To truly maximize the effectiveness of energy social media involvement, you need to understand that energy social media should be an integrated component of a cross-channel marketing strategy. By combining energy social media efforts with targeted marketing tactics, energy providers can tailor messaging to both the general public and current clientele.
For the energy industry, utilizing an energy social media program isn’t just an option anymore, but a necessity. It’s an opportunity to communicate¬ with thousands of clients, and millions of potential clients, in seconds. This extends to energy providers, whose interactions with businesses and individuals through energy social media plans can not only alter perception and reputation, but can also radically improve energy efficiency.
According to a report by Mashable.com: “While Facebook may be the social media platform to beat, there’s an even more powerful social networking force that promises to be in all American homes one day. A growing number of startups are applying the principles of social networking to home energy management, and bringing social media to the smart grid. In the process, they are revolutionizing people’s understanding of their energy use, building successful companies and helping to lessen the impact of each individual on the environment.”
Smart grids refer to the overlay of digital communications technology on existing electrical infrastructure. Because energy social media networking is built upon interaction and communication, social media and smart grids are a natural fit. Over 75% of Americans have access to the Internet, but 99.9% of Americans have electricity. As the smart grid continues to expand its reach, energy social media will transform the way we manage energy.
The Mashable.com article continues: “It lets houses and utilities to talk to each other through web-enabled energy meters and appliances. Connected devices such as refrigerators, air conditioners or TVs broadcast data about their energy consumption over a secure network and, when necessary, electrical utilities can remotely shut them off to avoid overloading the grid and causing rolling blackouts.”
The integration of energy social media with this technology can be groundbreaking for energy monitoring, ultimately saving environmental resources and money. This time of smart metering refers to the new way energy delivery is being monitored through energy social media that allows real-time energy use information to flow between customer and provider. Microsoft and Google have launched home energy monitoring devices, and Apple has filed patent applications pointing toward its own entry into the smart metering space. Whatever form ends up on top, expect energy social media to transform the way customers interact with their utilities.
Innovation through energy social media is the type of control and conveni¬ence consumers are going to expect to see when choosing their energy providers. But there are ways energy social media communities can change energy consumption habits without special equipment. Welectricity lets users enter information from their energy bills into the site’s graphing tool, which creates a readout of consumption trends for different appliances in your home. This energy social media usage chart provides customers with important statistics and illuminates ways to cut on power bills. Welectricity also allows users to compare their usage with friends through the energy social media tool. The potential to track monthly energy use easily and openly compare with friends and neighbors will create competition for energy efficiency. Energy social media is taking the mystery out of consumption and making it easier than ever to control your energy output.
British Gas is one of the most successful utilities in terms of energy social media. British Gas uses its Twitter account for customer service, promote campaigns and account for its decisions. Reputation analysis reveals that companies who regularly interact with consumers via energy social media score higher on engagement, which leads to an improved reputation. Utilities should understand that the use of energy social media is no longer a choice; it is something that must be implemented in order to respond to the increasing need of customers for a fast and efficient interaction with their service providers.
There are several popular avenues for executing effective energy social media communications. -Whether it’s an application that incorporates smart metering and community sharing, YouTube channel, Facebook page(s), Twitter feed(s), weekly podcast, daily blog¬ or forum commentary, energy social media efforts must stay consistent. Your energy social media activity will naturally drive traffic to your other social media channels and your brand website by way of links and natural SEO building.
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