Social media strategy for freight forwarders

Social media strategies for freight forwarders can bring many benefits to the business and are, currently, a key aspect for standing out in the market.

In 2020, 3.6 billion people were using social media, and according to Statista, by 2025 there will be almost 4.41 billion. 

That is a massive number to not think about social media strategy…

With that many people online you will for sure be able to reach an audience of freight forwarders interested in what you have to say and offer, you will only need the right social media strategy for it.

How to start your freight forwarding social media strategy

To start your forwarder’s social media strategies most effectively, the first step is to define your personas.

Personas are fictional characters, created to represent the different types of customers you have in your company, they are made by the demographics and psychographic factors.

Here you can learn everything you need to know about personas and the best way to create them.

After you have mapped your personas it is time to set up a tone of communication you are going to use to talk to each of them. 

For example, if you are going to set up a pricing persona you will need to show them how your forwarding company can make their quotation process faster and easier to deal with. 

On the other hand, if you are using a decision-maker persona you should show them your forwarder’s commitment and quality to the services you offer.

Planning your freight forwarder’s social media strategy

Social media it’s a valuable tool for communicating with others locally and around the world, sharing, creating, and disseminating information. 

And that is why freight forwarders also need to expand their online reach through social media platforms. 

The best way to plan your forwarder’s social media strategy is to separate a day or two in the last week of the month for arranging next month’s social media content. 

We recommend doing around 12 posts and 1 campaign per month on all your forwarder’s social media accounts, always bringing different types of content related to your freight forwarding business.

To help you have a better view of the month’s planning we recommend creating it on a spreadsheet. 

Here’s a great model for you to start working on your forwarder’s social media planning.

What to post on your freight forwarder’s social media

Social media has increasingly proven its importance as one of the most promising and effective communication channels for promoting business-related content. 

If you’re thinking about bringing your company to social media but don’t know how to do it, here are some social media content ideas that can help you:

About your company

Through your social media, potential freight partners can have their first contact with your company and get in touch with you. 

Therefore, publishing posts that tell the story of your company, the services and products you specialize in, and the regions you have more expertise in, are highly recommended.

You can, for example, publish content telling how long your company has been operating in the market, what kind of services you offer, in which countries and cities you do business, and so on.

Remember that social media is the perfect place to tell potential customers and partners exactly what you can do for them.

Market trends and insights

Posting your opinions on the latest events or trends in the market is an excellent opportunity to help you build authority in the industry by consistently producing content that offers value, insights, and a unique perspective. 

Positioning yourself as an expert can be immensely impactful for your business. 

In addition, it can also get other businesses and enthusiasts in the industry to engage with your posts, which in turn can increase your reach on social media. 

Here are some social media content ideas for freight forwarders on this topic:

• Insights on the latest freight and logistics news;
• Freight forwarding and logistics industry trends;
• Facts and figures about the freight forwarding industry;
• Freight forwarding and logistics business tips.

Events

If you work in the freight forwarding and logistics industry, you have surely heard about the events held by the companies in the sector. 

With the large number of events that take place every year, it’s clear how important they are and how much they contribute to the success of forwarders around the world. 

Sharing content about the events your company will be attending is a great strategy to publicize your participation in the event, and hopefully, reach other attendees to make the most of your networking opportunities.

Business opportunities

Social media advertising has become one of the most common forms of publicity in the digital world.

Today many freight forwarders use their company’s social media to advertise new shipping opportunities and find potential customers. 

Keywords and hashtags are two important factors that can help you reach an audience that is interested in what your company is selling.

You can post new shipping opportunities on your social media and use hashtags to increase your post’s reach, for example.

Freight partnerships

The relationship between freight partners is one of the most important points in a forwarder company. 

Building a relationship with your freight partner takes a lot of effort, but it is also essential for the growth of your business. 

Social media can be a tool to build a good relationship with your freight partners. 

You can post, for example, an “introducing my freight partners” series, in which you show your followers each week or month who your current freight partners are. 

Moreover, you can also share positive feedback you received from your partners or successful business exchanges.

Which social media your freight forwarding company should use

As freight marketing continues to evolve in the digital space, it is more and more crucial to meet your audience where they are, creating meaningful connections and building meaningful relationships.

To give a start at your forwarder’s company social media strategy focus on the basics:

• Facebook;
• Instagram; 
• LinkedIn.

Social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram are absolutely crucial to maintain your competitive edge and make the most of marketing opportunities.

Once you have your monthly social media strategy ready you can start posting them on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 

As soon as you start getting the hang of the social media planning process you can already think about expanding your strategies inside Facebook groups and LinkedIn groups.

These platforms allow you to participate in freight forwarding and logistics groups, and they are an amazing opportunity to share the materials of your company with a bigger audience of worldwide forwarders.

Along with the groups, if it makes sense to your freight forwarding business, you can start working with YouTube, X, and so on. 

To know more about Facebook and LinkedIn strategies, and other potential channels your freight forwarding company can work with click here.

Just a few more tips…

It is important to bear in mind that, just as a sales strategy should be directed to the company’s goals and objectives, marketing strategies also need to be aligned with the interests of the forwarder’s target market.

Also remember that when we talk about social media, constancy should be the first word that comes to your mind. 

The more you post, the more people you can reach and increase your company’s visibility. 

Last but not least, keeping your profiles updated with information about your company is just as important as posting new content. 

It’s very important that you make it easy for potential customers to find out more about your company. 

Make sure you choose a profile picture that is easy for your audience to recognize (such as your company logo) and add up-to-date information about your business.

If you have a website, add it to your social media, and don’t forget to provide a brief description of your services.

Now it’s up to you!

With all these tips you can for sure make an incredible social media strategy for your freight forwarding company. 

Just remember to think of your personas, set up a ton of communication, and create a range of posts. 

Another great tip to get inspired when creating your forwarder social media plan is to go through the social media of companies like yours, along with systems for freight forwarders, or another kind of social media that inspires you! 

Parnity’s social media channels are a great inspiration for freight forwarders, check out our Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube pages.