How companies source moving leads has evolved over the years. Purchased moving company leads and leads sourced from traditional marketing methods no longer provide the best ROI. These days, digitally mature companies are 26% more profitable than industry peers using outdated lead gen strategies.
Moving companies should invest in a long-term marketing strategy and integrated technology to continually generate leads instead of expensive monthly advertising spend.
If movers do not create marketing strategies that can track and produce an excellent return on investment, the cost of leads will quickly cut into the company’s profitability.
Let’s compare the price of moving leads by marketing strategy:
Traditional marketing channels include local print ads in newspapers and magazines, Yellow Pages and directory ads, television and radio advertising, mailers, and billboards. While traditional marketing has an extensive reach, these audiences are not targeted. Therefore, the conversion rates are very low.
Typical returns on traditional advertising spend are 0.5-2%. The combination of expensive advertising channels with low conversion rates results in a high cost per moving lead. Popup Smart estimates an average $619 cost per lead.
Many movers quickly source leads by buying them. The problem is paid leads are not an investment that will grow a moving business. It is the equivalent of buying fish versus investing in a fishing pole that will continually provide leads.
Purchased moving leads costs vary depending on the market and whether the lead is exclusive or sold to multiple movers, but the usual range is $5-50.
Another source of paid moving leads is search engine advertising. According to Wordstream, the average cost per paid search engine lead is $90.70 for a consumer services company leveraging platforms such as Google Ads.
Moving marketing teams are using integrated technology to build an organic lead to closed move strategy. This means movers are creating online content that ranks highly on search engines and social media. This continually drives relevant leads to their website without paying for ads.
According to Demand Metric, content marketing is 3x more effective than traditional outbound marketing and costs 62% less. In fact, 70% of marketers say SEO (search engine optimization) generates leads better than pay-per-click ads.
Let’s go over some strategies companies can use to nurture moving leads with integrated marketing technology.
Rank higher for customers searching for movers by improving SEO.
These days, 81% of consumers research online as the first step of their purchase decision (GE Capitol). That’s why it’s a no-brainer to optimize moving company websites and online profiles to be more visible locals looking to hire a mover right now.
Use SEO keywords in website content to rank higher in search results. Provide relevant information and clear calls-to–action, like webforms, to convert website visitors into leads.
Online reviews, social media channels, and email marketing will also improve visibility for online search. Leads generated through online channels are highly targeted, and will therefore convert at higher levels.
Measure and track ROI with analytics technology.
Digital marketing is more trackable than traditional channels. Movers can use reporting tools in Google Analytics, social media dashboards, and marketing automation platforms to make more cost-effective spend decisions.
Increase closing rates with instant communication channels.
Once a lead has been captured, movers are using technology to support communication that increases conversion rates and decreases lead costs.
Email automation, texting, web chat, customer portals virtual surveys, and CRM (customer relationship management) platforms save movers time and give leads the information when they need it.
Customers are choosing companies with self-service technology options.
Customers want technology to be part of their moving experience. For example, 70% of customers now expect a company’s website to include a self-service application (Steve van Belleghem), and 80% of Millennials are more willing to purchase from brands with a mobile customer service portal (Microsoft).
Movers need to combine their team’s customer services skills with an investment in technology, like virtual surveys, to create a truly effective customer experience that will generate positive reviews, referrals, repeat business, and future leads.
Fortunately, there is industry-specific technology designed to help movers build an integrated marketing technology strategy.
Movers can reduce the cost of leads with moving software like Yembo by:
Ready to dig deeper into moving marketing approaches to reduce the cost of leads? You’re in luck! Download our whitepaper: “Accelerate Lead Flows with Integrated Marketing Tech” for a comprehensive overview of digital tools and marketing strategies movers can use to generate and drive leads through the sales cycle.