It’s harder than ever for trucking and logistics companies to stand out today. The competition is increasingly difficult to beat, and customers are very often extremely price sensitive. This means that, in order to get ahead, companies are having to change the way they go-to-market.
With the rise of digital, traditional outbound marketing strategies are no longer working as well as they used to. Radio and TV advertisements, telemarketing and cold calling don’t get the same traction anymore, which is forcing trucking and logistics companies to turn to other methods to generate leads.
According to a study by the TMSA, 44% of marketing budgets in the industry are focused solely on demand and lead generation. Companies have the resources available, and it’s simply a case of figuring out where to spend the money.
Building a solid lead generation strategy not only brings in a continuous stream of new prospects, but also establishes credibility and positions a company as an expert in their sector. As a result, they take on a bigger market share and can grow much quicker.
So how can trucking and logistics companies generate more?
1. Create Targeted Opt-ins
There’s a high chance that a new visitor to your site won’t know much about you. This means that, when they leave, they might never come back – especially if you don’t make a lasting impression.
Adding opt-ins around your site will give visitors more information about your products and services and show them what you have to offer. It will position you as an expert, and will help prospects see the benefits of choosing your company over another.
Opt-ins also collect prospect email addresses, which means you can stay in touch with potential leads long after they’ve left your site. According to research, it takes at least seven touchpoints with a brand before a customer makes a purchase, and staying in touch via email helps you meet those touchpoints.
Opt-ins can include newsletter signups, exclusive offers and additional pieces of content, such as eBooks, case studies or whitepapers, that might be useful to visitors.
2. Powerful CTAs
Calls-to-action (CTAs) are important to show visitors what to do next. If you don’t clearly state what you want them to do, they might navigate away from your site and never return. Your website should present a clear customer journey, where the buyer does not doubt what steps they need to take next. This should funnel them neatly to the contact form or a telephone call so you can convert them into a customer.
Firstly, you need to provide eye-catching and clear CTAs. Secondly, it’s important that, when a lead clicks a CTA, they are taken to a dedicated landing page where they can find out more information by filling out a form with their contact details.
Using a conversion form, like the one below, gives you all the details you need to follow up with a lead and nurture them into a customer.
This company directs visitors to a form they can fill out to get a quote. Once they’ve done that, the brand can easily get in touch with them to find out more about their needs and eventually make a sale.
3. Leverage Social Media
It’s easy for trucking and logistics companies to think that their customers don’t hang out on social media. But the truth is, pretty much everyone is on social media in one way or another.
Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram can be great for establishing relationships with leads and encouraging them to visit your site. However, make sure you have a social strategy in place, so you don’t end up posting for the sake of it. Instead, use your social channels to share:
- Important industry insights to establish your expertise
- Fun articles or interesting facts to spark a connection with buyers
- Exclusive offers on your products and services
Remember, social media shouldn’t foster one-way communication. Instead, it should open up discussions with your potential leads and form a two-way dialogue.
Beemac Trucking is active on Instagram, where they post facts about the trucking industry as well as company updates.
4. Focus on SEO
Savvy marketers in the trucking and logistics industry know that SEO is vital for attracting new leads through search engine results. Implementing a solid SEO strategy that targets relevant keywords will help you stand out amongst the competition, while also promoting your brand to buyers that might otherwise not have known about it.
SEO doesn’t just help you move up the search engine rankings, though. It also provides the foundations for a solid content strategy that targets buyers based on their search intent.
Start leveraging SEO by:
- Researching relevant keywords in your industry that your customers are already using
- Creating high-quality content centered around your chosen keywords
- Sharing and distributing the content
Conclusion
Lead generation doesn’t have to be hard work. In fact, there’s a chance you’re already using some of these techniques. The key is to think about the journey your buyers take to get to the point of sale, and then optimize that process as much as possible. Make it easy for your leads to find out about you and stay in touch, and use quality content to nurture them and to build deeper relationships.
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