FAQs of Mover Marketing During the COVID-19 Crisis

April 03, 2020

At MovingLeads.com, we are here to support the moving industry. We have compiled a list of FAQs that address common questions movers have had that we hope will help in the planning of their marketing strategy during this difficult time.  Please also check out our Video Tutorial Page and Blog Articles which cover all things direct mail.  

Please contact us if you have any additional questions. We will get through this together!

Click on the questions to be taken to the answer below.

Mover Marketing:

Leads:

Postcards:

Past & Future:


My state is under a stay-at-home order.  Am I allowed to be moving right now?

The U.S. government has designated the moving industry as essential, but each individual state has its own designation. Make sure to check your designation with resources like your state’s moving and storage association.  

For example, the California Moving and Storage Association (CMSA) has provided materials for California movers, including a PDF for drivers to present to authorities if they are approached during a move. Other state organizations may have similar materials.  

Is it worth spending money to continue marketing campaigns during this time?

While it is tempting to cut costs by stopping marketing campaigns, movers should prioritize marketing as an essential expense to continue to win business. Movers that stop marketing to the available potential customers are going to miss out on opportunities.  

Start by evaluating which of your current marketing campaigns will reach your best potential customers. 

ProTip: With our service, you are only spending money targeting the best leads; brand new listings, reverified leads that are still active after 90 days, and new pending listings. There are no minimums or monthly subscriptions. You only pay for the leads you receive, so you can expect to spend less now compared to your normal spring budget.   

If my competitors stop mailing right now, why shouldn’t I stop too?

If you continue to mail postcards while your competition stops, you will give yourself the advantage and have a better chance of winning the jobs that still remain available. Movers that stop marketing during this time are less likely to reach homeowners that are ready to move. 

Will there be enough real estate activity to generate moving leads?

Recently, the U.S. government declared the real estate industry essential. Now, the real estate industry is doing its part to keep the market active and homeowners moving. Additionally, the Federal Reserve has dropped interest rates, which in the past has motivated homeowners to get into the market even during hard economic times. 

Although we have seen lead quantities drop down to January levels, we are hopeful that there will still be activity in the real estate market which will continue to generate moving leads!  

Are the current moving leads viable leads?  

Yes, homeowners with homes on the market right now are highly motivated to move. When they reach pending status, their closing is imminent and they are required to move. 

Reaching these homeowners has never been more important to the moving industry. You need to win their business to keep your trucks moving. Don’t miss out on the potential jobs that are available; learn more about our leads here.

My staff can’t work in the office anymore—how can I keep mailing postcards?

We can help!  With our postcard service, you don’t have to go to the office or take deliveries to the post office. We print and mail your postcards the same day your leads are available. Stay safe at home.  

Learn more about our postcards here.  (Note: For current list only customers, this can be a temporary arrangement until you are able to get your staff back to your office. With our digital printing, there are no upfront costs for postcard inventories, you pay per postcard mailed.)

We also offer some tips on how to work virtually in our blog article RECOMMENDED TOOLS FOR WORKING REMOTE DURING COVID-19

Are homeowners still receiving and paying attention to my postcards?

Since the United States Postal Service is considered essential, we don’t expect any interruption in mail delivery. Direct mail is a proven way to reach homeowners and ask for their business.  It is a fast and affordable tactic to reach the largest household moves with the highest revenue potential.

And let’s face it… most of us are stuck at home bored. Personally, I find myself taking way more time reviewing the mail as apart of a new daily routine.  

Should I be changing my postcard design?   

Making a change to the postcard you are mailing is a good idea. Let homeowners know that you are providing an essential service and reassure them that you are taking the steps to protect them and your staff during a move.  

We currently do not have a designer to help with graphic design, but we offer a couple of options:

  1. You can work with your own designer and submit a new postcard design. See our PDF on submitting a design. 
  2. Use our Design Site where you can design a postcard yourself.  

This change could be temporary, and you can always switch your postcard back to the original after the crisis. 

In the past, what happened with mover marketing during recessions?   

While we are entering uncharted territory, both economically and socially, we can look back at the past and learn from it. During the financial crisis in 2008, at MovingLeads.com, we saw first-hand the importance of mover marketing. The movers that continued marketing during the crisis were able to keep booking jobs and recover faster, while those who stopped marketing struggled or even closed because they were unable to generate enough revenue. 

What are you expecting to happen in the future after things get back to normal?

We fully expect that the homeowners who delay selling or moving during this time period will list their homes for sale later in the year. The pent-up demand could potentially explode once the stay-at-home orders have been lifted and everyone is confident the crisis has passed! To be ready, if you can, adjust your record limits to mail to as many leads as possible within your budget, so you don’t miss out on opportunities. Contact us today. 

Categories: Direct Mail Marketing, Marketing Tech & Resources