5 Stats About Fleet Executives Marketers Must Know

In the trucking industry, there are few audiences as valuable as fleet executives. They are powerful buyers that most brands can’t afford to ignore.
Having a close working relationship with these executives can mean a really good year for your company, whether you’re an OEM, manufacturer, dealership, or distributor. But that doesn’t mean you can just jump right in. You need to know your audience to develop effective marketing campaigns.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled the 5 most important statistics from the 2014 CCJ Connectivity Report. By the time we’re done, you’ll know how you can build a media strategy to reach fleet executives.
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1. Print is still powerful

Print is the top channel for reaching fleet executives.
Fleet executives have a very unique pattern of media consumption. This diverse group includes different generations and various degrees of computer literacy. However, they still prefer to receive trucking industry information through print over any other form of media.

40.1% of fleet executives prefer print over any other media.

This means print can be a powerful tool for brand awareness. With so many eyes on print magazines, you can’t afford to miss out on getting your brand in front of highly engaged fleet executives.
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2. Internet is just as important

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Like we said earlier, fleet executives have a unique pattern of media consumption. They don’t fit clearly within generational boundaries, like we see more with owner-operators.

57.4% of fleet executives are constantly using the internet.

But wait, there’s more! That number is augmented by the fact that another 33.5% of fleet executives are using the internet “several times a day.” If you combine those two numbers, that’s a whopping 90.9% of fleet executives who are using the internet throughout the day.
Sure, print is an important medium, but that doesn’t mean you can focus all of your marketing budget into one channel. You have to build a diverse media strategy to reach fleet executives, including using digital ads as well.
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3. They’re tuned into their business

It turns out fleet executives don’t value the internet as a way to find jobs, connect with family, or for entertainment. They do use them for those things. But they’re more focused on the internet as a business resource.
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This audience ranks the internet as a resource for:

 

    1. Researching products and services.
    2. Purchasing products and services.
    3. Industry news/information.
    4. General news.
    5. Services to help manage their business.

 
 
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Since fleet executives spend so much time online, you can get in front of them with digital ads. But it isn’t just a branding play. Creating multiple, digital touchpoints with this audience can help you ensure you’re driving real conversions.
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4. Smartphones are a big deal

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According to the Pew Research Center, about 64% of adults in the United States have a smartphone. For fleet executives, that number is higher. According to our research, about 80% of fleet executives use their smartphone to access the internet on a daily basis.
Optimizing your site and landing pages for mobile is an important step in ensuring you get the conversions you want to see. Design is an important part of the conversion process. If your landing pages aren’t visually appealing or looking strange to users, there is a much higher likelihood they won’t convert.

The safe bet is to ensure your landing pages are fully prepared and optimized for smartphone traffic.

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5. Social media is a heavy hitter

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Towards the end of the 2014 CCJ Connectivity Report, you’ll find a wealth of information about social media usage among fleet executives. Let’s take a look at 3 of the most important social media resources:

  • Facebook: 48.1%
  • LinkedIn: 47%
  • YouTube: 43%

While you normally think of the “big 3” as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, this is a little different for fleet executives. Twitter usage is still low, but YouTube usage is high for audiences in the trucking industry.

You can’t overlook the opportunities afforded by these social media sites.

Fleet executives are one of the most valuable audiences in the trucking industry. So determining which channels to incorporate into your campaigns shouldn’t be chosen at a whim. Once you understand how fleet executives are consuming media, you can build campaigns which drive valuable conversions.
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