The solar industry continues to grow, as does the competition to acquire new customers. Of course, the only way to acquire new customers is to first generate quality solar leads.
It’s not always easy, but it’s far from impossible. We’re about to teach you exactly how to get solar leads for your business in 2023 using 12 proven strategies.
Once you master the techniques below, you’ll be on your way to success in the solar market. Intrigued? Then let’s dive in and discover the secrets to boosting your solar sales potential.
12 Ways to Generate High-Quality Solar Leads
Solar lead generation isn’t some mystical art. If you implement a few of these free and paid techniques, you will connect with more prospects and close more deals. Let’s get to it…
Define your target audience
You can’t generate solar leads if you don’t know who your target audience is.
When you understand these people, you can tailor your sales approach to their unique needs and dispositions. You’ll also know which channels you can use to reach them.
So take a moment to define your target audience. Are they residential or commercial customers? What goals do they have? What challenges do they face? And how can your products and/or services help them overcome said challenges in the near future?
For example, your ideal customer might be homeowners between the ages of 30 and 50, who currently spend too much money on their electricity bills. By installing solar on their homes, your company can give them more financial flexibility.
Craft messaging for both residential and commercial solar leads
What if your solar business serves residential and commercial customers?
It’s important to differentiate between these two groups of people. Each will have different pain points and motivations. The incentives and tax breaks will vary as well.
By crafting unique messaging for different customer segments, you’ll appeal to more people, thus increasing your chances of securing the best solar leads available.
Canvass (and recanvass)
One of the most effective ways to generate solar leads is to canvass neighborhoods in your area. Talk to as many people as you can to see if they’re ready to make the switch.
Remember: you shouldn’t talk to just anybody. Focus on homeowners who meet the criteria in your ICP and have solar potential, i.e., live in a location that gets enough sun.
ICP stands for ideal customer profile. To create one, use the data you collected about your target audience to create a fictional person/company that will benefit from your offerings.
One more thing: recanvass neighborhoods on a regular basis. This will help you connect with people who weren’t available to meet in the past and follow up with folks who previously expressed interest but haven’t yet signed a contract with your company.
Keep the value front and center
When it comes to solar lead generation, keep this in mind: your prospects don’t care about how solar technology works. They care about saving money, going green, etc.
So don’t drown prospects in an ocean of technical information. Focus on the value they’ll receive once they purchase a solar system from you. Then focus on the value your specific company brings to the table, such as faster install times and better customer service.
Run paid ads to interested prospects
We recommend paid advertising campaigns for solar lead generation, too, which will enable you to reach red-hot prospects on platforms like Facebook and Google.
The trick is to target people who are already interested in solar energy.
In-market ads will help you find prospects who are currently searching for what you sell. Retargeting ads will help you connect with folks who have already visited your website.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure you understand your target audience (see above) and use keywords that will resonate with them. That way, you only attract good-fit leads.
Get listed on local service directories
What do potential customers do when they decide to invest in green energy?
Simple: they whip out their phones and search for solar companies in their areas. Then they scour sites like Yelp and Angie’s List to find reliable providers who fit their budgets.
Your company needs to have a presence on these kinds of directories. That way, you can reach customers who are actively using them to find solar brands.
Other important directories include Solar Reviews, EnergySage, Clean Energy Experts, and Consumer Affairs. Make sure your company appears on them.
Launch SMS marketing campaigns
Did you know that 98% of text messages are opened? That means SMS marketing can be a super effective way to generate solar leads. You just have to use this channel the right way.
The question is, how? Start by building up your subscriber list, i.e., a list of people who have agreed to receive text messages from your company. The easiest way to do this is to offer subscribers something of value in exchange for their phone numbers.
Once you have a few numbers in your database, follow up with potential customers. Thank them for joining your list, and ask them if they’d like to schedule a quick meeting with you.
If you don’t hear back from them, try again a few days later. You may want to incentivize them, too. Bet you’d get a lot more meetings if you offered a limited-time discount on a solar system!
Purchase solar lead lists
Just about every solar sales professional has purchased a leads list in the past, which goes to show you it’s an effective strategy—assuming you use it wisely, of course.
Purchasing leads lists will help you generate solar leads fast. This is especially helpful when building an inbound marketing strategy, as this kind of tactic can take a while to bear fruit.
There is a downside, however. Buyable leads lists don’t always feature the best solar leads. The information you receive could be non-exclusive, which means your competitors can access it, too. And the information might be outdated, which can harm your productivity.
Still, when learning how to generate solar leads, you should give it a shot. Just purchase a high-quality list. The extra money you send will be more than worth it.
Get visual on social media
Potential customers want to see your work. So make sure you publish a variety of images on your company’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter profiles. Consider using Pinterest and TikTok, too, as long as you (or a member of your team) can post content consistently.
What kind of content should you publish? Here’s a quick list to get you started:
- Work-in-progress photos
- Before and after photos
- Company event photos
- Happy customer photos
- Solar industry-related photos
- Company award photos
- Work-related videos
We should mention hashtags, too, which are kind of like keywords on social media. By including them in your posts, you’ll reach more of your target audience for free.
Go to local trade shows and events
Since most solar companies only operate in specific geographical areas, local trade shows and other events can be a fantastic way to score quality solar leads.
Research a few events in your city. Then plan to rent a booth, distribute promotional materials, connect with potential customers, and demonstrate certain products. If possible, run a contest or raffle to engage event attendees and help them remember your company.
And, of course, take lots of pictures during the event and post them on social media.
Incentivize customer referrals
Customer referrals are incredibly important to the success of your solar company. So it makes sense to ask current customers to send them to you.
To make sure they actually follow through and do this, why not incentivize them? Offer them a discount on their solar system if they refer X number of leads to you. Or, if the customer already purchased their system, offer them X% back per referred lead.
Set up a solar CRM
Finally, invest in customer relationship management (CRM) software.
The right CRM system will help you track leads, follow up with potential customers, and close more sales. This begs the question, which CRM is “right” for your solar company?
First, choose a CRM that is tailored to the solar industry. This will help you get the most out of the tool. Then do your best to balance the necessary features with your current budget.
Or, if that sounds like too much work, just use SPOTIO. Our CRM platform was specifically designed for outside sales teams. Dozens of solar companies use it to reach quota and drive revenue. Schedule a free demo of SPOTIO today to see our solution in action.
Start filling your pipeline with qualified solar leads
Your solar business needs high-quality leads. Fortunately, the 12 lead generation techniques in this article will help you get them. All you have to do is implement the tips, tricks, and strategies above to connect with more prospects and close more deals.
Looking for additional advice to supercharge your solar company? Download your free copy of the Complete Field Guide for Solar Sales Leaders right now!
