Understanding Your Green Technology Customer PUBLISHED

Understanding Your Green Technology
Customer
A Field Guide for Marketing Professionals
Copyright © 2014 simply Sustainable Communications

Daniel K. Davis, PE
simplySustainable Communications
forward
Engineers are pragmatic…let’s face it. I think this old joke sums it
up;
“An optimist sees a partially filled glass
and says, “The glass is half full”. A
pessimist sees that same glass and says,
“The glass is half empty”.
An engineer takes a look and says, “Well,
for one thing, the glass is too big…”
I spent a lot of years as an engineer, and am therefore
predisposed to pragmatism; a trait that drove my desire to write
this eBook.
Simply put, I saw a need for something, and decided to offer a
solution based on what I knew.
The need? To understand how a typical green technology B2B
customer thinks and makes decisions. My solution? To offer a
glimpse into their world…because I have been the customer; a
decision-maker in the green technology world.
In my engineering travels, I’ve read countless marketing
documents that were technically accurate, yet grammatically
challenging; they were just too tough to read. Sadly, much of
this material showed a lack of understanding on the part of the
writer; a misunderstanding as to whom their target audience
really was. That’s quite understandable; it can be tough to talk to
someone when you don’t know their specific language.
I wanted to change that. I wanted to offer a first-hand glimpse
into the world of the people who buy--or select--green
technology products. Furthermore, I wanted to do so in a clear,
informative and conversational way.
Bear in mind, this is in no way an attempt to delve into green
technology or B2B marketing in exhaustive detail. Trying to
cover every green technology topic, every aspect of the
business-to-business world, or all the methods and techniques
of contemporary copywriting would be impossible.
Instead, this is merely a concise, to-the-point overview of the
green technology world, the people who select green
technology products, and some methods of getting their
attention.
I hope you find this information enlightening and genuinely
useful in your marketing pursuits.
Enjoy!

Understanding Your Green Technology Customer | i
What This Book is About…
This eBook or “Field Guide” exists for two reasons;
 To help you understand who selects green technology products
 To shed some light on how to market your green technology product or
service to them in the most effective manner.
To make this happen, I’ve broken down this guide into three parts;
Part I - The Players
 Green Technology
What exactly IS green technology? It’s a fashionable term, but what is it? Perhaps of greater
importance is the question, “What is it going to take to keep green technology alive in our world?” I’ll
answer this.
 The Business-to-Business World
Marketing material intended for the business environment is quite different than its consumer-based
cousin. Why are they different? How is marketing material structured to accommodate these
differences? Answering these questions is a cornerstone of truly effective copywriting.

Understanding Your Green Technology Customer | ii
…and that’s the point to all of this…
Part II - The Stage
 Where Green Technology and Business-to-Business Meet
The products of green technology are generally attached to something. For example; solar arrays and
wind turbines exist somewhere because they’re producing power for someone.
How do they get there? Who decides to use a particular product? What factors are at play when
influencers/decision makers ultimately make a product choice?
To answer these questions, I’ll shed some light on the “inner workings” of the green and sustainable
arena with respect to the people who will be reading your product material, and--ultimately--selecting
a product.
Ideally yours…
Part III - The Script
 The Major Marketing Players
Here, I’ll introduce the more common vehicles for getting your message across. While the “materials in
use” list is virtually endless--and growing by the minute--these are some of the primary marketing
materials and/or channels in use today.
We’ll explore the main players in the B2B marketing game, their use, and the main points to successfully
creating and using them effectively in the B2B/green technology world.
Understanding the different marketing channels/vehicles/products (as applicable) typically used--and
where they can best be employed--goes a very long way in successfully engaging your audience.

Understanding Your Green Technology Customer | 1
PART I - The Players
Green Technology & Business-to-Business
Setting the Record Straight
From the start, let’s wrap a bow around a couple of fundamental concepts,
namely; what green technology really is, and what business-to-business
marketing entails. These two topics may appear to be largely unrelated,
when--in fact--they share an inexorable link.
Quantifying them and identifying the link will lay the
groundwork for the rest of the book.

What is Green Technology?
The term “green technology” is very fashionable in today’s world. But…what exactly is it? The “technology” part of the term is somewhat
straightforward. For example, one common dictionary definition of “technology” is:
That’s a pretty good mouthful, even for hipster-geek engineer-types like me. Put another way, the term “technology” simply refers to “the
application of knowledge for practical purposes.”
Now…what about the “green” part?
To answer this, it’s best to first identify where “green technology” is applied:
 Energy
Easily the hot button in the green world, energy is possibly the most urgent issue for green
technology--and the leading driver for green technology products. Of primary concern is the
development of alternative fuels (fuel cells, biomass and the like), establishing/furthering means
of generating energy (PV, wind, hydro, etc.), and fostering increased energy
efficiency/transport/utilization.
Energy storage strategies and power transformation (batteries, inverters etc.) are proving to be
increasingly prevalent as balance-of-system (BoS) components assume a larger percentage of
alternative power system overall costs.
tech•nol•o•gy
—noun
The branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their
interrelation with life, society, and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as
industrial arts, engineering, applied science, and pure science.

 Building Design and Construction (BD + C)
This is a pretty “broad brush” concept encompassing an increasingly large arena; from building
materials to building location, orientation, etc. Two of the primary players in BD+C are:
 Building Materials – Environmentally friendly products and their applications. Re-
use/recycling of materials is showing an increasing trend in the BD+C sector.
 Building Design – Establishing and implementing green technology through
environmentally conscious architecture. Some examples include daylighting, fenestration
products, thermal massing, intelligent lighting control—the list is virtually endless…
 Chemistry
Creating chemical products and processes that are environmentally friendly,
thereby eliminating or significantly reducing the creation and use of chemicals and
processes that have proven to be environmentally harmful.
 Nanotechnology
Really a subset of green chemistry, nanotechnology is—basically—messing with
materials on a VERY small scale (one billionth of a meter…hence, the “nano” part).
Many scientists believe that mastering nanotechnology will drive an entirely new
manufacturing paradigm.
While by no means complete, these are the biggest slices of the green technology pie. Close this eBook and count to ten. Chances are,
there’s going to be another green product, another innovative technology unveiled, or another fascinating use of an existing green
product in that time. That’s the miracle of this brave new world.
Now, green technology in and of itself is a wonderful concept. Concepts are great things to toss around at dinner parties…
but…

What are the Goals--The End Game--of Green Technology?
Here’s a short-list of primary objectives/challenges facing green technology today:
 Sustainability
The primary idea here is to provide a world that doesn’t involve eventual depletion
of finite natural resources. Simply—perhaps crudely—put, green technology
endeavors to leave little or no mess for successive generations to clean up.
 ”Cradle-to-cradle” design
A close relative of sustainability, the cradle-to-cradle design concept centers on
creating products that can be fully reclaimed/recycled/re-used, as opposed to
the “cradle-to-landfill” mindset of contemporary product manufacturing.
 Source Reduction
One significant goal of green technology is to shift production and consumption habits, thereby reducing waste, pollution, and
manufacturing “fall-out”.
 Innovation
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is a commonly held belief that—unfortunately—breeds inertia; existing products and technologies
continue to be used despite their harmful environmental impact. Green technology—through innovation—strives to develop
better, cleaner, and genuinely attractive alternatives to the status quo.
 Financial Viability
Regardless of the benefits, if—at the end of the day—the ledger doesn’t balance, green
technology is not going to be used. A crucial requirement—and therefore goal—of green
technology is to be economically viable.
Creating a center of economic activity around green technologies and products—making them
“sensible” economically is paramount for green technology.

The Three Principles of Survival for Green Technology
For the purposes of this book, the financial viability of green technology is the biggest motivator. Warehouses get quite full without
someone to buy sustainable products. This is without question a key element in the overall picture. The economic success of green
technology is based on three driving principles:
Asymptotic manufacturing costs, economies of scale, mass production strategies or material-
to-manufacturing cost analyses etc. are outside the scope of this book. There are ample
resources available for those specific topics.
Simply put, the more a given “thing” is produced, the cheaper it is to make that “thing” on a
per-unit basis. History supports this, and large scale green technology utilization will certainly
follow suit.
Wars, political strife, and dramatic social revolution aside, long-term, major changes in the
world are--and will continue to be--affected on most levels through the business vehicle. In
order for Principle #1 to be achieved, businesses must see a need to invest in green
technology.
At the risk of being controversial, I will therefore assert that the business world is the primary
influencer in how green technology is accepted--and utilized--worldwide.
Principle #1
To be economically viable, green technology must be utilized on a large scale
Principle #2
For green technology to be utilized on a large scale, it must be embraced by key influencers

Businesses must understand that green technology is in their best interests. While the winds of
change are upon us, there is still--to a large degree--a lack of acceptance of green technology
on many levels. This is not just due to the inherently cryptic, technical or “scientific” nature of
green technology, but the misplaced belief that green technology is simply an unwise choice.
Many issues underwrite this mindset. Some prevailing notions are;
 Green technology--in the energy context--has a poor Return On Investment
 Green technology--as a whole--is largely unproven
 Green technology has not proven itself to be a significant improvement; a “game
changer” to existing methods and technologies
These beliefs must be mitigated; this mindset assuaged. Understanding the concepts and physical systems inherent in green technology
will happen organically through education. However, education purely for the sake of knowledge is not enough.
Influencers must come to understand that green technology is not only a viable option, but a profitable one.
For green technology to be financially viable therefore, its benefits must be understood--and subsequently embraced--by the business
world. The greatest chance; the most prominent vehicle for achieving this is through relevant, useful and targeted business-to-business
marketing.
In these principles lie the primary challenges for the green technology world.
In Principle #3 lies the motivation for this eBook.
Principle #3
To be embraced, the economic viability of green technology must be understood

What is “Business-to-Business Marketing”?
For the most part, it boils down to this:
In a very basic sense, business-to-business—or B2B—marketing
is all about businesses meeting the needs of other businesses.
These needs, in turn, are ultimately driven by the consumer
market.
It’s that simple.
Business-to-consumer—or B2C—markets could be defined as
the more “conventional”, much better understood environment
than its B2B kin, and won’t be addressed here. Before digging
into the B2B market, it’s a good idea to introduce something
called the “marketing chain”…
The B2B marketing chain—more of a web, actually—is a very
complex interlinked dance involving a multitude of players. To
be brief, it can be described by…say, manufacturing a pencil…
A tree (timber) gets cut down, and mill “A” turns it into smaller
bits of wood, called lumber. (Yes, there really is a difference
between “timber” and “lumber”).
Now, mill “A” wants to sell its lumber to pencil maker “B”. Well,
so do lots of other mills. So, mill “A” markets to pencil maker “B”
to sell their wares; to “get known” to pencil maker “B”. A deal is
struck, and now mill “A” needs to ship the lumber. Enter a whole
bunch of shipping companies that want to move the lumber.
Each of these companies—in turn—market their services to mill
“A” in the hopes of getting the shipping contract.
Meanwhile…
Graphite manufacturer “C” wants to sell pencil “lead” to pencil
maker “B”, and markets accordingly in the hopes of getting the
“pencil lead” contract with pencil maker “B”. Finally, pencil
manufacturer “B” wants to get their pencils in stores. So, they
market to businesses that sell pencils.
And so on…and so on…and so on…
That’s a business-to-business marketing chain/web in its most
primordial sense. Put another way, the B2B market encompasses
a complex web of sub-component manufacturers, suppliers,
distributors, etc.—all representing links in the complex journey a
product takes to your door.
Because the primary focus here at greenTech copywriters is the
green/sustainable/renewable products and technologies arena,
the following discussion is geared in that direction. That being
said, the principle still holds true regardless of the particular
niche market. And--as was stated earlier--the concept of B2B
marketing is simple.
But it’s also unique…

How are B2B and B2C markets different?
In recent years, B2B marketing has emerged as a discipline in its own right. During this
time, the differences between the B2C and B2B markets—and their divergent marketing
strategies—have been accentuated. In short, the techniques used to explore the B2B
market are often quite distinct from the techniques used in B2C marketing. Here are
some primary factors that differentiate B2B from B2C markets:
Decision Making in B2B Markets is More Complex
In a typical consumer environment—a household for example—decisions are made on a
small scale; generally on a personal and/or immediate family level. In contrast, a B2B
purchasing decision is multi-tiered, with each level having a different goal.
For instance, a product buyer seeks a good financial deal. Production managers want
high throughput. Health and safety executives want low risk. CEO’s and influencers want
a successful, positive outcome in terms of company standing.
The list goes on…
Keep in mind, each participant in this decision-making process brings their own unique
psychological and cultural factors to the table. This can introduce some interesting elements to
the final selection of products and suppliers. An effective B2B copywriter must be well-versed in
this distinction.
A green technology product--in the B2B context--is generally considered a high-value purchase. It
represents the largest distinction from consumer purchases--and therefore--marketing approach.
With few exceptions, a large number of senior decision-makers are involved, evaluating a large
range of purchase criteria. It can be expected that a CFO, R&D Director, Production Director, Head
of Legal, CEO and any number of upper-management department heads will be involved.
Typically, a B2B buyer has some prior knowledge of a product or service prior to
purchase/decision-making. Chances are, they’ll enlist experts, consultants, etc. to broaden their
knowledge base. They’re simply not going to be swayed by a flashy brochure.
Marketing Note:
An effective green products B2B
copywriter must understand the
multifaceted and knowledgeable
nature of his/her audience, and
demonstrate a high level of expertise
when interacting with this target
reader.
This involves not only product
knowledge, but the ability to
“negotiate”—to assuage the fears—of
all the decision-makers; financial,
technical, production, managerial, etc.

B2B Buyers Are More Rational
This description is controversial, but I believe it to be accurate to a large degree.
While it’s certainly true people don’t leave their emotions at home when they go to
the office, there’s no question they keep them reined in very closely when in sight of
their colleagues.
When purchasing products or services for personal use, we all inherently take greater risks in the
purchase; the only potential loser in the transaction is ourselves. Here, personal wants and desires
often take precedence over a more informed, more accountable decision.
In contrast, an individual representing a company will apply much tighter purchasing controls.
In a business environment, the buyer has a different set of motivating factors; ROI (Return On
Investment), product reliability and support, etc. These larger, “non-personal” issues tend to
drive a more rational decision-making paradigm, supporting the assertion that business-to-
business buyers are inherently rational.
But not entirely…
It would be myopic to suggest that business-to-business buyers are entirely rational. The
reason for this is found on a deeper level; trust, security, ego, etc. No B2B green products
buyer wants to risk his/her livelihood or reputation buying or specifying an unreliable product.
This makes emotional issues such as trust, security, and/or professional standing significant.

B2B Products Are Often More Complex
Generally speaking, the purchase of a typical consumer product requires little expertise;
often nothing more than a whim. Even relatively complex consumer products tend to be
chosen on fairly simple criteria.
In contrast, B2B products are—to a large extent—complex entities. A typical
green/sustainable B2B product frequently requires input from a qualified expert. Contrary
to standardized “run-of-the-mill” consumer products, green and sustainable products are
often quite unique and require high levels of manipulation.
In addition, green technology products frequently have to be integrated into wider
systems. A solar power array is a perfect example; to be useful, the derived solar energy
must be integrated into a larger power system (say, 480/277V, 3-phase, 60 Hz) for it to be
useful. As a result, such products generally conform to very specific requirements and
need qualified, expert examination and integration.
B2B Purchases Are Long-Term
Homes and automobiles aside, the majority of consumer purchases are relatively short-
term. Long-term purchases--or purchases expected to be repeated over a long period of
time--are more common in business-to-business markets. Here, capital machinery,
component acquisition, consumables, depreciation, etc. are prevalent factors.
In general, business customers tend to be regarded as long-term customers—more so
than consumers.
The bottom line? There are fewer business customers, and the ones that do exist
represent a greater revenue base, as discussed below.
Marketing Note:
The fundamental requirements of
a B2B copywriter/content
marketer is to be fully informed
with respect to the product being
sold, and to frame their material
around the notion that the target
customer has a pretty good idea
of the nuts and bolts of the
product you are showing them.
Critical to a copywriters
understanding is the fact that a
B2B sale is often technical;
meaning that buyers in the green
B2B market are often extremely
experienced and originate from a
technical discipline within their
organization.
The success—or failure—of an
entire product line can be largely
dependent on how well a small
copywriting /marketing team is
able to speak to these people.

There Are Fewer Large Sale B2B Customers
Most revenue generated in business-to-business markets follows the Pareto
Principle, or 80:20 rule. Put another way, a small number (roughly 20%)
generates the large majority (approximately 80%) of sales. In short, most of the
money comes from a few big clients.
The ramifications of this are truly significant; it is not unusual--even in the
largest business-to-business companies--to have 100 or fewer customers
representing the bulk of sales.
It’s a Matter of Scale…
In consumer markets there’s a limit to the amount that a single person can buy and use of any given product. Most buyers of consumer
products fit into a relatively narrow “typical spend per month” category, with a few heavy spenders--and a few light ones--filling in the
extremes of the curve. In other words, the difference between the light user and the heavy user in consumer markets is relatively small.
Conversely, the range of spend between
the largest and smallest buyer in the
business-to-business universe is generally
much, much larger. The presence of a few
key accounts--representing a small
number of customers of widely different
sizes--is a major distinguishing
characteristic of business-to-business
markets.
As such, it requires a completely different
marketing approach to that required for
consumer markets.
Marketing Note:
Because such small numbers of customers dominate the lives of businesses, we
must make them happy. This involves not only providing them with relevant,
quality content that meets their informational needs, but truly understanding what
those needs are.
We need to get to know our customer well; who they are, and what motivates
them in their path to success. Knowing where they want to go is paramount to
helping them get there.
The limited number of units sold in business-to-business markets, coupled with
the narrow band of “big spenders” presents both an opportunity and an
expectation; the biggest spenders want dedicated value-added services from us
that reflect their importance. If we don’t satisfy this expectation, someone else will.

Wrapping up the Business Buyer
Simply put, business-to-business buyers are more demanding…
 They have a responsibility to make the right decision when
purchasing on behalf of their companies. They don’t have
the luxury afforded with personal risk. Their jobs; their very
livelihood depends on making the right choice.
 They take greater financial risks and therefore need quality of
the highest caliber.
 They have the expertise to recognize a less-than-superior
product when they see one.
 They are used to getting what they want.
 They are often paying more than they would as a consumer
and therefore expect more in return.
 They are more likely to find themselves interacting with a
green product, rather than playing the role of passive
recipient.
Pareto Was An Interesting Guy…
While the “Pareto Principle” is considered to be the mathematical
axiom for how business revenue is generated, it really didn’t start
out that way…
The creator, Vilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto started his multi-
faceted career as a civil engineer, working several years for the
state-owned Italian Railway Company. He climbed the ranks of
industry, becoming the general manager of Italian Iron Works.
Pareto seems to have gone through the equivalent of a 19th
-
century “mid-life crisis”; in his mid-forties he quit his job, became a
fiery liberal, and married his Russian sweetheart (who
subsequently left him for a young servant). His pursuit of
economics actually didn’t occur until this period in his life.
While acting as the chair of Political Economy at the University of
Lausanne in Switzerland, the now-famous “Pareto Principle” was
born…but from a slightly different angle.
Pareto made the observation that twenty percent of the
population owned eighty percent of the property. It wasn’t until
years later that Joseph M. Juran generalized Pareto’s observation
into the “Pareto Principle” regarding the distribution of wealth.
In effect, this principle argued that in all countries and times, the
distribution of income and wealth is highly skewed, with a few
holding most of the wealth.
Over the years, Pareto’s premise has proved remarkably close to
observed data.

What Every Copywriter Needs to Know
For the green products copywriter/content marketer, the implications are clear. It is our job to meet the target audience’s needs. The
material we create must show a clear, complete understanding of a given product and all of its nuances; not just a technically accurate
regurgitation of engineering data and project features or attributes. Finally, we must convey this knowledge in the “language” of the
reader.
I can’t overemphasize this last point…
At any given time, your material may cross the desk of company CEO’s, VP’s, CFO’s; the people who
ultimately write the checks. There’s quite a bit more to the “check writing” decision-making process than this,
and I’ll get to that shortly. For now, keep uppermost in your mind…
These influencers are busy.
They want to know--in a clear, concise manner--your proposed solution (your product) is going to solve their
problem. They need to know that your product will improve their overall business posture…that it benefits
their company; their very own creation. Frame your copy to meet this need.
At other times in the marketing cycle, your material may end up being read by the “techies”…the people
who devote their professional lives to the very specific, technical aspects of a business.
To effectively speak to this audience, the copywriter must have a complete command of a given product. A
lack of understanding--and conveyance--of the technical details of a product can invoke the ire of
“gunners”; the nitpicking types who will tear apart your document if you missed anything, or…heaven
forbid…used an acronym incorrectly. “The devil is in the details” in their world. Accommodate them by
meeting their needs for technical accuracy. Give them peace of mind by getting the numbers right.
These two examples might appear to be a paradox, but not really. Effective copy will speak to both readers.
Striving to meet these two opposing needs is a sincere challenge for copywriters. Succeeding is a great
reward.

To add to this mix of potential readers, copywriters must understand that lead maintenance
personnel will invariably be instrumental in the decision making process; often on an unseen level.
As said before, the CEO’s, VP’s, CFO’s, etc. will ultimately write the checks...
…but they’re going to cozy up to the maintenance folks and
get their views on your product before actually signing on
the bottom line.
There’s a good reason for this;
The maintenance group will normally be the most intimate partners with your product. As such, their
thoughts and opinions carry great weight in product selection.
Keep in mind, however, their concerns are entirely different than a CEO, CFO, etc. They’ll want to
know your product is reliable. They’ll want to know it’s not going to require a massive training or re-fitting cycle. Will your product
improve their day-to-day dealings in their organization? Will it prove to be a headache? Is your product going to make their job--and
their life--easier? These are the types of questions they will have, and effective copy will provide the answers.
These are just a few examples; a sampling of the various flavors your marketing copy will ultimately speak to. Any given product decision
will involve some, most or all of these players; often more. Irrespective of the decision-making team, make sure that your marketing
copy--regardless of web or print--meets all of their needs.
And always…ALWAYS…keep uppermost in your mind…
Business-to-business decision makers are people too…

PART II - The Stage
B2B Marketing in the Green Technology World
The previous discussion notwithstanding, there is great value in
focusing on green technology--with respect to effective B2B
marketing--through the eyes of a primary project decision
maker; the “consulting, specifying engineer”.
There’s a good reason for this;
While the aforementioned players (CEO’s, tech, maintenance,
etc.) are strategically significant in the overall selection process,
they will generally “hand off” much of the actual product
decision-making to someone else.
This “someone” is almost always a member of a design team.
Their role is to take the influencers “vision” and turn it into
something tangible.
More often than not, this vision involves providing power for
something, or providing it more efficiently. Before moving
ahead therefore, I’ll readdress a fundamental player in green
technology, namely energy.
Following the energy “soap box” speech, I’ll look at how a
typical green construction project comes to fruition. I’ll also
shed some light on effective use of marketing materials during
the various stages of design.
So…walk this way…

Energy is King
As pointed out earlier, a large part of green technology endeavors to provide energy, store it,
or find ways to keep from losing it. This can be seen in items ranging from solar handheld
calculators and cellphone chargers to satellites. From wind and micro-hydro equipped small
homes to utility scale solar arrays and wind farms meeting the energy needs of towns,
communities, cities; entire geographic areas.
The contribution of green technology in meeting global power needs is irrefutable, and the use
of alternative energy sources worldwide is increasing at a remarkable rate. It is without question
that the energy captured from sustainable sources will be greater tomorrow than it is this very
moment.
It is certain that a measurable increase in clean energy production will have
occurred by the time you finish reading this eBook.
However...
Harvested power, be it wind, solar, hydro…whatever…serves little to no purpose if it isn’t connected to an
energy consumer. In other words, it doesn’t do much good unless it’s powering something. For example, an
array of PV modules on a sunny day--or a wind turbine on a blustery one--are of no use to consumers unless
the harvested power is made available to them in the form they need, and delivered at a useful location.
To accomplish this, the “raw” (or source) energy must be transformed
into something useful. It must be aggregated or “gathered” for
efficient delivery. This power must be delivered to the intended point
of use. In many cases, this power will be integrated with utility
systems.
Accomplishing these goals requires a lot of components; parts and pieces. These individual parts
and pieces have to be integrated, sized, optimized, and coordinated as a complete “power
package”.

This takes design and--finally--construction. Someone has to be the
“conductor” in this grand event; in this great green technology orchestra.
In short, someone has to gather up all the elements--the individual sub-
components that comprise a “Source-to-User” alternative power system--
and turn them into a coordinated, functioning entity.
This is the domain of the architects, engineers and designers.

Green Building Design and Construction – The Bastion of Green Technology
Big Projects Need to Be Designed
In the green Building Design and Construction (BD+C) world, projects
are–more often than not–pretty substantial critters.
Rarely are projects undertaken that require…say, only one or two PV
modules, or merely involve a quick trip to a local hardware store
to “pick up some goodies and bolt down a new windmill thing”.
A hefty chunk of green projects are very large in scale.
The magnitude of a typical green technology project will inevitably
require the participation of many different groups; leaders and
planners, financial types, legal, maintenance folks, architects,
engineers, and so on.
Put another way, green projects aren’t “knocked together over a
weekend”. A large project will follow a series of progressive
design steps prior to even thinking about construction.
I’ll shed some light on that here…
Properly utilized, marketing material can effectively follow this project journey

The Green Project Design Lifecycle
From the first, tentative “We want something built
here…” ideas, to final project/facility commissioning
and owner acceptance, a typical large green project
is broken into several manageable sections.
Each of these sections--in turn--involves a greater
refinement of the design toward the intended
project outcome(s).
There’s a couple of reasons for doing it this way:
 It breaks an enormous undertaking into a
series of identifiable, relatively discreet steps.
 It allows for progressive “stopping points”;
milestones from which project team
members can ask for partial payment.
 Each phase is subject to review, allowing the
clients (read: municipality, developer,
government organization, etc.) to take a look
at how the project is progressing, and make
any desired changes before things get too
far along.
This series of steps-to-completion is generally called
the “Project Design Lifecycle”, and looks something
like this:

Predesign (PD)
Normally, not much happens here from an engineering standpoint.
This is where owners, municipalities, etc. decide they want
something, and start talking to people “in the know”–architects,
planners, etc. about getting a project going.
If an owner wants an alternative power source, it’s usually decided
here. That’s a good thing for green technology, but at the PD stage,
it’s simply defined as “something”; no one really knows exactly
what that “something” is at this stage.
Schematic Design (SD)
Here, the general scope of the project is defined. While conceptual in
character, overall project metrics are generally established (project
size, general electrical and mechanical loads, utility sources; water,
power, etc.). Ideally, by the end of SD, everyone on the design team
has a pretty good idea of where the project is going, and how big
their respective “pieces” need to be.
Marketing Note:
In the Predesign stage, a lot of movers and shakers are
trying to figure out which direction to go to solve their
problem.
For example; a group of city council members might
know that their constituents are screaming for more
alternative power in their communities. As such, they will
establish a mandate that the project must include
alternative power.
But what type? Solar? Wind? Something else?
The PD stage is a wonderful place for problem/solution
white papers. The council members already know they
have a problem; they need more alternative power.
A problem/solution white paper--properly positioned--
serves as an excellent vehicle for steering said council
members toward a given solution. Ideally, it’s your white
paper--and your product--that meets their needs.
Likewise, case studies are very effective here. A case
study offers the reader a real-world solution in use
right now with positive results.
Case studies offer a more personal view of solutions
available. This view holds great weight in the eyes of
decision makers.

But WAIT…there’s MORE…
Design Development (DD)
This can be thought of as the “meat” of project design. It is largely a
further refinement of the SD project model. Owner-requested
changes are made, disciplines wrestle for equipment space, and
construction documents are prepared for submittal to the
permitting/approving agencies (The AHJ’s or “Authorities Having
Jurisdiction” in engineer-speak).
Construction Documents (CD)
For all intents and purposes, the CD phase is getting the
project ready for bid. Think of it as a “crossing all the ‘t’s” and
“dotting all of ‘i’s” of the project.
Ideally (yet rarely), everything is properly sized, positioned
and coordinated with other disciplines. In a perfect world, all
of the “to-do’s” on the task lists are checked off. At the end of
the CD phase, a project has a nice bow wrapped around it.
Marketing Note:
At the CD stage, product candidates have been
essentially short-listed…the designer or engineer has a
pretty good bead on what products are going to be
used in the design. While “second half” changes are
certainly made, the project generally has too much
inertia to make any drastic changes in the overall
design.
Now is the time to help the engineer justify their decision…
Backgrounder white papers in particular serve to support
product selection, and allow the offering of more technical
details to further “shore up” their design choice(s).
Marketing Note:
Schematic Design and Design Development are the typical
stages where the design team members start assembling
initial product literature; building out their respective project
files with potential products to be used in the final design.
Again, problem/solution white papers and case studies carry
weight at this point. The engineer is most likely still “on the
fence” regarding a lot of things, and is surely a “top” or, at
times “middle of funnel” prospect.

Construction Administration (CA)
After the design is complete, it’s time to break out the tools and build
something. In engineer-speak, this is generally called the
“Construction Administration”, or CA phase of the project.
In a pristine, orderly, perfectly executed world, everything works.
Nobody encounters construction problems, and errors and/or
omissions are nonexistent. In this fantasy, the project proceeds
beautifully.
This world is a rare one indeed.
It’s tempting to think that--after design--the engineers, architects,
designers, etc. put all the marketing material away and merely watch
the builders go to work.
This isn’t necessarily the case…
Rarely do projects go exactly according to plan (pun intended) as
noted above. Throughout the course of any construction endeavor,
changes are made; it’s the nature of the beast. Sometimes the owner
will opt for something different. Often, dimensional or volumetric
constraints make a given product unsuitable for the task at hand.
Sometimes, stuff just doesn’t work, or was simply forgotten.
That being said, I’ll argue that design never really stops during the
course of construction; it merely changes form.
Marketing Note:
This is an excellent opportunity to
show off--or reiterate--your product
potential to a prospective client.
Here, product marketing material
geared toward solving a problem is
very effective. The reason? The owner,
architect or developer has a problem;
something doesn’t work as planned,
the clock is ticking, and budget is
more of an issue than ever.
They need a solution yesterday.
Marketing material highlighting a
product’s ease of installation, quick
turnaround time, and cost-effective
integration into existing (or partially
completed) projects will cause
prospective customers to turn a very
interested ear to what you have to say.
Something to think about…

What This All Means to Marketers
It’s extremely important to understand that in the green BD+C world, the decision to use a given product is normally made by a
design/engineering professional. This holds true for any flavor of project. Contractually--and legally--the CEO, company president,
project facilitator etc. entrusts them with choosing the best product(s) for a given application within the overall design.
Put another way, the CEO may write the check, but the
engineer decides what they’re writing the check for…
A wise copywriter will recognize this and strive to understand the challenge facing the decision maker in their journey through the
design--and product selection--cycle. Let me shed some light on this challenge, and how to get the attention of the right people:
To Specify, or NOT to Specify…
The end-game of all the project meetings, design charrettes, phone calls, calculations and sketches
produced during the aforementioned project lifecycle is to produce a set of documents, officially
called Contract Documents (the “deliverables” part of the “Construction Documents” phase
described above).
These documents are the very heart of a construction project. They
are the single most important elements used to bid, and ultimately
build the project envisioned from the outset by the owners.
Contract Documents are generally comprised of two mutually
supportive parts; the Project Drawings and the Project
Specifications; “Plans and Specs” as they are more commonly called.
Now, a large part of the design process involves putting a lot of “things” on the project drawings. These
“things” are what most people envision when they think of “floor plans”; all those pictures, symbols, lines
and cryptic notes that make engineers look smart. This is the quantitative part of a design package; “how
many, how big, how long, and where to put it.”

Equally–arguably–more important is making sure that these “things” meet certain requirements. Every symbol, every line–every element
on a drawing–has a qualitative value; a detailed, very specific description defining what it is. These values are generally defined in the
project specifications.
Now here’s where engineers grow old and weary real fast…
For any given “thing” in a drawing package, there are a multitude of products that potentially
qualify. For example, the “thing” could be a solar panel, wind turbine, micro-hydro
component…anything. Well any number of manufacturers may fit the bill…some good,
some very good, and some not so good.
Herein lies the specifying problem…
The Engineering Challenge – Specifying the Right Product
Specify a good or very good product in a design package, and the engineer is a hero. Specify a not so good one, and they’ve got a world
of hurt in their professional life for a long time…
Aesthetic, financial, health and safety, or environmental issues aside, a product ultimately gets picked when
the consulting engineer “signs off” on it, and includes it in the “Acceptable Manufacturers” specifications
section.
In other words, regardless of how much the owner or project lead wants something; no matter how much the
architect wishes for something to be used, it is the engineer’s responsibility to ensure that said product:
1) Meets the requirements of the project
2) Is acceptable to them from a professional/liability/reputational standpoint.

They have to. It’s their job, their professional standing, and their legal hide if they don’t. The old consulting engineering adage holds
true…
“Get all the pieces on the drawings, and--for goodness sake–make
sure you don’t blow the whole deal with bad specifications!”
That being said, a great deal of time is spent by engineers, designers--anyone charged with
selecting a product–in reviewing, judging, and ultimately making a product choice. In fact,
one of the greatest challenges an engineer or any sustainable design professional
faces is deciding which products to specify in their design.
Now it’s true, engineers love the technical stuff, but sometimes, it’s just too
much. Trying to weed through pages of material to find that “nugget” of
information that sets a product apart can be a daunting task.
So, a “tough to read” product packet inevitably gets tossed,
if only for the fact that the reader has more to do than hunt
down information they are specifically looking for while the
clock is ticking…
And the clock is always ticking during design…
A product might be exactly what the engineer needs.
But if the marketing material before them does not
give them the confidence to approve it, it won’t make
the cut.
And if a product isn’t approved in the specifications,
it’s not going to be used…

Your Marketing Material Must Get the Engineer’s Attention…
Now, let’s say you have a new, innovative, top-notch green product. You’re
excited to get it out and shown; you want your new product to be visible,
and successful.
Well, so does everyone else who manufacturers that product...
So…
How do you get your product in front of–and ultimately chosen by–the people who can make this
happen? How do you set your green product apart in the buyer’s eyes? It’s no secret you want your
product to stand out, and you want it to be selected by your prospect.
Period…
Your marketing content is the key.
If your marketing content is useful, informative, and conveys the
product benefits to your prospective client in a way that they want to
see it, then they will continue reading.
If not, your marketing material will be shelved in favor of your
competitor. Give your prospect the information they need…in a way
that gives them confidence in your product…then their decision is
essentially made.
In a nutshell, if your product is presented in such a way that your
client sees the benefits they want; in such a manner that it
makes them a hero…
…then they will take a second look…

PART III - The Script
Marketing Vehicles
You’re proud of your product. You know it has the
potential to change the green technology world--or drive
it down a more efficient, cost-effective road. All who’ve
seen the fruits of your labor agree; it’s simply got to be
brought to market.
Now what?
Remember the old adage, “If a tree falls in the forest and
no one’s there to hear it…does it make a sound?” Well, the
tree is your product; it only makes a sound if there’s
someone (your potential client) to hear it.
Green technology and the business-to-business world
have been covered. Key issues regarding the B2B reader
have been illuminated, and effective measures for
appealing to their sensibilities--from a marketing
standpoint--have been addressed.
Now the question is, “What sort of material is my
prospective reader likely to respond to?” “How does my
potential client hear my tree falling in the forest?”
Your reader will respond most effectively to relevant,
useful and consistent content…

What is Content?
“Content is the vehicle by which a company tells its story…”
One could fill a large container ship with all of the definitions found for “content marketing” and its intended outcomes in the business-
to-business environment. In a truly basic and general sense however, content, and--for our purposes--content marketing can be
summarized as this;
“Content marketing is creating and sharing relevant and useful information about “something” (a
product type, service or industry) to potential customers with a vested interest in that
“something”.
In turn, this interest can be nurtured into customer confidence, brand familiarity, and--ultimately-
-selection of that “something” for their use through additional content marketing vehicles.”
Put another way, content marketing is helping a customer through the buying process gently by providing them with useful information
structured to lead them to your door. While the ultimate goal is to generate customer sale of a specific product or service, the underlying
strategy is to pull--not push--a potential customer in by educating them; not by selling to them.
Doug Kessler, content marketing guru and co-founder of the London-based B2B content marketing agency Velocity sums it up quite
nicely;
“Traditional marketing talks at people. Content marketing talks with them.”
Here lies the strategic heart of content marketing…

Who Uses Content Marketing?
In short, virtually everyone. Why do they use it? Because it works, and marketing
professionals know this.
But…
Why does it work so well?
Content Marketing Is Memorable
Content marketing is perfect for making your business more memorable.
But…
The key is to use it effectively. You can’t create “run-of-the-mill” generic content and
expect to see results. It will never grab your audience’s attention or be memorable. You must create content that is unique.
To do this, follow these general guidelines:
 Capitalize on the Power of Repetition
Strangers aren’t memorable to us, but we do remember people we have met and liked. You
want your business to become something that consumers know, like, and trust.
The way to do this as a business is the same way you do this as a person: You need to keep in
touch with people you want to be remembered by.
Content allows you to keep in regular touch with your prospects and customers. Repetition is a
strong memory tool, so it’s essential that you frequently and consistently place your content in
front of your prospects and customers.
2013/2014 B2B Content Marketing Trends
 93% of B2B companies use content marketing.
 78% of B2B small businesses have someone in
place to oversee content marketing strategy.
 75% of B2B small business marketers are
producing more content than they were a year
ago.
 58% of B2B companies plan to increase
content budgets.

 Harness the Power of Descriptions
Our minds are adept at remembering things we can picture — this includes images, of course,
but it also pertains to words that are highly descriptive. For this reason, it’s key that you use
descriptions in your content; even if you are trying to present analytic or other data-rich
information.
Descriptive words help your prospects “see” and understand what you’re talking about. This
means you will want to use analogies, adjectives, and any other comparisons in your content as
much as possible, so your readers will be able to better lock it into their memories.
 Utilize the Human Gift of Imagination
Our minds are adept at remembering things in terms of spatial relationships. Similarly, content
marketing can leverage the power of imagination to form memorable bonds between
businesses and customers.
In other words, you want to create content that will encourage your prospects to imagine what
it is like to do business with you — to use your products or services and to experience the
positive results this relationship will bring. By doing this, customers can, in a sense, experience
your business in relation to their needs, which will enable them to remember you on a deeper
level.
 Exploit the Style of Your Voice
Use your own, unique voice. The general idea behind all memory techniques is to change
something “boring” into something that’s different. By framing your content in a way that’s
“fresh” to your client, they can’t possibly forget your message; your product.
When writing content, it is to our significant advantage to fully grasp a core idea; one of the most overlooked business marketing
problems is one of memory, not customer interest. We must further recognize a natural human trait; that our minds rarely remember
abstract words and numbers. These notions are key to successful marketing efforts.

Content Marketing Vehicles
There are a vast number of ways that content marketing material can be presented, in a variety of formats. The list is almost endless, and
there’s just not enough space to list it all here…I won’t even try. For our purposes, I’ll simplify and sub-define content marketing into two
broad fields;
 Print (hard copy) media
 Online (web)-based content
Some types of content lend themselves quite well to both worlds. White papers, special reports and case studies for example, lend
themselves to both print and online channels. Social media not so much. That’s for the digital domain. But, the world is changing…I may
be proven wrong on social media! With such a transition towards a digital world however, I’ll broach the subject with an emphasis on
web-based content. For our purposes, it serves as a marketing “common ground”.
What Exactly IS Web Content?
Web content is the reason people come to your web pages
When a person goes to a website seeking a product or service--especially in the B2B world--they want to know a LOT of things about a
company;
 Who they are
 What they do
 What is their mission or professional stance?
 Are they credible?
 What makes them stand apart from their competitors?
 Are they leaders in their field?
In the business-to-business world, potential customers come to your website to learn about your company. They want more than a listing
of products and features. They want to assure themselves that you are credible and trustworthy. They want to see that you are a leader in

your field, and worthy of their time and money. They learn these things--and form an opinion about who you are--from your content.
Ideally, you earn their trust--and business--based on what they see on your website.
Types of Web Content
There are essentially two types of web content; text and multimedia. Text is…well…the written material on a webpage. However; it’s more
than just an online marketing pamphlet, and it’s more than just a list of bullet points addressing a certain topic. I’ll get to that in a minute.
Multimedia content is pretty much anything that isn’t text. Some examples are;
 Images
 Sound
 Video
 Animation
The multimedia world is growing daily. There
will certainly be more multimedia vehicles
tomorrow than there are today. The role--and
significance--of multimedia in website
presentation is irrefutable.
However…

Text vs. Multimedia Content
In the digital world search engines, crawlers, spiders, etc. “see” content differently than our eyes do. For example, digital images of
hamsters will not be recognized as “hamsters” by search engines. Additional information is needed to define the image. Meta tags,
sitemaps, or all the associated SEO topics notwithstanding, text is simply treated differently than digital images.
Note:
This book does not attempt to embark on a lengthy discussion concerning Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
There’s a wealth of information on that topic, and countless resources addressing SEO are readily available
from excellent sources.
The focus here is on text content as an SEO vehicle, because--as stated in countless marketing guides--“Content is King”. To support
this notion, I’ll simply refer to some published recommendations from Google and Bing; two worldwide search engine leaders:
Google recommends--in part--these steps to
get better search engine rankings:
 “Make pages primarily for users, not for search engines. Don't deceive
your users or present different content to search engines than you
display to users, which is commonly referred to as cloaking. Make a site
with a clear hierarchy and text links. Every page should be reachable
from at least one static text link.”
 “Create a useful, information-rich site, and write pages that clearly and
accurately describe your content.”

The “Google Search Engine Optimization
Starter Guide” further states, in part;
Bing engineers recommend the following to get better
rankings in their search engine:
It goes without saying that if major players in the search engine
sandbox make these recommendations, they’re worthy of note.
 “Creating compelling and useful content will likely influence your website
more than any (of the) other factors…”
 “Ensure a clean, keyword rich URL structure is in place”
 “Make sure content is not buried inside rich media (Adobe Flash Player,
JavaScript, Ajax) and verify that rich media doesn't hide links from crawlers.”
 “Create keyword-rich content based on research to match what users are
searching for. Produce fresh content regularly.”
 “Don’t put the text that you want indexed inside images. For example, if
you want your company name or address to be indexed, make sure it is
not displayed inside a company logo.”

Summing Up Web Content
Web content must be relevant and applicable to what you are trying to
say.
It needs to say something about you, your company, your company’s
views and direction. Web designers and developers sometimes lose sight
of this and rush to publish a “pretty page” with lots of graphics. This
certainly makes for a graphically pleasing page, but--more often than not-
-doesn’t really influence or inform the customer.
Pictures are nice, but they rarely tell the whole story. That’s the role of text
in web content.

The Major Content Players
Now that it’s been established that content is vital to
marketing, what form does this content take? What does
it look like? What are some guidelines for making it
effective in the green technology marketing world?
Here’s a VERY brief look at a couple of heavy-hitters…

White Papers
In general, a white paper--as used in the B2B context--can be described as;
“An authoritative report or guide to help readers understand an
issue, solve a problem, or make a decision.”
White papers are the multi-faced workhorse of the business-to-business marketing world. As a marketing tool, white papers;
 Use selected facts and logical arguments to build a case favorable to the originating
company.
 Are often used to generate sales leads, establish an individual or firm as an authority
in a specialized field, or inform and persuade prospective customers, journalists,
analysts, or investors.
 May present research findings, list a set of questions or tips about a certain business
issue, or highlight a particular product or service provided by a company.
 Can argue that one particular technology, product or method is superior for solving a
specific business problem. This “point of view” approach provides the opportunity to
differentiate your company in the eyes of your readers.
White papers have been around for a very long time; their effectiveness is irrefutable. The white paper will continue to be a front line
participant in content, irrespective of current--and often ephemeral--marketing practices.
Here’s why…
White Papers Have Staying Power
Statistically, marketing material is not retained by the reader. White papers, however, have been shown to foil the statisticians. Simply
put, white papers get read by more people, and the information they contain is retained. The reason? The best white papers will:
 Contain rich, substantive content that educates, not sells
 Offer new ideas that prompt and provoke innovative thinking
 Forward a clearly communicated point of view on issues that are highly relevant and timely
 Rely on statistically sound data and well-researched findings

White Papers Can Serve as Launching Pads
A well-crafted white paper can serve as a source for many other vehicles, feeding a range of entry points to reach your audience in
different formats including; blogs, videos, briefings, or any number of related deliverables.
White papers establish your perspective on a topic and define the storyline. Furthermore, they serve as an excellent starting point from
which to;
 Build a range of accompanying content pieces
 Expand on key themes
 Highlight experts
 Uncover research nuggets
 Drive--or initiate--different conversations
Types of White Papers
There are essentially three main types of white papers:
 Problem/Solution
A problem/solution white paper recommends a new, improved solution to a persistent problem. This
type is best used to generate leads at the top of the sales funnel, to build mind share (the development
of consumer awareness or popularity), or inform and persuade stakeholders.
 Backgrounder
The "Backgrounder" white paper describes the technical and/or business benefits of a certain product,
service, or methodology. This type of white paper is best used to supplement a product launch, argue a
business case, or support a technical evaluation near the middle or bottom of the sales funnel.
Backgrounders are commonly used by companies already established in their respective areas.

 Numbered List
A "Numbered List" white paper presents a set of tips, questions, or points about a certain business issue.
This type is best used to generate attention with new or provocative views, or suggest criticism of
competitors, especially by using FUD (or "fear, uncertainty, and doubt" in marketing terminology)
Which Type of White Paper is Right for You?
Well, that depends...
A Problem/Solution white paper is an effective tool for presenting a way to fix
something. Problem/Solution white papers are ideal vehicles to bring your new product--
your innovative design or approach--in front of an initial audience.
Conversely, a Backgrounder white paper is advantageous farther down the sales funnel. It
has the advantage of allowing for detailed product information--supporting content for the
interested prospect--in a more "technically focused" manner.
The Numbered List is useful as an adjunct to either of the above...it serves both masters
well;
 In the Problem/Solution white paper, incorporating FUD generally
supports the "problem" portion of the paper. Likewise, the use of tips,
questions, or points about a product advantage generally supports the
"solution" aspect of the piece.
 For use in a Backgrounder white paper, the Numbered List is a time-
honored, universally effective way of presenting supporting material
throughout the entire paper.
Marketing Note:
The author of your white paper--
regardless of which form it takes--
must be cognizant of the primary intent
of the paper; its intended use in the
overall sales process.
This demands a thorough
understanding of all the contributing
factors--technical, analytical, business
and emotional--when crafting a truly
successful white paper.

Special Reports
For the most part, special reports (or--as they are often called--"information marketing special reports") are used to show that the
subject--you or your company let's say--are an expert in a particular, very specific area, or that you possess particular--and useful--
knowledge on a certain topic. Special Reports can be thought of as a "subset"...so to speak...of the white paper genre.
A special report is a targeted, very specific report that ranges from seven to 10 pages in length. They are tools to attract people into your
sales funnel; a "top-of-funnel" (or TOFU) marketing device. In effect, special reports serve as a spark to ignite the flame of customer
interest.
As an aside, special reports are almost exclusive to the digital world. While formats can--and do--vary, it is generally considered the norm
to deliver them in .pdf format.
Special Report Guidelines
Here are some general guidelines to follow when crafting your special report:
 A special report should be very specific; off-topic segues should be avoided.
 In general, make your special report oriented towards how to do something. Alternately, frame it around ways to fix something.
Here's a typical, somewhat vanilla example...
Let's say that you--a green products manufacturer--are fishing for a topic for a special report. Instead of framing
it around "My Product Is Great", make it action-oriented; "Seven Simple Steps (for using your product) To Make
(your potential client's) Life Great" See the difference? Remember, you're talking to your potential customer from
the top of the sales funnel.
 Allow people to get in touch with you.
Include places where the potential client can find additional information and resources. Provide links to relevant
sites, supporting documents, etc. Use these additional sources judiciously and carefully to draw your potential
client further in.

Let's assume that your potential client has "opted-in" to your special report as a click-thru from your website.
They may read it and potentially leave. So...be sure to include simple--and obvious--ways for your potential client
to contact you.
 Keep it short. It's very easy to ramble...I know...
Use the "10 pages max" rule as a leash to reign in off-topic,
unrelated material, or material that doesn't promote specificity.
Marketing Note:
When choosing a special report
copywriter, choose someone who knows
the report "rules"...the specific elements,
goals, and motivation behind the
intended audience.
Keep this in mind; a special report
may be your first introduction to your
potential client...your initial "Hey, how
are ya...." when you walk into their
dinner party. First impressions
are...well...you know...
Make sure you choose a copywriter who
knows the host...

Case Studies
In general, a case study is a two-to-four page document addressing a specific issue--a problem--that was solved by something; your
product or service.
More specifically, case studies are stories. These stories are a powerful tool that we--as marketers--can leverage; our minds are
intrinsically wired to remember them. Case studies don’t just present prospects with words and numbers they won’t remember — they
tell stories that flesh out words and numbers to describe your business, and give it context. This isn’t just a much more powerful way to
convey information, it a much more memorable way, too.
While composition can--and certainly does--vary depending on specific requirements, case studies are generally comprised of four
sections following this format:
 The Situation
This opening section describes the reasons behind the case study. This may include your company's
background, its current market position, and your company area of expertise.
 The Problem
Here, the paper states the main problem needing resolution.
 The Solution
The solution is the core of the case study. Here lies a detailed discussion of how the solution was
implemented, the impact on those involved, specific methodologies, and--as required--any
additional factors that were instrumental in bringing about the solution. Frequently, charts,
graphs, sidebars, and other visual content are found here.
 The Evaluation
Case studies normally conclude with an evaluation of the solution's positive impact. Lessons
learned, and successive steps are also typically addressed.

How Does a Case Study Benefit You?
In the B2B marketing world, case studies rank second only to white papers in advancing the benefits of your product or service. As an
aside, they are read almost exclusively by executives and other top brass in the business decision-making process.
Why Would You Need a Case Study?
Much like white papers, case studies are beneficial to your company for several reasons. A case study serves to elevate your company
profile following product release. It also positions you as a credible solutions provider...it is an excellent medium to highlight your
expertise and industry-specific knowledge. A less obvious benefit of the case study is that it initiates media attention by showing the
world how your product provided a superior solution.
Case studies are wonderful for building product confidence through the "satisfied customer endorsement" vehicle. As case studies are
centered on a specific problem/solution, the "customer satisfaction" aspect holds great value.
What makes a Case Study effective?
Case studies are "soft-sell" documents. The primary purpose of the paper is to highlight
your product in the best possible light...but gently. The best written case studies catch the
reader's attention--your potential client--without resorting to "market-speak" and sales
pitches.
To be successful, the case study must be built entirely around your argument. It must be
created with strict attention to how the solution resolved one very specific issue. This is
an essential--and often overlooked--aspect of this type of document. Case studies that
try to do too much...that propose to "solve every problem for everyone"...simply aren't
read or taken seriously. No one believes such claims.
Marketing Note:
As copywriters, we must be able to
filter out extraneous material and
concentrate on the problem presented
in the case study. Then, we must
articulate the solution in such a way
that the intent of the document is
met...to bring attention to your
product, and to further your product's
benefits and advantages in their eyes.

Social Media
Without question, social media has become a major player in online
communications. Less understood--yet increasingly significant--is the use
of social media as a business/marketing vehicle. The advent of social media
marketing has dramatically shifted the way that companies do business...
...and this shift is accelerating...
Social media marketing refers to the process of gaining traffic or attention
through social media sites (LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ etc). Social media
marketing programs usually center on efforts to create content that
attracts attention about a given company, product or service.
Marketing in the social media realm offers significant advantages to your
business, because information about your product or service can be
repeated through "tweets" or "posts" countless times. Think of it as
electronic "Word-of-Mouth" (or eWoM as it is often called). By using
eWoM via social media marketing, your company can leverage "earned
media", or media that carries an implied endorsement from a source
trusted by the reader.
Because the information about your product is being seen and
subsequently repeated, substantial traffic is brought to your company or
product.
2014 Social Media Marketing Trends
 In B2B marketing, LinkedIn continues to be a
primary network, surpassing all other
networks; Facebook and Twitter
notwithstanding. Studies have shown that 77%
of B2Bs plan on increasing their investment in
the LinkedIn network.
 According to the Harvard Business Review, 79%
of companies in the U.S. are either using or
planning to use social media as part of their
marketing mix.
 Socialmediaexaminer.com reported in the
"Social Media Marketing Industry Report -
2014" that 92% of business owners indicated
social media is important to their business (up
from 86% in 2013)
 Furthermore, the report found that 61% of
businesses are planning on increasing their
Google+ activities this year. Google+ is clearly
still on the minds of marketers.

Top Companies Are Using Social Media
It is clear that leading businesses have recognized--and embraced--social media, and are capitalizing on its multiple benefits. To
illustrate, here is a brief snapshot of some of the business leaders' activities in social media:
 Building brand awareness
Coca-Cola has over 87 million friends on Facebook
 Supporting the B2B sales process
With almost 300,000 followers, Salesforce.com uses LinkedIn as a content
platform to influence buyers and move them toward a buying decision.
 Engaging with customers
Airbnb created its first commercial by reaching out to its followers on
Twitter. Thousands of fans submitted six-second Vine videos, which were
then edited to create the final commercial. Airbnb used social media to not
only engage with their fans, but to collaborate with them.
 Customer service
Blackberry uses Twitter. With almost 1.5 million followers, they've built a
support network that answers questions 24/7. They have separate accounts
in different languages for different countries around the world.
 Driving sales
L.L. Bean is a superstar on Pinterest with 5.5 million followers. By clicking on
a product image, you're taken directly to the sales page on the L.L. Bean site.
Engagement to the sale in a single click...

Laws of Social Media Marketing
Leveraging the power of social media marketing can help elevate your audience and customer base in a dramatic way.
However...
It is vital to understand the social media marketing fundamentals. Abiding by these laws will help build a foundation that will serve your
customers, your brand and--perhaps most importantly--your bottom line.
 The Law of Listening
Success with social media requires more listening and less talking. Read your
audience's online content and join discussions to learn what's important to
them.
 The Law of Focus
It is better to specialize than to be a jack-of-all-trades. A highly-focused
social media marketing strategy intended to build a strong brand has a
better chance for success than a broad strategy that attempts to be all things
to all people.
 The Law of Quality
Quality trumps quantity every time.
 The Law of Patience
Social media marketing success doesn't happen overnight. To achieve
results, commit to a long haul marketing approach.
 The Law of Compounding
Publishing quality content and working to populate your online presence
with quality followers will promote subsequent eWoM propagation through
the social media channels.

 The Law of Influence
Invest time finding the online influencers in your market. Connect with them,
and work to build relationships with them. The potential for putting your
business in front of a vast new audience is significant.
 The Law of Value
People will stop listening to you if you spend all of your time promoting your
products or services. Add value to the conversation. Focus less on
conversions and more on creating quality content when developing
relationships.
Over time, these relationships will become powerful catalysts for eWoM
marketing of your business.
 The Law of Accessibility
Don't publish your content and then disappear. Be available to your
audience. This means that you need to consistently publish content and
participate in conversations. Followers online can be fickle; they won't
hesitate to replace you if you disappear for weeks or months.

the big picture…
The products of green technology may prove to be the greatest achievements of
our time. Their collective use may save our world from many ills--perhaps even
thwart extinction by our own hands. Nevertheless, there are many challenges
ahead for green technology; the path is fragile indeed.
One of the greatest obstacles is convincing people that green technology has
value. Irrespective of the benefits that green and sustainable technologies may
offer, they are of little use if people don’t grasp their true potential and put them
to widespread use.
For this to occur, people must be educated.
As marketers, we stand on the forefront of something wonderful. We are
uniquely positioned to educate; to persuade the very people who can leverage
green technology in making the world a better place. Through our work, we
speak to these decision-makers; a responsibility not to be taken lightly. If our
efforts are successful, people will come to understand the viability of this brave
new sustainable world.
To persuade; to educate them however, we must speak to them in their
language.
I hope this Field Guide gives you a glimpse of your potential reader; a sense of
the challenges, mindset, and motivation behind their buying decision. It is my
sincere wish that you find your own voice in their language, and speak to them
on behalf of us all.

about the author
Dan Davis is the owner of simply Sustainable Communications; a company committed to
copywriting/ content marketing for the B2B green products and technologies marketplace.
He brings over two decades of consulting engineering/design, writing and AEC experience
to this field--much of this in the green/sustainable arena. As a licensed Professional
Engineer, Dan has been influential in the creation of many flagship LEED-compliant facilities
in existence today.
His combined engineering and writing experiences give him a very unique ability to
integrate both technical and non-technical, “human” elements into his work; bridging the
gap between technically-focused innovators and real world end-users. With substantial
experience under his ever-expanding belt, Dan knows what does and doesn't work when
promoting and marketing green and sustainable products.
He's seen both…
Dan lives in the shadow of Mt. Shasta; nestled in the forests of Northern California. A lifelong
aviation enthusiast and commercial pilot, he spends his spare time flying, punctuated with
periods of mountain biking, backpacking and generally enjoying life.
For further information, please visit the simply Sustainable website, or e-mail: dan@greenproductscopywriting.com

Understanding Your Green Technology Customer PUBLISHED

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