Sometimes you need to change it up. Throw a bit of a curve ball. Give your readers something new to chew on. Solar energy blog posts that are slightly unusual can serve as a breath of fresh air for your prospects and can help drive more traffic to your site by being the kind of content that encourages social media sharing.

An SEO solar energy blog is terrific because it allows you to reach your prospects anytime and anywhere. It provides them with something of value before asking for anything in return. Blog posts positions you as a consistent source of interesting information and allow you to showcase your expertise in the industry using your unique voice. There are a number of solar blogs that do a great job of driving traffic by offering technological and financial information about solar and pertinent discussions about its practical applications and advantages.

But it also helps to surprise your prospects, make them think a bit differently or even just make them laugh. Here are six blog types to consider.

1. Use an infographic

A blog post that showcases a well-designed, relevant infographic can help readers learn and remember the information about solar more easily, particularly the more complex or tech heavy stuff. Plus an eye-popping visual story rarely fails to grab attention. You can hire a pro to build it or do it yourself with tools like PowerPoint, Canva and Piktochart or with HubSpot’s free templates. You want to make sure the blog post has an SEO title and short paragraph to give the graphic
context, as well as a call-to-action. And infographics can easily be repurposed (whole or in parts) for social media channels like Twitter and Pinterest.

Topic ideas

• The three main types of solar installations
• How solar energy works
• Commercial financing options for solar
• A rooftop solar installation: step by step
• Local, state and federal incentives for going solar
• Four reasons why businesses go solar

2. Make them laugh

Every once in a while (or every week!), give your prospects something to laugh about. Create an ironic or tongue in cheek post, curate a roundup of funny images (the Internet is full of them) or post a funny comic strip or video. These also provide great images for social media.

Topic ideas

• 10 reasons to avoid going solar (I got this idea from this clever post that lists 20 reasons as
  negatives that are highlighting positives)
• 5 drawings employees’ kids did of what their parents do all day
• Translating your electric bill: a guide for the bewitched, bothered and bewildered

3. Share what others are talking about

Check the media, blogs, podcasts and social media to find out what your prospects are thinking and doing about topics related to solar. Rather than work to generate new content every time, search for the latest developments and ideas out there and create a solar energy blog post showcasing the quotes, images, and topics that will resonate the most with your prospects. This is particularly effective for gathering information on industries you target:

Topic ideas

• Which auto dealers in the region recently went solar and what are they saying about it?
• Three inspiring tweets about schools using solar to educate their students
• Two apartment building owners who overcame serious bureaucracy to go solar

By granting them an insider’s view of your team, you build trust, humanize your brand and allow for a lighter, more personal tone.

4. Give a peek behind the scenes

Show prospects what things really look like at your company. By granting them an insider’s view of your team, you build trust, humanize your brand and allow for a lighter, more personal tone. And this is a great one for using (and repurposing) visuals like interesting photos or video clips of an installation in progress, the creation of your solar showroom, or even silly shots of the office dog who lives under the CEO’s desk. You can make it a one shot blog post or a weekly or monthly series.

Topic ideas

• A home rooftop installation from start to finish
• A day in the life of our sales manager
• 4 employees talk about why they love to work in solar

5. Quizzes

Quizzes are fun, make us feel smart and encourage social sharing. Creating a quiz for your prospects invites them to engage with you and gets them thinking about solar and the environment, etc. Plus, they can have a lighter tone or a few funny questions if you’d like. Just don’t forget to add a social share to the bottom of the quiz results to make it easy for them to share results with others.

Topic ideas

• What’s your solar IQ?
• How Much Do you know about your carbon footprint?
• Solar Energy Quiz: Myth or fact?

Quizzes are fun, make us feel smart and encourage social sharing.

6. Offer advice on topics related to solar

Consider offering advice, as a one shot or a monthly series, on topics that have a relationship to solar, though are not directly about solar. This helps to position your company as a great source of information on issues important to your prospects, encourages them to keep returning to your blog and gives them info they’ll want to share with others. It can work for both your homeowner prospects and for the various industries you’re targeting.

Topic ideas

• How to increase your home’s value
• 10 ways to conserve energy in your home
• How to include environmental stewardship in your company mission
• Top money saving tips for property managers

 

Image credits: RBI Solar Inc., NPR News, Party City 

 

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