In a down economy, courier services, like other business, are always looking to save costs on advertising, while at the same time taking steps to drum up new business.
Expanding a courier business while keeping advertising costs low may seem like an impossible goal, but in fact there are numerous free or very cheap avenues through which creative courier service owners can get the word out about their businesses.
These methods harness new technologies and old-fashioned networking opportunities within the community, and when done right, they can be even more effective than directly buying advertising.
Start a referral program
Existing customers probably know of other businesses and individuals who have similar needs and could benefit from using a courier service as well.
Entice them to refer their friends and contacts by offering rebates and discounts for clients who send in new business.
Referral business is great, because the new clients come in having already been convinced by their friends and business partners that the courier service is a good value.
No sales pitch is necessary; people who come in from referrals are usually ready to sign right up. This saves time and increases revenue in a hurry.
Spread information.
Offer businesses and individuals—whether they use the courier service or not—some type of information that they need.
It could be a guide to quickly and safely transporting packages, or checklist on picking a good courier service, or a map of the community that courier drivers already use.
When people come to the courier service office (or its website) to get this information, they can also be pitched on the courier service itself, and some of them will become customers.
Make everyone a marketer.
If business is light, employees can use their extra time to contact potential new customers.
A simple phone call to introduce the courier service and the advantages of using couriers takes only a few minutes—but make enough of these phone calls, and there will suddenly be a lot more business coming through the door.
Comment on local blogs and forums.
Participation in these forums doesn’t have to be related to the courier service. Instead, entrepreneurs should discuss lots of other topics (though avoid touchy subjects that could turn people off from the business) and link their profiles and signatures to the courier service.
Everyone else who reads the blog or message board will then see the name of the courier service over and over.
That’s a lot of eyeballs, and the next time those readers need to send a package somewhere, they’ll call the courier service to do it for them — and the entrepreneur won’t have spent one cent on advertising.