Photo by LP Gas staff

Tucker Perkins addresses attendees at the 2022 Energy for Everyone Marketing Conference in Minneapolis. (Photo by LP Gas staff)

Many propane retailers take pride in their company’s generational history and family ownership. Highlighting tradition, commitment and anniversary milestones seems like the perfect marketing messages to send to potential customers.

But Tucker Perkins, president and CEO of the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), wants propane retailers to think differently.

Perkins explains that potential customers want to know that you run a modern business, not like your grandfather did. The goal remains for companies to provide the best possible customer experience.

Perkins says members of the propane industry may not be fully ready to enter the digital space. But propane marketers can prepare their companies for new technologies.

That’s why the council hosted the 2022 Energy for Everyone Marketing Conference, the second event of its kind, in Minneapolis. This year’s event brought more than 123 attendees, including 77 marketers, according to Paula Wilson, director of industry engagement at PERC.

The two-day event educated propane industry members on digital marketing tactics. Digital marketing professionals led education sessions to help propane retailers improve their marketing strategies. Retailers could choose from more than 15 sessions, and topics included:

  • SEO: Having an optimized website and understanding search engine optimization (SEO) will help your company reach more customers online with Google.
  • Cybersecurity: Protecting your company’s information and customer data from cyberthreats is a growing need in the fast-paced digital world.
  • Media training: Knowing how to talk with the media is a good opportunity to promote propane, your company and serve as a local energy expert.
  • Email campaigns: Reaching customers through a targeted email campaign can help build communication and encourage potential customers to take action.

Before the educational sessions kicked off, attendees listened to a keynote presentation from Cindra Kampoff, an author and business coach who has worked with top athletes on NFL teams and the Olympics. She spoke about reaching one’s full potential and the impacts of change and failure.

Kampoff encouraged the retailers in attendance to focus on what they can control: Attitude, reaction, customer service, energy and intention.

After more than two years of uncertainty and challenges, propane retailers must arm themselves with marketing tools to be successful, grow gallons and improve sales.

“Defining moments of adversity help us develop our grit,” Kampoff said. “Your mindset will help you thrive, not just survive.”

Going forward

The PERC Marketing Conference was a great industry event for me to attend. In my role at LP Gas and its parent company, North Coast Media, I help manage the digital strategies that the brands use to reach their audiences.

Not only did the sessions provide insights for propane marketers, I took away some new ideas and digital strategies, as well. I look forward to diving into more topics and sharing resources with propane marketers in future columns.



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