In the world of global shipping, small carriers often feel overshadowed by industry giants with massive fleets, limitless budgets, and entire teams dedicated to marketing. Competing with them may seem impossible at first glance - how can a local company stand out against such power? But Instagram has changed the rules.
A genuine human connection can be your special secret that puts you above the big industry giants.
Understanding Instagram to Benefit Your Small Shipping Business
What are big companies doing on Instagram? Large companies may show some stock photos of workers, or highlight an employee or two. These can build some human connections. But they usually feel hollow, especially when any responses they give feel bolted. But a smaller shipping service can go deeper. You can give a live stream touring your shipping facility. You can show photos of your fleet being maintained. Packages being delivered and the stories behind them.
This content helps to build trust between customers and companies. It shows that you’re one of them. As long as the content feels organic and from the heart, people will follow. This isn’t to say there shouldn’t be structure; there should be a content calendar. However, don’t let the intricacies of your content calendar overshadow an important goal: to feel human.
Content is just the first step, though. There are many ways to grow your presence on the platform, including Stories, Reels, collaborations, and yes, ads. And when you use these tools wisely, they become powerful equalizers - allowing small shipping companies to stand out even against industry giants. Here are the features that can give you that edge.
The Importance of Instagram Stories
One crucial social media step? Implementing Stories with your content calendar. Stories are 24-hour posts. Their purpose? They can offer a more personal look into your company, usually with content you don’t want on your profile for too long.
Or, they can be polls and questions you can use to learn more about your audience. Alternatively? They can be a secret marketing tool you can use. Stories can advertise a 24-hour flash sale, for example.
With enough clever content, you can grow your followers, get more likes, and increase Instagram Story views with SocialsUp. Higher Story views boost your visibility in the algorithm, strengthen audience engagement, and help your content reach a wider audience. When your Story gets more views, Instagram is more likely to show your future Stories and posts to a larger portion of your audience.
But, with all that being said, you still need to have an optimized profile.
The Role of Reels
Reels are short-form videos. They’re similar to TikTok videos. If you have a great hook, good videography, and a knack for storytelling, your Reels can go viral in many ways. Reels let your shipping company feel human, once again in a sea of content that feels disconnected.
Don’t be afraid to use slang, chase trends, and appeal to the youth. It may seem “cringe,” but it does work!
First Impressions Matter With an Optimized Profile
First impressions are always important, especially when it comes to social media. Someone sees a post of yours and finds it interesting. They then visit your bio. If your bio doesn’t have any good information about your shipping service, offers for shipment visibility, or other tools for logistics, however, they may not stick around.
Successful shipping companies always have several things in common, including an optimized bio. The bio should introduce your business by explaining what it does and where to learn more. There should be a branded Story Highlights section that can show basic information about your company and innovative services. Think routes, team, clients, etc.
Look at the competition for inspiration, then make a bio that fits your style. But that’s not the only thing. You also need direct engagement.
Direct Engagement is Key
If someone sends a message to you or asks a question in the comments, don’t ignore it. And don’t use botted replies. Instead, respond with a human connection. Answer any burning questions. Offer advice. Invite a prospect to a mini consultation. And if someone has an issue with your company, show that you can handle it gracefully.
Doing this will bring more organic engagement. But you should still pay for it as well!
Paid Instagram Strategies
On modern social media, growth via word-of-mouth can be impossible. The algorithms can be suppressive toward people who don’t pay, even if your content game is strong. That’s why paid campaigns should be combined with organic content. It’s important to increase likes on Instagram posts, they signal to the algorithm that your content is engaging and deserves broader distribution. The more likes a post receives, the higher its chances of appearing in recommendations, reaching a new audience, and maintaining steady visibility in your followers’ feeds.
In addition, Instagram Ads has what you need to get started. Build a local ad, promote an Instagram post that’s doing well, or boost the reach of a post that you’re proud of.
That being said, it’s important for you to know your audience. Otherwise, you may make a campaign, and the people who see it are not your target audience. A solution? Look to your analytics, and respond accordingly.
Monitor Your Analytics and Adjust Accordingly
Instagram is a platform where you’re rewarded if you look at your analytics. Which posts perform the best? Where do they come from? Do the demographics you’re attracting match your target audience?
If some posts aren’t doing well, why? In some cases, the content isn’t landing, and you may need to adjust. Have better hooks, more helpful information, or even use different colors! In some cases, your content is perfect. But you’re not posting at the right times. Yes, the time of day you post is still important.
After that, you can refine your content accordingly. Check your analytics every week and adjust accordingly. That being said, as your business grows, it may be worth it to hire a social media professional.
Conclusion
As it currently stands, you’re not going to have the money that UPS has. They are a machine that you can’t match. In fact, some may say that they’re getting a little too mechanical with how they operate. The solution? Adding a human touch to your business.
Humanizing your business is simple, yet many large companies, which have outsourced everything, can’t seem to do it. They can’t seem to talk without the response being AI-generated, give behind-the-scenes content that feels human, or own up to their mistakes.
But you can. And that is your secret weapon.
