Advertising a logistics company: winning B2B contracts

Key takeaways

Advertising a logistics company is business-to-business work with long sales cycles and few buyers. Fleet livery, LinkedIn, trade press and direct contact with named shippers do most of the job. The aim is to be on the shortlist when a contract comes up for renewal.

• Buyers are few: build a named list, not a mass audience.
• Fleet livery is advertising you already own.
• LinkedIn reaches transport and supply chain managers directly.
• Only about 5% of business buyers are in the market at once.

What is different about logistics advertising?

Logistics and transport firms sell reliability to other businesses. A typical customer signs for a year or more and reviews suppliers rarely. Decisions involve operations, procurement and finance. Advertising has to keep the firm known and credible between those rare buying moments.

• Social media marketing vs traditional advertising: what works better for SMEs?
• Social media for logistics and transport businesses

Which channels matter most?

Five channels do most of the work.

• 1. Fleet livery and depot signage.
• 2. LinkedIn, company page and named managers.
• 3. A website with services, coverage and accreditations.
• 4. Trade press and industry events.
• 5. Direct contact with a defined list of shippers.

• Van signwriting and shop signs: the advertising you own
• Trade magazine advertising vs LinkedIn for B2B firms
• Trade shows vs social media: where B2B leads come from

How should LinkedIn be used?

Use LinkedIn to show the operation working: on-time figures you can evidence, new vehicles, training, safety and how a problem was solved. Connect with the named managers on your target list. Posts from the people who run the operation carry more weight than a logo.

• Reaching B2B decision makers on social media
• LinkedIn strategy for UK small businesses

Is trade press worth it?

Trade press can be worth it where one or two titles are read across the sector, including by managers who are seldom at a desk. Editorial and awards entries often do more than adverts. As an indicative range, a page costs £500 to £5,000.

• How much does advertising cost a UK small business?

How does direct outreach fit?

Direct outreach is the response channel. Build a list of shippers in your lanes, find out when contracts renew and make contact ahead of that date. Marketing calls must respect the Telephone Preference Service and Corporate TPS, and addressed mail falls under UK GDPR.

• Cold calling vs social media: which opens more doors?
• Direct mail vs social media: reaching customers by name

What does it cost?

As indicative ranges, vehicle lettering costs £200 to £600 a vehicle and a small stand at a national show £3,000 to £10,000 all in. Most UK SMEs using an agency pay £950–£2,500 a month for managed social media. Staff time for outreach is usually the largest cost.

• Social media costs for logistics and transport firms
• The hidden costs of traditional advertising

Does advertising also help recruitment?

Yes, and for many operators that is half its value. Drivers and warehouse staff look at a firm's vehicles, reviews and social profiles before applying. Content showing the fleet, the people and the working conditions supports hiring at the same time as sales.

• Employer branding on social media for small firms

How do you measure it?

Measure it by the list. Track how many target accounts know you, have been contacted, have requested a quote and have traded. Ask every enquirer how they heard of you. Judge over a year or more, since contracts change slowly.

• 'How did you hear about us?' Asking the question properly
• B2B social media when the sales cycle is long

What rarely works?

Consumer media rarely works. Local radio, door drops and general social adverts reach households, not transport managers. The exception is a firm with a consumer service, such as removals or parcel delivery, which should treat that as a separate, local campaign.

• B2B vs B2C advertising: how the channel mix changes
• Targeted vs mass advertising: paying only for likely buyers

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see with hauliers: the fleet is immaculate, the service is reliable and the online presence is a website from several years ago. A buyer who notices the lorries and looks the firm up finds little to confirm that it handles work like theirs.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Next step

Write down the 50 companies you would most like to carry for. Note who you know at each and when they last heard from you.