A logistics company stores and delivers the products of other businesses. As simple as that may seem, so much work is involved, and the process is not always that straightforward. However, if you own a logistics company, once you have your business operations in order, your next project will be to attract customers and sales.
The process of attracting loyal customers to your logistics company is continuous; you must keep improving and adapting your business operations to the latest trends of various logistics companies’ marketing strategies around the world.
Despite the hard work you put in to build and organize your logistics company, without clients and customers, the business will not yield any results. So you must take your time to learn some low-cost strategies for marketing a logistics company which will be discussed in this guide.
1. Create Your Unique Value Proposition
The unique value proposition (UVP) is the core of every brand, and it is the act of offering something more that other businesses or competitors do not offer. Every logistics company provides the same services, but when you offer more than others, people will be more interested in doing business with you. Hence, it is essential to make your company stand out from the crowd so you can sustain your business in the already saturated market.
For example, you can offer discounts to first-time customers, exclusive offers during festive periods for both new and old customers, or even discounts when they request services up to a certain amount. This will give customers a reason to be loyal to your company, amongst many others.
Aside from offering something more or different from your competitors, knowing what you do better than your competitors can also help you develop your value proposition. You can communicate with prospective clients through your website and create awareness of why they should choose your services over others. Lastly, it is vital to keep track of the progress of your proposition by monitoring the analytics of your sales and website through an accountability expert.
You must know that the unique value proposition you come up with might not work on the first try, but gradually, you will pass a message to your prospective customers. They will eventually come to understand what you can do for them that others can’t. Also, note that it is okay to try out different UVPs to find the one that works best for your business.
2. Generate Leads Consistently
Lead generation is one of the most effective marketing strategies for logistics businesses; the best part is that it can be a very expensive or low cost depending on what you want and your company’s budget. Lead generation simply refers to the process of inciting a customer’s interest in your product or service.
It is a long-term strategy that can help you ensure your logistics company experiences consistent revenue growth and a rapid increase in sales. Some popular examples of lead generation strategies are discussed below.
Inbound Lead Generation
Logistics companies can easily generate leads through inbound marketing by utilizing search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing and social media. Inbound lead generation is a marketing strategy that allows a company to generate leads by producing and sharing useful information to attract prospective customers to their website. Now let’s take a look at the various inbound lead generation techniques.
Search Engine Optimization
SEO is a method of creating content for your website to increase ranking on search engines by using specific search terms that frequently appear in organic search results. SEO content improves your website’s visibility and position in search results pages. For example, when customers search for words relevant to your business, such as “3PL”, “warehousing”, “freight forwarding services”, etc., your business website will be among the first few that will appear in the search result.
Content Marketing
This is the process of creating relevant content like blog posts, videos, ebooks, etc., to inform prospective customers about your business and other related things. This strategy will help your logistics company to incite the interest of a clearly-defined target audience. What is important to remember here is that the contents must be relevant and valuable; if not, they may not yield your expected results.
Social Media Marketing
Aside from using your company’s website directly, social media is another high-traffic platform to generate leads; you can promote informative and valuable content about your business and services and encourage your audience to share your post with others. This way, you will create awareness for your business and drive traffic to your website.
Outbound Lead Generation
While Inbound lead generation can attract customers that are interested in your services, outbound lead generation is about reaching out to those customers or clients who have not yet expressed any interest in your logistics company and its services. There are several ways your logistics company can implement this strategy, and here are some of them.
Cold Calling
This is a popular method for turning regular people into prospective customers. It involves making unsolicited calls to specific leads to market your services. You can apply this method in your logistics business marketing strategies, and you will be surprised at the number of people that dont even know about such services yet.
Direct Sales
Direct sales is a more traditional approach, but it is very effective, and many companies have used it to drive sales over the years. This approach requires you to visit potential customers in person and briefly present your company to them. Then, inform them of your company’s services and what makes you stand out from other logistics companies.
Events
Many B2B companies use events to generate leads, and logistics companies can do the same. Set up events where you can display, present, and educate prospects about your services and offers.
3. Set up a Sales Automation Platform
Another strategy that is not only low-cost but can also help you cut costs in other areas of your company is sales automation. This can give a solid boost to the efficiency of your company’s CRM and significantly expand the capacity of your teams. Sales automation has many benefits it can offer your logistics company, and it is a very effective approach to marketing. It saves time and allows for a more personalized contract with your prospective customers.
According to research, sales automation platforms can give your logistics company better forecast accuracy, greater average deal size, better lead conversion rate and team higher attainment of quotas. Hence, if there is a cost-effective strategy that you can utilize to increase efficiency in your company and also market your business, it is sales automation.
4. Build a Unique Brand
Every country has several logistics companies from which your target market can choose and patronize. So what will make them select your company amongst many others? This is where branding comes in; you must give prospective customers a good reason to choose your company by establishing a powerful brand presence.
Creating a unique brand for your logistics company will help you stand out from the competition, and your company will be more identifiable, trustworthy, and memorable. As discussed earlier in this guide, your company’s unique value proposition is also vital when creating a brand. Take time to discover it because that is what you will be selling and publicizing once you establish your brand.
Marketing for logistics companies is mainly done through word of mouth because it is fast and easy, so as a result, having a unique brand with a good reputation is vital for establishing a reliable and successful logistics network for your company.
5. Take Advantage of Social Media
Social media is a broad platform that can plunge your business to the next level if you know how to leverage it. Marketing your logistics company isn’t always about digital tools, but in this new age of technology, many digital channels are now available to help you reach out to a broader audience and convert them into potential customers.
Websites like LinkedIn and other popular platforms like Facebook and Instagram now offer effective tools for sales prospecting. You can use these social media platforms to promote your business, interact with customers and share relevant posts, especially those that have to do with your business successes and offers. If you want to market your logistics company successfully, you shouldn’t ignore the power of social media as it is not only cost-effective but also a new trend for businesses today.
Read also: Top 5 Challenges of Running a Logistics Business and How to Surmount Them
Managing a logistics company is not easy anywhere in the world, and without an effective marketing strategy, your business may not be successful. Hence, applying flexible, effective and efficient marketing strategies is essential so your logistics company can thrive even in harsh economic conditions.
The marking strategies discussed in this guide are low-cost and have helped a lot of businesses drive sales and move to the next level, so no doubt it will yield good results for your business as we.
Although these strategies may not be easy to implement, they are all low-cost, and you dont have to do all of them at once. Implementing one or two of them will go a long way in boosting sales and spurring revenue growth in your logistics company. So, if this guide was helpful to you or if you have any contributions, leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
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