FBO Marketing:
At airports, the fixed-base operator (FBO) business provides aeronautical services to a broad range of aircraft operators.
FBO is for Fixed Base Operator, and it refers to a firm that offers a variety of aviation services, from fueling to parking, but most importantly, a space for passengers to rest, work, have a cup of coffee, or just wait for other passengers before boarding.
FBO Marketing Materials – Three Ways to Stand Out from the Crowd!
It’s impossible to differentiate, according to FBO marketing professionals.
And if you look at the home sites of many different FBOs, you’ll see that the majority of them struggle to come up with something more competitive, intriguing, or specific than “We’re the greatest FBO because we provide the finest service!”
Great. What are pilots, passengers, dispatchers, and flight departments to do if every FBO claims to provide the finest service?
Three Ways to be Better Than Every Other FBO in Your Market
The overall picture is that any FBO may differentiate themselves in their marketing materials based on three distinct factors:
- Place: What makes YOUR location superior to others in the area? Do you show your support for local companies, sports teams, tourist destinations, and other organizations? Be specific when it comes to these products!
- Airport: Each airport has its own set of benefits. Is your airport less crowded, less congested, or offers more, different, or better services than nearby airports? In your marketing materials, mention these advantages.
- Your Team: Nobody else’s team is like yours. Customers who travel by private jet like meeting familiar people in the areas they visit. They want to meet the people that maintain and manage their plane.
How to Market Your FBO Business?
1. Pamphlets, Pens and Business Cards
Create informational pamphlets, pens and business cards with your company’s logo. Printing companies are often a one stop shop for businesses that want to create marketing materials. Send the printing company your logo, contact information and any written material you want in the pamphlet. The fee for printing business marketing materials is usually no more than a few hundred dollars.
2. Set-up a Cooperative Marketing Agreement:
Contact your FBO’s fuel supplier to set up a cooperative marketing arrangement that will benefit everyone. For example, if your gasoline provider has a website with a list of its key customers, request to be featured on that list as well as any accompanying picture material. Visitors to the fuel supplier’s website will notice your FBO’s emblem and airport call sign and remember you.
3. Create a Webpage:
Create a simple webpage for your FBO that will appear in search engines when pilots are looking for information about the airport where you are located. Website design costs range from around $100 for a template to several thousand dollars for more complex projects.
4. Join Social Media:
Join social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Yelp, LinkedIn, and any other places where pilots could congregate. Because your FBO is situated at an airport and serves a certain city, pilots will see your firm depending on their location.
5. Look for Online FBO Directions:
Look for online FBO directories that keep a list of available FBOs in airports all around the country. Increase your exposure among pilots and airport workers by including your firm in the directory. FBO directory listings typically last a few months and cost less than $100 each contract term.
