This is a call to motorsport teams in all corners of the world. It’s time to extract every inch of value from your race transporter.
Leaving aside the fact that most race cars are all but stranded in the workshops without their diesel-fueled companions; the contemporary motorsport fan cares about more than just the racing on a Sunday afternoon.
In the ‘twenties, it’s all about the journey.
With social media and smartphones powering up our lives, the days when we would flick on the television at around 2pm, watch the automotive gladiators go to war and then switch channels until the next race meeting are gone. Nowadays, teams and drivers are building enormous followings online by sharing their lives outside the cockpit.
Believes us when we say the next frontier is out on the highway and in the paddock.
If it isn’t already, your transporter is a genuine superstar in the waiting. In Australia, transporters are already attracting thousands of fans on social media off their very own bats. This could, would and should become a global motorsport phenomenon.
Stax Freightliner, the Albury-based Brad Jones Racing B-Double transporter, has continued to ride a wave of momentum on the back of ex-team member, Paul Eddy. Its following is large and loyal across Facebook and Instagram and you can add two and two together about its value with one glance at Brad Jones Racing’s primary sponsors.
We are seeing more come online too. The Truck Assist Racing Supercars Championship transporter has extended its social media success on Instagram with a Facebook page that is well on the path to 3000 likes.
The sky is the limit for a motor racing transporter in the social media world. You can bet that fans all over the world won’t object to more behind-the-scenes online content from their favourite outfits. It also gives more strings to pull for commercial links to the transport industry and let’s face it; these things are completely indispensable for your team. Did we mention that kids love trucks? Sign ‘em up
in your team’s colours nice and early!
So, what are the ingredients for building a following for your team truck?
Photos along the journey
They’re a damn good start. If your transporter is traversing the countryside on its way to the track, its pilot will need to pull in for fuel eventually.
A nice smartphone photo and a short, sharp caption uploaded to its social media accounts are the staple for a transporter account. Easy done over a coffee at a rest stop, right?
Give it a catchy name
And use this consistently. There’s a lot to be gained by having a unique name and character for your transporter that people can remember and reference both online and at the track. It’s pretty fun to get stuck into brainstorming this, too!
Introduce its pilot
Lots of truck fans out there are charmed by diesel, diesel and more diesel. But they’re also interested in who is behind the wheel. The driver should be an administrator of the social media accounts and show plenty of their personality in the captions. A photo or two of its operator wouldn’t go astray either so we know who’s at the helm.
Share the love
If your sponsors appear on the truck and/or trailer, find ways to work each of them into a post and repeat. Not only will it help to keep the commercial partners happy, but it also gives sponsors more material to share with their own followings.
All of a sudden, your transporter is appearing far and wide and its currency as a travelling billboard grows.
Build the excitement
When your truck rolls into the paddock at the race track, we want to see it! Motorsport is about the spectacle after all. For petrol heads, the excitement of a race car and its spares being extricated from the transporter and shifted into the garage before a big weekend is difficult to match. Your transporter is at the very heart of the build-up.
Naturally, building the profile of your transporter will take some time, but motorsport fans are yearning for an even deeper understanding of the commitment of your team and the logistics required to go racing. There is no better way to show it.
It’s about time your transporter had its time in the sun. Actually, grab a photo of it while the light is nice and pop it on Instagram.