Clean energy goals and accolades: Dominate year-end planning

What can you do to promote your clean energy organization while preparing for the new year? Prioritize strategic communications, jump on social media, and ready your annual reports.

Now is the perfect time to thank your clients and your team on social media. However, it’s crucial to put company-wide effort into developing your goals for the new year while going through your end-of-year analytics.

Showcase clean energy clients and staff on social media.

By mid-December, people start slacking off at work with “between 30 and 40% of staff reporting a fall in productivity,” according to Peakon. There’s a good chance that both your clean energy clients and employees spend more of their workday cruising social media.

Use this to your advantage by engaging clients and staff with a fruitful social media campaign.

Christmas click-off: Peakon survey of more than 15,000 employees

• Connect followers to your team with personal insights. Share notable moments (with permission) from staff, such as family additions, holiday pet photos, and quotes on their favorite moments from the year.
• Share photos of departments in holiday gear. From internet-appropriate holiday party images to season’s greetings social media cards, show your audience the humans behind the phones and screens.
• Recognize employee wins. Forget about top sales. Instead, share a testimonial regarding a team member’s connection or something positive your employee did at, or outside of, work.
• Call out decisive PR moments about your clients. For example, if a clean energy client recently donated to charity or was recognized for a special award, then now is the time to share the good news.

Develop a clean energy strategic communications plan.

A communications strategy is your guidebook to how your energy business will increase your revenue in the new year. A study conducted by the Project Management Institute (PMI) finds:

Ineffective communications are the primary contributor to project failure one-third of the time and had a negative impact on project success more than half the time.

Without solid objectives and purposeful forms of measurement, it’s tough to gain visibility in a saturated market and busy digital arena. Plus, a lack of planning directly impacts your revenue.

Companies risk $135 million for every $1 billion spent on a project.  56% is put at risk with ineffective communications.

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By compiling market and client research, then creating a cohesive plan, you develop a clear path for each stakeholder and team member in your clean energy organization. A strategic plan consists of:

• Business and communications objectives
• Key messages
• Market and audience research
• Review of current processes and platforms
• Communications channels
• Content and PR calendar
• Benchmark and measurement data

A communications plan makes everyone accountable for growth and success. It aligns your stakeholders, outsourced marketing, and sales teams behind measurable goals in the new year.

Assess annual reports before setting new goals.

The days of scanning spreadsheets to glean valuable information are over. Instead, deliver annual reports that engage your team and keep everyone focused. Well-designed visuals enhance your message, highlight essential data, and promote conversations among team members. Provide your shareholders with annual reports that:

• Use graphics to improve your balance sheet, cash-flow statement, and income statement.
• Build trust in your clean energy brand and executives.
• Educate stakeholders and team members.

Compile end-of-year budgeting and marketing research.

While you may not have the final numbers, you can request data used for updating your communications strategy. Organize your research, talk numbers with your team, and devise a plan based on strategic reporting.

Plus, leverage the good mood of the holidays by:

• Asking staff to compile testimonials.
• Reaching out to new case study participants.

Just because we’re less productive during the holidays, that doesn’t mean we aren’t connected. Increase opportunities in the new year by developing your communications plan and goals while engaging stakeholders with accessible and exciting annual reports.