Once your fleet is ready to roll, it’s time to start getting yourself some customers. The best way to do this is to put together a marketing strategy designed to push your bike rental business in front of all the right people. This will help you connect with your target audience and increase brand awareness, bringing in more customers and growing your bookings.
The online world offers a whole host of different ways to connect with potential customers. To help get you started, here are 5 digital marketing strategies that bike rental managers can use to get their bike rental business out there.
1. Build A High-Ranking Website
Nowadays, most people will head online to research where they’re going beforehand. This means that a website is a great way to get ahead of the competition, making sure people can find you any time, any place.
When setting up your website, search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies will help you rank higher in the most relevant search results. This means that your website could potentially be one of the first bike rental businesses that your customers see, increasing both your visibility and flow of organic traffic.
How do you do it? SEO can get technical, but the basic concept is to create a user-friendly website that is clear in both layout and content. Give your website a structure that’s easy to explore, and choose a couple of keywords to focus on. It’s also a great idea to include reviews, as these can play a big part in converting visitors into customers.
2. Create A Blog
Blogs can help create a good impression, building trust and solving their problems. Use this channel to offer customers advice on topics like choosing the right bike and how to fix a puncture, as well as the best biking routes and any local events. This keeps them engaged with your brand and encourages repeat visits.
Plus, blogs are also good for SEO. By uploading fresh content regularly, you have more opportunities to stay relevant and build up your keywords. Google also loves original videos and imagery, so try to include some visuals, too.
Just remember that when writing your blog, it’s important to keep your posts focused, clear and coherent. This will help readers scan through quickly, giving them a positive experience.
3. Get On Social Media
Social media is another great way of connecting with customers and promoting your business—and it’s free! There are many different channels to choose from, like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, so the first step is to find out where your audience spends most of their time.
Once you’ve narrowed down your options and chosen which platform to use, start posting valuable content regularly. You can even tie in your posts with your blog, giving your followers a direct link to your online home.
After that, it’s all about interacting with your audience by responding directly to comments, tweets and reviews. If customers tag you in photos with your bikes, share them! This interaction creates a personal connection, making customers feel like they’re part of a community built around your brand.
4. Set Up Google My Business
Google My Business lets you bring your physical store and online presence together. By creating a business profile, you can connect your website and other social profiles with your location on Google Maps. This will improve your local SEO, bringing your website to the top of any searches for bike rentals within your area.
Once you’re all set up, you can add photos, edit your details and engage with your audience by responding to reviews. You’ll also be able to see statistics that show just how customers are engaging with your business through your profile.
5. Use Google Ads
SEO and social media are long-term strategies that look to increase your flow of organic traffic over time. While you wait for the results to come in, Google Ads can help give your bike rental business a boost.
By creating targeted ads, you have more chance of reaching the people who want your services. You can do this by using certain keywords and setting a specific location, language and age. It’s also possible to only show your ads at certain times and on certain devices.
The keywords you choose and the pages you link to will impact the price of your ad, but you only ever pay for the clicks you receive. This makes Google Ads a good option if you want instant results, and by targeting your specific audience directly, it can deliver good ROI.
Make The Most Of Your Marketing With An Online Booking System
Once you have your marketing tactics in place, make the most of your growing traffic by offering customers an online booking system. This will make sure your services are available to book 24/7, taking hold of every opportunity while also streamlining the entire rental process.
Learn more about the benefits of online bookings here.