Experiencing a robust annual growth rate of 16 percent for the next decade, the solar industry has witnessed an influx of new players, adding to the competitiveness of an already thriving market. Therefore, it has become more crucial than ever for established solar companies to devise strategies that set them apart from the crowd.

That's where the leading solar marketing company, Solar Exclusive, comes in, illuminating the path to greater profitability for hundreds of solar companies across the United States. We had the opportunity to converse with Founder Rich Feola about Solar Exclusive's remarkable achievement of $75 million in solar ad sales and dove into what makes them number one in their field.

The Shift From In-Person to Virtual Sales

This year, ad revenue from major platforms like Google, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok is expected to soar beyond the $350 billion mark. If your solar company is still pondering whether to dive into these lucrative waters, the time has come to seriously consider the advantages of collaborating with Solar Exclusive for a well-planned ad placement strategy.

Feola explained that the pandemic shifted homeowner preferences towards digital interactions for solar inquiries, making online engagement the norm over in-person or door-to-door sales approaches.

"Before the pandemic, 80 to 90 percent of solar sales took place in person, while ten or twenty percent were virtual sales. After the pandemic, virtual blew past the 50 percent mark," he said. "Door knocking will go into the energy hall of fame. It's the cheapest, and sometimes the most efficient, way to get started in the solar industry. But it's not the right strategy for significant expansion beyond a small footprint."

Achieving High Conversion Rates For Solar Clients

According to Feola, Solar Exclusive's competitive edge lies in its use of a single, well-established account to manage all its ads across platforms like Facebook, Google, and YouTube. This centralized approach enables them to finely target ads, which leads to higher quality leads and therefore higher lead-to-closing ratios for their clients. 

Feola elaborated, "Many solar companies mistakenly believe that a general marketing company can deliver high-quality leads. However, without years of specializing in strictly solar ads, as we have, they can't even come close to getting the same high-quality results. You could take one of our ads and give it to one of our competitors and they would not get the clickthrough rates that we do, because our seasoned account has helped us figure out exactly who to show that ad to so that it leads to a sale."

Solar Exclusive's undivided commitment to the solar market in the last seven years has paid off, earning it the title of the leading independent YouTube spender in the home services industry for 2020-22.

How Solar Exclusive Achieves The Highest Conversion Rates in The Industry

According to Feola, the key to succeeding in marketing is this: It's not what you sell, but how you sell. He further elaborated, "Our numbers show that our clients have generated over $2B in home solar upgrades. ."

Solar Exclusive's remarkably high client retention rate is proof that its online strategies are working. "Even the top lead generation companies have low retention rates compared to us," said Feola. "Our client retention rate after three months is 70 percent. Our competitors are averaging at most 15 to 20 percent in the same period."

Feola shared some additional stats on how Solar Exclusive is cornering the ad sales market, highlighting, "We're taking 26 percent of the market share. Our ads have been the most viewed on Google and YouTube for the last three years. The next biggest one is at 13 percent. Our biggest client is spending $600,000 a month with us, because it's working for them."

Feola further addressed why Solar Exclusive is the most logical choice for solar companies looking to scale up - because it's a great return on investment. "You can afford to spend money on virtual leads with us because you're getting a high conversion to quality leads," he said."For every dollar you spend in ad sales, the potential return could range from two to five, or even ten dollars as those quality digital leads are converted into clients."

Conversion is a pivotal element of a company's paid search strategy. After all, it's the primary goal of advertising as it means turning potential interest into actual sales. The key to Solar Exclusive's success is achieving the highest conversion rates in the industry, and that's what has led the company to reach the impressive milestone of $100 million spent in ads online.

"This is just the beginning," said Feola, "Because the solar revolution is here to stay. And there are so many more homeowners that could benefit from solar power."

About Rich Feola and Solar Exclusive

Rich Feola is the Founder of Solar Exclusive and the Clean Energy Network, an industry powerhouse that has educated over 2 million homeowners about the benefits of residential solar panels. Solar Exclusive has been featured in Digital Journal, Yahoo Finance, NBC, and FOX among other publications. Want to skyrocket the success of your solar business with top-notch leads? Visit this link to book a strategy call: https://solarexclusive.com/ Are you a homeowner looking to only speak to vetted solar companies with good ratings? Then visit www.cleanenergynetwork.com to receive a quote from a local, verified installer today.