Solar Fred's 7 Keys to Why People Share Marketing Materials on the Web

What triggers you to press one of those share buttons above, or email this post — or any website link — to a colleague or friend? Think about it. Because the keys to knowing why people share things are the keys to so-called "viral" solar marketing.

Before we get to why we share, let's talk about how we used to share and how we share today. In the old days of advertising and marketing, say… 1993, you read an ad in a magazine or you saw something on television, and you either acted by “Calling now!” or you consciously forgot about it, though many would argue that the advertiser still planted the seed of brand awareness for future sales.

But let’s say in 1993 that someone wanted to share that ad for reasons that we’ll get to later. For a newspaper advertisement, you could cut the ad out — once — and use it, or you could give that slip of inky newsprint to friends....assuming you didn’t lose it. You even might have photocopied or faxed the ad to someone. (Remember fax machines? Ah, good times.)

For a television or radio ad, the only way to share that information back then was through word-of-mouth. “Hey, Fred, did you see that ad on the Super Bowl?” Or “Hey, Fredricka, did you hear that ad on the radio?”

Today, all of that’s changed. We have those share buttons  for every social network. Even print ads have a web address or one of those ugly square bar codes. For a television ad, they’re all uploaded to YouTube for 24/7 watching and sharing convenience. Radio spots can also include a web address today. If they don’t, big mistake. So, it's super easy to share compared to 10 or 20 years ago.

But so what?

So what if we can mechanically make things more shareable for solar marketing in 2012. If the content doesn’t inspire anyone to share that information, then you’re back to 1993. At best, you’ve planted a seed of brand awareness, and that’s nice. But you’ve totally blown your potential for maximum impact for brand awareness ...and for more sales. Therefore, it's your content that must inspire sharing for the greatest marketing ROI.

So now let’s go back to the keys for why people share marketing content. There are many, but let’s limit ourselves to the ones that are most relevant to all sectors of the solar industry, from utility scale, to residential, to BOS, panels, and solar advocacy.

Key #1) It’s funny.  This is THE most powerful engine for inspiring viral marketing.  Few people can pull it off, and many companies are afraid to even try. But if you make a relevant point about your solar product or service wrapped in a humorous package, I guarantee that people will share it. As humans, we love to laugh, and we love to laugh even more with friends, even if it’s an “LOL” on Facebook, LinkedIn, or an email.

Key #2) It’s useful information. This is the easiest share motivator for every solar marketer to use. All you have to do is create some useful content in a white paper, video, or blog post, and then spread it through an ad or today’s social networking platforms. If it’s genuinely useful information to your potential customers, they will not only keep it on file, but they’ll likely send it to their friends or colleagues who mention they're interested in solar. It's the same idea in the B2B solar world, where useful content is king and can spread quickly throughout the corporate realm.

Key #3) It’s a coupon. I don’t care what sector you’re in, no one wants to pay full price. And when people find a sale on something, they often like to share that savings with friends and colleagues. So, a virtual coupon can be very shareable, especially if it has an expiration date (See #6). This is more relevant to residential sales, since installers are less likely to share a solar widget sale with competitors. That being said, sales people might share sale info with purchase managers. Also, competitors often loosen lips and competitive spirits at solar conventions. (Perhaps that’s due to all the 3:00pm beer gardens and parties.)

Key #4) It’s a chance at getting something for free. This is similar to a sale share motivation, but not.  “Free” is always a powerful share inspiration, but potentially expensive. So, if you’re giving away a solar product in a contest, don’t JUST give it away. Make sure you also inspire people to act in return for the freebie or chance at a freebie. In the B2B world, you could give away a white paper or market report. Typically, freebies are a way to grow your prospect list. Even better for residential installers, require getting a free online solar quote to be entered. This way, even if the prospect doesn’t win or purchase a system, they’re at least educated about solar costs, and they may share that useful info with other social networks. (Naturally, be sure you're compliant with local contest and solicitation laws.)

Key #5) It’s unexpected and/or surprising.  Not easy, but very powerful. You create an ad, message, blog post, image, video, or event that is somehow familiar at first… but then there’s an unexpected payoff. Bonus if it’s funny or amazing. People like to share the gee-whiz, cool, or surprising. Bottom line, create a guerrilla marketing campaign. Works for all solar sectors, but takes some thought.

Key #6) It’s time sensitive. This share motivation may or may not be an element of #3, or #4, #5 above, but, assuming the information is useful (#2), our natural fear of loss may inspire your target audience to act quickly on something valuable that they might regret losing. So, consumers and B2B prospects may be inspired to share the sale with family/financial decision makers, asking "Did you see this? Should we do this now?"

Key #7) It’s inspiring or touching. As self-absorbed as we can all be sometimes, there are times when we feel so inspired by a cause or an example that we not only have to act, but we also have to share a message. So, if you have a friend with a rare disease, or know of a pro-solar senator running for reelection, tell people why you’re supporting them, and make that explanation as personal and as sincere as possible. 

To make your campaign even more share-worthy, you might want to set a deadline (#6) and tie donating a certain amount of money for each free solar quote. Also, be sure to share your campaign with the organization your sponsoring. Even if each solar quote doesn't lead to a sale, you still believe in the cause, right? So there's no loss there. Plus, as with key #4, your campaign allows more people to become educated about solar and your brand, perhaps passing on that info to many social networks.

Crafting your solar marketing messages to be shareable is just another way… to UnThink Solar.

Tor Valenza a.k.a. “Solar Fred” advises solar companies on marketing, communications, and public relations. Contact him through UnThink Solar or follow him on Twitter @SolarFred.