How To Market A Startup Drone Business.
Advice & Tips From A Former UAV Operator
Hello, my name is Ben Lovegrove and in this video I'm going to provide some marketing
tips for you as a drone pilot and for your new drone business.
This is a big topic with a lot of subjects to cover so this video serves as an introduction
only, but watch or listen to all of it then ask me any questions or tell me what specifics
you need covered by leaving a request in the Comments section below.
Before I begin may I say congratulations for making the inspired decision to join the drone
industry.
By starting a UAV company now or just by obtaining your drone pilot certification you have caught
the wave at the right time.
Your next task is to market either yourself or your business.
You need to put your name out there and catch the attention of those seeking your skills
and services.
The competition between drone pilots and aerial photography companies is already beginning
to increase as the technology evolves.
The growth of the UAV market brings many opportunities but as more people join the industry you'll
need to develop a marketing strategy.
It's the only way you can keep your head in front of the competition and win those vital
orders that will ensure your eventual success.
Once you've established your business and built up a list of clients then you may find
you need less marketing.
For example, you may receive repeat orders from existing clients and new requests by
word of mouth referrals.
Your business might then continue and grow by reputation and recommendation alone!
But before you reach that stage you will need to budget for consistent and well planned
marketing.
Various Methods For Advertising.
As someone who uses the web you've probably seen and responded to PPC ads, promo videos,
and adverts on social media.
Websites are easy and inexpensive to build but they require regular attention and fine
tuning to stand any chance of being found.
Social media is free and easy to use but accounts need to be nurtured slowly over time if they
are to deliver any leads.
PPC advertising gives you control over your campaign and can be productive but only if
the preliminary keyword research is accurate.
YouTube and Vimeo can showcase videos but your efforts may be lost among the millions
of uploads if their are not optimised for searches.
Local business networking events in your home town or county may produce leads but they
too take time to deliver results.
With all thes options and the pros and cons of each it can be difficult to decide how
to spend your time, effort, and money.
Get it wrong and you'll blow the start-up budget with no results.
The phone won't ring and the leads won't materialise.
Get it right and the pressue will ease and your confidence will increase with each new
enquiry.
Your Marketing Strategy
Most people start by formulating a strategy, working out a marketing schedule, and keeping
a close eye on spending.
You will also need to strike a balance between doing your own marketing (thus saving money
but at the cost of time) and outsourcing tasks with the associated costs.
Begin by identifying those individuals and companies who are likely to buy the services
you are selling and research them and their needs.
Think less about selling and more about building relationships.
This is a cliche because it's true that people prefer to do business with those they trust.
Think about your brand and what it represents.
Imagine you're viewing your website or social media accounts for the first time.
What does the logo and style say to you?
Is this a business you feel you could approach?
Are there spelling errors on the website or unused social media accounts?
Nothing says 'move on, nothing to see here' more than out of date Twitter accounts or
websites with broken links and missing images.
Place yourself in the shoes of your prospective client and ask yourself why you would choose
your business over any competitor.
Another simple but effective trick is to put your own face on your website and tell your
story.
People like to know about those behind the company, even if it's just one person, so
the About Us page is one of your most important website pages.
If you add the personal touch and show a friendly face it may be all it takes to make the phone
ring.
Logos do have their importance but for UAV operators sometimes it's also vital to be
the face of the brand in order to show openess and approachability.
It's worth spending some time on this and getting good quality photos taken that show
you in close up and in action flying your drones.
Audit your website and check it for broken links and missing images, and get someone
to proofread it.
Give your site a thorough SEO audit too and ensure it's optimised but withi strict adherence
to Google's guidelines.
If you use social media be selective about the accounts and only use those you are certain
you can keep updated with fresh material.
Successful Pay Per Click marketing campaigns start with keyword research and build on that
in order to create accurate adverts.
YouTube introductory videos for your company can bring in leads but like your website they
need fine tuning based on keyword research.
That's all for this introduction.
Remember to use the Comments section below if there's anything specific you want me to
cover.
If you want to outsource any tasks then head over to www.redspan.com and use the contact
form or call 0044 1329 286 169
Thank you for watching!
I hope you found this video useful.
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