Well the New Year is here, and we at NetGain couldn’t be more excited to welcome 2015 and explore fresh opportunities! Leaving 2014 behind, have you set aside time to establish your resolutions for the New Year? Like most individuals chances are, from a personal standpoint, you may be looking to join a gym, cut back on sugar, start a new hobby or budget better. But, have you considered New Year’s Resolutions for your Document Shredding business? For instance, what can you do differently this year to increase your client base and overall profits?
As you know the shredding industry is growing and with privacy laws increasing exponentially, document shredding is no longer an option; it’s a legal obligation for businesses across North America. This is why your service is extremely valuable and reliable in protecting the public from identity theft or corporate fraud. Of course, you already know this but what improvements should you be making this year to be the shredding company of choice among potential customers? How will you convince residents and businesses in your community to partner with YOU for their secure shredding needs, over your competitor? This is one of the biggest challenges you’ll face, but if you make the proper implementations, it will also be one of the most rewarding ones for your shredding business.
Here are 5 ways in which you can amp up your marketing efforts this New Year:
Reassess Your Online Brand
Google yourself! Is it time for a new headshot or website makeover? What worked for you in terms of marketing last year, and what areas didn’t? This is a great time to tweak your online strategy so that you identify the tools that helped your business grow and cut back on those tactics that aren’t producing results. First and foremost, is your website current? What’s the design like? Are you adding fresh content to your website? Do you have contact pages throughout your website? Do you have a resources page for visitors interested in learning specifics about your shredding business? These are just a few of the areas that you should assess and analyze. Your online brand is critical to the success of your business; use it to your advantage!
Get Visual
Do you have professional-grade images of your business, employees, shred bins, shred truck, or shred facility? What about a video that shows and explains your secure shredding process, or perhaps a video that simply introduces your team and business model? Each of these provides visitors with something unique that they are likely to remember. Keep in mind, that it’s about doing whatever possible to stand out from your competitors; brainstorm what makes your company special, and communicate that through visuals and online videos. Consumers respond strongly to digital imagery – make sure you are using photography and video to your advantage.
Be Responsive
Does your website respond appropriately to mobile devices? To check, if you are on a desktop, pull in the corner of your browser to a smaller screen. Does the content placement move around? That’s a responsive site. Essentially when your website is responsive, it doesn’t matter if it’s viewed on a laptop, mobile device, or desktop; the information is going to be the same and the design and layout will adapt to the screen size accordingly. Mobile is quickly outpacing desktop usage – make sure your customers have a positive experience on your website when using their smartphones and tablets.
Go Outside the Box
Your shredding company may doing an excellent job getting noticed online, but what about your position in the industry offline? If you offer on-site mobile document shredding, and don’t currently have a truck wrap now is the time to consider this incredible marketing tool that is sure to bring profitable ROI for your business. A truck wrap is one of the few marketing tools that literally works all of the time. Whether you are parked your facility, at a customer’s office, or travelling on the road, your branded truck wrap is still generating leads.
Improve Your Print Advertising
While online advertising is taking over, print is still alive and important to incorporate in your 2015 marketing plans. In fact, because several companies have dropped it all together, it may actually be an effective way to stand out! Providing a fresh look and design for printed graphics, guides and business cards is the perfect start; The key is finding unique and different ways to leverage your print, not just the same old tri-fold brochures and sell-sheets from the past. How about starting a monthly newsletter? This type of thing can provide a fantastic medium for longer-form content, while giving your audience something tangible to hold onto.