The home heating oil industry has a long and proud history, and Fuel Oil News has been there supporting it since 1935. It is an industry that has faced many challenges during that time. In its 77th year, Fuel Oil News is doing more than just holding
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Business OPeRATiOns N e w s www.fueloilnews.com | FUEL OIL NEWS | OCTOBER 2014 33 The winter of 2013-2014 was unprec- edented. Extreme cold, repeated severe snow storms and biting winds plagued much of the country well into the months that usually mean spring. A state of emergency was declared in one state after another up and down the eastern seaboard and the federal government stepped in and relieved hours of service requirements in an attempt to bridge the gap. In these frigid conditions, advertis- ing your heating fuel business isn't really necessary; the calls are going to come. However, a good cold winter is never guaranteed (anyone remember the Janu- ary heat wave in 2012?) and staying on top requires effort. Looking into the sea- son to come, and thinking of the smaller local heating oil companies without the six-figure marketing budget, here are a few easy (and free) ideas. • Facebook. By now the ubiquitous blue logo has crossed your path once or twice. Starting a Facebook page for your business is still free. You can easily add details such as hours, phone num- ber and location. Marketing experts suggest writing a 'post' once to twice a week at most to remain relevant and avoid becoming a nuisance. Ideas in- clude reminding will-call customers to check their tanks, announcing a new service or route, show a picture of a new truck and perhaps even linking to a local news story. One person should be put in charge of this, with a single back-up person. Too many hands here can cause redundancy and reduce credibility. • LinkedIn. Often considered Fa- cebook for professionals, LinkedIn is focused on businesses and employees. This is not the place to use a picture of you kissing your dog as your profile im- age. Start a page for your business, and have employees create pages for them- selves. This is an easy way to tout the education and experience of your staff. Each person's profile reads like a resume, as does the one created for the company. LinkedIn is generally free, but there is a premium level that comes at a cost. • Google Maps. Ever use this to select a route and notice business landmarks along the way? You can register your business so that people looking in the vi- cinity can see your location and even get a direct link to your website. Creating the profile is free. Long gone are the days of requisite phone book ads; we are in the digital age. The greater online presence you can cre- ate the more easily people will be able to find you when they search. Make sure to keep everything updated (your website, Facebook, etc.) so you appear fresh and relevant and avoid developing a nega- tive image. Engage your customers in the conversation and let them know they are important. After all, people buy from people they like. Misty Sexton is vice president of sales and marketing for Space Petroleum, a wholesale fuel brokerage supplying petro- leum products to the Mid-Atlantic states. Sexton began her career in the office of a mid-sized home heating oil company and transitioned to wholesale fuels in 2008. Her customer base is varied and includes dis- tributors and end-users along with govern- ment agencies and, of course, small home heating oil companies. She can be reached via email at Misty.Sexton@SpacePetro- leum.com Continued from page 31 Marketing the Heat By MISTy SExTON Long gone are the days of requisite phone book ads; we are in the digital age. The greater online presence you can create the more easily people will be able to find you when they search.