Even when the owner of a courier service is spending money on direct advertising, it’s smart to use other channels to reach potential customers, as well.
Lots of people won’t read the newspaper or watch the TV channel where the courier service is advertised, and if direct advertising is the only form of outreach the courier service is using, these people will be missed entirely.
So instead of relying exclusively on paid advertising, courier service operators should look into other creative ways of reaching new customers who may be hiding in plain sight.
And not only will these alternative outreach methods reach new customers, but they’re usually cheap or free, as well.
Start a blog.
Get a website if the courier service doesn’t already have one, and then put a blog on it. Update the blog frequently (several times a week, if not more) and don’t write only about the courier service.
Blog entries can cover business strategies, community events, and highlight non-competing businesses, and those are just a few of the possibilities.
What do courier service customers want or need to read about? Blog about that. They’ll come to read the blog, and stay to learn about the courier service.
Use Facebook and Twitter.
These are the biggest social networks of all, and when used effectively, they can quickly increase a courier service’s profile.
“Like” and retweet other businesses, and soon they’ll be doing the same for the courier service.
As a result, their fans and followers will come to know about the courier service, too.
Use reciprocal marketing.
Put up a bulletin board in the office, and use it to highlight other noncompeting businesses in the area.
In return, have them also put up a bulletin board that includes information about the courier service.
Focus on businesses that might share clients with a courier service.
A daycare probably won’t have lots of clients who need a courier service, but a print shop, a PR firm, or another firm that provides business solutions likely has lots of clients that could use a courier service.
Get more repeat business.
Increase the incentives for current customers to use the courier service more.
Offer them discounts when they use to service more frequently, or provide them freebies that will reward them for coming back again and again.
Businesses are quick to look for new customers, but they don’t spend nearly enough time increasing the business they receive from their current customers.
Start a link exchange.
Find a group of businesses in the area, and have them all link to each other’s websites.
Focus on exchanging links with businesses that share clients, but don’t compete directly with the courier service.