Can my moving business survive without leads?
It’s no surprise, moving businesses are struggling to generate leads and close business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here at Fetch & Funnel, we support dozens of movers and we’re responsible for making sure our customers continue to get phone calls and web leads from their Google & Facebook advertising…even during a pandemic.
So, if you want to generate more leads than your competitors, close more business, and potentially even thrive amidst this crisis…
Take immediate action marketing for moving companies. Follow the process outlined below.
Should I cut my marketing budget?
Did you know that reducing marketing budgets during a recession typically results in 20-30% lower revenue over the following two years? (IJBSS)
Most moving businesses (aka your competitors) don’t realize this. They’re cutting budgets.
“It has been proven that reducing marketing budgets during a recession will cause short-term harm, and over the next two years it will be significantly more difficult to recover.”
In other words, when your competitors voluntarily cut marketing, they are voluntarily reducing revenue for years to come. And as a result, more moving leads become available to you.
The latest trend we’re seeing is that paid ads are becoming cheaper.
The way that ad networks like Google and Facebook make money is through an auction system. The more bidders you have, the more people pay for every click.
When millions of businesses spend less (like we are experiencing now), there isn’t as much competition for the ad inventory, so cost per click decreases.
But as of March 2020, internet usage is off the charts.
In other words, traffic on the web is up and there are fewer advertisers. This means that ads are cheap, and millions of people still need to relocate despite current conditions. Heck, it’s why movers are deemed “essential businesses”.
As a result, it’s actually easier to grow your market share during an economic downturn.
Let me explain…
When businesses stop advertising, consumers are presented with fewer choices.
Although it may sound counterintuitive, the best way to proceed is to maintain (or increase) your advertising budget while others drop theirs.
“A recession is an opportunity for the strong to get stronger, and the weak to get eaten.”
Recessions reward the aggressive, and penalize the timid.
But in order to get more moving leads, you need to have the right strategy in place.
And you need to take immediate action, it’s not business as usual.
What steps have you, or your marketing agency taken to navigate this crisis?
At Fetch & Funnel, we help dozens of moving businesses generate leads through Google & Facebook advertising. We’ve seen the impact of this pandemic first-hand.
We’ve helped our movers test new ads, apply new messaging, create tailored landing pages and above all transparently communicate their efforts to their customers side by side gave proper answers to how do I get leads for my moving company.
And it’s working:
- In Austin, 84% lower cost per lead since February
- In Austin, 28% lower cost per click since February
- In NYC, 24% lower cost per lead in March versus previous quarter
- In Boston, 53% lower avg cost per click in March
- In South Dakota, 44% more moving leads in March
- In NYC, 18% more clicks in March
We’ve also published How to Advertise During a Pandemic, containing many examples of how the best (and worst) brands in America have handled their advertising.
If your moving business is feeling the impact of COVID-19 and you need a new gameplan, follow the steps below.
3 Steps You Need To Take, Right Now
1. Place a COVID-19 Response Banner on your website
If your potential customers see a banner detailing the steps your business has taken to keep them safe, you are far more likely to win their business.
People need to feel safe when moving with you. And the fastest way to establish this trust is by taking precautionary measures and making it easy for your visitors to see.
2. Link your banner to a page outlining your response
How you respond is up to you, and it should be based on the extent of your internal capabilities for implementing precautionary measures.
Here’s a few examples to get you started. Follow their lead.
3. Change all messaging in your moving company advertising
Your customers are legitimately scared right now, and as a result they’re going to select the moving company marketing that best alleviates their concerns.
Additionally, most movers HAVE NOT updated ad copy or messaging within their ads.
Those that update their messaging will immediately stand out. It will lead to more clicks, and more moving leads.
Take a look, the ads below are out of touch. None even mention the #1 most relevant concern, unanimously shared by your customers – safety!
Pandemic aside, the moving industry struggles with poorly written ads.
Run a few Google searches for movers in your area, they all look the same.
Again, I can’t overstate the importance of having relevant ad copy. It’s the difference between $100 leads and $15 leads.
When everyone looks the same, sometimes all you need to do is buck the trend, and you’ll stick out like a sore thumb.
In the advertising business, this is referred to as “selling the click”. In order to acquire a customer, you must first get them to click on your ad.
Right now, your ad copy should address your customers’ #1 concern: safely moving during a pandemic.
Imagine you’ve run a Google search for movers in your area, and you see a big list of ads that look identical: “Professional Movers – 30 Years – Local, Long Distance, Free Quote”.
Except for one.
This unique ad says “NYC’s Safest Movers | Trucks Disinfected Daily”.
Which ad are you most likely to click?
This highly relevant ad, addresses customer concerns:
Or one of these generic ads, that clearly doesn’t inspire confidence:
Show people that their safety is your #1 concern, and watch your click-through rate soar.
The more qualified clicks you get, the more moving leads you’ll receive.
You’re paying good money to get people to your website via Google. But what if they leave without picking up the phone or converting into a lead?
Did you know that more than 95% of your website traffic leaves, without converting into a lead?
This is where Facebook retargeting can make a huge difference in your ROI.
By adding a snippet of code on your website, you’re able to serve Facebook ads to every person that visited your website, but didn’t call or fill out a form.
Use this as an opportunity to reinforce your business’ safety measures with someone who is carefully weighing their decision.
When you retarget your website visitors on Facebook, you’ll convert more leads and increase revenue.
Key Takeaways
Here’s the good news.
Almost none of your competitors are doing this. I checked.
A couple behemoth moving franchises are.
This means you can lead the way in your market by using the same strategy that some of the biggest and most profitable movers in the country are using.
Your customers will hire the moving company that takes these steps.
You’ll close more business, make more money, and maintain positive cashflow during this difficult time.
Conclusion
Good luck out there, and please be safe.
And remember, it’s not business as usual. You must assess and adapt, right away.
If your business is feeling the impact of coronavirus and needs help with Google or Facebook lead generation, we’ll implement the above strategy for you.
Please contact us today, we’ll do everything we can to help about moving company marketing.
