We know that in the busy world of trucking, marketing can sometimes become an afterthought.
That’s why KAT Media got its start: our owners have been in the trucking industry for decades, and our team knows the realities of the trucking world. That’s why we know that for the most successful fleets in North America, marketing has become a seamless integration of their daily operations.
Here’s the good news: with a few changes in habit, marketing at your fleet can become second nature as well. We’re going to share a few tips and tricks that the best fleets use as part of their marketing strategies.
Here are five marketing habits that the most effective fleets follow every day.
Know your audience.
This is the key marketing habit that the most successful fleets follow: they know the needs of their audience, and they tailor their messaging to meet them.
Your audience isn’t just the people where you haul, who need what you haul. You probably have more than one audience as well. Plus, depending on your need at the moment, one of your audiences may take priority over the rest.
If you feel you need to zoom in on exactly who your audiences are, ask yourself these questions:
- Which clients would benefit most from our hauling capabilities?
- Who does our message appeal to the most? (More on this later)
- What are the soft qualifications we’re looking for in our drivers?
- Which drivers would find our perks and benefits the most appealing?
The answers are your audiences. Once you’ve identified them, you’ll have a better idea of how your messages should sound so you can reach them.
Speak to them on their terms.
Of course, the most well-crafted messages will fall flat if they aren’t delivered in a way which appeals to your audiences. This brings me to the next habit effective fleets use in their marketing. They don’t just know their audiences: they know where and how to speak to them.
Some things to consider:
- Potential clients will likely search Google to find you. Make sure your website ranks high in search results by using the right keywords.
- For most truck drivers, Facebook is still king. Make sure your social media planning includes regular updates on your Facebook page.
- As more and more Gen-Zers enter trucking, though, short-form videos on TikTok are becoming a top way to reach potential drivers.
- Potential clients and drivers alike expect to find what they need on your website in seconds. Make sure it’s both easy to navigate, and has a clear call to action.
All of these may mean leaving your fleet’s marketing comfort zone, but it’s worth it to get the results you need.
Show up consistently.
We say this often: there is no “set and forget mode” in marketing. Especially not for fleets, whose audiences can be active at all times of the day. The most successful fleets show up and show out on the marketing channels - DAILY. They monitor and respond to questions and comments in a consistent manner, and encourage dialogue as well. Here’s just a few ways to do it.
- Post frequently on your social channels, and not just about your jobs and lanes. Speak to your fleet’s milestones, awards and achievements, and driver milestones – both professional and personal.
- Respond to all comments, even with a simple “Like”.
- Ensure your Google business profile is up-to-date, especially for any holiday closures.
- Set alerts so you’ll know if your fleet is mentioned in an article, review, or online discussion.
- Respond to every review…good OR bad. This helps show you’re transparent and trustworthy.
Highly effective fleets show up and stay active on their marketing channels. And they do so consistently.
Follow up on leads immediately.
There is another very good reason why “showing up” is so crucial to effective fleet marketing. Your fleet will never miss a good lead, and will be able to respond to one ASAP. The most successful fleets respond to leads in 24 hours or less, regardless of where the lead came from.
Not every lead is going to originate from your job application or “contact us” portals. Potential drivers and clients will still make inquiries on your other marketing channels. Make sure you’re monitoring them multiple times a day.
You can do this by ensuring you have a follow-up process in place for all your channels. Make sure leads are automatically assigned to someone, and that everyone else knows their role in the process as well. Better still, look into software that can automate the process for you, so no lead ever falls between the cracks.
Know your EVP and live it every day.
This might be the most important thing you can do as a fleet marketer. The most effective fleets base every marketing move with their employee value proposition in mind. All your marketing strategies and tactics flow from one thing: who you are and what you bring to your truck drivers.
So make sure you live your EVP at all times (and if you need help identifying your EVP, read our handy article).
Say what you mean and mean what you say – especially in your marketing. Remember, truck drivers are an intuitive bunch. They tend to smell inauthenticity from a mile away. Live and breath your employee value proposition in everything you do. You’ll notice the positive impact it makes on the rest of your marketing.
The most highly effective fleets have made these marketing habits a seamless part of what they do. If you need a hand making it happen, fleet marketing is a major part of what we do. Get in touch today and let’s talk about what we can do for you.