3 Essential Internet Marketing Strategies for Oil & Gas Companies

Oil & Gas companies are constantly searching for new ways to stay ahead of the competition and make their business more visible to their target audience. Many oil and gas companies have turned to the internet as a new way of generating leads, increasing visibility, and diversifying their customer base. Those who chose to invest years ago are now seeing their marketing efforts pay off in droves as their businesses experience unprecedented growth. Those companies who chose to ignore the opportunities digital marketing provides will soon see themselves falling behind the competition, if they haven’t already. However, it is not too late to start growing your business online.

Why Do Oil & Gas Companies Need Digital Marketing?

Studies from some of the top business schools around the globe have found that print media and traditional advertising is becoming less and less effective with time. This is primarily due to 2 reasons:

1. Advancements in Avoidance Technology 
   Over the past 5 years or so, audience’s have become more adept at avoiding ads. TV ads are fast-forwarded through as DVRs become more common, digital ads are blocked with Ad block, and marketers are starting to have to find new ways to engage their audience and generate interest in their brands.
2. Consumer Behavior is Changing
   The average American, whether we recognize it or not, is exposed to thousands of ads on a daily basis. As a result, consumers have learned to tune out and ignore the daily bombardment of intrusive ads that interrupt their daily lives. Instead, marketers are finding they have to provide their audience with some sort of value in order to achieve the same effect traditional advertising once had. By informing, entertaining, and engaging your audience, you are building rapport with potential clients and entering them into your marketing funnel and increasing the chances they’ll turn to you when they’re ready to make a purchase.

With these in mind, let’s look at some of the top 3 reasons oil and gas companies should invest in digital marketing.

1. Lead Generation

Generating a steady inflow of leads is a crucial component to expanding your business. Digital marketing addresses this need by engaging your target audience throughout the purchase journey, starting with generating traffic, turning that traffic into qualified leads, and converting those leads into paying customers. Different strategies target your customers at different stages of the purchase journey, but all of them work together towards a common goal.

2. Digital Marketing Builds Trust

Building trust with your potential clients is a goal of any marketing strategy, however, digital marketing allows you a unique opportunity to do so. This is especially true with strategies such as SEO in which your audience is drawn to your site “organically” through their own research. Techniques such as Social Media Marketing and SEO are known as inbound marketing strategies, which attract potential clients to a brand’s website via content rather than intrusive ads. When a potential client finds you on their own terms, they are much more likely to become a paying customer (as long as your digital strategy is effective from top to bottom).

3. Build Your Brand Identity & Awareness

Building your brand identity and spreading awareness increases the chances that a potential client learns about your business and the products and services you offer before they make a purchase decision. Using techniques like SEO, Social Media Marketing (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram…), Content Marketing, and Email Marketing, you can reach your target market on multiple channels and deliver your value proposition. Make your brand stand out from the competition and let your audience know why they should choose your company.