Are you aware that word-of-mouth advertising is already happening online? The matter is that people consume and share content they find useful or entertaining, including that posted by businesses. So if your transportation company isn’t in the digital realm, you don’t exist for a whopping part of prospective customers. This article reviews the fundamentals of digital marketing for transportation companies and provides recommended practices on behalf of our agency.
The main objectives of digital marketing services for transportation companies is to stay top-of-mind with people, outshine competitors as well as attract, engage and convert target audience into a loyal following. As a starting point this implies accurate business information and consistency across the whole online presence: a website, business listings, social media profiles (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc), job boards, and other industry-specific resources (TruckersReport, FleetOwner, etc). Make sure you keep the information timely updated on all the channels so your potential clients can easily access it and get in touch if necessary.
The current maze of marketing tools, buzzy jargon, marketing myths and “expert” advice out there can lead astray even once advanced marketers. Our goal is to give some guidance and a detailed description of components and ingredients for transportation marketing strategies. You’ll need to pick some, test them and find those that work for you. We urge you not to take our or anyone else’s word for it, but make up your own marketing plan and see for yourself.
User-Friendly Mobile-Responsive Website
It’s impossible to imagine marketing services for the transportation industry without bringing a website into play. Self-evidently, it’s your primary digital identity and an excellent chance to ensure that your audience’s first impressions of your business are both positive and lasting.
You don’t need a fancy platform costing a fortune, a user-friendly mobile-responsive website is a great way to start. These 4 mandatory sections should give each visitor a big picture of your company: Home (overview of the website with links to the other pages), About (tell your story and incorporate some pictures), Services (describe what exactly you do and how you stand out), Contacts (include detailed contact info with links to all social media accounts and a contact form). Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and Testimonials are also good to have, if you intend to have a more distinguished look.
Once the website is up and running, it’s high time to set up Google Analytics. The service is free-of-charge, and it helps you understand the customer journey, user behavior and improve your marketing efforts.
On the whole, with an abundance of website builders, dedicated tools, plugins and tutorials it has become quite easy to implement and maintain a simple website, even if you’re not a power user. However, if you need an enterprise-level solution, you’d better consider custom website development - Get In Touch to get an estimate for your project.
You don’t need a fancy platform costing a fortune, a user-friendly mobile-responsive website is a great way to start. These 4 mandatory sections should give each visitor a big picture of your company: Home (overview of the website with links to the other pages), About (tell your story and incorporate some pictures), Services (describe what exactly you do and how you stand out), Contacts (include detailed contact info with links to all social media accounts and a contact form). Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and Testimonials are also good to have, if you intend to have a more distinguished look.
Once the website is up and running, it’s high time to set up Google Analytics. The service is free-of-charge, and it helps you understand the customer journey, user behavior and improve your marketing efforts.
On the whole, with an abundance of website builders, dedicated tools, plugins and tutorials it has become quite easy to implement and maintain a simple website, even if you’re not a power user. However, if you need an enterprise-level solution, you’d better consider custom website development - Get In Touch to get an estimate for your project.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
One of the most underrated and neglected element of the digital marketing mix is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). A surprising number of companies overlook incorporating SEO into their transportation marketing strategies despite the fact that all players — from carriers and brokers to shippers and factoring firms — use search engines to search for potential partners.
Despite observing a year-over-year increase in organic traffic from search engines within the logistics sector, there are several reasons why SEO remains underutilized (think: full of untapped potential!). First, you need a dedicated professional to run, optimize, and fine-tune SEO campaigns. Also, it takes time and funds to see the payoff. However, the long-term benefits, including enhanced brand awareness and a steady increase in inbound leads, significantly outweigh the initial investment.
Ultimately, the decision depends on whether you're prepared to invest in the long-term growth and value generation for your business through SEO, rather than sticking to conventional methods.
Despite observing a year-over-year increase in organic traffic from search engines within the logistics sector, there are several reasons why SEO remains underutilized (think: full of untapped potential!). First, you need a dedicated professional to run, optimize, and fine-tune SEO campaigns. Also, it takes time and funds to see the payoff. However, the long-term benefits, including enhanced brand awareness and a steady increase in inbound leads, significantly outweigh the initial investment.
Ultimately, the decision depends on whether you're prepared to invest in the long-term growth and value generation for your business through SEO, rather than sticking to conventional methods.
Google My Business and Other Business Listings
An integral part of digital marketing services for transportation companies is leveraging business listings like Google My Business, Clutch, Better Business Bureau, etc. Commonly such listings are automatically generated, and a business owner just needs to claim ownership by clicking a button and providing requested information.
Google My Business and other business platforms include your NAP, business hours, services, customer reviews, photos, and more. Take advantage of these resources and fill them out to the fullest with relevant details and appealing visuals.
Facebook or LinkedIn Pages can be another sweet spot to list your trucking, logistics or supply chain business and get discovered both through organic search and Facebook or LinkedIn’s internal search feature. Unlike Google My Business and other listings, it’s you who is to create your Facebook or LinkedIn Business Page from scratch. Again, keep your information consistent and up-to-date across all online resources. And ask every customer for a review right then and there. For instance, you can offer a small discount in exchange for customer feedback that you’ll be able to incorporate into your marketing in transportation mix.
Make sure you promptly address each and every review — be it negative or positive — in a professional manner. Staying responsive and aware of how people engage with your company helps you build brand loyalty and grow your regular customers database.
Last but not least, business listings may also serve as a terminal to drive traffic to your website and social media account.
Google My Business and other business platforms include your NAP, business hours, services, customer reviews, photos, and more. Take advantage of these resources and fill them out to the fullest with relevant details and appealing visuals.
Facebook or LinkedIn Pages can be another sweet spot to list your trucking, logistics or supply chain business and get discovered both through organic search and Facebook or LinkedIn’s internal search feature. Unlike Google My Business and other listings, it’s you who is to create your Facebook or LinkedIn Business Page from scratch. Again, keep your information consistent and up-to-date across all online resources. And ask every customer for a review right then and there. For instance, you can offer a small discount in exchange for customer feedback that you’ll be able to incorporate into your marketing in transportation mix.
Make sure you promptly address each and every review — be it negative or positive — in a professional manner. Staying responsive and aware of how people engage with your company helps you build brand loyalty and grow your regular customers database.
Last but not least, business listings may also serve as a terminal to drive traffic to your website and social media account.
Social Media Marketing (SMM)
All in all, SMM is about generating awareness and building relations with your following via content creation. Social media profiles can be capitalized on to reinforce brand equity, expose your business from a compelling perspective and render customer service.
The type of content is up to you to test and decide on; it can be visuals, videos, polls and surveys to collect feedback. It’s more important to post on a regular and consistent basis.
You can actively engage with your audience by sharing relevant industry news, valuable insights, tips and updates about your services. Such an approach fosters trust and demonstrates your company’s expertise.
To stand out from generic digital marketing content for transportation, you may want to identify the questions you're most frequently asked and utilize them as hot topics. This way potential clients can find you naturally on the web because good content attracts traffic. One thing is certain: you’ll have to invest sufficient time and money into crafting content if your goal is to stay in continuous touch with your following. And don’t forget to link back your social media posts to your website. Then take action to convert visitors into customers.
The type of content is up to you to test and decide on; it can be visuals, videos, polls and surveys to collect feedback. It’s more important to post on a regular and consistent basis.
You can actively engage with your audience by sharing relevant industry news, valuable insights, tips and updates about your services. Such an approach fosters trust and demonstrates your company’s expertise.
To stand out from generic digital marketing content for transportation, you may want to identify the questions you're most frequently asked and utilize them as hot topics. This way potential clients can find you naturally on the web because good content attracts traffic. One thing is certain: you’ll have to invest sufficient time and money into crafting content if your goal is to stay in continuous touch with your following. And don’t forget to link back your social media posts to your website. Then take action to convert visitors into customers.
Email Marketing
Now that you can secure some traffic to your website, you should capture visitors’ personal info before they leave. Lots of businesses offer a discount or exclusive content to incentivize people to join their email lists. As soon as someone fills out your sign-up form, set up a trigger to shoot them an automated “Thank you” message.
To clarify, email marketing is another way to stay top-of-mind with potential clients via newsletters in particular. Newsletters involve sending out useful content at least once a month. A good idea is to split your blasts into promotional (up to 30%) and educational+entertaining emails (70%). Importantly, adhere to the most recent regulations of email providers to stay safe and enjoy a high deliverability rate.
To clarify, email marketing is another way to stay top-of-mind with potential clients via newsletters in particular. Newsletters involve sending out useful content at least once a month. A good idea is to split your blasts into promotional (up to 30%) and educational+entertaining emails (70%). Importantly, adhere to the most recent regulations of email providers to stay safe and enjoy a high deliverability rate.
Paid Advertising
Paid ads can amplify your marketing efforts and help you better understand your customers and buyer personas in more detail. The rule of thumb is to start small, test several ads simultaneously and gradually scale those that perform the best. Depending on how well you know your client, you can target your ads based on location, demographics, interests, behaviors, and connections. You can even create a lookalike audience to target people similar to those on your email list.
Paid ads can wear many hats and get you new signups for your newsletter or drive more traffic to your website. In parallel advertising enhances your brand awareness and promotes your services.
Paid ads can wear many hats and get you new signups for your newsletter or drive more traffic to your website. In parallel advertising enhances your brand awareness and promotes your services.
Please bear in mind that from an organic, non-paid perspective, it may take several months for you to see some outcomes, especially if you begin from the ground up. We recommend choosing a couple of the suggested points for your transportation marketing strategy, test them for some time, analyze your output and move forward based on the attained results.
If you’re not sure where to start from or would like a free consulting session on how to market transportation services for best results, feel free to Get In Touch.
If you’re not sure where to start from or would like a free consulting session on how to market transportation services for best results, feel free to Get In Touch.
