Broadening of the market reach should hands down be one of the primary concerns of any organization. Today’s blog comes with many important tips that will help independent freight forwarders achieve precisely that.

1. Study your market

Since the primary step in making a powerful business plan, constructing strong brand, and increasing sales is knowing your target audience hence you should be frequently analysing your market.

These analyses can help you ascertain not only your target audience but also the strengths and constraints of your competitors. They can help provide insight into new tendencies in your industry as well as grant you with a detailed study on how to reach your target audience which could prove quite effective in helping you grow your business by making the most of the instruments available.

Tools such as Google Analytics provides detailed metrics on countries, time spent on pages, sources, visitor behaviours etc. could prove quite beneficial in achieving this.

2. Your company´s appraisal

It is a well-known fact that it is extremely important to scrutinize everything that we surround ourselves with, but one should never overlook to look within to help identify their strengths as well as weaknesses. This is the only way one can acquaint themselves with their opportunities and even threats and help them achieve a successful career planning.

3. Going Digital

-Web- The most crucial strategy in making your clients interested in your services is by creating a website that entails clear-cut information and is easy to navigate through. The website should be appealing but also accessible and interesting. Since most of the time, it is the customers first point of contact with you; creating and leaving a good first impression becomes vital.

-Online brochure- One of the ways you can distinguish yourself from your competitors is by creating a unique and customised brand image where your clients can familiarise themselves with your products and services and for that online brochure is the answer! Brochures have always been a compelling marketing tool and since the world is gradually adapting to digitization, it has become ever more important to have an online brochure readily available in pdf format which can be sent by email or even WhatsApp if requested.

-Videos- Do you know that according to a study conducted by Diode Digital, online videos are 600% more effective as a marketing instrument than direct mail and print combined. In freight industry, video documenting of the projects arranged by your company can help in building connections between you and your clients by catching their attention and helping them get familiarized with your work and expertise.

4. Marketing through emails:

In the past few years, emails have undoubtedly gained momentum to such an extent that according to the 2015 DMA National Client Email Report, email generates $38 for ever $ 1 spent, making them one of the most efficient options. There has also been an increase in the clients and leads responding to marketing emails because many of them look forward to this sort of communication, hence a quicker action is taken. As per Marketing Sherpa, about 72% of U.S. adults prefer receiving email communications from enterprises rather than other types of communication. Email campaigns will help you organise your content, gauge the results of each campaign as well as reach your target audience and augment leads.

5. Marketing through emails:

There is no denying that creating a potent image of your brand is the starting point for many businesses as it generates loyalty amongst your clients and potential clients.

• If your aim is to channel potential leads to your website, then publishing interesting contents can be quite useful- you should opt for posting innovative and out of the box content about your achievements and projects either on a Blog or News Section of your website.
• You can also create brand recognition by getting your projects published in well-known magazines, newspapers and even blogs. The more your company is visible through these medias, the greater the opportunities will come your way.
• Social Media: Technologies have improved and developed so strategically during these past few years that companies are now very much involved in creating and increasing their digital footprint. These platforms aid you in connecting with the leads you already know; leads you would like to know and leads you should know.

6. SEO Strategy:

The speed with which SEO techniques are developing is on constant incline. Google is getting more powerful and smarter all the time in not only scrutinizing and analysing web pages but also in effectively maintaining individuals within its framework and this can be achieved in two ways:

1. Figure out the frequently used keywords by your clients. Having a grasp on what keywords are usually searched by your leads will help you in designing plans and taking actions accordingly thus helping you optimize your page.
2. Publishing appealing content will direct traffic to your site and highlight your web in the searches while drawing interest of your potential clients who are likely to turn into buyers.