Oil & gas marketing: how to stand out

Oil and gas marketing is vital for effective communication, trust-building, and engagement within the industry. Here’s how to do it right.

Traditionally, oil and gas marketing focused on two key traits: performance and price. Big, powerful engines driven by cost-effective fuel were usually amplified by raw celebrity power to get the message across to a wide audience. However, this all started to change as environmental concerns left most companies struggling to build meaningful relationships with their audience and shake off old labels. In 2018, Chevron was among the first to take control of the narrative with their innovative "Energy Stories" campaign.

The campaign addressed these challenges head-on. It focused on the real people behind their operations, sharing stories that provided insights into the innovative projects and technologies being developed to enhance efficiency, safety, and environmental standards. By humanizing the brand and emphasizing transparency, Chevron was able to build trust and credibility with its audience.

It was a hit with consumers - and their competitors. Following "Energy Stories," Shell soon intensified their "Make the Future" campaign, focusing on innovative energy projects and sustainability efforts. Similarly, ExxonMobil launched the "Energy Factor" platform, featuring articles, videos, and podcasts that explore the science and technology behind energy production. This marked the start of a significant shift in the oil and gas industry towards authentic storytelling.

Today, oil and gas marketing is more relevant than ever, with a renewed push for greener options from consumers, increased competition, and an ever-growing product range from the biggest brands. Building on over a decade of experience helping leading companies design, implement, and run effective digital marketing strategies, we’ve compiled an actionable guide every brand can follow to share meaningful stories with their audience.

What is oil and gas marketing?

Oil and gas marketing involves a range of strategies and formats designed to effectively promote key products and services within the industry. These products and services can be anything from gasoline or diesel to innovative energy solutions, retail products at gas stations, jet fuel, app downloads, insurance services or even food and drinks – basically everything we associate with modern mobility brands today.

The goals of these marketing strategies are multifaceted. For many brands, a primary objective is to share the industry's progress in sustainability, highlighting efforts to reduce environmental impact and adopt greener technologies. Presenting innovations is another key goal, showcasing advancements that enhance efficiency, safety, and environmental stewardship. Effective digital campaigns can also aim to build brand awareness, foster trust among stakeholders, and attract talent.

“Sharing stories about the engineers, scientists, and other professionals behind key projects helps humanize the brand and build trust with the audience.”

By utilizing formats such as search engine optimization (SEO), social media campaigns, videos, and podcasts, companies can achieve these objectives and engage their audience more effectively. They allow brands to provide detailed explanations of complex projects or innovations within the industry, offering readers in-depth insights and updates. In fact, digital marketing channels are excellent platforms to discuss trending topics, allowing industry experts to share their perspectives on the latest developments and challenges facing the oil and gas sector.

Additionally, sharing stories about the engineers, scientists, and other professionals behind key projects helps humanize the brand and build trust with the audience. Successful campaigns often feature behind-the-scenes looks at how projects are developed and executed, celebrating the achievements of the company’s workforce.

Take BP's "Energy Outlook" campaign, through which they share blog posts and interactive digital formats to engage a global audience in discussions about the future of energy. These and many other campaigns not only promote the company’s products and services but also foster a sense of transparency and community engagement, showcasing the dedication and expertise of their teams.

Why oil and gas marketing matters

There are a number of benefits for companies in this industry that invest in digital marketing. Here are some of the most significant:

Enhanced Online Presence: Implementing effective SEO and content marketing strategies can significantly increase website traffic. On average, companies in the oil and gas industry can see a 30-50% increase in organic traffic by optimizing their digital presence.
Increased Lead Generation: Utilizing detailed blog posts, interactive content, and targeted advertising, oil and gas companies can experience up to a 60% increase in lead generation. Effective digital marketing strategies attract more potential customers by providing valuable and engaging content.
Improved Brand Recognition: Maintaining consistent messaging across all digital platforms helps improve brand recognition. Companies can see up to a 40% increase in brand awareness by consistently highlighting their technological advancements and sustainability efforts

“Companies in the oil and gas industry can see a 30-50% increase in organic traffic by optimizing their digital presence.”

Higher Conversion Rates: Personalized and targeted marketing campaigns can lead to higher conversion rates. On average, oil and gas companies can achieve a 20-25% increase in conversion rates through continuous optimization and targeted marketing efforts.

Improved Customer Retention: Providing detailed insights into operations and sustainability initiatives through digital platforms can significantly improve customer retention. Companies that invest in educating their audience and maintaining engagement have retention rates exceeding 75%.
Higher ROI: Utilizing advanced analytics and data-driven marketing strategies, oil and gas companies can achieve a higher ROI. Firms that adopt these strategies report an average ROI increase of 20-35%, making more informed marketing decisions based on real-time data.

Challenges in oil and gas marketing

Oil and gas brands today face a wide array of challenges to communicate effectively with consumers. Here are some of the main ones – and what to do.

Shifting customer demands

There is a growing consumer and stakeholder demand for greener, more sustainable energy solutions. Meeting these expectations while maintaining credibility is a significant marketing challenge for traditional oil and gas companies.

What to do: Companies must effectively communicate their commitment to sustainability through transparent and engaging campaigns. This involves not only promoting green products but also demonstrating overall corporate responsibility and sustainability initiatives.

Adapting to digital marketing

Transitioning from traditional marketing methods to digital platforms requires substantial investment in technology, training, and strategy development. Many oil and gas companies struggle with leveraging digital tools and platforms to their full potential.

What to do: Effective digital marketing can enhance visibility and engagement, but it requires ongoing adaptation and innovation. Marketers need to master SEO, social media, content marketing, and data analytics to reach and engage a broader, tech-savvy audience.

Growing product range

As oil and gas companies expand their offerings to include renewable energy solutions and other innovative products, marketing these diverse products effectively becomes more complex. Each product requires a distinct marketing strategy and messaging to appeal to its target audience.

What to do: Marketers need to create tailored campaigns that highlight the benefits and unique selling points of each product, ensuring they resonate with different customer segments. This diversification can strain resources and require sophisticated marketing automation and management tools.

Navigating regulatory and compliance issues

Marketing efforts in the oil and gas sector must adhere to stringent regulations that vary by region and product type. Ensuring compliance while trying to create impactful marketing campaigns is a delicate balance.

What to do: Marketing teams must work closely with legal departments to ensure all content and campaigns meet regulatory standards. This often limits creative freedom and requires a thorough understanding of the legal landscape, which can slow down the marketing process.

Making the complex simple

Delivering exceptional customer experiences is essential but challenging in the oil and gas sector due to the complexity of the products and services offered.

What to do: Companies need to invest in personalized marketing and responsive customer service to ensure a seamless and satisfying customer journey across all touchpoints.

Updating legacy platforms

Many oil and gas companies rely on outdated marketing platforms and technologies, which can hinder their ability to execute modern, data-driven marketing strategies.

What to do: Transitioning to new, integrated marketing technologies requires significant investment and can be disruptive. However, modern platforms enable better data analytics, automation, and customer insights, which are crucial for effective marketing.

Modernizing without seeming forced

Updating the language and branding of oil and gas companies to appear modern and relevant without losing authenticity or seeming forced is a delicate balance.

What to do: Marketers need to carefully craft messaging that resonates with contemporary audiences while staying true to the company’s heritage and values. This involves ongoing brand audits and adjustments to ensure alignment with market expectations.

Catering to diverse audiences

Oil and gas companies often serve both B2B and B2C markets, each with vastly different needs and expectations.

What to do: Developing separate marketing strategies each target audience is essential.

Aligning large, diverse teams

Coordinating marketing efforts across large, diverse teams within global organizations can be challenging.

What to do: Effective internal communication and collaboration tools are necessary to align teams on common goals and strategies. Regular training, clear communication channels, and a unified marketing vision are critical to ensure consistency and efficiency across all marketing activities.

Oil and gas marketing: how to stand out

Here at Articulate, we’ve been helping oil and gas brands stand out for over a decade. Our experience managing projects for some of the world’s most demanding companies has led us to the conclusion that successful efforts share a few common traits. We’ve boiled it down to a simple process most brands can follow. You can be just at the start of this journey or at some intermediate point but in any case we hope it will help you through the challenges the industry faces.

1. Segment your audience

From end consumers to major corporations, families, and managers, oil and gas companies often contend with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, each with distinct needs and preferences. Successfully navigating this complexity requires a meticulous approach to audience segmentation. By dividing your target market into smaller, more manageable groups based on demographics, behaviors, and needs, you can tailor your marketing efforts to resonate with each segment effectively. This not only ensures that your messaging remains relevant and impactful but also enables you to address the specific challenges and opportunities unique to each subset of your audience.

Example: our client, a major oil and gas company, was grappling with the challenge of maintaining a unified online presence across various platforms and portals catering to diverse audience segments. Their existing approach involved using a single portal and social media channels to disseminate content to all stakeholders, regardless of their distinct needs and preferences. This resulted in content that was generic and failed to resonate with the specific interests and concerns of different audience segments. Recognizing the inefficacy of this one-size-fits-all approach, our team advocated for a more targeted strategy centered around audience segmentation. By segmenting their audience into distinct groups based on job roles, industry interests, and geographic locations, we could create content that was tailored to the unique requirements of each segment, thereby enhancing engagement and relevance. This approach allowed us to overcome the challenge of generic content delivery and achieve greater impact and resonance with our client's diverse audience base.

2. Choose your marketing channels wisely

From social media campaigns to targeted online ads, it's easy to get lost in the possibilities of today's digital landscape. Social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram offer direct avenues for engaging with diverse audiences, allowing companies to share updates, industry insights, and thought leadership content while fostering meaningful interactions and building brand credibility. Additionally, email marketing remains a powerful tool for delivering personalized messages directly to subscribers' inboxes, enabling companies to nurture leads, share valuable content, and drive conversions. Industry-specific publications and forums provide opportunities to reach highly targeted audiences within the sector, positioning companies as industry experts and thought leaders while fostering community engagement and knowledge sharing. Choosing the right mix of channels is essential for maximizing reach, engagement, and ROI, ensuring that marketing efforts effectively resonate with target audiences across various touchpoints.

Example: When partnering with a leading oil and gas corporation to refine their marketing strategy, we encountered a similar challenge of channel selection. The client had been dispersing their efforts across a multitude of channels, including social media platforms, email campaigns, and industry publications, without a clear understanding of which channels were most effective for each audience segment. This scattered approach led to suboptimal results, with limited engagement and ROI. To address this issue, we conducted an in-depth analysis of audience preferences, behaviors, and channel usage patterns. Based on this insight, we recommended a more focused approach, emphasizing channels that resonated most with each target segment. For instance, we prioritized LinkedIn for engaging with industry professionals and decision-makers, while leveraging Instagram and Facebook for reaching a broader consumer audience. By aligning channel selection with audience preferences, we were able to optimize the client's marketing efforts, resulting in increased engagement, conversions, and overall effectiveness.

3. Pick your goals carefully

Setting clear and achievable goals is fundamental to the success of any oil and gas marketing campaign. Whether aiming to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive sales, defining specific, measurable objectives provides a roadmap for strategy development and performance evaluation. It's essential to recognize that goals may evolve over time as market dynamics shift and business priorities change. Therefore, regular reviews, at least annually, are necessary to assess progress and adjust objectives accordingly. This ensures that marketing efforts remain aligned with the company's strategic direction and adapt to shifting audience preferences and industry trends, whether emphasizing awareness, interaction, or conversion as needed.

Example: When collaborating with a prominent oil and gas client, we emphasized the importance of setting precise goals for their marketing initiatives. For instance, our goals included increasing lead generation from industry professionals by 20% within six months and improving customer retention rates by 15% through targeted email campaigns over the same period. Regular goal reviews ensured that marketing efforts remained responsive to changing market dynamics and evolving business objectives.

4. Maintain a unified view

Maintaining a cohesive and integrated view of marketing campaigns is essential for oil and gas companies to ensure consistency, efficiency, and effectiveness across various channels. Many clients struggle with the challenge of managing multiple campaigns across different channels simultaneously, often leading to overlapping schedules, unnecessary costs, and disjointed messaging. Having a unified view enables companies to streamline campaign planning, optimize resource allocation, and minimize the risk of conflicting or duplicative efforts. At Articulate, we recognize the importance of providing our clients with tools and solutions to address this challenge. That's why we've developed a comprehensive platform that allows brands to have a single planning view of all their marketing efforts, facilitating seamless coordination and alignment across channels and campaigns.

Example: In our work with a leading oil and gas brand, we encountered the common pain point of disjointed campaign management across various channels. The client struggled to have visibility and control over their marketing activities, often resulting in overlapping campaigns, wasted resources, and inconsistent messaging. To address this challenge, we introduced our unified planning platform, which provided the client with a centralized plan to oversee all ongoing publications, their timelines, and their respective audiences. This platform allowed the client to synchronize their efforts, avoid scheduling conflicts, and ensure a cohesive brand presence across all touchpoints.

4. Get the messaging right

Navigating the myriad of potential talking points within the oil and gas industry poses a significant challenge for brands. From sustainability to product offerings and pricing, the array of messaging options can be overwhelming. The key lies in discerning which points resonate most with specific audiences at any given time. It's crucial to adopt a scientific and interactive approach, setting a clear message, trying out different versions, and seeing what works best with the audience, then growing from there. Overreliance on big, expensive, and monolithic market studies puts brands at a disadvantage against more nimble competitors.

Example: In a recent campaign for an oil and gas client, our strategy revolved around an agile and iterative approach to messaging. Instead of relying solely on traditional market research methods, we actively engaged with our audience, testing various messaging versions and monitoring real-time feedback. This allowed us to quickly identify what resonated most with our target demographic and adjust our approach accordingly. As a result, our client not only captured the attention of their audience but also gained valuable insights to inform future marketing endeavors, illustrating the power of an adaptive messaging strategy in today's fast-paced landscape.

5. Define a clear production and validation process

In the fast-paced world of oil and gas marketing, establishing a clear production and validation process is essential for maintaining quality, consistency, and efficiency. Many brands struggle with ad-hoc production methods that lack structure and oversight, leading to inconsistencies in messaging, delays in deliverables, and compromised quality. By defining a systematic process for content creation, review, and approval, brands can streamline workflows, mitigate risks, and ensure that all materials meet established standards and objectives.

Example: In our collaboration with an oil and gas client, we implemented a robust production and validation process to enhance operational efficiency and content quality. This involved clearly defining roles and responsibilities within the team, establishing standardized templates and guidelines for content creation, and implementing a rigorous review and approval system. By centralizing communication and document management through collaborative platforms, we minimized errors, reduced turnaround times, and maintained consistency across all deliverables. As a result, our client experienced smoother project execution and higher-quality outputs.

6. Start with the basics

It's essential to prioritize the foundational elements of your online presence, such as your website's static pages like the homepage, product descriptions, and "about us" sections. Neglecting these crucial components can disrupt the user experience once visitors enter your site, undermining the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. Ensure that your website is intuitive, fast-loading, and responsive across devices. Investing in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for these pages is paramount, as they form the backbone of your site's Google ranking. Strategic placement of top keywords on these pages enhances visibility and drives organic traffic.

Example: We recently collaborated with a major player in the oil industry to overhaul their solar energy website, comprising a vast array of static pages. The project involved a comprehensive revision of the website's tone, structure, content, images, and SEO optimization. We began by refining "unique" or sample pages for each section (products, categories, contacts), then expanded these improvements across the entire site and its various language versions. This strategic approach yielded impressive results, with organic traffic increasing by 24% within 12 months. Furthermore, the project laid the groundwork for ongoing content marketing and social media strategies, demonstrating the significance of getting the basics right for long-term success.

7. Make your content relevant, regular and human

Establishing a strong online presence requires more than just informative content; it demands engagement and authenticity. Craft blogs, articles, and videos that delve into industry trends, technological advancements, and sustainability initiatives, showcasing your expertise. Harnessing the power of digital storytelling is paramount in achieving this goal. Compelling narratives about your projects, brands, and people breathe life into your brand, revealing the passion, personalities, and values that drive your company forward. These stories provide insight into your journey, motivations, and principles, humanizing your brand and forging deeper connections with your audience.

Example: In a recent content marketing campaign for an oil and gas corporation, we employed digital storytelling to convey the company's commitment to sustainability. Through a series of articles and videos, we showcased real stories of employees driving environmental initiatives and implementing innovative technologies to reduce carbon emissions. By highlighting the human aspect behind the brand's sustainability efforts, we not only engaged the audience but also inspired them to align with the company's values and principles. This approach not only strengthened the company's online presence but also fostered a positive brand image, ultimately contributing to increased customer trust and loyalty.

8. Make the complex simple with visual content

In a world inundated with information, simplifying complex concepts is essential for effective communication. Visual content offers a powerful solution, enabling you to convey intricate ideas in a clear and digestible format. Utilize infographics, diagrams, charts, and videos to distill complex data, processes, and concepts into easily understandable visuals. By transforming dense information into visually engaging content, you not only capture audience attention but also facilitate comprehension and retention. Embracing visual storytelling is key to engaging your audience and making a lasting impact amidst the noise of digital media.

Example: In a recent project for a technology-driven oil and gas company, we faced the challenge of explaining complex drilling processes to a non-technical audience. To address this, we developed a series of animated videos that visually depicted each stage of the drilling process, from exploration to production. By simplifying the intricate procedures through engaging visuals and clear narration, we made the content accessible to a wider audience, including investors, stakeholders, and the general public. The visual content enhanced understanding and generated significant engagement and social shares, underscoring the effectiveness of visual storytelling in simplifying complex information for diverse audiences.

9. Regularly update old content

Regularly updating old content ensures that it remains accurate, timely, and valuable to your audience. Whether it's refreshing statistics, adding new insights, or optimizing for SEO, revitalizing old content can breathe new life into your digital assets, extending their longevity and impact. By prioritizing content maintenance alongside creation, you not only maximize the value of your existing resources but also enhance your brand's credibility and authority over time.

“Prioritize content maintenance alongside creation to maximize the value of your existing resources”

Example: As part of an ongoing content strategy for an energy consultancy firm, we implemented a systematic approach to updating old blog posts and articles. This involved updating statistics with the latest data, incorporating new industry insights, and optimizing keywords for improved SEO performance. As a result, our refreshed content not only maintained its relevance but also continued to attract organic traffic and engagement over time.

10. Track your competitors posts

Keeping a close eye on your competitors' activities is crucial for staying informed and maintaining a competitive edge in the market. By monitoring their posts, you gain valuable insights into their strategies, content themes, and audience engagement tactics. This knowledge enables you to benchmark your own performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and capitalize on emerging trends. At our agency, we offer a comprehensive competitor tracking tool that allows brands to select specific competitors to monitor. Through this tool, brands receive notifications of their competitors' posts and the keywords they're using. This empowers brands to strategically compete for these keywords, optimize their content strategies, and effectively position themselves in the marketplace.

Example: Recently, a leading oil and gas company approached us seeking assistance in refining their social media strategy. Using our competitor tracking tool, we identified key competitors in the industry and began monitoring their posts and keyword usage. By analyzing competitor content, we gained valuable insights into trending topics, popular keywords, and effective strategies. Armed with this information, we tailored our client's blog and social media content to better resonate with their target audience and compete for relevant keywords.

11. Analyze and adapt

While the importance of data analysis may seem evident, many oil and gas companies find themselves inundated with reporting without truly delving into actionable insights and patterns. At our agency, we recognize this challenge and have developed our own automatic reporting tool tailored for the industry. This tool zeroes in on the progress of strategic keywords, among other pertinent data points, allowing teams to concentrate on what truly matters for their campaigns. Additionally, our warning system condenses key performance indicators (KPIs) like organic traffic or time spent on page into digestible levels such as "great," "critical," "okay," and "not okay," enabling managers to focus their attention on areas that require immediate attention.

Example: In a recent collaboration with a prominent oil company, we utilized our data reporting tool to track the performance of their marketing campaigns. By focusing on strategic keywords and utilizing our warning system, we were able to swiftly identify areas needing improvement and allocate resources accordingly.

12. Share progress among teams

In large oil companies, diverse teams often hold varying perspectives on what constitutes effective marketing strategies. To foster alignment and collaboration, it's imperative to establish mechanisms for sharing progress and insights across departments. At our agency, we understand the significance of keeping teams informed and engaged throughout the marketing journey. Through a combination of training sessions, comprehensive reporting, and regular meetings, we facilitate open communication and knowledge sharing to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Example: In our collaboration with a major oil corporation, we implemented a multifaceted approach to sharing progress among teams. We conducted specialized training sessions to educate employees on marketing best practices and industry trends, fostering a common understanding of campaign objectives and metrics. Additionally, our robust reporting system provided detailed insights into campaign performance, enabling teams to track progress and identify areas for improvement. To maintain ongoing engagement and alignment, we established weekly meetings where stakeholders from different departments could discuss challenges, share insights, and brainstorm solutions collaboratively. This holistic approach to sharing progress not only enhanced communication and teamwork but also empowered teams to make informed decisions and drive collective success in their marketing endeavors.

Articulate, experts at oil and gas marketing

At Articulate, we pride ourselves on being experts in oil and gas marketing. With our deep understanding of the industry's unique challenges and opportunities, we offer tailored solutions to help companies stand out and succeed in a competitive landscape. From audience segmentation and channel selection to content creation and data analysis, we provide comprehensive support every step of the way. By leveraging our expertise, innovative tools, and collaborative approach, we empower oil and gas brands to navigate the complexities of modern marketing with confidence and achieve their business objectives. Partner with us at Articulate, and let's elevate your marketing efforts together.