Delivering your brand

Create a delivery service the right way and take your business to the next level

In this 24/7 world, delivery is a service your clients expect. Creating a delivery service for your business is an exciting step. It broadens your client base and allows higher turnover. However, without the correct marketing strategy your delivery service could be a flop. Customers are often habitual in their buying patterns and unwilling to try something new unless it is carefully explained. It is vital your brand stands out from your competitors and creates marketing which excites customers about the potential of home delivery. How? It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Explain

When marketing your delivery service, transparency and clarity are key. Clients can be unwilling to use a new technology or payment system if they are unfamiliar with it. The best thing you can do is use your marketing to clearly explain how your delivery system works. Whether you’re an online clothes retailer or a home delivery food service, your clients want to know how your product is going to get to their door. In your marketing material, explain the various steps of ordering, payment, preparation and delivery.

It is also important to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Think about what ‘extras’ your service offers: 24hr delivery? Free returns? Extra fast service? Environmentally friendly packaging? Optimise these.

Explanation will create assurance in the customer’s mind and result in more sales! Here are some easy ways to implement this principle in your marketing:

  • Use infographics.
  • Create social media content which concisely explains the system.
  • Have real-time style video content to showcase how the system works.
  • Have ‘behind the scenes’ style content to show parts of the preparation and delivery.

2. Entice

If you are going to convince existing and new customers to use your delivery service, you need to entice them. The easiest way to do this is to offer discounts or special deals. Try offering a percentage off when customers use the delivery system. Or a loyalty program based around delivery, which offers rewards for regular use.

Competitions are another popular technique for enticing clients. An effective competition will encourage your clients to either use or promote your delivery system. This could be a random raffle style competition or a merit-based competition. Asking social media followers to share promotional material in order to win a prize (free delivery for a year!) is an easy and low-cost idea. Similarly, rewarding the 1000th user of your delivery system is simple and enticing.

Social media is a key way of advertising these promotions. Enticing customers to use your delivery system is a great way to retain loyal customers and draw in new clientele. The key to enticement marketing is to create an irresistible offer.

3. Excite

Your clients need to be excited about your delivery service in order to use it. Marketing should focus on creating a dynamic image and brand around the delivery system. Be sure to think about your key demographics and aim the marketing at them. Are your clients busy mums who need the convenience of delivery? Or are they university students on a tight budget? Your marketing should excite your specific demographic.

and aim the marketing at them. Are your clients busy mums who need the convenience of delivery? Or are they university students on a tight budget? Your marketing should excite your specific demographic.

 

  • Consider colours. Bold and engaging colour palettes on your marketing and branding are important.
  • Think visually. High quality photography and videography is an excellent way to excite clients. A short promotional video to be shared on social media is an easy and effective marketing move.
  • Base marketing material around the lifestyle your delivery service promotes. Whether that is celebratory, convenience, business, family or budget – use these values to create exciting marketing.

The basics

We’ve explored the three general principles of marketing a delivery system. But there’s not a lot of use in producing marketing material if you haven’t got the basics right. There are a few things to make sure you’ve ticked off your list before you release marketing material.

Branding

Your delivery service should fit in with the rest of your branding. That means you need to have some great branding to start with. Be sure to invest time and creativity into your business name, tagline, logo and values. Branding should be clear and easy to link with your delivery system. Be sure to include your fonts, logo and tagline on all branding material to do with your delivery system.

It may be worth considering separate and complementary marketing for your delivery service. Would a specifically branded name for your delivery service be useful? Imagine an Italian restaurant called Z’talian. Their delivery service could be “Zoom with Z’talian” or “Zip Delivery”. This technique won’t be essential for every business but is something worth considering. Similarly, a matching but distinct logo may be helpful. Thinking about imagery and copywriting is an important part of the process.

“Your clients need to be excited about your delivery service in order to use it.”

Product promotion

No one is going to want to use your delivery system if they don’t want your product. In the excitement of introducing your delivery system, don’t neglect basic product promotion. Keep consistently producing marketing material regarding your product and link your delivery system where possible. If you are a food or hospitality retailer, high quality photography of your food is one of the best investments you can make. For example, the better your food looks on your online menu – the better. Similarly, for other businesses, product promotion through visual marketing, reviews and great copywriting is essential.

Social media

Social media is a key technique for promoting your delivery system. But if your social media channels don’t have enough traction – the promotion will be pointless. Strategise a social-media content plan that builds interaction. Create and share great content to engage new clients and remind past clients. Only then are you ready to market your delivery system online. Social media posts and advertisements are essential tools for marketing your delivery system; be sure to use them wisely.

The Power of marketing

Delivery systems are everywhere these days. All sorts of businesses use them to bring an extra level of convenience to their clients. If you think about the most popular delivery systems, or brands who associate with them, you will realise something – they all have outstanding marketing. All the best delivery systems have clear, enticing and exciting marketing strategies. The content they produce communicates the processes and values behind the brand. High quality marketing should mark out your brand from your competitors – showcasing the special services and products you offer. Utilise your differences to make the biggest impact. Marketing should also be backed up by intelligent branding and consistent social media use. Don’t underestimate the power of marketing. Invest in a great delivery service and great marketing to go with it.

John Saadie, Founder, OrderUp!

This story first appeared in issue 22 of the Inside Small Business quarterly magazine.