12 Great Tips For Marketing A Taxi Business — Offline And Online

We’ve collected a round-up of marketing ideas for promoting small taxi business that have proved (in many cases, for decades) to be excellent at drumming up customers.

So, you’ve set up your company, have your cars and drivers ready to go and got the best prices on taxi insurance – now is time to market. Let’s get right into it!

Offline Marketing

With a nearly-endless and constantly-evolving range of digital marketing choices available to you, it’s easy to forget that offline marketing is still there.

More traditional marketing techniques are still highly effective, particularly for businesses like yours, when you make an effort to target them well.

As a bonus, offline marketing campaigns are often faster to set up and more affordable than their cutting-edge digital alternatives.

Here are some always sure-fire ways to advertise your taxi company in the “real” world:

1) Leaflets

For starting a taxi business for company, it’s less about how you design your flyers than where you get your flyers placed. Work hard to get your flyers stocked at hotels, bars, clubs, and local businesses where customers might find themselves in need of a ride (like auto mechanics).

2) Beer Mats

This is one of our favorite traditional marketing tactics. It’s easy to get all of the essential information your customers need to book your services on a printed beer mat. Get these into local bars and restaurants and you’ll have your info right under the noses of potential customers who are especially likely to book a ride.

3) Fridge Magnets

Stock each of your cars with a supply of fridge magnets your drivers can pass to customers arriving at their homes. This is a terrific way to increase the odds of repeat business and turning a one-off customer into a regular who thinks of your company as his or her preferred ride provider.

4) Keyrings

A keyring is a way to advertise your tax company that’s both simple and effective. Display your number prominently on the keyring to prompt customers to book with your company whenever they need a ride. The great advantage of promotional keyrings is that your customers will be carrying them all the time.

5) Calendars

Customers have a seasonal need for calendars every winter. Jump on top of that need and print up branded calendars that you can offer right when they need a new one. That gets your name and number up on their wall for an entire year — a powerful payoff for a modest marketing investment!

6) Bus Stop Signage

Buying ad space at bus stops is all about reaching out to potential customers who are likely to make an impulse booking. Wait for those cold nights when no one wants to wait for a bus, and your dispatch phone will start ringing off the hook.

7) Vehicle Signage

Your cars are potent advertising tools as well as the lifeblood of your business. Take full advantage of this opportunity to get your name, number, and web address out into your community. Your vehicle signage deserves careful thought; make your cars as appealing and persuasive as you can.

Online Marketing

Take your marketing to the next level this year by courting customers in the digital world, too. Here are some highly effective techniques:

8) Your Website

An effective, appealing website is especially important for local businesses like yours and will aid your online presence substantially. Make your site easy to navigate, incorporate web booking functionality, and invest in local search engine optimization to ensure potential customers can find their way to you whenever they need a local taxi.

9) Email

Promotional emails can do a lot of good when they’re targeted and timed properly. Take a look at your local vacation trends and send messages out when you know surges in travel are coming. Promoting airport transfers when a lot of people are going to be flying is particularly effective.

10) Social Media

Social media is a superb tool for announcing special offers and targeting specific customers (like students) quickly. Canny use of your social media accounts can get you more business around special events, specific days of the week, and even particular hours of the day.

11) Texting

Promotional text messages are a delicate marketing tool, but if they’re timed well — sent well before major events that will need taxi service, like New Year’s Eve — you can collect some very nice advanced bookings.

12) Build And Promote A Booking App

Our research shows that an ever-increasing number of customers consider a convenient app to be their preferred way to interact with a service provider like a taxi company. There are app-based dispatch systems available that enable even the smallest taxi firm to providean Uber-like user experience without investing in a giant IT department. Take the plunge this year and offer your customers a cutting-edge booking app.