Top Ways Movers are Targeting Growth in 2023

In 2022, local moving companies saw significant growth – as the total amount of moves booked on the Oncue platform increased by 57 percent. If you are looking to grow your local moving company in 2023 and beyond, continue reading for key tips on the most successful strategies for targeting growth.

A Wild Ride

The COVID-19 pandemic hit many industries hard and moving companies were no exception. Between social distancing requirements for movers, supply chain issues, high fuel prices, and a shortage of truck drivers, the moving industry has seen its fair share of challenges. 

Yet the demand for moving services increased dramatically during the pandemic. The U.S. Postal Service typically receives 37 million change of address requests per year; during the pandemic, it received 2 million per week, or 192 million per year. 

Last year, local moving companies were especially in demand. According to USPS data, in 2022, 84% of people moved around the same metro area that they lived, 7.5% moved within the same state, and only 0.28% left their metro area altogether. However, an increase in long-distance moves is on the horizon as people continue to transition to remote work or leave their jobs, looking to live in less urban areas.  

Targeting Growth

The moving industry currently has a yearly revenue of $86 billion. Described as one of the largest industries in the U.S., the moving industry employs more than 6 million people with a growth outlook of over 6 percent by 2031.

The expected growth in the industry won’t all come from hiring more movers. Moving company owners need to be smart about where they invest and focus their marketing efforts. 

According to Moversville Connect, the most successful moving companies are strong in these three areas: acquiring leads, selling services, and providing great customer service. 

Keeping those qualities in mind, here are some of the top ways your moving company can target growth in 2023.

Diversify Your Services

Whether you’re a local, family-owned, or independent moving company, diversifying what you offer your customers can drive more business. Extending your offerings to providing popular services such as storage and packaging can position your company as a one-stop shop, making the process of moving easier for your customer. Also consider branching out to different types of customers. If you’ve been focused on residential moves, consider venturing into offering commercial services. Do your research and decide what works best for your business goals. 

Streamline Your Branding

Developing a strong brand will allow people to keep your company in mind even if they don’t need your services at the time. To start, choose a unique, relevant, and memorable company name that will instantly let potential customers know what you do. Next, you’ll want a logo that is eye-catching and makes a great first impression. Your logo will be on everything from your website to your uniforms and trucks to paperwork, so make sure it’s something that makes your company proud.

Generate High Quality Leads

A lead is someone who has expressed interest in your company but hasn’t signed on for services yet. Leads for your moving company can be found anywhere. A few lead sources include customer reviews, your local community, social media, referral websites, and search engine optimization. SEO is the process of optimizing your website to increase organic traffic from the search engine, back to your site. Start with previous customers and referrals as they either already had a positive experience with your services, or they received a recommendation to contact your company from someone they trust. Contact these leads at optimal days and times during the week, so your company is top of mind when it comes to booking business.

Get Strategic About Marketing

More moving companies are turning to paid marketing strategies. According to Oncue’s statistics,  Google, Thumbtack, and your company’s website are three options that generate the highest number of overall leads. SEO is important because it allows your company to be at the top results of a Google search. After all, if people can’t find you, they can’t hire you. To make sure you’re at the top of search results, make sure you are being specific about the areas you serve, ask for local reviews, and create unique content about what you do and how to make the moving process easier using video and photos.

Network With Your Community

Lead generation is crucial to a successful moving company. Make sure you are targeting leads wherever you are. This could mean sending mailers to people in your community who are selling their homes; introducing yourself and your company on local Facebook groups; and networking with real estate agents, storage facilities, and yes, other moving companies. A competitor may be able to serve a customer you can’t or vice versa. While you will always want to have the opportunity to share with your community what your company does and the services it provides, don’t be self-serving. Make sure your contribution is helpful, genuine, and provides value.

Provide Excellent Customer Service and Ask For Testimonials

It’s no secret customer demands and expectations are higher these days so it’s critical that your company provides excellent customer service at every touch point. From initial website contact to the day your movers show up at your customer’s door, your service needs to be top notch. When a customer is satisfied and their move is successfully behind them, it’s now time to ask for a testimonial. Whether this is posted on Yelp, on your website, or on social media, positive testimonials can easily persuade a prospect shopping for moving services to contact your company. If you find your testimonials are repeatedly mixed or negative, this is important feedback to consider as you target future growth.

Automate, Automate, Automate

As you move into the new year, think about ways you can streamline your operations and processes. At Oncue, we provide automation software that manages leads, schedules jobs, collects payments, and earns reviews. We help drive business growth, simplify interactions with your customers, manage day-to-day operations, and position our moving companies to build amazing reputations.

Take Advantage of Social Media

Social media is a free tool that can do wonders for your moving company. Did you know that 57.5% of individuals are more likely to buy from a brand they follow on social media? During their research for moving services, customers will often visit a company’s social media profile, looking for reviews, and useful information. Use platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to connect with your current customers and potential leads by sharing success stories, providing helpful information they might need about their upcoming move, and photos of your crew in action. Be sure to create business accounts as you’ll be able to see insights about traffic, demographics, and engagement. Social media is a place to reinforce your brand, engage your customers, tell your story, and experiment with paid advertising. Get creative, be engaged, and generate those leads!

Invest In Your Employees

Position yourself ahead of your competitors by creating a work environment your employees will want to work. Talent retention continues to be a challenge for many moving companies. Thorough training in your policies and procedures, as well as customer service will show in employees’ interactions with customers. Happy employees are loyal employees and loyal employees will spread positivity about your company and its services. Employees are walking billboards and if they feel they are being taken care of, it benefits everyone.

Moving companies are well-positioned for growth in 2023 and there are many ways to target new business. Which ways will you choose?