Marketing Ideas to Grow Your Moving Company

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Launching a moving company is one thing, but turning that company into a profitable venture is something else altogether.

As a new business owner, you can be sure you’ll have enough on your plate to handle before and after the launch.

There are feasibility studies to do and the source of funding to worry about. Once you have that covered and decide to press ahead, you need to obtain business permits and licenses, not to mention think about insurance and liability.

You also need to evaluate the competition and find out how to make inroads in an environment served by players who have been in the game for eons.

Spend Money to Make Money

What’s more, marketing is one of the more crucial aspects you’ll be thinking about, and rightly so because how you approach it will have a bearing on your revenue as a moving company.

What also makes marketing a unique aspect is its perpetual nature: unlike other facets of business, marketing is something you’ll be dealing with (and pumping money into) for as long as the business is operating.

Thing is, though, the marketing landscape has changed a lot over the years, largely due to the entry of the Internet (and social media) into the picture. Unlike previous decades where marketing was straightforward and all you needed was to pump money into your promotion and advertising to get results, things are a bit different today.

Spending money in the name of marketing expenditure doesn’t guarantee you results and there’s a way you could do it and see it end up as a money pit with little to show for it.

For new movers, spending money on marketing can be intimidating because not only are the margins razor-thin but also the expenses column outstrips its revenue counterpart at this point.

Unfortunately, this is something that needs to get done because ultimately, the idea of starting the business in the first place is to be profitable. To do that, you need to get yourself “out there” – that is, build brand awareness.

So then, what’s the best way moving companies can optimize their marketing spend to get the most out of their promotion efforts as they aim to make headway in their respective markets, geographically speaking?

More specifically, what does a fledgling moving business need to do to get its first client?

Charity begins at Home

With tens of millions of Americans relocating each year, there is huge market potential in the moving industry.

However, getting your first customer is always going to be a challenge. That’s because this is not like your regular walk-in store.

Reputation matters a lot in this business. Customers looking for movers rely a lot on referrals and online reviews before they choose a mover, so any new company can expect to struggle when it comes to attracting its first customer(s).

One way to stand out from movers who are already established is to render your moving services at a cost lower than what most companies are offering. That’s bound to attract people who are more concerned about saving a buck above all else.

But perhaps the best approach we recommend would be to start with your immediate circle. If you have a friend, colleague, or family member with a move on the cards, they’re a great starting point to start building your portfolio.

In both instances, make sure to ask for a review of your moving services. Second, referrals from them would go a long way towards helping you build your standing.

Importantly, though, don’t forget that ultimately, it is the quality of your moving services that will be your biggest selling point. Therefore, go above and beyond in delivering a great customer experience, which should be the priority over profits during the first moves you undertake.

Marketing Ideas to Grow Your Moving Company

When it comes to the actual marketing, it’s best to focus on both online and offline marketing channels, with more effort (and budget) going towards the former.

That‘s because the majority of people now search for moving companies online, hence the more reason to get those glowing customer reviews.

In the case of offline marketing, branding trucks and staff uniforms should be a given.

Your digital marketing strategy will require more effort, money, and time investment, but if executed well, it will be well worth it.

Here are the particular areas you’ll want to focus on when creating your digital marketing strategy:

1. Build a Top-notch Website

A company website will be at the heart of your online marketing, and in this day and age, this is not an option: every serious moving company needs to have a website.

But having a website is simply not enough. You need a well-designed site with four key elements:

• Web design – Your site needs to be good on the aesthetics front and able to keep users engaged.
• Navigation – The site needs to be easy to navigate so users can find the information they’re looking for in a snap.
• Page speed – Site speed not only makes for a better user experience but also is a ranking factor when it comes to SEO.
• Responsive layout – The website should automatically resize to fit the user’s screen based on the type of device they’re browsing on (desktop, tablet, or smartphone).

2. Master Search Marketing

When people are looking for moving services these days, the first place they go looking is on search engines – and more specifically, Google.

With that in mind, it goes without saying that the closer you are to the top of search results, the more potential business will trickle your way. There are three ways you can achieve this:

• Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising – Consider bidding on keywords through Google AdWords (an auction system) to gain placement at the top of search pages.
• Create a Google My Business listing – This will help you win more business from your local area. Having positive reviews will boost your ranking.
• Organic listing of your website – This will largely be determined by your SEO efforts. You can improve rankings by optimizing your site for target keywords, blogging on a regular, and getting some backlinks into your site.

3. Email Marketing

The impact of email marketing on your moving company marketing strategy cannot be overemphasized.

With a whopping 3800% ROI (you gain $38 for every dollar spent) email to date is still one of the most effective forms of online marketing available and done right, few avenues can match the conversion rate you stand to gain from it.

4. Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing (SMM) has become a pivotal part of building your brand online, so if you’re serious about amplifying your services and brand as a whole, you have to make this part of your marketing strategy.

When it comes to SMM, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Choose the platform that brings you value – Depending on your services and target audience, you’re better off prioritizing some platforms over others. For example, if you offer college moving services, you’re likely to find a higher number of young people on Instagram. Opt for LinkedIn if you’re targeting office moves, and Facebook is a good choice if you’re providing residential and commercial moving services.
• Be clear in what you wish to achieve – At this point, creating brand awareness is more of your priority.
• Serve useful, relevant content to your potential customers – But avoid over-promoting yourself or your services.

5. Consider Purchasing Moving Leads

When starting out from scratch, you might want to look into purchasing moving leads. You can find viable leads on sites like Angie’s List and Home Advisor.

However, keep in mind that you’ll be competing with fellow movers to reach the lead first and offer the most reasonable quote. To get ahead, be ready to make and take calls, so you need to hone your phone skills. Also, don’t undersell yourself as some leads just want to nickel-and-dime you.

6. Create a Video

A lot of people these days are consuming video at the expense of text.

As a mover, there is not much competition on sites like YouTube to contend with, so think about creating a video around your business and/or services and optimizing it for search. That way, you increase your chances of getting found by customers who are more into video consumption.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, the areas you should be focusing on in your efforts to get those first customers and keep leads streaming in are:

• Referrals
• Search engine optimization (SEO) – through website optimization, content creation, and building backlinks
• Paid ads
• Online reviews to boost your standing
• Business listings
• Email marketing
• Social media marketing
• Video marketing
• Purchasing moving leads

In addition to the above, you should also aim to build partnerships and collaborations with entities that can be a source of opportunities – for example, realtors, and building and property managers.

At the end of the day, however, it’s always important to bear in mind that your quality of service is what will determine your success as a business.

You can do all the marketing in the world, but if customers find your moving services wanting and leave a string of negative reviews, no amount of PR is going to save you.

Image Credit: freepik.com