By Sharon A.M. MacLean
Joining the Online Green Conversation
Nick Clark makes it a habit to personally answer many of the comments on his Facebook site for Green Alberta Energy, and at the same time cross-promoting the importance of making a "Buy Smart" decision in an effort to help consumers lower their utility bill. Consumers stuck on the governments regulated rate option (affectionately known as the RRO are paying over 30% more for their energy compared to the prices offered by competitive retailers).
It’s quite a commitment for the Managing Partner of UTILITYnet headquartered in Calgary. The straight-talking entrepreneur, now in his 70s, took to social media like an electric current to a big magnet.
Nick and Managing Partner Madeline Low launched Green Alberta Energy in the Fall of 2015 - the eve of Alberta’s Climate Change Strategy Launch - to provide renewable resources as an affordable option. The goal was simple - spreading the message that being green doesn't have to be expensive. They focused on two objectives. Lowering the price of energy and making green affordable. Using social media as the conduit to consumers was chosen over a door to door sales strategy; this proved to be the right decision, given that the government closed down this avenue in today's announcement.
One year after we launched his social strategy, Nick’s social networks grew to a combined reach in September 2016 of 266,277. Engagement – meaning people who take action, post reactions, share, comment, and click links – hover between 4% and 5%; a promising showing from a cold start.
Nick’s last weekly blog of 52 drew 113 comments. His blogs have been re-shaped and published across relevant networks. In the weeks ahead, the blogs will focus on the impact of the new carbon tax, the cost of closing coal plants, capacity payments, and the negative impact consumers are going to feel with the NDP's quest to put a cap on the RRO. All of the new programs announced by our government over the last 10 days sound exciting and have been painted by the politicians in a positive light - but the consumers need to be reminded that nothing is for free and the governments plan will cost billions upon billions of dollars. In Nick's opinion, it is important to move towards a more carbon free environment, which is why UTILITYnet launched Green Alberta Energy, however consumers should fear the real cost and all the hidden and cross subsidies that have yet to be tabulated.
The Secret to Becoming a Social CEO
Internet marketing depends on the ongoing supply of content for consumers who are becoming increasingly research-driven and self-directed in their buying journeys. But not before connections have been developed on relevant platforms.
After all, with whom will you have a conversation if nobody’s listening?
Traditional publishers understand this. It’s the reason advertisers wanted to reach the upscale, well educated, business leaders who read my magazine for 21 years.
Here’s Where We Started the Online Strategy
Mindset. Confusion reigns when social media is not aligned with the corporate vision, mission, and strategic objectives. If all the departments are constantly tripping over each other, the promise of Nick’s brand would become an empty pledge. This meant that representation had to come from operations, IT, HR, customer support and from their Energy Retailers. It did—in spades.
Relevant networks. The list of networks - each with its own personality, rules of engagement, and secrets to discover–now count over 800. More are added weekly. The mistake often made when first getting started, though, is trying to master too many networks all at once. The rules of productivity apply here: It’s not about doing the most things but rather the most important things.
We chose LinkedIn to reach energy professionals and industry leaders. Nick’s connections grew from 700 in January 2016 to over 3,100 followers 11 months later. His most read blog drew over 30,000 on this network.
Twitter was selected for the keywords associated with renewable energy, natural gas, and solar power to reach business owners, fans of renewable resources, and influencers. By the way, influencers in the online world are not just fellow professionals but those who also have sizable followings on Twitter. At the end of November 2016, Twitter followers count 4,173 – grown from zero.
Facebook was a must-have social media presence where the fastest-growing demographic is women ages 35-64. We bought advertising on Facebook because of the exceptional targeting capabilities that the network offers through its advertising program. Also, because Facebook now is pay-to-play.
In addition to posting and advertising Nick’s blogs, we invited Facebook fans, friends, and influencers to comment; recruited content from news aggregates because people love the speed of updates and multiple sources appearing in one place; and shared posts from Energy Marketers to develop a growing and interactive community.
Automated email marketing with databases for politicians, Chambers of Commerce, and media. The ESP (Email Service Provider) was imperative for optimization tools including A/B testing; an email editor with a capability to create landing pages and to publish audio/video; list segmentation; email stats, and unsubscribe management tools.
Heads up: The unsubscribe tool becomes increasingly important, especially given Canada’s deadline of July 1, 2017 for implementation of CASL (Canada Anti-Spam Legislation).
Training. Again, we had a CEO who was enthusiastic about learning the nuances as well as the recommended tools. He also studied the monthly metrics recorded for his analysis.
Research tells us the social media skills gap at work is widening. Yet, using social media in the office has gone from taboo to requirement. The problem is that front-line employees aren’t always up to the challenge. Among 2,100 companies surveyed by Harvard Business Review, just 12% of those using social media felt they used it effectively. Even millennials brought up on social media are falling short. Nick made sure that his management team for UTILITYnet and Green Alberta Energy were kept up to speed and informed on all steps
Tools. A good selection is integral for gaining speed-to-market. There are seemingly limitless free and paid social management tools available for an organization. Some are in Beta test, others in Alpha; it's wise to know the difference. The challenge comes with trying to sort which tools are best for your business - and applying strategies for using them. As Ian Cleary, a master of social media tools says, "Many people will give up on social and content marketing because they never understood it in the first place. The people who stick with it, and really get these forms of marketing, will thrive and tools will help them get there."
5 More Strategies for Green Alberta Energy
- Content Audit. This is where we studied the types of content available in-house and through the Energy Marketers. It was necessary to start from scratch with Nick explaining the inner working of the energy industry.
- Relevant keywords and phrases were identified to include a combination of market descriptions and industry specific terms. Getting this right helps to inform all forms of content creation.
- Personas (online audiences) started to emerge as the blogs took on prominence. Nick cut a wide swath among his peers and political watchers. Other identified Personas included women who often make the decision about energy in their homes; young people who get on-board early for green energy; and those keen on saving money despite the arrival of the carbon tax next year.
- Thought leader status. Nick was known to experts and thought leaders in the energy industry who listened to his well-informed comments on the industry. As the conversation escalated in 2015 on green energy and climate change, Nick invited his peers to post on the networks; features were written on Energy Marketers who were industry innovators, like Camrose Energy who won the Home Based Business Award from their local Chamber of Commerce.
- Sales. In the non-digital era and earliest days of online marketing, it was up to sales teams to discover pain points, uncover customer needs, and build business-to-customer connections. Today’s buyers are completely self-driven; at least 60% of prospects are through their journey before they engage with a brand or salesperson. Content helps customers self-nurture, self-research, and forge their own paths to conversion. It’s only after they’ve made a decision that they’ll connect with a sales decision.
The Disrupted State of Energy
The energy industry around the world has met with disruption over the past 16 years. The traditionally protected monopolies managed their sector bereft of the need to educate consumers or pay attention to customer service.
The stories were painfully familiar. Like the woman who was frustrated and confused by a dramatic increase in her electricity bills after her meter was changed. Her bill quadrupled in 6 months for no apparent reason. Customer service was a precious idea.
At the same time, the world got connected. Just like Nick Clark. He started his journey for new ways to tell their company story about a new breed of energy retailer.