Boost Your Moving Business: 10 Proven Marketing Strategies
As a moving company, it’s essential to constantly generate leads and reach out to potential customers to grow your business. Outbound marketing, which involves actively reaching out to potential customers rather than waiting for them to come to you, can be effective. In this article, we’ll outline ten proven outbound marketing strategies that you can use to boost your moving business. From targeting specific demographics and utilizing email marketing to hosting events and offering referral incentives, these strategies will help you reach out to potential customers and grow your business.
1. Create a targeted list of potential customers
Look at your move surveys and booked moves in the last 12 months. What type of home and client trends do you notice?
Moving companies get in trouble when they try to be all things to everyone. Find your best customer by home size, price, and location, and own this niche in your local market.
Creating a targeted list of possible clients is essential in any outbound marketing campaign. By identifying distinct demographics and home types likely to be interested in your services, you can tailor your marketing efforts and improve your chances of success.
Once you know your target market and customer, you can create custom marketing campaigns that are more likely to be effective.
This might involve using different messaging and marketing channels depending on your target group. For example, homeowners might respond well to direct mail campaigns (such as those offered via Moovsoon), while renters might be more likely to see your ads on social media – such as Facebook Ads, Yelp, or Nextdoor ads.
Each target list should also have custom messaging, such as storage promos for areas with smaller homes or full-service moving emphasis for more affluent zip codes.
By targeting your marketing to the right audience, you can skillfully engage potential customers and expand your moving business.
2. Use email marketing
Harness the power of email marketing to promote your moving services and connect with new prospects and Realtors.
There are two types of email strategies – cold and nurturing.
Most movers rely on inbound leads (leads that come to their site or reach out directly) and nurture these homeowner leads to a moving survey.
Most movers will use a CRM (hubspot, smartmoving.com, supermove.co, salesforce, etc.) to capture inbound leads and set automated emails.
However, most movers do not employ a cold outbound email strategy for Realtors (be sure to read our article on Realtor referrals about the value Realtors have for moving companies). For this strategy, moving companies should connect with top Realtors in their markets and offer their clients a service offering.
Consider offering a discount on decluttering or storage that the Realtor can pass on to the homeowner. Or, be very frank and ask how you can become a preferred mover on their contact list.
Just remember, do not be sales-y with Realtor. You’re working on a relationship, not a transaction.
For a cheat to get a Realtor email strategy off the ground, consider using Moovsoon’s Realtor ranking and email platform.
When you’re writing emails, there are a handful of things to remember. Any email you send out should be easy (aim for an 8th-grade reading level) and include a clear call to action so recipients know what to do next. An example of an effective call to action would be something like, “Call us now for a free quote!”, “share our email, and we’ll give your homeowner 15% off storage“, or “Book your move today and save 10%!”
Email marketing campaigns can help you get and stay in contact with future clients and promote your moving services.
3. Utilize direct mail
We know. Movers roll their eyes when they hear about direct mail. The reality is direct mail is much more affordable than online advertising, and it’s a great brand-building strategy if done correctly.
Movers rarely have a “full-funnel” marketing strategy that combines SEO and direct marketing. You need both to promote your moving services successfully.
There are four things needed for a successful mover direct mail campaign.
- High-quality mailer design
- Strong, customized calls to action
- Targeted homes and markets
- System to automate mailers outreach
When a home goes on the market, homeowners will be flooded with offers in the mail. However, data shows that people will pay attention to mail that stands out. Sending a larger, smartly designed mailer when a homeowner is searching for a mover will cut through the clutter. Consider reaching out to freelancers on design sites such as Fiverr or Dribble.
Second, every card should have a clear action or promo for the homeowner. Decide the best offer for the market you’re sending mailers to. Is it an affluent area? Offer full-service moving. Is it a densely populated area? Offer one month of free storage. Every market should have custom messaging that helps you stand out.
Lastly, you must target specific markets and homeowners and use a system to manage your direct marketing program. What zip codes are you targeting? What type of homes do you want to move? How many times are you marketing to the homeowner? Answering these questions will hone your strategy and streamline your marketing budget. Consider using a system like Moovsoon to target homeowners and automate your direct mailer campaign.
Another option is to advertise in local coupon book publications, which are often mailed to homes in the area and can be a great way to reach new movers who need storage or decluttering services. You can effectively reach potential customers and promote your moving services by using direct mail and local publications like Valpak or Clipper Magazine.
Looking for Property, Realtor, and Renter Leads?
4. Take advantage of social media
In addition to traditional marketing methods, it’s important to use social media to reach potential customers. We could write pages on social strategy for movers, but the first steps moving companies should consider are covered in detail below.
A well-planned social media marketing campaign can be a cost-effective and powerful way to promote your moving services.
You must identify the channels where your potential customers congregate to get started. Many moving companies will create accounts on every channel and realize they don’t have the time to manage each one.
We recommend creating accounts on Facebook and LinkedIn. Facebook is still an active channel for homeowners and Realtors. A business page with company information and a handful of pictures is enough to lend your company credibility. Setting up a business page on LinkedIn also shows homeowners and Realtors that you’re a credible business and will give you an edge over most movers who ignore this channel.
Once your accounts are set up, you can create posts about your services, including customer testimonials and special offers. Just remember to preload your feeds with several posts or articles and then consistently post each month. There are thousands of affordable freelancers who can run your campaigns, which you can find via Fiverr.
You can also use social media (Facebook Messenger and Linked Direct Messaging) to interact with potential customers, answer their questions, and address concerns.
By using social media, you can effectively reach potential customers and grow your moving business.
5. Use pay-per-click (PPC) advertising
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a polarizing option for movers. With PPC advertising, you pay for ads that appear at the top of search engine results pages when people search for specific keywords. Have you ever seen the “sponsored” results at the top of a Google search? Those are PPC ads.
PPC is a great way to reach potential customers actively searching for moving services online. By advertising at the top of search engine results pages, you can increase the chances that potential customers will see your company.
However, PPC is difficult to set up and very expensive. If your company has already invested in earning Google Reviews and creating a well-designed website, it’s worth spending the money to advertise on Google or Bing.
If moving companies decide to advertise online, they should spend the money to hire an expert to set up the campaigns. With the sky-high costs of being a certified service provider on Google and ranking in their local market, their marketing budget can be drained quickly without expert help.
It’s important to carefully research (with the help of your hired expert), choose the right keywords to target, and track the success of your PPC campaigns to make adjustments as needed.
If you’re considering launching a PPC campaign, please contact the Moovsoon team. They have connections in the space and can introduce you to the right experts.
6. Partner with complementary businesses
Another idea for marketing your moving business is to partner with businesses that offer complementary services to the same target audience. For instance, you could partner with home inspection companies or a home cleaning service. These companies can be found on Nextdoor, Angi, or Thumbtack.
This could allow you to offer package deals to customers moving into a new home.
For example, a partnership with a cleaning service would allow the moving company to offer its customers a complete home preparation service. In contrast, the cleaning service can attract new customers from the moving company’s clientele.
It is important to carefully select partners that align with the values and goals of the company, as a successful partnership can lead to long-term mutually beneficial results.
7. Utilize traditional advertising
While traditional advertising has lost some luster and can be costly, it can also be a powerful tool for reaching a specific audience and driving sales for a moving company.
As a moving company, utilizing radio and television ads, billboards, and print ads in local newspapers and magazines can effectively reach a local audience. It’s hard to say what type of return a moving company will get from these channels, so always ask for the metrics from each provider before making a decision. This means seeing how many people engage with the channel and what the demographic makeup is for the audience. Every credible advertising channel will have these available.
These methods allow businesses to target specific geographic areas and demographics. They can be particularly useful for reaching potential customers who may not be actively searching for a moving company online.
For example, using print ads in a local community or home and garden magazine can showcase your brand to local consumers and build brand awareness. It will also reach local Realtors or home service business owners, who will now have your moving company as a potential partner at the top of their minds.
8. Host events or workshops
Hosting events or workshops related to moving or home organization is another useful outbound marketing strategy for moving companies. These events can be a great opportunity to showcase the company’s services and expertise and build relationships with potential customers.
For example, a moving company might host a workshop on packing and organizing for a move or a seminar on downsizing and decluttering for seniors.
The company could use email marketing and social media to promote the events to reach a wider audience.
In addition to attracting new business, events, and workshops can also help establish the company as a thought leader in the industry and build trust with potential customers.
9. Offer incentives for referrals
Another effective outbound marketing strategy is offering incentives for referrals. By encouraging satisfied customers to refer their friends and family to the company, the business can tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing.
This strategy can be especially effective for a moving company, as people are often more likely to trust recommendations from their loved ones when selecting a service provider. The company could offer a discount on future moves or a cash reward for every successful referral.
This helps generate new leads and incentivizes current customers to spread the word about the company’s services.
10. Participate in local events and sponsorships
By looking for opportunities to get involved locally, a company can easily build brand awareness and establish itself as a trusted community member.
For example, a moving company might sponsor a local sports team or participate in a community fair or festival. This not only promotes the company’s services but also helps create a positive image and build goodwill among potential customers.
In addition, participating in local events and sponsorships can also provide opportunities to network with other businesses and community leaders, which can lead to new partnerships and potential leads.
Conclusion
In conclusion, many outbound marketing strategies can be effective for moving companies looking to grow their businesses. These strategies include leveraging online reviews and offering referral incentives to participating in local events and sponsoring community organizations.
By combining these strategies, moving companies can reach new customers, build brand awareness, and establish themselves as trusted community members. It is important for any business to regularly assess and adapt its marketing efforts to stay competitive and continue to grow. We hope these strategies have given you some ideas about where to start.
