Marketing and Outreach

Consumers and residents are interested in more affordable, healthier homes, but practitioners must engage the community to raise awareness.

Marketing and outreach are very important to the success of efficient home upgrade programs. Consumers and residents are interested in more affordable, healthier homes, but practitioners must engage the community to raise awareness. Comprehensive marketing tools will help you reach your intended audience.

Marketing & Outreach Suite

NeighborWorks America prepared a free suite of customizable marketing and outreach materials that Community Energy Navigators may utilize when building their programs. This suite includes items such as:

*Also available in Spanish.

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Results Analysis

Is this marketing and outreach working?

For many organizations, answering this question can be challenging, especially when trying to connect with multiple market segments. However, with advanced analytics tools now available, organizations can evaluate their marketing efforts to determine what’s working. Why is this so important? When trying to reach varied audiences with a limited budget, knowing which channels deliver the best return on investment is crucial. It ensures resources are spent wisely and goals are met. Without this insight, dollars can be wasted, and key objectives may go unachieved.

For instance, an organization runs an in-language ad on a popular radio station. Despite having a significant budget, the campaign underperforms, generating fewer calls and web visits than expected. What happened? After analyzing the results, they discover the ads aired during the morning drive, which had a broad audience but not the right one. Their target audience preferred listening after the evening drive during a significant, tailored music segment. By shifting their ads to that time slot, they not only stretched their budget but also achieved their goals faster. Without this analysis, they might have continued spending money on less effective times.

In an era of tightening budgets and increasingly sophisticated marketing, organizations must focus on analyzing their campaign performance. This ensures that every dollar works hard to reach and impact the communities they are meant to serve.

Beware of Scams

Energy efficiency scams are on the rise! When a national or local energy efficiency program is launched that offers products, services, or money, scam activity increases. Scammers target consumers who have a desire to save cash and be environmentally conscious. The Internal Revenue Service, FTC, AARP, and others have issued alerts about these scams. The good news is you can protect and empower consumers with information from a source they can trust.

SIGNS OF A SCAM

Scammers can assume many roles using multiple tactics. To steer clear of scams, know the signs. The top signs of a scam are when someone:

  1. Asks for payment in full upfront.
  2. Guarantees an incentive when the consumer may not qualify.
  3. Pressures a consumer to take advantage of a special that expires “today.”

PREVENTING A SCAM

Knowing how to prevent a scam is essential to success. The steps you can take to prevent energy efficiency scams are:

  1. Suggest consumers contact the Navigator for the best options.
  2. Tell consumers to get three estimates from licensed companies or contractors.
  3. Create a local program in collaboration with local officials and partner agencies.
  4. Develop a marketing and outreach plan with toolkit resources to educate consumers about energy programs and raise awareness of scams.
  5. Ensure the consumer website highlights legitimate programs and tips for spotting scams.
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REPORTING A SCAM

Unfortunately, consumers may get scammed or engage with a scammer unknowingly. Tell them reporting the scam is key to protect others.

  1. Gather details from the consumer and assist them with submitting the complaint to ensure the report is made.
  2. Contact the Federal Trade Commission.
    Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
  3. Contact the State Attorney General.
    Your State Attorney General
  4. Contact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Submit a complaint | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov)

STAY ALERT ABOUT SCAMS

Scams change often. To stay alert and informed about scams:

  1. Sign up for the AARP Scam Alert Newsletter
  2. Get FTC Consumer Alerts
  3. Read the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
    Alerts and Report
  4. Keep a record of scam reports from your customers.