Lead generation can be a tricky subject for a local emergency service business such as a small towing company. Most people won't have a specific towing company to whom they are loyal, after all; unless you need to have vehicles towed regularly for work reasons, it's something that doesn't come up very often, meaning that generally speaking your customers won't have thought about who to use until the moment they actually need your services. This is why large, national towing companies tend to keep their monopoly--the money they can spend on advertising means they're more likely to come up in search results right away or be at the forefront of the mind of someone who has recently walked past a billboard.
Social media, however, stands to change all that. By engaging with your local community, you can ensure that your company are the first anyone who lives in your catchment area will think about or come across--and here's how to do it.
Make contacts with local bloggers.
Most local areas have at least a few blogs devoted to discussing what's available nearby, and many councils and municipalities run blogs of their own. Approach as many of these blogs as you can! Many will have lists of local traders that you can ask to join, and some will be happy to have a quick chat with you and post a little blurb about who you are and what you do. Many of these blogs are well read within the communities to which they apply, so it's a great way to gain traction! Towing is enough of a niche business that they may not have another towing company on that area of their site, which will be a huge boost to you in terms of exposure.
Follow local people and businesses on Twitter.
Use your local hashtag in all your tweets to create a firm link between your company and people who live in your area. Many people need to use a towing service a couple of times in their life, and many people also live in the same area for long periods of time--so that relationship is crucial. Twitter will help you to become a part of your local community, and by following other local businesses you can contribute to a culture of people and companies in your area working to help each other. It's also a great way to offer deals, offers, and services that will help sway customers toward your company, such as discounts on emergency night-time towing.
Keep your branding and image on point.
In the digital age, anyone who needs an emergency tow is likely to google "towing in [area]" and look at a few options before making a decision. Your job is to make sure that wherever they look, they keep seeing your company--and that what they're seeing is recognisable and consistent. Come up with a logo and some basic branding colours to help you stick in the minds of your consumers as they search.
Encourage satisfied customers to leave you a review.
Local review sites are a great way to inspire trust in potential customers, and as a towing service is unlikely to see a huge amount of repeat business it's important to find ways to create that trust amongst people who have never used your services before. You can do this by encouraging your customers to review you online; make sure you leave them with a card explaining where they can go to do it, and consider offering a little money off the bill if they leave you a review. Don't make this depend on that review being a positive one--ask for an honest review, and do your job well enough that it will be good!
Share