09:12
Why being yourself works better than “performance” in solar ads
A lot of solar marketing fails because people try to become someone they’re not.
They hype themselves up.
They put on a persona.
They try to “perform” for the camera.
And it almost always backfires.
In this video, I explain why authenticity consistently outperforms forced energy in solar ads, how mismatched personalities break trust across the sales journey, and why slightly higher lead costs are often a good trade-off if the leads actually want to work with you.
This applies to ads, follow-ups, surveys, and installations.
If it works when you’re in front of a customer, it works on camera too.
For context, this video was originally recorded on 8 January 2026, views & strategies may have changed since.
Featuring
Video transcript
Happy Saturday evening. Today we’re going to talk about why you just need to be yourself throughout all of your solar marketing efforts.
A big part of our offer is that we actually come to visit you, either at an ongoing installation or one that’s already complete, and we film advertising creatives with you as the star of the show. We then use that footage as a really pivotal piece of our Meta ads strategy. A lot of our prospects and clients find this really nerve-wracking. They have absolutely no idea how it’s going to play out, and for many of them it’s the first time they’ve ever been on camera in this kind of setting, outside of a video call or FaceTime. Because of that, they’re understandably apprehensive about how it’s going to go.
Unfortunately, many clients start to think they need to bring a persona to the shoot. They feel they have to hype themselves up or become someone they’re not. Some people naturally have that kind of charisma ready to deploy on camera and don’t need to change their personality at all. But for others, that style is a long way from their true self. One of the biggest things we always say is simply: be yourself. If you try to be someone you’re not, it comes off as weird.
It can be tempting to tell people to act up for the camera, exaggerate their personality, or do anything to get the click. Yes, engagement matters. You need advertising creative that stops the scroll and drives clicks. But we never suggest this, for a few important reasons.
First, being anyone other than yourself is uncomfortable. Most of our clients aren’t Hollywood actors who can convincingly portray an alternate character. People will feel it, whether consciously or subconsciously. It comes across as forced and awkward, which is the opposite of what we want. We want prospects to feel the same way they would if you showed up to their house for a survey or welcomed them into your office to see a system.
Second, you have to uphold that personality throughout the entire process. If you play a character in your ads, you’ll have to maintain it on the first call, during the site survey, and at the installation. Otherwise, people feel tricked. A huge part of what we do is making sure the first touchpoint after lead generation is as aligned as possible with what they engaged with initially.
That’s why one of the easiest ways to do this is to have you in the video ad, then send an automated video of you via WhatsApp as the first follow-up. They’ve just seen your face in the ad and then they see it again immediately afterward. If those two versions of you are completely different, it feels strange. If the ad shows you hyped up and over the top, but the follow-up video is calm and measured, the disconnect is obvious and uncomfortable.
The final point is that people engage with different styles and attitudes. Some people love the “Jack the lad” approach. Others find it jarring, salesy, or uncomfortable. You have to accept that you can’t be liked by everyone. To be liked by everyone is to be loved by no one. When you’re selling something as high-ticket as solar, you need to go the extra mile by being authentic.
Many people in your target demographic actually prefer a more measured, laid-back, serious, or technical approach. They don’t want forced jokes or exaggerated energy. At the end of the day, it’s about getting you in front of more people. If people already like you, engage with you, and buy from you when you show up as yourself on surveys, phone calls, and installations, there’s no reason that won’t work earlier in the process too.
When we record ads with clients, we always start with a simple question: “Why you?” We do have tried-and-tested scripts and hooks that stop the scroll, but we don’t start with those anymore. When we used to, it felt painful and unnatural, especially for people who’d never been on camera before.
Now we start with “why you,” and every single time, clients can talk for two or three minutes as if they’re explaining their value to a customer or a friend. It’s natural, authentic, and honest. Quite often, we keep large portions of that footage and weave it into other ads because people genuinely connect with it.
Finally, cheaper leads aren’t always better. Yes, we could get higher engagement by making you jump off a roof or tell a stupid joke at the start of an ad. But that engagement would come from people you probably can’t sell to later. It creates a disjointed experience and makes the sales process uncomfortable or ineffective.
We’d rather generate more expensive leads from people who actually want to work with you specifically, not just get solar installed by the cheapest provider. We want people to connect with you as a person. We don’t want you to be a character. We want you to be you, because clearly, you’re already doing a great job helping people transition to renewable energy.
That’s it. Be yourself. Don’t play someone you’re not, even if it means slightly higher lead costs. In the long run, you’ll likely make more money by staying true to who you are and how you naturally present yourself.
If that resonated, you can grab a copy of our document using the link. It’s growing quickly and already includes over 20 topics. And if you want implementation, where we come on site and film ads with a no-pressure, authentic approach, just continue through the same link and book a call. We’ll see how we can help.
Have a great evening, and I’ll see you in the next one.
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