We have answers!
The MROs, Flight Schools, FBOs, Suppliers, Brokers, Appraisers, Service Providers, Startups and others in the aviation industry that work with ABCI enjoy full-service aviation marketing strategy consulting. They also have access to skilled website designers, SEO experts, copywriters, and social media managers.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT WORKING WITH ABCI.
It’s great to see what others are doing, what they’re trying. It’s nice to be in an environment where you can not only share success stories but you can get feedback on why something didn’t work so well. Then you talk to somebeody and they they say ‘why don’t you pivot this way’ or’ why don’t you try this, or do it this way?’ ‘Why didn’t you use this creative istead of this? ‘
The Marketing Master Class is worth every penny.
The thing that impressed me most about ABCI is that they took the time to diagnose and really listen to our needs and figure out what we needed before recommending a solution.
I’ve done a lot of these programs, this one is the best.
It was a pleasure working with Paula, she is a seasoned marketer as well as an aviation professional who provides excellent, responsive and valuable service, and she is very easy to work with.
It’s good information and it’s easy to see if this is a topic I need to forward to my team.
Before we started with ABCI, we were limited to word of mouth and that worked because VIP aviation is a very small industry. But I knew we needed something more, and I was very happy with the ideas they developed.
Paula is an incisive speaker who demonstrates proficient knowledge in both aviation business and electronic marketing. She is engaging, articulate, and most importantly, she is genuine. I look forward to working with Paula in the future and continuing to learn from her how to best utilize the time and effort I put into my social media initiatives.
Paula Williams is a marketing specialist extraordinaire for the aviation industry. Shes an expert at marketing, and creating automated marketing funnels, online and email marketing, and so much more. Today’s marketers have so much clutter to fight, but Paula has done a great job of honing the process specifically for the aviation industry. If you’re in that industry, you owe it to yourself to use her services. I highly recommend her as an aviation marketer.
Paula is an effective and organized consultant. Her success is due to her impeccable communication and organization skills. I very much look forward to working with her again.
I hired Paula as a business consultant for my aviation photography. SHe has a wealth of knowledge that I feel is unmatched in her field. I have seen my businesss grow into something that my thoughts couldn’t even concieve a year ago. The credibility that her work has given my business is wonderful and I couldn’t be happier.
I am truly grateful for everything she has done for my business and her continuous hard work.
Having Paula Williams and TurboMarketing as our Marketing partner has proven to be the single most powerful strategic partnership that AeroStar Training Services could have entered into. Paula’s marketing skills and strategies have yielded tremendous returns for the AeroStar brand in teh A320 and B-737 NG type rating training market. I would highly recommend Paula Williams and TurboMarketing to take your aviation company to the a higher flight level!
I like the interaction. You’ve got people that are experts in certain aspects of aviation. You can utilize those expert opinions to gain ore information, to gain expertise and advice on what you should do net. And that’s what i like most about the class.
So you could be prospecting or working with sales leads, whatever it is, there’s always great feedback. It’s really a great resource for finding things out.
Paula is very knowledgeable and willing to go the extra mile to ensure her clients achieve their online marketing.
We’ve gotten a lot more fans and followers since we started using the Hash Tag Guide from ABCI
“We love working with aviation companies that need to get the attention of the right people and tell their stories.”
PAULA WILLIAMS
Aviation Marketing by ABCI – Who We Are
ABCI is the number one aviation marketing company serving a business to business audience. We provide effective marketing and sales support, including:
We are willing and able to provide any of our services on-site, anywhere. Or, you may find it more convenient and efficient to connect with us via teleconference.
What is Aviation or Aerospace Marketing?
How is it different from other types of marketing, like retail, real estate, or automobiles?
There are three main differences between aviation marketing and marketing for the “rest of the world:”
- A specialized vocabulary and culture
- More complex transactions.
- Longer sales cycles
A Specialized Vocabulary and Culture
Aviation marketing has some elements in common with marketing in other industries. We have target market that can coincide with the luxury market, and the markets for high-end products and services. Aviation attracts people who love science, machinery, power and flight.
Since the Wright Brothers began courting public opinion and support for their Wright Flyer in 1904, aviation marketing has been the effort to get people involved with flight. A lot has changed since Wilbur and Orville Wright. But many people who are involved with aviation are steeped in these traditions and have spent months or years in specialized training.
Categories of Aviation
While most people first think of “airlines” or “private jets,” technically includes four categories:
- Fixed Wing Airplane – Single-engine land or sea or multi-engine land or sea.
- Rotorcraft – helicopter or gyroplane.
- Lighter-Than-Air – balloons or airships. (Most aircraft are “heavier than air,” hence the need for lift!)
- Powered Parachutes – land or sea.
- Weight-Shift-Control – land or sea.
And in the United States, we think of aviation in terms of
- Airlines
- Private or General Aviation
- Military Aircraft
And the vast majority of the marketing effort for modern aviation business is about those first two.
There is also a large list of related industries, including airport authorities, air traffic control, fuel and supplies, catering, training, insurance, doctors, lawyers, customer service providers, and pretty much everything else in other industries, only as they relate to aviation.
All that training imparted a specific vocabulary and a culture of checklist-driven procedures.
How this Affects Aviation Industry Culture
The terms and habits have become ingrained in aviation industry professionals. They apply these checklists when they’re flying or maintaining aircraft. They also apply checklists to other business processes, like making purchasing decisions.
The specialized vocabulary is important for search engine optimization, ppc campaigns, and other online search marketing.
You have to know what words and phrases customers are likely to use when they’re looking for a solution to a particular problem. This is the best time to get your web site or advertisement in front of them!
What is the Function of Marketing in Aviation?
While the products and services in aviation are specific, it’s increasingly competitive and complex. Aviation industry buyers need help to learn about their options and make the best choices. Aviation marketing helps companies position their products so that they find customers with problems they can solve. We use marketing campaigns to identify the best potential customers, structure an attractive offer, and finally create and position advertising and content where those specific customers are the most likely to find them. This might include videos, articles, brochures, trade show presentations, emails and/or social media content. In most cases, it requires more than one media and more than one approach.
Who We Work With
Aviation Has More Complex Transactions Than Other Industries
Many factors affect aviation transactions more than in other industries.
Deciding which airplane, piece of equipment, product or service to buy depends on a dizzying array of factors. These factors may including mission profile,operating environment, personnel and resources available!
Transactions are more complex than in most other industries. Aviation decision makers have a huge book of regulations to take into account for nearly any decision.
A Heavily- Regulated Industry
In the United States, these are called FARs, or Federal Aviation Regulations set by the FAA, or Federal Aviation Administration. Outside of the US, other regions our countries have similar regulatory bodies.
These regulations dictate who can purchase or operate aircraft under what conditions.
Other factors that complicate transactions include the size and number of people and entities involved with each transaction.
Longer Sales Cycles
All of this, plus large transaction size, means each transaction takes a long time to close.
The average we’ve seen among our clients is about eight months. It can take longer for aircraft brokers, airport building contractors and large equipment dealers. Or it may be shorter for smaller and simpler products and services.
Aviation sales and marketing professionals can be more successful by establishing their authority, credibility and expertise markers.
Sales and marketing pros also gain an advantage when they develop a library of content to educate and inform prospects.
They can do this a little at a time over the course of a long relationship. Relationships are more authentic and powerful when they include personal and social media conversations, email marketing, and published articles, public speaking as well as sales presentations.
Maintaining long-term relationships is key to profitability in the aviation industry.
This is important for two reasons –
1) The pool of potential customers for a very specific product or service can be very small.
As an example, one client offered a service for a particular make and model of aircraft Whose owners needed a very particular adaptation. Even if she acquired 100% of the market share for that service, it would only amount to 57 customers.
2) Second and subsequent transactions require a lot less trust-building and education than the first sale to any given customer.
Aviation Marketing Strategy
While all marketing textbooks emphasize the importance of planning, this is particularly important for aviation marketing campaigns. With prospects this limited and sophisticated, it doesn’t make sense to engage in “random acts of marketing.” Reputable marketing firms will recommend complete and complex marketing plans with multiple touches and media. These campaigns are designed to build relationships with targeted prospects over time.
While one can afford to have failures when one is selling a commodity that everyone wants or needs, the odds are not in our favor. When the list is so small, we can’t simply hope to “get lucky” with an offer or presentation that is not well thought-out!
“Relentless but Respectful” Campaigns
Strategies and campaigns that work best involve multiple “touches” or exposures over a long period of time. And they use a variety of media. When you see the same image or hear the same catchphrase over and over, you tend to remember it better when the need arises.
And these messages are more credible when we’ve seen your message in a number of ways. They may have heard of the product from colleagues, seen an ad in an industry magazine, read a short story or list of facts on Facebook, and seen the product demonstrated at a trade show!
Business aviation decision makers may not be in a position to buy the first time they see an ad. Then when the ideal buying opportunity occurs, they may not remember the specifics.
A Variety of Media
So frequent and regular advertising in the form of articles, emails, events, digital marketing, social media and public speaking is ideal.
Of course, we all have to do the best we can with the resources we have.
So this involves some resourcefulness and sometimes difficult choices. The goal is to cost effectively keep your product, service or brand top of mind over the long haul.
Collaboration with Clients
Slick advertisements from a fancy agency used to work. Big parties at conventions used to work. Now aviation industry consumers demand more information and more transparency. More people are involved in the transaction. So a collaborative relationship with a marketing company is truly powerful. Flexible, collaborative workshops and courses get your people skilled, confident, and armed with professional-grade materials to answer every objection and manage every stage of the sales process.
Aviation Marketing Articles
We produce a weekly podcast to help aviation sales and marketing professionals succeed by selling more of their products and services. Our tips and case studies focus on general aviation marketing and business aviation marketing.
Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay or YouTube!
Our Clients Trust Us For Aviation Marketing:
Whatever they need to sell more of their products and services:
- International Aviation Marketing
- SEO Services for improved Search Engine Rankings (SEO/SEM Marketing)
- FBO Marketing
- MRO Marketing
- Charter Marketing
- Flight School Marketing
- Aviation Service Marketing for Consultants, Lawyers and Doctors
- Aviation Website Design
- Business Consulting
- Multimedia Advertising & Marketing Campaigns
- Digital Marketing
We bring traditional marketing discipline; aviation industry knowledge, and digital craftsmanship to an industry rife with glitz and waste.
Meanwhile, you have products and services to sell. Let’s talk about how we can help. 702-987-1679