How to reach more customers with fleet graphics isn’t complicated. Unfortunately, your customer isn’t as invested, or as interested, in your company as you and they don’t want to know everything about your business. What they want to know is what your business does for them. So, that’s where you start.
Do your fleet graphics focus on how your business helps customers and solves their problems or do they primarily focus on your business? There’s a huge difference.
Consider how often you search for an answer to a problem you have? Your search might begin “how to…” “what should I do…” or “when do I…” Regardless, you probably weren’t searching for a specific company, or even a specific product. You were searching for an answer to your problem. How many potential customers are searching for the answer to a problem that you solve?
If your fleet graphics only shares the name of your business, logo, and contact information, how will a prospect know what problems you solve? If you want to reach more customers with fleet graphics, share more than who you are, share what you do, and how you help customers.
Americans spend 20 hours per week on the road.
Here’s what 3M™, the leading adhesive vinyl provider, had to say in their article, How effective are fleet graphics in the modern world? “Consumers spend significant time on their commute and away from home. On average, Americans spend 20 hours per week on the road. Often, consumers will encounter trucks, vans and cars with fleet graphics while they are on the physical path to purchase, such as driving to the store or mall; this creates an ideal opportunity to place brands top of mind.”
Step Back and Look at Your Fleet Graphics
If you step back and look at your fleet graphics, what do you see? If it wasn’t your vehicle, would the graphics capture your attention, tell a story, solve a problem, and leave you with a positive impression? Would your fleet graphic design inspire you to take action, such as taking a photo of the contact info so you can look at it later? Have you ever done that? I have. And it wasn’t only because it was a product that held my interest. It was the graphic design that caught my attention, and then held it, because the wrap focused on the kind of problems the business solved.
Forget the Words
While looking at your fleet graphics, take a minute, and ignore the copy, forget the words. Do the images, colors, and design grab your attention, tell a story, and share a message? Advertising bombards us all on a daily basis and reading takes work while viewing images is almost subconscious.
If you want to reach more customers with fleet graphics, you need to be seen and heard. To be heard, you have to stand out. Words usually aren’t what initially attracts the most attention. If there were no words on your vehicle graphics, would people know what your message is?
Keep it Simple
What is the most significant problem that you solve for customers? What questions are people asking that you have the answers to? Don’t make this complicated, and don’t overdo this. Simple fleet graphics are often the most effective. People don’t have time to muddle through multiple messages. For example, if you offer 15 services and attempt to list them all on your fleet graphics, how many will people see? Is it possible they’ll be put off and not read any of them? Yes, it is. To reach more customers with fleet graphics, keep it simple.
For example, let’s say your business is heating and air conditioning. You might offer 15 to 20 services, from AC replacement to indoor air quality, or even plumbing. However, if you listed everything on the side of your work truck or van, it would get lost. So, think about the top 3 to 5 products you offer that solve real problems for your target audience and list those.
What if Your Furnace was Out?
If you owned an HVAC business that offered 1-hour service 24/7, wouldn’t that be something important to promote? If you’ve ever been without heat in the winter, you know it’s a big problem. Ask yourself what the most significant problems are your business solves, and then be sure you advertise the answer on your website, social media, print, radio, TV, and on your work trucks!
Ask yourself what the most significant problems are your business solves.
Images Should Tell a Story
The images you share on your fleet graphics should grab attention and tell a story.
Here are three examples of compelling images that tell a story without the need for words.
Example 1:
A wave and a smile from Effective Air.
The friendly smiling face looking back at you and waving almost makes you want to wave back. It certainly brings a smile to the face. The friendly expert in his branded Effective Air shirt, standing next to his product, inspires trust. He looks like the kind of person you’d enjoy sitting down and having a cup of coffee with.
Example 2:
Professional product photos stand out.
Versteel Transportation Specialist, Tony Alford, said, “We like people to know what we do, what we make, and how to contact us. The contact information is all on the truck, and we have people contact us after seeing the truck.
The trucks travel all over North America, delivering products and supplies. These company vehicles have become national rolling billboards for Versteel. They stand out because the Versteel box truck wrap is an eye-catching design that tells a story and shares highly visible contact information. It’s that simple.”
Example 3:
This OrangeTheory Fitness Wrap uses color and imagery to pop!
The images on this wrap use all the space possible, including the windows. One can almost hear the heartbeat of the gym while looking at the photos of trainers and gym members.
What Do You Want the Prospect to Do?
Let’s say you have an eye-catching design with images that tell a story and support your brand, so now what? What do you want the prospect to do? Do you want them to call you, request a quote online, or visit your location? Whatever you want them to do, create a call to action that fits your needs, and make it easy to find.
If you’d like to learn more about creating a call to action, read this post, How to Create an Effective Vehicle Graphic CTA (Call to Action)
Now You Know How to Reach More Customers with Fleet Graphics
Has this post given you some ideas? Now you should know how to reach more customers with fleet graphics. Let’s sum it all up…
- It begins with knowing who you want to reach, and who your customer is.
- Next, you have to grab attention with color and images. Your design must stand out among thousands of advertisements that bombard us all every day.
- Next, share how you solve problems, what your product or service does for the customer and how it benefits them.
- Finally, tie this all up with a strong call to action that includes easy to find contact information.
If you follow these tips, you will have fleet graphics that will attract more customers.
For over 35 years, TKO Graphix has partnered with commercial freight carriers and private fleet carriers to provide quality design, production, and installation of trailer graphics and decals. We are proud that hundreds of transportation companies throughout the United States trust TKO Graphix as their fleet graphics provider.
