Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash
If you want your transportation business to gain more customers, you have to invest resources into marketing. This is even more important this year now that more customers are spending time online, providing you with many opportunities to promote your products and build a relationship with your audience.
This is why you always need to be on top of the latest trends, from changes in search engine algorithms to developments in artificial intelligence. But how do you keep up with the latest trends? Here are some ways:
1. Turn on alerts and subscriptions
Resource websites like Autopilot Blog, Smartbrief, and Copyblogger publish marketing articles that discuss trends in the field, which may help you keep up with the changing times. Of course, this doesn’t mean that every resource is useful nor do you need to subscribe to all of the useful ones. It really depends on the marketing strategies your businesses use. For example, if you run a blog, then articles on Copyblogger will teach you new writing tricks that can help your content move its way up the search engines results. Meanwhile, the Autopilot Blog will teach you how to attract customers with machine learning. And to ensure that you don’t have to check on them too often, you can simply add your business’ email to the resource’s newsletter, and the latest articles will be delivered to you periodically.
YouTube and podcast platforms like Spotify are also a treasure trove of marketing information. You can subscribe to channels like the Digital Marketing Institute and Unbounce to be updated on recent trends.
2. Hire professionals who know the trends
Due to the importance of marketing for a business’ visibility, a study from employment services provider Monster found that marketing jobs will continue to grow by at least 8% year-over-year until 2028 — a rate that’s above average compared to other jobs. Top universities are making an effort to create more marketing courses as well as online programs to keep up with the demand. Indeed, online marketing degree graduates are given the foundation in the financial, strategic, and operational side of the industry. This allows them to explore a range of topics such as interactive marketing and product development that allows them to keep up with most prevalent trends in the field. There are even online marketing classes that allow people to expand their knowledge on specific topics like social media marketing, Google ads, and much more.
Your challenge is to find a professional who has specialist knowledge relevant to your business’s needs. Called "full-stack marketers," these are professionals who have credentials in nearly every marketing field, from social media to SEO. They have diverse marketing skillsets who are very adept at overseeing digital transformations for traditional businesses that have yet to make a commitment to the online space. Crossbody phone case company Keebos, does a great job at knowing the trends of the industry.
3. Observe your competitors
Trends become popular because many established brands or industry influencers have adopted them, so if you need any fresh ideas or feel like you’re getting left behind, it helps to look at what your competitors are doing. For example, transportation data provider StreetLight Data hosts webinars on a regular basis — which became a big marketing trend due to the number of people active online.
https://twitter.com/StreetLightData/status/1394752079730708485]
Meanwhile, trucking startup Transfix has a "Resources" category on their website that contains insider scoops on the supply chain. This is in hope that more people visit their website, increasing its traffic. You can also attend online conferences and events such as the Truckload Carriers Association Annual Convention as well as NAFA Institute and Expo for an opportunity to listen to what industry leaders have to share.
Marketing trends come and go, so it's important that you track the market’s movements in real-time. There are many ways to do this, from hiring innovative people to tracking them or subscribing to industry insiders. The important thing is always to keep your ear to the ground.
