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A key realization for marketers has been solidified—digitization is here to stay. It is no different for those in the parking industry, as the first point of contact for most visitors occurs online. Digital marketing has increased in relevancy for this very reason. Over the past year, it has offered a recovery strategy for those who have not established an online presence.

You may be thinking to yourself, what can digital marketing do for my parking facility? Today, nearly 92% of drivers pre-plan and find their parking online, making digital marketing that much more imperative to your parking operation's success.

Maximize your parking revenue and location search visibility now and well into the future with this five-step digital marketing strategy.

1. Develop an online presence

   When you want to learn more about a particular organization and their services, where is the first place you go? If you answered online, you are not alone. An online presence is the basis of any digital marketing strategy, as it gives your visitors a telltale place to go to learn more about you and your location. Developing a website or webpage is vital to your business's long-term success. It creates a direct communication channel for your visitors, all while providing information on your lots. Setting up dedicated pages within your website and a local business page on Google will allow you to maximize your location awareness.

2. Capitalize on local SEO

   Once you have perfected your online presence, it's time to start capitalizing techniques. Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a location-based marketing technique that is imperative to your parking operation's success. When done correctly, it ensures that your facility's physical location is visible in the top results of search engines. Have you ever navigated to the second page of Google? Us either, and neither will your visitors.

   Local SEO puts your facility in front of potential visitors through various online maps such as Waze, Google Maps, , Apple Maps, Bing Places and even in-car navigation system maps thus increasing the number of drivers who choose to request directions to your parking facility.

3. Engage with social media marketing

   It’s time to get social. There’s a reason why social media has become an integral tool within any successful digital marketing strategy. It is a cost-effective way to reach more people in the least time possible. As a go-to search engine, your social media platforms are the first impressions your customers will have of you. When developing your social media strategy, you must first ask yourself— who are we trying to target? How will we target them? What kind of content do we want to promote? Will we rely solely on ?  Establishing a clear plan will allow you to effectively engage with your customers in the places they spend their time. No matter the social forum you choose to solidify your online presence, leveraging these platforms will allow your business to reach new heights.

4. Run targeted ad campaigns

   Targeted are an effective way to deliver measurable results. They allow you to broadcast your message to various platforms such as search engines, navigation services and social media. When developing a paid ad campaign, it is vital to determine a few key factors- your target demographic, where they spend their time and the keywords they are using when looking for your facility. This will give you insight into where to target your next ad campaign.

5. Offer customer resources

   Business owners, property managers and visitors alike all want one thing—a simple and easy parking experience. However, inevitably, your visitors might still have some questions along the way. A designated customer service platform allows you to address frequently asked questions about invoices, refunds, permits, and more online and phone. Providing a direct communication channel for your visitors to voice their inquiries, as well as practical and timely responses, is vital to maintain a seamless customer journey. Remember, when your visitors are happy, your business will reap the benefits.

   Behind every great business is an even better marketing strategy. Developing a digital marketing strategy that meets and exceeds your organization's needs will ensure that your facility is occupied at all times, bringing your parking revenue to an all-time high.

Reference

Braccialini, C. (n.d.). Online advertising: Everything you need to know in 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021, from

Crowe, A., Dardine, A., Dholakiya, P., Harnish, B., Hollingsworth, S., Osman, M., . . . Yu, W. (2021, February 11). Local seo: The definitive guide to improve your local search rankings. Retrieved March 24, 2021, from

Organic vs. paid social Media: How to integrate both into your strategy. (2020, September 17). Retrieved March 24, 2021, from

Lato, M. (2020, September 9). 92% of People Find Parking Online. Retrieved March 24, 2021, from

Lato, M. (2020, December 21). How to get your parking lot on Google. Retrieved March 24, 2021, from

Lato, M. (2020, August 27). Local SEO and its Importance for Parking Operations [Web log post]. Retrieved March 24, 2021, from

Cassandra Carchesio

Marketing & Communications Specialist, Precise ParkLink