Looking back to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, the pandemic itself caused everyone to go into a shutdown. For the motorcycle industry, it was an interesting year. Supply chain issues alone caused a lot of hiccups in both production, distribution and delivery.
During any pandemic, one would think that the timing of such disruptions could not be any better. Unfortunately, it was and for only a brief time period. However, sales started climbing as some dealers started selling out of certain machines and channels.
The rise in sales in natural terms led to a rise in the demand for auto parts, service and the like. Not that any dealer would be complaining but were also reporting backlogs in work orders.
As Supply chain on a whole starts correcting itself, and the warmer months of the year start to roll around, the motorcycle industry could be looking at a very good year. This means now is the time to determine the marketing strategy for marketers at motorcycle businesses and companies to make sure they are on the right track.
Marketing and promoting a motorcycle business – how to do that?
Dealers should start brainstorming ideas for digital marketing for their motorcycle business at the moment. They will be competing against both local, regional and national distributors and dealers alike. A lot of them have shifted their businesses online. How to market such a business boils down to the following three strategies:
Focusing on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Of all the marketing ideas present to promote a motorcycle business, search engine optimization (SEO) might just be the most crucial one. It makes sure the website is much more visible online, helping them to drive traffic to their store and opening up additional opportunities for conversion.
The key to SEO is keywords. This will require a little research on their part. They should review the websites of competitors, look for commonly used words (including those they used) and determine how each of them rank on search engine result pages (SERPs).
As a matter of fact, professionals from a SEO agency in Dubai state that these businesses might need to invest in an online tool to provide an overview of keywords for the motorcycle industry.
Once the list of keywords has been compiled, they should be integrated naturally into the content for the website. In the context of a website, it should be ensured that it is simple in designed and optimized for all devices whilst maintaining its professional essence.
The navigation of the website should be perfect for both the site and the inventory. Allowing for filters in searches based on make, year, model, price, new, used and other factors (inventory status included) and the like is key.
Selecting the right channels
Selecting the right channels to promote and market a motorcycle business is itself a challenge. Yet it can be made much easier through understanding the buyer personas. Obviously, each business in the motorcycle arena has their share of both experienced and recreational riders.
Within each segment will be an array of sub-segments. For instance, those looking for sports bikes, adventure machines, large cruisers, commuters, dual-sport, and the like. Each one of these personas will respond to a different messaging type and can also be reached through different messaging channels too.
Some will find regular Facebook posts enticing and helpful, to visit the website instead of going to the store. Others may respond well to OTT advertisements which are positioned in a tactful manner either before, during and/or after the streamed shows.
Of course later on, there are traditional channels that can help build awareness, such as out of home advertising (bus stop panels, billboards and the like), mailer brochures, print ads, radio and TV spots.
It is all about understanding the target audience to come at the right mix of the marketing channels involved. If a competitor is targeting the same audience, a review of what it is doing in both the real and digital realms can often give insights into which directions should be taken.
Carrying out Alpha/Beta testing
As with anything to do with a way to promote a motorcycle business, or another business for that kind, testing can either make or break a campaign. Regardless of whether a landing page, email promotion, social media post or mailer thing was made, any business owner would want to split test two versions to measure differences in performance.
A/B Testing allows for continual improvement in the imaging, messaging as well as phrasing to make sure the marketing efforts, materials, content and tactics bring in the best results. Marketers should be sure to test only one element of the content at one time. A slight change in the call to action (CTA) button can change the rate of response.
