Drone Business Explained

If you’re well beyond the first phase of how to start a commercial drone business and have entered the scaling phase, congratulations. Most commercial drone pilots don’t make it this far, primarily due to business investments and poor marketing. It’s tragic to see drone pilots invest their time and resources into equipment and training that doesn’t result in a monetary payback. Like any business, there are operating expenses and if you’re unable to generate revenue to cover those operating expenses, you will have effectively failed as an entrepreneur and be left with unfavorable debt.

The simple fact of the matter is that most businesses fail to ever become profitable and most drone business ideas don’t pan out the way the drone entrepreneur would have wanted them too. Just like any other industry, it’s survival of the fittest and the best equipped businesses make it to the top while the rest succumb to defeat. In all reality, this thinning of the herd is beneficial to you because you will be taking the proper steps to build a drone business that brings value to the clients you serve, resulting in revenues and profits.

Drone entrepreneurship is the process of starting and operating a commercial drone business that serves the needs of clients through drone technology. This may entail providing services for drone photography, photogrammetry, surveying, inspections, agricultural crop management, search and rescue, and so much more.

Over the past decade, drone businesses and commercial drones have gone mainstream. From Hollywood movies to local police forces, drones are changing how businesses operate. As a drone entrepreneur, you are effectively starting a commercial drone business that enables customers to directly benefit from the capabilities of drone technology.

Commercial Drone Industry Forecast

Since the FAA legalized commercial drone usage in the United States in 2016, drone pilots have been capitalizing on drone business opportunities across a variety of industries such as real estate photography, inspection surveying, agriculture, and more. The commercial drone industry has come a long way since its early days when drones were primarily used by the military and for research purposes. The simplicity of becoming a commercial drone pilot has vastly influenced the surge in new pilots entering the industry. Drones give businesses the ability to capture aerial photography or photogrammetry at a significantly lower price than flying a helicopter, and in many cases are much safer to fly. 

From advancements in technology to an increase in demand for drone-based services and changes in regulations, the drone industry is expanding rapidly and providing new opportunities. Several of the most common reasons why the commercial drone industry has been growing include: 

• Industry demand across real estate, agriculture, construction, and logistics 
• Technology factors like improved cameras, sensors, and battery life 
• Regulatory changes and the accessibility of drones for businesses 

A recent study produced by Bloomberg indicated that the global drone industry is expected to surpass $100B by the year 2030. About 35%-40% of the growth will come from commercial and recreational drone usage.

As a commercial drone entrepreneur, there’s never been a better time to start a drone business and become a drone service provider.

Finding Your Niche

Given that you’ve already started your drone business, you’ve probably had the wits to select a niche to operate in. As a reminder, you’ll want to limit the scope of your market, at least to start, so you can gain traction and have the highest likelihood of building a successful drone business. Some factors to consider when selecting your drone business niche include: 

• Equipment Required: Will your niche require a heavy-duty drone like the DJI Phantom 4 Pro, or something more simple, like a DJI Mini 3 Pro? Typically, the more sophisticated the drone, the higher earning potential. 
• Environment: Do you want to be spending time in nature flying a drone through farmlands or national parks, or do you prefer inspecting buildings? Or, in the case of real estate drone photography, taking photos and videos in and around houses and properties. 
• Content Production: Drone footage and images can require editing and post-production that can often deter pilots and photographers. It’s important to understand your willingness to edit and the content you capture through video editing software before making an extensive commitment to your niche. 
• Services: Photography and photogrammetry and the primary services offered by most commercial drone pilots. There are other services such as agricultural monitoring or search and rescue support during natural disasters. 

Customer Buyer Personas

A buyer persona is a representation of an ideal customer based on market research and real data about existing customers. Buyer personas typically detail characteristics, behaviors, preferences, and purchasing habits of the individual(s) that are likely to purchase your products and services. Knowing your buyer personas will help you better understanding your customers motives and decision making process so you can tailor your marketing efforts more effectively. The creation of buyer personas often involves conducting research, analyzing data, and gathering insights to create a detailed profile that represents the customer segment you are targeting. Depending on your niche, you might have several buyer personas that you’ll want to market to across the sales journey.

Buyer Persona Examples

The following table lists common customer buyer personas in the commercial drone industry:

1. Professional Photographer: A photographer that frequently photographs weddings, real estate listings, and other professional photography projects. Having only traditional cameras, they would benefit from aerial photography via unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to capture images and drone footage for weddings, real estate listings, or other types of professional photography. They are likely to value high-quality cameras, long battery life, and stability in their drones.
2. Construction Site Manager: The General Manager of a construction site that’s currently inspecting and surveying the site by walking around through each area. Instead, they might use drones to survey the site from the air and monitor progress. They may prioritize durability, range, and obstacle avoidance features in their drones.
3. Agriculture Professional: A farmer or agricultural business man that monitors and maintains crops. Currently, they are inspecting crops and fields by foot or by tractor. They may also use planes and helicopters to crop dust fields. Instead, they could benefit from aerial drones to monitor crops and perform precision agriculture tasks such as mapping and scouting. They may prioritize the ability to carry payloads, as well as features like multispectral sensors and GPS.
4. Search and Rescue Team: The search and rescue lead may be leading search parties by foot or by helicopter, both of which can be dangerous and expensive. Instead, they may benefit from drones to quickly scan landscapes and pinpoint people in need of rescue. They may prioritize features like thermal imaging cameras, long battery life, and durability in their drones.
5. Filmmaker: The film crew for a Hollywood movie set is using traditional cameras and helicopters to capture scenes. Instead of paying thousands of dollars per hour for a helicopter, they may leverage drones to capture footage of the same quality from more unique angles. They may prioritize high-quality cameras, stability, and ease of use in their drones.

Buyer personas will vary depending on what field you specialize in and your business model. By spending the time to outline your buyer personas and pinpoint exactly what their buying needs are, you will be able to create compelling marketing collateral that peaks their interest and gets them to buy your products and services.

10 Tactics To Marketing Your Drone Business

Once you’ve determined who to market to, it’s time to deploy marketing tactics that will get you clients. Effective marketing tactics not only generate brand awareness, but also generate interest from your ideal customer personas. When your ideal customers see your marketing material and your brand throughout various marketing channels, they must feel compelled to take action and get in touch with you, otherwise, you will have wasted their time and impressions.

The drone market is tricky because it is a relatively new commercial industry that requires quite a bit of customer education. For example, a construction company that’s inspecting construction of a building might not be aware of how easy it is to hire a drone contractor to survey the site on a regular basis at an affordable price. Similarly, a real estate agent that’s struggling to sell properties might not know that the key to their success could be getting aerial photography from a drone photography business or freelancer. Finding drone operators that provide drone services like aerial videos, aerial photos, or even in-property walkthrough videos is likely much easier than they’re aware. Certificated drone pilots that have become drone photographers are now in demand more than ever. The proper marketing tactics will be your greatest strength to take your drone business idea to the next level. 

1. Social Media Marketing: Leverage social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to build an audience by showing off the work you’ve done for clients or as a hobbyist. By creating social media accounts and creating brand channels, you’ll be able to share the amazing photos and videos of your drone in action to new potential customers. Add descriptions, use hashtags, and engage with your followers by responding to their comments and messages.
2. Events: Look for live and virtual events that pertain to your niche and are likely to have your ideal buyer personas in attendance. Use these events as an opportunity to learn about the industry, network with potential clients, and create more brand identity for yourself. 
3. Stock Photography: Sites like Pexels, Shutterstock, and Unsplash, allow you to publish unlicensed images and videos that can be discovered and used by others throughout the web and social media. While you may not always receive credit or income each time someone uses your content, you are steadily building brand recognition. Some drone photographers have used Pexels to get discovered by future clients, and you can too. 
4. Partnerships: If you’re offering real estate drone photography but do not offer construction inspections, you can forge partnerships with other pilots that are willing to cross-collaborate and refer your business while you refer theirs. Additionally, partnerships don’t have to be exclusive to the drone industry. For example, you could serve as a lead generator for a real estate agent in which you refer him or her to new prospective house buyers, while they hire you each time they need real estate drone photography. 
5. Website & SEO: If you haven’t created a website to market your drone services, you ought to consider creating one immediately. Your customers need to be able to find and contact you online once they’re ready to do business with you and a website is the perfect channel to capture and convert new customers. By utilizing web tactics like search engine optimization (SEO), which consists of creating keyword-optimized content and videos, you’ll broaden your reach to ideal buyer personas.
6. Email Marketing: Obtaining email addresses isn’t always easy, but if you manage to gain a list of clients that sign up on your website or opt in to your email marketing channels, sending newsletters and product promotions is a sure way to stay top-of-mind. Leverage email marketing as a method of education and informing your customers by providing them with value. Over time, this principle of reciprocity will likely lead to them converting into future customers of yours. 
7. Local Search Ads: By using Google Ads, you can geofence certain areas, allowing you business to show up on search results pages for keywords searched by your ideal customers. While search ads can cost money, the keywords you bid on should be buyer-intent keywords that are only searched by your target customers. If they click your ad and like what they see on your website, they will contact you for more information and you have the possibility of winning their business. 
8. Video Marketing: Create high-quality videos that showcase your drone services, and share them on platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo. Use these channels to show off your capabilities of capturing stunning aerial video footage and aerial photographs. Edit your content to include soundtracks, descriptions, and more. These videos can also be cross-promoted on social media. 
9. Referral Marketing: If you have customers already, encourage them to refer your drone business to friends and family in their network. Offer incentives such as discounts or free services to customers who refer new business to you. 
10. Webinars and Podcasts: Host webinars and podcasts that bring . Topics could range from advanced UAV training, to specific FAA drone rules, to how to leverage aerial footage to promote marketing content for a real estate agent. There are endless topics to discuss on podcasts and teach on webinars, but make sure to focus your time and resources on content that’s most relevant to your niche. 

Final Thoughts 

Marketing your commercial drone business is essential for reaching your target audience, building your brand, and growing your customer base. The marketing tactics we’ve revealed in this article will help you effectively showcase your drone services to potential customers, establish yourself as an industry leader, and generate leads that can ultimately lead to more sales and revenue.

If you’ve made it this far and are still looking to start a drone business, we could not be more excited for you. It’s time to convert your drone business ideas into action and build your drone business empire. Starting a drone business can be tough, but it’s worth the commitment. Always remember that if you do the right research and identify your niche and target market, the execution of your marketing plan should be flawless. The initial research process is challenging, but very rewarding, especially when you’ve created a successful business that has a true business purpose that you stand behind.