#MarketingForTruckingCompanies, #MarketingForTruckDrivers, #MarketingIdeasForTruckingCompanies, #FreeMarketingForTruckingCompanies,
When I ask that question the immediate reaction from clients is usually an emphatic “absolutely not!” or “why on earth would I want to do that?”
Superficially it appears to be absurd, but when I expand on the reasoning for the question clients’ eyes start opening and chins hit desks in disbelief. As crazy as it sounds most trucking companies, including yours, really are forcing prospects to direct competitors!
Before you cast aspersions on my sanity let me explain the method in my madness. By the end of this article you won’t think I am that crazy after all.
Research shows that thousands of shippers are searching Google, AOL, Bing and Yahoo! every month looking for information on trucking companies. And yes, some are searching for the exact freight service you offer.
They’re not searching for entertainment purposes, instead shippers need a solution to an existing problem. It’s safe to assume there’s freight sitting on a dock that must be delivered. It also makes sense shippers are searching because they don’t have a trucking company or in the process of looking for a new one.
As that freight needs to be moved these shippers are in the “buying mode” and ready, right now, to make a switch. If this wasn’t true there would be no need for online searches.
How many of these prospects are calling you? None? If that’s the case who are they calling? That’s right a competitor, but why?
Have you tried searching Google for your own trucking company by name recently? Did you find your website? Was your website on page 1 of the search engine listings? Page 2? Or did you have to go multiple pages deeper in the listings to find your site?
(For this example I am using Google because they are the big hairy gorilla of search engines but you should also try the same search in Bing, AOL and Yahoo!)
By entering your company name in the search box your website should appear on the first page of Google and even in the top position. If not, that’s a big problem but don’t worry I can help fix that for you.
Now let’s try another search, but we’ll use a real search term, one that a prospect would enter. For example, your trucking company is based in California and offers flatbed services. In this case a prospect would search something like “flatbed trucking companies in California.”
Go ahead and enter a search term in Google, one that represents the service your trucking company offers.
Google immediately presents you with 10 websites or web pages on the first page. These are the organic listings and exclude the ads at the top and down the side of the page.
Search engines are dedicated to providing surfers with quality content that is 100% relevant to the original search term. Websites that don’t fit this criteria will not be ranked very high in the listings.
This is the bad news, but it is fixable over time. In part 2 of this article I will explain how to overcome this issue and start getting more traffic to your website. More traffic, more leads, more sales!
FREE Marketing For Trucking Companies:
In the meantime would you like some FREE assistance faster? If so, please call me directly at 909-636-4012. If I am unavailable please leave a voicemail and I will call you back. I would be happy to discuss your current situation, answer any questions and point you in the right direction. This is not a sales pitch, just a free service that we offer to trucking companies of all sizes.
Keith Hunt is Vice President of Marketing for GetFactoringForTruckingCompanies.com. During his career he has worked with freight forwarders, trucking companies, Customs brokers, financial service companies, professional athletes, resorts, hotel chains, computer manufacturers, and even a Hollywood legend.
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