Even though PPC ads are a powerful tool for increasing leads, not all solar energy ads are created equal. So here’s my roundup of how to improve your solar panel ads conversion rate and attract more potential customers in the process!
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Solar Energy Ads Made Simple
These days, with various advertising options, it’s actually very easy to start running a PPC campaign on the internet.
Social media platforms, in particular, hinge on their users seeing ads in their social media feeds. As these ads are created by other users, businesses and organisations it’s in their interest to make it as simple as possible for people to create them.
While it’s straightforward enough to put an ad on a platform such as Facebook or a search engine such as Google or Bing, this isn’t necessarily a guarantee of success.
Your messaging, in particular, is crucial if you want to avoid expensive advertising. This is why, in today’s blog, we’ll look at some existing social media solar energy ads and give some pointers on how they could be improved for your target audience.
If you see your own solar panel ad in this blog, I’m not going to apologise…just take the free advice and thank me later when you attract more solar customers with your advertising efforts 😉
Solar Energy Ad Examples
If you’re ever looking for inspiration for a solar energy ad, you can always head to Facebook’s ad library. Using the search bar on this page will quickly show you the PPC campaigns other solar businesses are currently running- and it’s where I’ve taken the following snapshots from.
Other social media platforms also give ways to search for what other solar companies are running regarding ads. Even using Google’s search bar will show you the ads that competitors are running to help give you ideas for your own ads.
The following ad reviews won’t all be negative, and with a bit of luck, I’ll be able to show you what is working well in them, too. Here we go.
Ad 1: Activ8 Solar Energies
What I like:
- Evidence of proof…16,000 customers since 2007 is a lot and demonstrates a long history.
- Video ad, bringing an extra dimension for those who want to watch a video – though make sure you include subtitles as most users watch videos without the sound on.
What’s not so good:
- There’s no attention-grabbing first line,
- The message is all about them, not the customer,
- It’s all a big block of text (i.e. difficult to skim…we all like to skim).
Ad 2: Start Solar UK & Ireland
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What I like:
- Quick headline,
- Clear offer (2 Free Solar Panels),
- Scarcity is introduced by the limited-time offer (nothing like inducing some FOMO into your ad…)
- Concise footer.
What’s not so good:
- 2nd headline is superfluous…all sales in November are Black Friday…tell me something new, or just remove this line as it clutters the ad.
- The whole ad is quite busy. The emojis are distracting, there are a lot of messages, and the focal points compete with each other for the reader’s attention- diminishing the overall impact.
Ad 3: Romilgashop
What I like:
- Clear list of products available,
- Formatting is easy on the eyes.
- The colour scheme invokes ease and trust.
What’s not so good:
- No attention-grabbing headline or statement/line,
- No dialogue with the reader,
- The picture is huge…I had to take two screenshots just to get the footer in! This means that less of the detail will be displayed before having to scroll. Not good for skimming.
- Too much info/reading material in the footer.
Ad 4: e.on
What I like:
Pretty much everything…it’s one of the best solar energy ads on this list.
- Clear, concise single line to grab attention and explain the offer,
- Elegant, clear picture that doesn’t confuse or detract from the flow of the ad,
- The picture isn’t huge- you can see the whole ad without scrolling,
- Clear benefit- reduce your bills with solar panels,
- The text below the picture is in line with company branding,
- Simple footer.
Ad 5: Start Solar UK & Ireland
What I like:
- Getting an authority figure to endorse the product with a video ad.
What’s not so good:
- For the non-Rugby fans…Iain who?
- Iain looks bored to be there…doesn’t create enthusiasm for the product.
- Line prompting to watch the video isn’t particularly elegant and the question mark shouldn’t be there. It confuses the reader, interrupts the flow of the ad, and reduces the credibility of the firm.
- Where is the solar consultation? Available where?
- Last Line Is All Capitalised…why? It’s not a title. Again, this reduces credibility of the ad.
- Footer- tells me nothing. This should be used to summarise the offer or prompt the CTA.
Ad 6: Solar Smart
What I like:
- Clear headline to grab attention,
- Clear benefit stack,
- Picture is good size, has an intriguing message, and adds credibility- it’s not just another stock photo of a solar panel. It builds trust by showing their actual van with livery.
What’s not so good:
- Benefit stack could be put into sentence length order to increase readability,
- Solar panel array could be a bit more obvious,
- Emissions of what…CO2? F-Gases? Ambiguity breeds confusion.
Ad 7: Amelio Solar Energy
What I like:
- Clear bold headline to grab their target audience’s attention,
- Question shows an understanding of avatars’ issues,
- Big attention-grabbing colour,
- Clear obvious benefit,
- Clear call to action in footer.
What’s not so good:
- Who’s John?
- Upto isn’t a word. This bothers anyone with a grasp of grammar and reduces credibility. Come to think of it, maybe it’s there deliberately to grab my attention…this is something I’m seeing more and more on social media- obvious mistakes to provoke interaction.
Ad 8: ECO4U Installations
What I like:
- Clever name…ECO4U…ECO4…immediately appeals to people looking for a funded solar panel installation,
- Intriguing headline,
- Clear picture which explains offer and benefits.
What’s not so good:
- The wordy paragraph at the top. Break this into concise lines, help me to skim!
- The formatting of the H2 and benefit stack in the picture (light, small font) is difficult to read.
Ad 9: Electech Installations
What I like:
- Social proof ads credibility,
- Storytelling is a great way to get across your message, showing empathy.
What’s not so good:
- I’ve literally never met a teacher who loves their job in the last decade…
- Story is probably a bit long for an ad in this format. Perhaps better in an email.
- H1 in the picture…what is this actually saying?
Ad 10: Evergreen Power
What I like:
- Concise wording (perhaps a little too concise),
- Footer introduces a benefit,
- Accreditations in the picture add credibility and trust.
What’s not so good:
- The copy above the picture leaves out a lot of detail- this could be used to generate intrigue, introduce the offer, add a benefit stack, etc. Why are solar panels the smart choice?
- The picture is very busy and is unlikely to be read.
- Word formatting is too small to read- it’s useless.
Perfect Your Solar Power Ads
As you can see, there’s more to creating effective solar power ads than simply uploading a picture of a solar panel and writing some attractive content about your business. If you want to attract your target audience and sell more solar systems, being clear and concise with your ad copy is important.
Here’s a summary of what’s going to make your ads work more effectively for you so that you can outperform other solar businesses:
- An attention-grabbing headline to stop scrollers in their feed,
- Some simple, well-worded (and formatted) copy to explain your offer and narrative explaining a combination of:
- How it will benefit your prospect,
- Why it’s uniquely brilliant,
- How satisfied your existing clients are,
- A clear picture to help grab attention, the less ambiguous the better, and not too big,
- A concise footer, with…
- A clear call to action.
If this seems confusing (it can be) or more work than you or your team have time for, you’re in luck. Here at Sustainability Marketing, we’re positioned perfectly to help you create effective solar energy ads that capture audience attention and increase your chances of conversion.
We can also review your existing ads and find easy ways to improve them, similar to what I’ve done in this blog.
Give us a shout to get started with your solar energy ads today.
