Webinar Roundup: How To Capture And Recover Lost Parking Revenue By Getting On Google’s Good Side!
6 min read
The world of marketing has come a long way from newspaper postings and radio ads. There is no doubt that the digital age has been solidified, with organizations continuing to shift their marketing strategies to where consumers spend their time- online. This is no different for the parking industry. Today, nearly 92% of drivers search for parking online, with customers typically planning where they will park 8-14 hours before arriving at their destination.
You may be wondering; how can I use digital marketing to increase my parking revenue? If you couldn't attend our most recent webinar, How To Capture And Recover Lost Parking Revenue By Getting On Google's Good Side, you're in luck! We're sharing the key takeaways from our discussion about how you can capture and recover lost parking revenue by getting on Google's good side and everything you'll need to get started!
COVID-19 & Parking Programs
As the world continues to adjust and navigate our new reality, the parking and mobility industry seems to be one of the hardest hit. Lack of in-person events due to COVID-19 restrictions has created a downward trend in occupancy rate, thus hindering parking revenue. However, advances in parking technology have allowed for safe and virtually contactless customer journeys.
Solutions such as hands-free entry, tap-and-go and mobile payments, license plate recognition, virtual communications and yes, digital marketing have fulfilled customers' needs and business objectives. Digitization is the key to longevity. Investing in the future will help your organization continue to meet and exceed your customers' needs now and long after the pandemic is over.
A 360 Digital Marketing Strategy
When it comes to marketing your parking facilities, making your location readily available and accessible online is more important than ever to your current and potential customers. The burning question that many of us would like answered is how do I rank #1 on Google? Well then, the answer is not that simple. To increase location awareness for your facility, you must consider how you will educate your audience, showcase the social journey and shine a spotlight on your facility through creating a visual experience. Ranking #1 on Google is not a light switch; it is an intuitive process.
The path of digital marketing is broad and includes everything from local SEO, social media, search engine optimization (SEO), online advertising, mobile apps, video and graphic design, content development and email marketing. When developing your strategy, it is vital to understand what tools will work best for your business and where your customers spend their time. Telling the story of your parking experience and leveraging the right tools will allow the velocity of your audience and the size of your reach to expand.
Is Your Digital Marketing Strategy Effective?
When pursuing digital marketing, there are several questions you need to ask and initial steps you need to take. The process of ranking high on google is called Search Engine Optimization—SEO. SEO is all about creating an online presence such as a website or web page that satisfies Google's algorithm. Your digital marketing endeavours need to focus on creating an online presence for your parking facility that features all the information your customers need to know if they're going to park there.
Registering your location with GPS services will ensure a Parking Location Pin appears on all of these maps. So when customers are planning their parking ahead of time or using a GPS to get to where they need to go, they'll see your location. It would be best if you also committed to responding to public reviews within an appropriate timeframe. If not, you run the risk of Google no longer showing the location.
The next step is getting your location on a variety of in-car navigation systems. The same theory here applies—if a driver sees your site on their map and near where they are heading, it will increase the likelihood of them choosing to park at your facility.
Leveraging social media will allow you to expand your online presence further and showcase your social experience more visually. Both organic and paid social techniques will also help boost your website SEO. Something that's key to consider when you invest in digital marketing is ensuring you have online support resources. Digital marketing opens up the floor for questions and concerns that can be made public. So you'll want to make sure that they're being dealt with and escalation matrixes are in place to protect your online reputation.
Within the parking industry, digital marketing services typically fall under the scope of your managed parking service provider. However, this largely depends on when you finalized your contract. As digital marketing continues to evolve, your organization should too. Becoming a part of the digital revolution will allow you to reach more customers and drive location awareness like never before. It is time to take the digital leap!
Want to learn more about our full suite of Digital Marketing solutions? Check out the entire webinar recording below!