Marketing for moving companies: what works and what doesn’t

Yes, we’re aware: plenty of marketing agencies and service providers go all out to explain to you what good marketing is, and what isn’t.

What makes us different? We’re not trying to sell you anything. The 39 Club is a place where relocation professionals come together to share experiences and grow individually or as a group. Because we want our members to succeed – always.

Branding

Notice what we did in the previous paragraph? We just told you 3 things that a marketing-savvy business can’t do without:

• A differentiating message
  You’re not like other moving companies, because…
• Clear benefits for the client
  It’s not about your service per se, but about what your client will get out of it.
• Your mission statement
  ‘Start with the why’, or at least include it in your messaging. People want to know your story. Why you do what you do.

Communicate these 3 elements consistently and you’re on the right track. One thing to research before you start: who are your clients? And what do they need? Once you’ve got that figured out, the next step is easy.

Marketing

The time of cold-calling prospects is over. Instead, consumers expect relevant information when they want it.

Don’t worry, if you have your branding right, and you communicate it consistently, people will find you when they’re ready to engage.

So how do you tell your story in an engaging way? Here are a few key pointers:

• Keep your communication focused. Choose one message for one target audience and strengthen that message from various angles.
• Provide a clear call-to-action. Ultimately, the goal is to develop new business, so make sure your audience easily finds the way to the next step.
• Develop your own style, and stick to it. A consistent visual identity and tone-of-voice is an integral part of effective communication.

Website

The most basic act of communication today? Your website. A good website consists of useful information, written in a unique tone-of-voice, complemented by an attractive visual style. 

But why isn’t your website ranking high on Google?

There’s a whole list of possible reasons your website isn’t scoring well. So, when you move your website to a new location, don’t forget to take these items with you:

• Mobile-responsive design
• SEO-optimized copy 
• UI / UX functionality
• Frequently updated content
• Fast loading times
• Data analytics tool

Paid media

By now you should have an engaging brand story, a good idea of your communication style and a successful website. So what’s missing? That’s right: an audience.

There are 2 interesting ways to attract prospects online: paid media & social media.

• Pay to reach your audience when you want
  One way to make sure your website attracts the right visitors is by targeting them with Google AdWords, online banners or sponsored updates on social media. How those work, exactly, deserves an article of itself. (Coming soon.)
• Engage your customers on social media
  Posting relevant and interesting content on social media, without spamming “marketing material”, is challenging. But if you do have relevant and inspiring content, don’t be afraid to ask your colleagues to share it on their social networks.

Print media

The answer depends almost entirely on your target audience. Looking to draw a local crowd? Newspaper ads might not be the worst idea.

But don’t forget: what’s the first thing you do when you need answers? Most likely, search the internet. Online marketing offers a huge potential and is often more relevant than mass media.

The effectiveness of print campaigns is very difficult to measure. Additionally, the information presented in a print campaign is, by definition, fleeting. On the other hand, online content will remain accessible until you decide it should no longer be.

Data and feedback

Executed all of our recommendations to perfection? Then your website should be attracting plenty of visitors. And visitors mean data. Data that you can use to optimize your website.

For many people, however, data and analytics are absolutely incomprehensible. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of basic data terms that you can depend on to interpret and evaluate your online efforts:

• Bounce rate: how many people leave your website immediately upon arrival.
• Click-Through-Rate (CTR): the percentage of people that clicked on your link or button.
• Page views: how many people have actually visited your web page.
• Pay-Per-Click (PPC): how much you pay advertising channels for each visitor who clicks on an ad.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): the practice of enhancing webpages to appear higher in search results

Learn from your colleagues

A large part of marketing is trial and error. Yes, you can make educated assumptions on what will work for your industry, business and target audience but, ultimately, the proof remains in the pudding.

Would you like to discuss your efforts with fellow relocation experts and benefit directly from their experience? Get to know the FIDI 39 Club online or come to our next conference and meet us in person.