If you’re a transportation provider (TP) but don’t use social media to promote your business, you’re missing out on a powerful tool. Social media isn’t only for personal use—nine in 10 U.S. businesses use it to market their services and interact with customers, according to Statista. That’s everyone from mega-brands to mom-and-pop shops sharing posts to spur interest and engagement.
Part 1 of our social media series covers setting measurable goals and selecting effective channels. Once you’ve done that, you can move on to Part 2. Here we’ll discuss understanding post types, developing a calendar, and preparing to engage with prospects and customers.
Let’s get started.
Get familiar with post types.
The posts for your social media channels should vary based on the platform’s demographic and capabilities. YouTube might be best for showing how members should prepare for their rides, while Instagram could show photos from an outing for seniors. Be sure to enter keywords and hashtags related to your TP services.
Tip: Err on the side of being informational rather than promotional.
Here’s a quick look at content types.
Evergreen: These posts are optimized for search engines and stay relevant for months or years. This could include information from popular blogs, website pages, or newsletter articles. You can even create a content library with facts, images, and content to share throughout the year.
News: Time-sensitive content will grab audience attention. Posts might cover regulatory affairs, news or trade articles, or new services, locations, and hours for your business.
Informational: Some posts should answer customer questions and educate your audience on key issues, like Covid-19 protocols for your vehicles.
Personal: You should occasionally tell your audience why they should do business with you rather than anyone else. That could be your fast turnaround, geographic extent, services, driver qualifications, or years of experience. Link to blogs, articles, reports, or other content if available.
Stories: While keeping HIPAA in mind, share stories of how you’ve helped members by going above and beyond standard service. See our “Insider Heroes” stories for some examples.
Develop a calendar and start posting.
To organize regular posts for the channels you choose, you’ll need a calendar. A good plan is to post once or twice a week on one or two channels. You can even schedule posts in advance.
Tip: Review time-sensitive posts before they go live just in case context has changed.
Set aside an hour at the end of each week to schedule and create posts for the next one. Plan a mix of content to reach every audience. Create a spreadsheet that shows the platform, subject, audience, scheduled date and time, text, visuals, and included links. Color code to make sure 80% of your content informs, educates, and entertains, and only 20% sells.
Every platform will give you the tools you need to build posts on-site. You can get royalty-free images and videos at Shutterstock and iStock Photo. Ask a trusted colleague to review and proof each and every post. You may want to delegate a savvy employee or intern to manage your social media program.
Social media scheduling tools often let you analyze and optimize posts with the right number of hashtags or the time of day to post. Review the analytics to see which posts perform best and how you can build on them going forward.
If you get your social media planning done in advance each week, you’ll have more time for regular engagement with your followers.
Prepare to Engage.
Sharing useful content with your audience lets your followers grow organically. When your followers engage with your content, their followers will also see your business. With the right keywords, new customers can find you via search engines.
Remember that interaction is the key to building a relationship. So, answer questions or comments pronto, in the kindest and most helpful way possible. Be genuine and relevant, show an interest in the other person, and watch as you build trust, engagement, and business.
Happy posting and engaging! Follow these steps and you’ll find social media is not only a powerful marketing tool but fun too.
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.