A content strategy proposal for Aurora Solar, a solar design software company that had dominated search for residential installer keywords but lacked a strategy for the commercial market. The proposal identifies a persona gap, competitive whitespace, and a specific content play to capture commercial installers.
Role: Strategist (Lear Marketing, freelance) Audience: Aurora Solar marketing leadership Deliverable: Blog strategy + cornerstone content architecture
The Problem
Aurora Solar had built strong search visibility around one persona: “Chuck on a Truck” — the small residential installer. But the company’s product served commercial installers equally well, and that market was being ignored.
The blog has dived into a number of areas that focus on product features, but also on topics that are germane to those “mom-and-pop” installers. Without new personas in place, the blog can only reinforce its standing for “Chuck on a Truck” and limit growth strategy.
Competitive Analysis
Direct competitors (Helioscope, Solargraf) owned high-intent keywords like “solar shading software” and “solar CRM” — but these were low-volume terms (40-100 monthly searches). Fighting for scraps.
The opportunity: “commercial solar panels” — 1,000 monthly searches, buyers already in-market for commercial projects, and no competitors positioning design software against that query.
None of the competitors are trying to get in front of installers’ eyes this way based on preliminary research.
Proposed Content Architecture
A cornerstone post targeting commercial installers with a practical angle:
Title: How to Cut Your Quote Time in Commercial Solar Panel Installation
Sections:
- Leveraging the Right Solar Design Software for Commercial Installations — Link to product modeling features
- Implementing Shading Analysis to Reduce On-Site Visits — Cost savings angle, link to shading tools
- Taking Machine Learning into the CAD Shop — Technical differentiation, link to AI design features
- Minimizing Headaches with Solar Design Software — Workflow integration, realistic expectations
Target length: 3,000 words. Tone: human language, practical value, not feature-dump marketing.
Strategic Rationale
Using the blog to test what people who need solar software want to read about is the most pressing issue for Aurora Solar as it stands. Without it and other tools, the blog can only reinforce its standing for “Chuck on a Truck” and limit growth strategy.
The proposal uses content as market research — testing commercial installer interest before committing product or sales resources to the segment.
Proposal delivered to Aurora Solar marketing team.