​How to successfully promote and market your new taxi business

​As the current crisis takes its toll on many industries, many are searching for a new career to take their place in the 'new normal.' For those that are fed up with spending all of their time indoors looking at a computer or TV screen, it could be time to seek a job that gets you out and about. One of the popular options is to become a taxi driver.
The majority of taxi drivers are self-employed, and while the thought of being your own boss may be appealing, it also means you have the additional challenge of running your business as well as operating it. This includes what could be the completely new tasks of promoting and marketing your business online.

Build the trust ​

This article will give you a framework on which to base your marketing strategy, but first of all, you need to make sure you've got all of the basics ticked off. After all, if you want to advertise your business and build trust, you need to be certain that you have all the necessary boxes ticked.

You'll need to acquire a taxi driver's license and check you have the correct specialist taxi insurance, which you'll need even if you drive an Uber. Taxi insurance is different from other vehicle insurance, so make sure to spend plenty of time choosing the right policy. As a new business, you need to gain the trust of customers, so having this insurance in place is vital.
You should also undergo a medical and pass the necessary background checks.

​Keep it local … even online

As your business is a local business, your marketing strategy also has to be. While we all think of the internet as being a global tool, it can be used very usefully for local businesses. There are certain things you can do, which will make your business show up in searches as well as on social media.

You could build your website yourself. However, functionality like making an online booking will probably be beyond your technical skills, so consider outsourcing this. When you have your website built, ensure as many of the locations you cover are mentioned by name in page and section titles, as well as ensuring all of the images on your site are geotagged with your business location 

​The most important tool for local business

The most important online tool for local businesses is Google My Business. This is a free service that displays the 'Google My Business' results near the top when someone searches for a business or services. This should be your first step as soon as your website is active.  Ensure your contact details, your working hours, and your location are all accurate.
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Social media also has a role to play. While you can post endless content on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, the mainstay of the local business is the local notice board pages of Facebook. The rule here is not to spam these pages but instead post content when it is useful.

Additional benefits

​Using these notice boards and becoming a part of the community also has other benefits. These are also an excellent networking tool to forge links with other local businesses, bringing both extra work your way (possibly in the form of long-term contracts) as well a getting discounted use of their services to aid your business.