Are You Making the Most of Your Online Platform?
Many companies may find themselves in a position where they have checked off all of the boxes to building their online platform. A website has been set-up, social media pages have been created, and perhaps your team has even started a company blog. But where do you go from here? Is your platform building an engaged audience that is likely to become a loyal customer?
Here are three key points to keep in mind as you focus on building your audience in 2024.
- Quality over quantity. As your team looks to build your audience online through social media pages, blog followers, and newsletter subscribers, focus on the quality of your audience over the quantity. While it can be exciting to see large numbers of followers, the focus of your marketing should be on building up a targeted following. Set aside time with your team to establish who your company’s primary customer is. What do they value? What can you offer them that is unique and will set you apart from the competition? What demographics are you targeting and how can you cross-promote with other companies?
Many marketers get caught up in finding a way to grow as quickly as possible. However, it’s important for your small business to stay focused on the customers most likely to convert to sales. Invest your time and money in finding and engaging with them online.
- Provide valuable content to your audience. Once you have taken the time to develop your brand’s presence online, it is important to develop a strategy for how to maintain a relationship with the customers that find you. Engaging with your brand for only a short window and losing interest in your business will cost you money as you have to keep acquiring new customers. Consistency is key. Develop a content plan and stick with it.
It takes time and intentionality to create a long-term marketing strategy that will build a loyal and engaged audience. For many companies, developing a content strategy that meets a need their audience regularly faces is a good investment in time and resources. For example, your team could help others in the industry stay up to date with the latest news or changing regulations. By becoming a hub of information, your audience will be engaged and loyal to your business. Take the time to brainstorm with your team what your target audience needs and how you can become a resource for them. It may feel as though you are giving something away for free, but it will pay off in the long-term as they see you as a leader in the industry.
- Build your own list. While having a large social following is fantastic, keep in mind that you don’t own the platforms that run those pages. Facebook, YouTube, etc. are all owned by other companies. It is important for your business to cross-promote on your own brand pages to build up your own newsletter or blog following. By building up a list that you own, you will be helping to ensure that you don’t lose the relationship with those customers that you invested in. Remember to post on social media encouraging followers there to subscribe to your newsletter. Consider offering them a free download in exchange for doing so. What resource could you offer them that would grow your newsletter list? While building up a large social following can provide incredible returns for your business, prioritize your own list as well.
If your team needs help developing a marketing plan for your online presence, we can help provide you with ideas to that will build your audience and convert them into loyal customers. Reach out to On Your Mark Transportation to learn more about how we can partner with your team.
How to Effectively Prepare for the New Year
As the new year quickly approaches, our team has pulled together a list of items for your management team to review as you move into 2024. This time of year is particularly busy for many. Yet, it is important to be intentional and set aside time to review what worked well for you company over the past year and what you hope to improve upon moving forward.
Depending upon the size of your business, you can conduct the review in a number of ways. For some companies, the most efficient way to move forward will be to assign different members of your team each area to review. Following that, a meeting with the management team as a whole to discuss the results and brainstorm strategies for improvement will help to provide your team with actionable items to carry into the new year. Other companies may find that it is more helpful to bring in an outside perspective to analyze the past year’s performance to find new and innovative ways to grow. Either way, prioritize investing in an end of the year review.
Here is a quick list to get your team started.
- Review the employee onboarding and training process. What is your current strategy to ensure new team members are fully equipped to perform the job to the best of their ability? Take the time to meet with each employee hired in 2023. Ask what you could have done to improve their onboarding experience. What worked well? What could be added to the current process? An efficient onboarding process is key to building a team that is engaged and loyal to your company.
In addition, meet with veteran employees from each area of your business. What do they need to be able to perform their job more efficiently? Is there any additional training or classes that they need to grow in their role? Consider their responses and adjust your continuing education program accordingly.
2. Perform a website audit. Invest time to review your current website. Is it dated? Are there ways to make it more engaging or easier to navigate? Assign a member of your team to review the analytics for your site. Where is your web traffic coming from? How long do visitors stay on the site? Is your web traffic converting to sales?
By understanding what is performing best on your website, you can create an intentional online strategy to improve performance moving forward. A thorough web-audit will also review competitors’ websites in order to ensure that your company’s online presence outperforms competitors.
3. Analyze all marketing efforts from the past year. It is critical to look back and determine what marketing initiatives performed the best. This review should include a thorough analysis of all social media ads and strategies, email campaigns, print, and radio ads. Were you able to effectively track each campaign? If not, how could you better track the ROI of each initiative moving forward? As you review the results, prioritize how you will spend your marketing budget for 2024. Keep in mind any new areas to reach customers that you might not have tried in the past
This is certainly not an exhaustive list. Rather, we hope it provides you with a starting place that you can work from to develop an intentional plan to perform your own strategic review. An effective end-of-the-year review requires an investment of time from your team, but it is a critical step to ensuring that your company is set up for success in the new year. If you need assistance with this process, reach out to On Your Mark Transportation for more information as to how we can come alongside your team.
3 Ways to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Your Management Team
According to Gallup, managers influence team engagement and performance more than any other factor. What makes an effective manager? How can you ensure that your business is being run with the best management strategies? In this article, we’ll review 3 ways to determine whether or not your company is being effectively managed.
- Start by determining how engaged your management team is at work. If the leadership at your company is simply going through the motions, it is safe to assume that this is a sign your company is not running as efficiently as it could be. In fact, one study from Harvard Business Review showed that “Every 10% increase in a plant’s management index was associated with an impressive 14% increase in labor productivity, meaning the higher value added per worker.” While this study looked specifically at manufacturing, the principle holds regardless of industry. The better your management team performs, the better the employees who report to them will perform.
Take the time to meet to meet with each member of your leadership team. Ask specific questions regarding their job. What challenges are they facing that they are most concerned with? Do they feel supported at work to solve these problems? Do they believe that the company is offering them opportunities to grow and develop their leadership skills? These are just a few examples of the types of questions companies should be asking their managers to determine their engagement level within the company.
- Focus on company culture. Developing a company culture that prioritizes employees’ overall well-being will help to create an environment of loyalty and increased work productivity and satisfaction. According to Apollo Technical, 79% of employees will quit if they receive inadequate appreciation from their managers. Every time a company experiences turnover, this reduces productivity and overall company growth. To help retain a strong workforce, managers should foster an environment at work that is built on trust and authenticity. Effective management creates clear, open lines of communication with their team that encourages creativity and fosters an environment where employees feel supported and heard.
In order to really understand your company culture, it is important for leadership to meet with employees on a regular basis. Encourage open conversations where employees can voice their concerns or challenges and be met by a team ready to partner with them to find the best solution. If you find that you are unable to really get a clear picture of the culture within your business, consider utilizing anonymous surveys to gain valuable feedback from your team. You could also consider hiring an outside firm, such as On Your Mark Transportation, to come in and conduct an analysis of the culture at your company. Many times, an outside perspective will offer you a clearer picture and can see opportunities for your management team to help improve your corporate culture.
- Conduct an analysis of your onboarding and continued training processes. Are new employees being supported by managers? Do they feel as though they are being thoroughly trained and equipped to complete the tasks expected of them within their role. This process is one that should be reviewed and optimized regularly. The onboarding process is a critical step to determining how employees will engage with management from then on. When managers invest in the onboarding process and connecting with their team, it builds a strong, effective team from the start. This recent article from Forbes.com, offers ‘20 Tips Managers can Use to Set Up New Hires for Success.’ According to ThinkLearning, a strong onboarding experience will increase employees job satisfaction by 2.6 times.
Good management doesn’t stop with the onboarding process. Effective managers will provide employees with regular one-on-one meetings to create an open dialogue and continued support in their position. By understanding their employees’ goals and challenges, they will be able to provide their team with ongoing training that will set them up for long-term success. This will improve the employee engagement experience, increase productivity, and drive overall company success.
The importance of effective management can’t be ignored. It’s a pivotal piece for running your company as efficiently and profitably as possible. If you need help determining how your organization’s management team could be developed, you can reach out to learn more about our strategic planning sessions. Our team will help to provide you with a unique view of what your management team is doing well as well as provide areas of growth and development.
Why Your Company Should Invest in an Internship Program
Internships offer incredible opportunities for students to learn more about their intended fields and make meaningful connections with potential employers. In fact, according to TechJury.com, 85% of employers offer ongoing, full-time jobs to successful interns.
As an employer, it is key that you offer your interns quality experiences that will provide them with the knowledge they need to move forward into a full-time job. But what makes an internship successful? How as a business can you ensure that you are providing your interns with an experience that prepares them for their career while also supporting the bottom-line of your business.
Morgan Joy, a former intern with On Your Mark Transportation, said that “I had the honor to work beside Mark as the Social Media and Marketing Intern for On Your Mark Transportation during the summer of 2020. Straight out of college with little to no experience in the marketing field, Mark made sure I was well equipped for my future. Unlike other internships, Mark made sure I was gaining as much knowledge as I could. This was not a position filled with busywork, but instead, Mark allowed me to take point on many different projects throughout my time there.”
Internship programs that are centered on developing the skills and potential of the interns maximize the benefits for all parties involved. Believing in what your interns have to offer, and providing them with guidance along the way will help ensure it is a success for everyone.
Here we interview Joseline Aguilar about her recent experience participating in the On Your Mark Transportation Internship Program. Joseline began working in the internship program in January of 2023, and she was recently hired by one of On Your Mark Transportation’s clients, TMA Group/VanStar. She worked with them on numerous projects during her internship and was able to use that experience to move into a full-time role with their team.
- How did your internship prepare you for your full-time job?
The internship helped me prepare professionally and personally; I improved my communication and writing skills and gained confidence in myself. I gained experience in my field of study. In addition, the internship helped me to create contacts.
- What advice do you have for college students considering an internship?
I would tell them to apply for an internship because this is one of the best ways to gain experience and good references to apply for a job. Additionally, internships could help you decide which field you want to work in.
- Is there any advice you would give to employers when it comes to internships?
I would say that an internship is the best way to help students prepare to become potential employees. So, my advice would be to include an internship program in their company.
While it may take time to develop your internship program, we encourage you to consider starting one. Make relationships with the faculty at nearby college campuses, attend career fairs, and guest lecture in college classes. These are all valuable opportunities to connect with potential interns who are looking to build their resume with practical experience in their chosen career. As Melody Berg, former Sales and Marketing Intern for On Your Mark Transportation said, “I often tell my friends how appreciative I am of the School of Business at MTSU for matching us with real-life internships to give me the experience I can take into my career! I gained CRM, Lead Generation, Cold Calling, B2B, and Direct marketing skills that will benefit me in pursuing a professional sales career.”
If your team needs help developing your internship program, we encourage you to reach out to Mark Szyperski, CEO and President of On Your Mark Transportation for help.
Conferences to Attend in 2024
What conferences should you attend in 2024? We recommend that you prioritize attending these two national events if you work in the transportation industry. Each event offers participants a place to connect with others, learn the latest trends, and discover the latest technology in the industry.
American Bus Association – Marketplace
This year ABA’s Marketplace event will take place in Nashville, TN at the Music City Center from January 13th – 16th. This appoint-based show is an excellent event for Motorcoach and Tour Operators and Travel Industry Suppliers who are looking to grow their business. It provides businesses with the opportunity to learn the latest in the industry through seminars led by industry experts.
This year the Bus Industry Safety Council will be meeting at Marketplace during the Sunday morning session. We highly recommend that all companies become members of BISC. To view the full schedule, register, and learn more about the offerings at this year’s conference, visit https://marketplace.buses.org/schedule/.
United Motorcoach Association Expo
In 2024, UMA will host the Expo in Raleigh, NC on February 4th – 7th. This highly informative conference is full of sessions that will equip your team to help you expand your business in the new year. In addition, this year the Expo will host an International Driver Skills Competition. We recommend that companies register their drivers in the competition!
To learn more about the event and register your team, visit https://motorcoachexpo.com/ .
These conferences offer a unique way to network with others in the industry and provide incredible ROI for the companies that attend them. By investing a few days in these events, businesses are able to offer their teams updated training and experiences that they can use to propel their business forward in the upcoming year. We look forward to seeing you there!
Do You Really Understand Your Customer?
Investing in market research is a key factor that will drive the success of your company. According to a recent article on Forbes.com, companies that embrace a customer-centric approach are 60% more profitable than companies that do not. Whether you are a young entrepreneur starting your first small business or the CEO of a large, established company, you must understand your customer’s needs in order to stay relevant and increase your company’s market share.
Here are 3 aspects of market research to keep in mind as you review your company’s performance this year and build your goals for next year.
- Who do you think your primary audience is? All companies must take the time to define who their primary customers are. Consider key demographic information such as age, socio-economic level, gender, location, hobbies, and buying preferences. Write this down to form a detailed buyer persona. As you work through this process, it is helpful to have stakeholders from all areas of the business create this profile. This will allow you to understand your customers as they relate to all areas of the business. Take note of any differences that come up as you review the information from each person within the business.
- Compare what you believe about your customers to what the data tells you. Analyze sales data from both your online storefront as well as any brick-and-mortar retail locations. How much are customers buying and when? What products or services are most popular for your online customer base? Your retail customers? In what ways are these shoppers the same or different? How frequently do they purchase again? These details can help you develop a better understanding of your customers’ buying habits.
As you study the analytics for your website, keep in mind how customers found you online (where are they coming from), how long they stay on your site, and at what point do they leave your site. All of this information provides important context to add to your sales data.
In addition, review the demographics for all of your social media platforms. For example, Facebook’s Custom Audience feature can help provide you with a detailed analysis of who your audience is in that space. Compare that to Instagram and your email database. Do all of the platforms have a similar buyer persona? How are they alike or different? Which spaces have the most engaged, loyal customers? All of this information is invaluable to determining who your primary customer is, what drives them, and how to best meet their needs.
- Seek feedback from customers. Taking the time to ask your current customers to review your products or services will provide you with valuable information that you can use to optimize your business moving forward. This information can be gathered in a variety of ways. In fact, we recommend that you consider utilizing each of these tools to truly develop a deep understanding of your core customer.
Focus groups and surveys allow you to ask both current customers or customers you are seeking to attract to your business for feedback. Are you meeting their needs? What can you do to improve? Would they purchase again or recommend your business to a friend? If they don’t currently use your product or service, why not? What could you change about your product or service that would motivate them to buy?
Another new tool that you can utilize to help better understand your company is social media sentiment analysis through AI. According to Forbes, these tools can create reports that tell us about who are customers are and what they are saying about our products by monitoring social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Effective marketing research will utilize each of these areas to refine your business moving forward. Staying in tune with who your customer is and how to best meet their needs will provide you with a competitive edge in an ever-changing marketplace.