on your site.
At the same time, gather more comments
by using a feedback form and training your
CSRs to get customer quotes on the record.
Consumers lean heavily on online reviews
when choosing their local companies.
Encourage customers who admire your
company to post their opinions on Yelp and
Google Local.
The winter months are primetime for
making money and adding new customers.
Make some smart tweaks to your marketing
now to maximize your sales opportunities in
the months ahead. As always, the PriMedia
team is happy to help. Please give us a call
at 1-800-796-3342.
Marketing
14 • OIL
&
ENERGY
