 |
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — SEO, hashtags, drip campaigns…my, oh, my, the growing list of marketing buzzwords never ceases.
Luckily, marketing consultant Andrea Racanelli hosted a session called “The ‘New’ Way To Market: The Low- Cost Marketing Play Book For The Ground Transportation Industry” at the 2019 LCT East Show that helped operators understand the nuances of digital marketing and how they can use it to better their online strategy.
The Power Of Seven
When it comes to marketing right, Racanelli cited “The Power of Seven” rule. This is the psychological principle that states people must be hit by a piece of marketing material at least seven times before they make a purchase. “Our job as marketers is to hit people as many times as we can for the least amount of money because none of us have a huge budget anymore. And that’s why we love social media so much,” she said.
Take Your Time, But Not Too Much Time
Social media and email marketing are cheap, quick, and easy. However, it can only be quick if you don’t waste hours trying to craft the perfect email. “I’ve seen larger organizations spend forever going through the process and then miss their window of opportunity.”
That’s not to say you should rush through creating content that connects. You want to match seasonal events with messages that make sense. If prom season is coming up in May, your message needs to be timely. Planning out your content ahead of time is one of the most important steps to take.
Spreadsheet Time
Creating a simple spreadsheet and breaking seasons down by month, holidays, and events will help you stay organized. “Think about what you should be talking about. Who should you be trying to reach? When does wedding season start? When are people going to Disney? Is spring break soon? Do people have family vacations? When are you going to target your corporate clients and how are you going to do it?”
Partner Up
Connecting with partner companies can also help you come up with content as well. You want to join up with the people who reach the same kind of clientele you serve. “For example, if you partner with a travel agency, there’s got to be some way you can work together. Get them to give you a plug in their newsletter or get them to reach out to their clients and offer a discounted rate through that travel agent.”
Go where your clients go, wherever they are. Get involved in your community. Don’t just join a group and skip their meetings. It’s important to attend events and make connections through networking. Digital groups like those on social media can help you forge trust and bonds with not only affiliates but potential clients as well through local mom groups.
“Social media has been a game-changer for many of us because there’s a lot you can do organically for very little money that gets your name out there,” she said. When people see you or your company name posting, “Sorry to hear that happened to you with [insert company name here]. Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to help,” it helps other people in the group discover who you are and builds respect for your brand.
Drip-Drip-Drip Marketing
Are you keeping a database when someone makes a reservation? Are you sending them a welcome email? People are more likely to use you again just by that simple “hello” you send. After they use your service, why not send them an email asking how their trip was? Staying in touch with them throughout the entire process keeps you top of mind when they need you again and creates a household reputation for you.
Multiple touchpoints build relationships. The more people see your name, the more they start to think they know you. It gives them a sense you understand them and you’re there when they need you.
Tiered Campaigns
 |
Let’s say you book a wedding. Don’t let the relationship end there. Follow up and offer your services for the bachelorette party, bachelor party, and anything else that may come up. Partner with a local restaurant and do their first anniversary. “Sometimes it’s not all about making a lot of money; sometimes it’s just about building that relationship and having them think you’re their friend,” she said.
“I used to travel a lot and I remember really rethinking my career one day when I got off the elevator and everyone was running over to their friends and loved ones. I saw my driver going, ‘Yo, Andrea,’ and I said, ‘Ronnie,’ and that was it. He was my friend at the airport because he picked me up every single time.”
Don’t Forget Referrals
There’s no doubt you’ve known some of your clients for years. All you have to do is ask them to help you by recommending you to those they know — the worst they can say is no. Ask them to follow and review you on social media. “There’s nothing more valuable. People are more apt to follow reviews.”
When people see someone has such a good relationship with you, they want to have that, too. Racanelli says these relationships are built by “not forgetting the sprinkles.” “The sprinkles” are what’s going to make you different and stand out amongst the other companies. If you’re targeting families, do something simple. Go to the Dollar Store, buy some coloring books. Doing something small like this turns the trip into an experience for the family. That family tells another family, and the rest is history.
SEO ABCs
You’ve likely heard the term but might not know what it means. Racanelli describes it as “getting more at-bats. It’s about getting you in front of more people. There are companies where all they do is backend tagging and labeling so you can get involved or seen in Google searches. So when I type, “’transportation to airport,’ that website is keyed up so that when Google does its crawl, it’s going to pull you up.”
If you’re looking to get a lot of leads from your website, don’t just hire someone for $500 to put up a page that has 12 different fonts and your picture because that’s not going to do it, Racanelli said. Google collects information about every page on the web. Therefore, the more relevant information you have about the keywords in your website, the easier it is for Google to find you.
Links between websites help, so see if companies you’ve partnered with will include a link to your site. The reason people often talk about blogging so much and its importance to your website is because it helps you add fresh content which also boosts SEO.
When posting to Instagram, you shouldn’t forget to hashtag. You want to understand and do some research on what the most important hashtags are in your industry and area. They could be geared to your location or specific upcoming events. In your photo captions, be sure to talk about what you do, so when people search for that they will find you.
Be Thorough
As simple as it may sound, you want to make sure your social media profiles are complete and that you are posting daily or almost daily. Creating a profile and having nothing on it or leaving it quiet for a while is worse than not having a profile at all. It makes you look like you went out of business. Staying consistent and relevant matters.
Remember to include information like the specific geographic areas you work in, and the types of transportation you can provide. Don’t repeat yourself; try to write different information in each section of your profile because all of that is searchable. If you’re putting the same sentence in five different areas, you’re missing an opportunity to be found.