Make a Plan & Choose Your Platform

If you’re a transportation provider (TP) but haven’t considered social media to market your business, you’re missing out on a powerful tool. More than 4.55 billion people use social media regularly, according to the Datareportal October 2021 global snapshot. And they spend a lot of time there—an average of 2 hours and 25 minutes each day during 2020, according to Statista.

But social media isn’t only for personal use—nine in 10 U.S. businesses use social media to interact with customers and market their services, according to Statista. That’s everyone from mega-brands to mom-and-pop shops sharing posts with prospects and customers to drive interest and engagement.

To get the most from social media, transportation providers (TPs) should begin by setting measurable goals and selecting effective channels. That’s Part 1 of this social media series. In Part 2, we’ll cover types of posts, social media calendars, and engaging with followers.

Let’s get started.

Make a social media marketing plan.
Before posting, you need to decide what you want to achieve with social media.

1. Set goals. Your objective could be increasing brand awareness, generating leads and sales, growing your audience, or driving traffic to your website.

2. Research your audience. You probably want to reach brokers and members for your NEMT business as well as contacts in the non-NEMT space. Make sure you give some thought to the age, education, employment, and needs within these groups.

3. Establish metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs). You need to know what drives curiosity or engagement with your business. For every post, measure the following:

• Impressions—number of times your post was visible in someone’s feed or timeline.
• Reach—number of unique users who saw your post.
• Clicks—number of clicks on the link, including the Read More button.
• Social interactions—number of likes or comments.

Tip: Check Hootsuite for more on how to use social media for small business.

Choose your channel.
All social media platforms are not created equal. The decision on where you’ll post depends on the people you want to reach—brokers, physically challenged people, government employees, or staff at nursing homes, adult day-care centers, and independent and assisted living centers. Think about your current customers and the social media platforms they’re likely to use.

Tip: Start with one or two channels and see how they perform. Facebook/Meta may be best for members, LinkedIn for brokers, and Instagram for non-NEMT opportunities. Here’s a look at the most popular platforms.

Facebook/Meta: Supports almost any content you choose to post for its 3 billion users. TPs need a business page, but you have to start with a personal page. Here, you can connect with both businesses and consumers. Example: Post about the various types of transport you offer customers, from a standard car to a wheelchair to a stretcher.

Instagram: Ideal for posting visual content from your phone—but reposting to Facebook is a snap. Although generally a consumer platform, businesses love it too. Example: Post photos or videos of shopping trips and outings for non-NEMT customers.

LinkedIn: A great place to connect B2B because professionals are usually here, willing to connect, and eager to receive content relevant to them. Example: Post educational materials about NEMT changes and job searches for new employees. For more information, see our Recruiting 101 article.

Twitter: Politicians use it’s fast-paced, 280-character limit for quick bursts but you can do it too. Example: Post brief updates on weather conditions or changes in business hours or services.

YouTube: Consumers love video, but 71% of B2B marketers use it too, according to Content Marketing Institute. Example: Show how you differentiate every step of your service.

Now that you’ve made a plan and chosen the platforms you’re going to use, you’re ready for Part 2: Create Content, Develop a Calendar, and Prepare to Engage. Once you understand the types of posts and their purpose, mixing and matching posts to fill your calendar, and interacting in a way that turns followers into fans, you can make the most of social media to promote your business.

Speaking of social, be sure to join the Modivcare dedicated social channels for our TPs. We’ve set up private groups for you on:

You’ll get valuable information to help your business—including discounts, useful tips, and updates—plus we’ll recognize an outstanding driver every month.