Directory 2.0 – community based marketplace
It seemed obvious, but it is only now that the first Directory 2.0 appears: EnergyPages, a community based marketplace for companies active in industrial energy efficiency. A professional community including technology, financing, marketing and legal to IT, media and policy.
What are characteristics of a Directory 2.0?
1. The key drivers behind its development are the community needs.
2. The structure and search logic development is done jointly with community members to ensure these needs are correctly reflected.
3. A Directory 2.0 also works as a marketing tool integrated in the community communication channels reaching the core target group, the community itself.
EnergyPages, a Directory 2.0?
NEEDS.
The EEIP, Energy Efficiency in Industrial Processes, community had identified two core needs: 1st the difficulty even for global players to find specialist for industrial energy efficiency projects capable of delivering products and services in a certain country around the world. 2nd the absence of an expertise based search option instead of typical product and keywords search directories producing huge amount of irrelevant results leading to increased costs of search.
JOINT DEVELOPMENT.
What are the key expertise areas? These questions could only be answered by the community itself. Community members from biggest multi-nationals to niche specialist SMEs, from investment funds to IT companies jointly delivered their input. The result is a comprehensive expertise list covering not only the different industrial processes but also related expertise such as financing, legal and tax aspects, change management, procurement, marketing and strategy or even insulation, onsite renewables, building automation or waste management.
MARKETING.
One of the core differentiator from traditional directories is the integration of EnergyPages with an industrial energy efficiency community. This community is the most targeted audience for industrial energy efficiency and its community members are connected based on a joint business interest – a functioning industrial energy efficiency market. Leveraging existing community communication channels such as EEIP portal or social media, it is ensured that the key target group is reached.
And there is more. EnergyPages will also be jointly marketed with TIM GlobalMedia, allowing to leverage its European and global reach with a number of industry publications such as this one, Energy Efficiency: Business & Industry but also others like “IEN Europe” or dedicated country publications. Marketing services are also delivered through a dedicated industrial energy efficiency event series starting in 2014 and linking the online and real world, an approach rated as the most effective communication strategy by a global PR company and build on learnings of current US president Obama´s first campaign a few years ago.
Finally, the impact of a Directory 2.0 is strongly related to the underlying community. And EEIP with more than 35.000 members (from 4.000 two years ago) is already the biggest and fastest growing community for industrial energy efficiency in the world.
www.energypages.org
Check it out and compare it against other directories. You should have two things in mind:
1. The relevance of results (search) and
2. What kind of marketing services do I get
EnergyPages, the first Directory 2.0 is starting now. In Europe, Asia, Africa and Americas. We are looking forward to explore new business opportunities for the EEIP business community. And of course, you are kindly invited to join on this journey.
EnergyPages
