9 Tips for Marketing Natural Gas Programs to Your Customers

Natural gas plays a pivotal role in the global energy mix, serving as a bridge between traditional fossil fuels and renewable energy sources. 

While demand for cleaner, more sustainable energy solutions grows, natural gas still plays an important role in delivering reliable warmth and energy to your customers. Even if customers have little choice in their energy supply, natural gas utility providers face the dual challenge of promoting their product’s benefits while navigating an increasingly competitive and complex market and regulatory landscape. Effective marketing strategies for natural gas programs are crucial for energy efficiency program managers to engage customers, drive participation, and achieve energy conservation goals.

This article offers actionable tips for program managers to market their natural gas services and energy efficiency programs effectively to customers.

Key Takeaways

• • Adapt to Customer Preferences: Emphasize natural gas as a reliable primary or secondary energy source, but acknowledge customer perceptions and preferences toward sustainability within your marketing messaging.

• • Strengthen Brand and Engagement: Create a strong brand presence through strategic messaging and community engagement, utilizing social media and content marketing to highlight the benefits of natural gas programs and incentives designed to conserve energy and reduce emissions.

• Boost Visibility and Credibility: Use content, SEO, customer testimonials, and targeted advertising to improve online visibility and showcase the reliability of natural gas and cost-saving opportunities of gas energy efficiency and gas incentives for customers.

• Innovate Through Partnerships and Technology Solutions: Leverage partnerships and innovative technology solutions like MyHEAT to offer unique insights on energy efficiency, enhancing marketing efforts and customer engagement.

Top trends that will affect natural gas program marketing in 2024

Increased competition from renewable sources and non-pipe alternatives

The surge in renewable energy adoption and interest in non-pipe alternatives (NPAs), including heat pumps, is reshaping the energy market, posing a significant challenge for the future of natural gas delivery to customers. Consumers are increasingly prioritizing sustainability, driving demand for renewables and innovative energy solutions. To stay competitive and relevant in the minds of customers, program managers must emphasize efforts to delivery lower-carbon solutions, such as renewable natural gas and high efficiency furnaces, that present gas as a necessary component of a balanced energy transition. Efforts to explore and implement non-pipe alternatives should also be communicated to customers to bring awareness to these solutions and how they complement traditional gas delivery. 

Adapting to the digital transformation in the energy sector

The energy sector is undergoing significant digital transformations, requiring natural gas program managers to integrate advanced technology solutions to engage customers effectively. This shift includes leveraging AI (artificial intelligence), big data analytics, and IoT (internet of things) devices for improved energy management, such as disaggregation, load forecasting, demand response and more. 

Digital platforms can also facilitate better customer engagement through personalized services and real-time energy usage data, enhancing program participation and satisfaction. Natural gas program managers need to invest in these technologies to improve operational efficiencies, reduce costs, and meet the growing demand for innovative and sustainable energy solutions.

Shifting consumer preferences towards sustainability and behavioral energy efficiency

The growing consumer emphasis on sustainability is influencing energy choices, with a marked preference for green and efficient energy solutions. Additionally, there’s an increasing awareness of behavioral energy efficiency—how individual actions and decisions impact overall energy consumption. Natural gas program managers must highlight their efforts in reducing carbon footprints and contributing to a sustainable energy future to align with these shifting preferences. Emphasizing behavioral energy efficiency can help consumers understand how their behaviors affect energy use and the environment, encouraging more sustainable energy practices and program participation.

9 marketing strategies for natural gas programs

1. Establish a strong brand presence for your natural gas programs

Creating a compelling brand presence is crucial for natural gas programs aiming to build better relationships with customers and influence the perception of the brand in customers hearts and minds. This involves crafting a consistent and memorable brand identity that resonates with consumers, and helps to emphasize the unique value proposition of energy efficiency programs offered. A strong brand presence is built through strategic messaging, visual identity, and community engagement that collectively highlight the program’s commitment to sustainability, reliability, and innovation.

To effectively establish this presence, natural gas program managers should focus on developing a cohesive brand story that should be woven into all marketing materials, advertisements, and customer interactions to ensure a unified message is received.

Engaging with the community through sponsorships, educational programs, and sustainability initiatives can further reinforce the program’s position as a leader in energy solutions. By consistently demonstrating a dedication to environmental stewardship and community support, natural gas programs can cultivate a brand that is not only recognized for its products but also highly regarded for its positive impact and forward-thinking approach.

2. Utilize social media to engage customers

Social media platforms offer a powerful channel for connecting with consumers and businesses, allowing for direct engagement and the sharing of educational content. Use these platforms to highlight your natural gas program’s contributions to energy efficiency, sustainability, and community initiatives.

Natural gas program managers can use Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X or TikTok to share engaging content like short video reels. For example, creating engaging social media reels that highlight the benefits of participating in gas energy efficiency programs, their applications, and the sustainability efforts behind these programs.

3. Focus on highlighting the benefits of your natural gas programs

Marketing efforts should emphasize the advantages of natural gas, such as its safety and reliability as an energy source, or its benefit compared to alternatives such as delivered fuels. Communicating these benefits effectively can help sway consumer decisions to participate in your programs.

The program manager could produce a video series explaining how natural gas is a versatile energy source, showcasing its uses in home heating, cooking, and as a backup power source, and how the program helps customers save energy and money.

4. Leverage customer testimonials and reviews

Positive testimonials and reviews from satisfied program participants can significantly improve your program’s credibility and appeal. Feature these testimonials prominently on your website and in marketing materials to showcase the real-world benefits of participating in your natural gas program.

Encourage customers to leave reviews by sending follow-up emails after service installations or visits. Use positive testimonials in marketing materials and on the website, particularly those highlighting customer satisfaction with the program’s energy savings and cost savings.

5. Develop an engaging content strategy for your natural gas programs

Create and distribute valuable, informative content that addresses the interests and concerns of your target audience. Blog posts, infographics, and videos that explore energy efficiency, sustainability, and the benefits of participating in your natural gas program can enhance your brand’s authority and engagement.

Create an editorial calendar for the program blog and social media channels focused on topics like “Ways to Save with Natural Gas” and “The Role of Natural Gas in a Sustainable Future.” Use SEO tools to find trending keywords such as “natural gas energy efficiency programs” and “benefits of natural gas programs” to guide content creation.

6. Utilize email marketing and targeted ads to promote your natural gas programs

Email marketing campaigns and targeted advertising can effectively reach and convert specific segments of your audience. Personalized messages that resonate with your customers’ interests and needs can drive higher program participation and engagement rates.

Segment the email list into different customers groups, such as previous program participants, or customers with high consumption. Send customized newsletters to each segment, with personalized and tailored offers or calls-to-action that are relevant to the different segments. 

7. Invest in SEO to improve visibility in local search results

Search engine optimization (SEO) is critical for ensuring your gas energy efficiency programs appear prominently in search results related to natural gas and energy efficiency. Optimize the program’s website content for local keywords such as “gas appliance rebates”, “energy efficiency programs”, or “[utility name] energy rebates in [city name]”. Including details like the program’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) are helpful to boost local SEO.

8. Promote energy efficiency and rebate programs

Highlighting energy efficiency initiatives and rebate programs can attract consumers looking to reduce their energy usage and costs. These programs demonstrate your commitment to sustainability and can incentivize customers to participate in your natural gas program.

Develop a landing page on the website specifically for energy efficiency rebates and programs, making sure to include terms like “natural gas appliance rebates,” “home energy savings,” and “energy efficiency programs” to attract traffic from search engines. For example, create an in-depth guide about “New York State energy rebates” to cater to consumers in that region.

9. Enhance customer interest through innovative technology and partnerships

Energy efficiency program managers are increasingly leveraging advanced technologies and forming strategic partnerships to boost customer engagement. By integrating customer engagement platforms, artificial intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, they’re enhancing the customer experience with personalized interactions, efficient energy management, and real-time service enhancements. These platforms utilize AI to deliver highly personalized energy consumption advice, utilizing predictive analytics to offer specific recommendations for reducing gas usage based on individual household patterns. For example, AI can analyze a customer’s heating habits to suggest optimal times to lower the thermostat to save on energy bills without sacrificing comfort. This approach, coupled with IoT devices like smart thermostats, enables customers to precisely control their energy use, leading to higher satisfaction and program participation.

At MyHEAT, we specialize in enhancing customer engagement for natural gas programs through our innovative platform that provides detailed, city-scale heat loss maps. Our technology is designed to complement marketing strategies by offering a visual representation of energy efficiency opportunities, directly engaging consumers with personalized insights. By enabling homeowners to visually identify where their homes may be losing heat, we empower them to make informed decisions on improving insulation or upgrading to high-efficiency natural gas appliances through your programs. This approach not only drives higher participation in energy-saving programs but also contributes to significant energy conservation.

Learn how natural gas companies have partnered with MyHEAT to boost customer engagement and drive sustainability initiatives:

• • How Alberta’s Gas City used visual imagery as a behavioural nudge to motivate energy-saving action

• • How Union Gas used visual heat loss data to increase customer interest in energy efficiency programs

Ready to drive energy-saving actions and reach program goals faster with MyHEAT?

Contact MyHEAT to find out how we can work together to elevate your natural gas program marketing efforts. Our aerial thermal imaging solutions not only help customers understand and compare their heat loss but also drive significant increases in program participation and energy savings. Explore our case studies and learn how our innovative approach can help your natural gas program achieve its efficiency and marketing goals.

View an interactive demo of how MyHEAT’s heat loss maps work