At this point, most marketers have played around a little bit with tools like ChatGTP, Bard, or Copilot. Chances are your results using AI to write logistics content have been mixed. We’ll leave it to you to decide how AI might be able to help with your day-to-day content creation (at least for now).
But, wanting to dig deeper into AI, we decided to try and understand if AI can be a useful tool for marketers and company leaders to perform more big-picture ‘thinking.’
The following is the output from the three aforementioned tools when prompted with the identical instructions:
Create a 12 month marketing plan for an international freight forwarding company that includes actionable and measurable tactics to generate leads including email campaigns and social media.
Our goal with this post is to present unedited results from each tool for readers so they can make their own conclusions about how valuable and useful the information created by AI actually is.
Next week, we’ll be providing our critiques and thoughts on how a company might make use of the content and improve the prompts to get more actionable information … so stay tuned for that.
And, of course, subscribe to our newsletter to have that article sent directly to your inbox.
If you have any questions, comments, or feedback about this article, please email editor@freightforwarder.biz. We are very interested to hear what you have to say.
Tool: Microsoft Co-Pilot
Creating a 12 month marketing plan for an international freight forwarding company is a complex and challenging task that requires a lot of research, analysis, and creativity. However, I will try to give you some general guidelines and tips that you can use to craft your own plan.
First, you need to define your marketing goals and objectives. What are you trying to achieve with your marketing efforts? How will you measure your success? Some common marketing goals for freight forwarding companies are:
Increase brand awareness and visibility in the target markets
Generate more qualified leads and sales opportunities
Build trust and loyalty with existing and potential customers
Establish thought leadership and expertise in the industry
Differentiate yourself from the competition and showcase your unique value proposition
Second, you need to understand your target audience and market. Who are your ideal customers and partners? What are their needs, pain points, and expectations? How do they search for and evaluate freight forwarding services? What are the trends and opportunities in the industry and the regions you operate in? You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner1, Ahrefs2, or WordStream3 to find out what keywords and topics your audience is interested in and searching for.
Third, you need to develop your marketing strategy and tactics. How will you reach and engage your target audience? What channels and platforms will you use? What type of content and messages will you create and deliver? How will you optimize your website and landing pages for conversions? How will you nurture and follow up with your leads? Some effective marketing strategies and tactics for freight forwarding companies are:
Content marketing: Create and distribute valuable and relevant content that educates, informs, and entertains your audience. You can use blogs, ebooks, whitepapers, case studies, infographics, videos, podcasts, webinars, and more to showcase your expertise, solutions, and success stories. You can also use content marketing to improve your SEO and rank higher on search engines.
Email marketing: Use email marketing to communicate with your leads and customers on a regular basis. You can use email marketing to send newsletters, promotions, updates, reminders, surveys, and more. You can also use email marketing to segment your audience and personalize your messages based on their interests, preferences, and behavior. You can use tools like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or HubSpot to create and manage your email campaigns.
Social media marketing: Use social media marketing to build and grow your online presence and reputation. You can use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube to share your content, interact with your audience, generate feedback, and drive traffic to your website. You can also use social media marketing to monitor and participate in relevant conversations, groups, and hashtags in your industry and niche.
Paid advertising: Use paid advertising to boost your visibility and reach on search engines and social media platforms. You can use pay-per-click (PPC) ads, display ads, video ads, and sponsored posts to target your audience based on their keywords, demographics, location, and behavior. You can also use remarketing and retargeting ads to re-engage your website visitors and leads. You can use tools like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and Bing Ads to create and manage your paid campaigns.
Referral marketing: Use referral marketing to leverage the power of word-of-mouth and recommendations. You can use referral marketing to incentivize your existing customers and partners to refer new business to you. You can also use referral marketing to join and benefit from freight forwarding networks, trade shows, conferences, and associations. You can use tools like ReferralCandy, Ambassador, or Extole to create and manage your referral programs.
Fourth, you need to create your marketing plan and budget. How will you execute your marketing strategy and tactics? What resources and tools will you need? How much will you spend on each channel and activity? How will you allocate your time and money? You need to create a detailed and realistic marketing plan and budget that outlines your action steps, timelines, responsibilities, and costs. You can use tools like Trello, Asana, or Monday to create and manage your marketing plan and projects.
Fifth, you need to monitor and measure your marketing performance and results. How will you track and analyze your marketing data and metrics? How will you evaluate your marketing effectiveness and ROI? How will you optimize and improve your marketing efforts? You need to monitor and measure your marketing performance and results using tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Facebook Insights, LinkedIn Analytics, and HubSpot. You need to track and report on key metrics like website traffic, conversions, leads, sales, revenue, cost per lead, cost per acquisition, customer lifetime value, and more. You need to use your data and insights to identify what is working and what is not, and make adjustments and improvements accordingly.
These are some general guidelines and tips that you can use to create a 12 month marketing plan for an international freight forwarding company. However, you should also do your own research and analysis, and customize your plan according to your specific goals, audience, market, and situation. I hope this helps you get started. Good luck!
Tool: Google Bard
12-Month Marketing Plan for International Freight Forwarding Company
Goal: Generate qualified leads and increase brand awareness for your international freight forwarding company.
Target Audience: Identify specific industries and company sizes with high import/export needs (e.g., e-commerce, manufacturing, technology). Segment audience further based on geographic location and preferred shipping modes (air, sea, land).
Metrics: Track website traffic, lead generation forms, email open/click-through rates, social media engagement, and sales funnel conversion rates.
Actionable Tactics:
Q1: Brand Awareness & Lead Generation
Website Optimization: Conduct SEO audit and implement keyword-rich content targeting industry pain points and solutions (e.g., “challenges of air freight for e-commerce”).
Email Marketing:
Launch welcome series for new website visitors educating them on your services.
Develop targeted email campaigns for segmented audience:
Industry-specific campaigns highlighting case studies and expertise.
Location-based campaigns promoting regional strengths and partnerships.
“Free quote” or “shipping cost comparison” campaigns to capture leads.
Social Media:
Establish active presence on LinkedIn and Twitter (consider industry-specific platforms like JOC).
Share informative content (blog posts, industry news, infographics) showcasing expertise and value proposition.
Run targeted social media ads promoting specific services or limited-time offers.
Content Marketing:
Develop blog with regular posts addressing industry trends, challenges, and solutions.
Create downloadable guides and white papers offering valuable insights in exchange for leads.
Partner with industry publications for guest blogs or sponsored content.
Q2: Lead Nurturing & Conversion
Email Marketing:
Segment leads based on interests and behavior for personalized nurturing campaigns.
Offer consultations or webinars focused on solving specific pain points.
Share customer testimonials and success stories to build trust and credibility.
Social Media:
Host live Q&A sessions or industry expert interviews on relevant topics.
Run lead generation campaigns promoting downloadable content or webinars.
Encourage social media engagement through polls, contests, and interactive content.
**Sales **
Implement CRM system to track leads and ensure timely follow-up by sales team.
Personalize communication based on lead’s interest and stage in the buyer’s journey.
Offer free trial periods or consultations to convert qualified leads into customers.
Q3 & Q4: Brand Advocacy & Retention
Customer Relationship Management:
Implement customer satisfaction surveys and gather feedback for continuous improvement.
Offer loyalty programs and referral incentives to encourage repeat business.
Share customer success stories through case studies and testimonials.
Content Marketing:
Showcase customer stories and testimonials in blog posts and social media content.
Develop industry reports or research papers to establish thought leadership.
Host client appreciation events or webinars to foster stronger relationships.
Ongoing Analysis & Optimization:
Regularly monitor campaign performance and track key metrics.
Analyze data to identify successful tactics and areas for improvement.
A/B test different email headlines, social media content, and website calls to action.
Adapt and refine marketing strategies based on data insights and changing market trends.
Additional Considerations:
Integrate marketing and sales teams for seamless lead handoff and conversion.
Utilize marketing automation tools to streamline email campaigns and lead nurturing.
Participate in industry trade shows and conferences to network and generate leads.
Invest in translation and localization efforts for targeted international outreach.
This plan provides a framework for your international freight forwarding company’s marketing efforts. Remember to customize the tactics and budget based on your specific business goals and resources. By implementing these strategies and continuously monitoring your progress, you can effectively generate leads, build brand awareness, and achieve sustainable growth in the competitive freight forwarding industry.
Tool: ChatGPT
Month 1-3: Market Research and Persona Development
1. Conduct market research to identify target industries and regions.
2. Develop buyer personas based on research findings.
3. Create a segmented email list for targeted outreach.
Month 4-6: Email Campaigns
4. Launch an introductory email campaign introducing services to segmented lists.
5. Implement a drip email series highlighting key benefits and success stories.
6. Monitor open rates, click-through rates, and responses for optimization.
Month 7-9: Social Media Engagement
7. Establish a strong social media presence on platforms relevant to the industry.
8. Share engaging content such as case studies, industry trends, and company updates.
9. Run targeted social media ads to reach specific demographics and industries.
Month 10-12: Webinars and Thought Leadership
10. Host webinars on freight forwarding challenges and solutions.
11. Create downloadable resources like whitepapers or guides.
12. Track webinar attendance, downloads, and social media engagement.
Throughout the Year: Continuous Optimization
13. A/B test email subject lines, content, and sending times.
14. Analyze social media metrics and adjust content strategy accordingly.
15. Regularly update website content and optimize for SEO.
Metrics to Measure:
• Leads generated from email campaigns.
• Conversion rates from social media ads.
• Attendance and engagement in webinars.
• Website traffic and SEO rankings.
Budget Allocation:
• Email marketing platform subscription.
• Social media advertising budget.
• Webinar hosting platform costs.
• Resources for content creation.
Remember to adapt strategies based on ongoing performance analysis and market shifts.
So, is this better or worse than what you expected? Look for our follow-up post on ways we think this information can be used as at least a starting point for a company’s new marketing plan.
