Get noticed
Low-cost but highly effective marketing strategies for your rental business.
by Jill Lackey
Marketing is a crucial element for businesses of all sizes, but not every company has a substantial budget to allocate to marketing efforts. Effective marketing doesn't always require a massive financial investment. Fortunately, there are a variety of low-cost but highly effective marketing strategies that can help your business reach its target audience, boost brand awareness, and increase revenue.
For rental yards and equipment dealers, the goal is to increase profits and streamline operations while reaching a broader audience. FleetNow, which provides software and marketing solutions for the equipment industry, understands the importance of cost-efficient marketing strategies. Here are some low-cost ways to increase awareness:
Content marketing
Content marketing is a powerful tool that can be extremely cost-effective. It involves creating and sharing valuable, relevant content to attract and engage your target audience.
Start a blog on your website and regularly publish informative articles, how-to guides or industry insights. You can also create videos, infographics, or podcasts, depending on your niche and resources. By consistently producing high-quality content, you can position your business as an authority in your industry and attract organic traffic to your website.
Here is an example of a blog post article that was created to increase organic traffic: https://buyfleetnow.com/news/spartan-mowers-a-review-and-buyers-guide
Need help creating valuable, high-quality content that will drive organic traffic to your website? Contact us here.
Leverage social media
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer excellent opportunities to connect with your audience without breaking the bank. Create and maintain active profiles on the platforms that align with your target demographic. Post engaging content, interact with your followers, and participate in relevant conversations.
Consider running targeted, low-budget ad campaigns to reach a broader audience. With a thoughtful social media strategy, you can effectively build brand awareness and engage with your customers.
Email marketing
Email marketing remains one of the most cost-effective ways to nurture leads and maintain customer relationships. Start by building an email list of interested customers through your website or in-store promotions. Send out regular newsletters, product updates and exclusive offers to subscribers. Personalize your emails to make them more engaging and relevant to each recipient. Email marketing is not only affordable but also highly customizable, allowing you to tailor your messages to specific customer segments.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Optimizing your website for search engines is a low-cost strategy with long-term benefits. Conduct keyword research to identify relevant terms and phrases that potential customers are searching for in the rental industry. Use these keywords strategically in your website's content, meta descriptions and headers. Improving your site's SEO will help it rank higher in search engine results, driving organic traffic and reducing the need for paid advertising.
Invest in online marketplaces
Leveraging established marketplace platforms can boost your marketing efforts. By listing your equipment on such marketplaces, you gain access to a vast network of potential customers without the upfront costs associated with creating your own e-commerce platform. These marketplaces streamline the sales process and save you valuable time and resources.
Here is an example of a heavy equipment dealer increasing their sales revenue by $1.3M with FleetNow: https://buyfleetnow.com/news/lyon-lifts-case-study-2
Customer reviews and testimonials
Word-of-mouth marketing is incredibly valuable and doesn't cost a dime. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews and testimonials on your website, Google Business Profile or Yelp. Positive reviews build trust and credibility, making potential customers more likely to choose your business. Responding to reviews, both positive and negative, shows that you value customer feedback and are committed to improving your products or services.
DIY graphic design
Professional-looking visuals are essential for marketing materials, but hiring a graphic designer can be costly. Thankfully, there are user-friendly graphic design tools such as Canva and Adobe Spark that allow you to create stunning visuals for your social media posts, email campaigns and website at little to no cost.
Referral programs
Implementing a referral program can incentivize your existing customers to promote your business to their friends and contacts. Offer discounts, freebies or exclusive access to loyal customers who refer new clients to your business. This approach leverages your existing customer base to help you acquire new customers without a significant upfront expense.
Local SEO and Google my business
If you have a physical location, optimizing your presence on your Google Business Profile is essential. This free tool allows you to manage your business listing on Google Maps and provides crucial information like your address, phone number, website and operating hours to potential customers. Encourage customers to leave reviews and engage with your business on this platform to improve your local SEO and attract nearby customers.
Get involved in your community
Getting involved in your local community is a great way to increase brand awareness. Support local charities and nonprofits by encouraging employees to volunteer. Getting involved in the local community helps build a positive reputation and fosters community goodwill.
For example, FleetNow supports local arts and culture through its Lifts for Artists program. This program was designed to provide local artists with affordable equipment rentals needed for their art projects' installation. The Lifts for Artists program has helped FleetNow become better known in the community and has helped it contribute to the overall well-being and growth of our community. Learn more about Lifts for Artists here: https://buyfleetnow.com/lifts-for-artists
Effective marketing doesn't have to break the bank. By implementing these low-cost yet highly effective strategies, your rental business can reach its target audience, build brand awareness, and increase revenue without draining your budget. Remember that consistency, creativity and a deep understanding of your target audience are key to making these strategies work.
Jill Lackey is a product manager at Fleetnow.
PRO CONTRACTOR RENTALS MAGAZINE
Pro Contractor Rentals provides information of value to rental centers who focus time, resources and attention on meeting the demands of construction contractors and other equipment rental customers.
