Who doesn’t want to maximize profits for their auto repair shop? However, it is definitely easier said than done. But the good news is that if you have access to impactful auto repair marketing ideas, you have already won half the battle.
Effective auto repair marketing can help you retain existing customers, attract new ones, and grow the footprint of your auto repair shop.
And to help you do all that, we have put together this guide to show you some of the most effective auto repair shop marketing tactics that you can start using right away!
So without further ado, let’s dive right in.
The 7 Best Marketing Tactics For Your Auto Repair Shop
You may have wondered at some point, “How can I attract more customers to my auto repair business to boost profitability?”
Implementing an auto repair marketing strategy is a wonderful way to keep current clients returning while also extending your customer base. This section will explain some car repair shop marketing concepts that can help you alter your business!
1. Build An Impactful Website For Your Business
Let’s start off with the most important tactic, especially in this day and age. For auto repair shops in this season, having a solid online presence is mandatory.
In fact, there is consensus in the marketing world that one of the most successful car repair marketing tactics is to showcase your auto repair shop through a website.
There are many reasons why you should invest in a website for your auto shop.
A website allows you to develop an online presence and provides potential clients with additional information about your auto repair business. According to studies, nearly 77% of clients who visit car shops perform internet research before selecting a service provider.
However, before you build a website for your auto repair shop there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
The following elements are found on the websites of the leading auto repair shops:
A preview of the auto repair services that your auto shop offers: A website can help you promote the services you provide. A shop labelled “Ray Dalton’s Auto Repair Services,” for example, does not tell potential customers the whole picture.
It is simpler to attract the right customers if you clarify whether you provide collision repair services, mechanical components, or detailing. You might include particular service pages about your specializations so that visitors realize where your strengths lie fast.
Add a personal touch so you can stand out in the auto repair industry: It is critical to demonstrate to existing and new customers that your auto repair shop cares about them. You should ideally avoid building a “corporate image” with the use of a website.
Tell your customers why you’re in the auto repair industry and what keeps you going with a customized “About Us” page. Some business owners may have entered the field because they have a passion for vehicles and a want to serve others—there are no incorrect answers!
This will also help you in your marketing efforts while standing out from other local businesses in the industry.
Add Call-to-action (CTA) buttons that are relevant: You’ve worked hard to lure people to your website; now what? To boost conversions, the greatest auto shops deploy relevant CTAs. For example, if a potential customer signs up for your email list, you might offer them a free inspection!
Feature relevant content with extra value: Through search engine optimization, content marketing may assist drive more visitors to your website (higher ranking on Google).
You may pique your readers’ interest in your business and turn them into loyal customers by creating value-added material on topics that are valuable.
2. Invest in Search Engine Optimization
Once you build a website for your auto repair shop, you need to invest in search engine optimization (SEO). This will help you in ranking your auto repair business in the search engine.
As a business owner, you should make sure that you invest in a robust auto repair shop SEO strategy. Once you start using this as part of your auto repair shop marketing, you can tap into local customers through the search engine. This will also increase traffic to your website and close more deals.
SEO is one of the most lucrative marketing efforts nowadays.
3. Run Campaigns To Generate Word-of-mouth Marketing and Customer Referrals
What could be better than free promotion from your current customers?
Nothing! People are more inclined to trust auto repair services recommended by someone in their social circle. According to Nielsen research, 92% of customers trust recommendations from friends and family more than any other sort of advertisement.
So, how can you make sure your customers spread the word about your shop?
Step 1: Provide excellent customer service to your customers. This involves going above and beyond for them and dealing with dissatisfied customers correctly.
Step #2: Now that you’ve gone above and beyond to create an exceptional client experience, how can you convert it into new customers? Here are some pointers to help you boost your word-of-mouth referrals:
Don’t be hesitant to ask for referrals – There’s nothing wrong with asking your most dependable clients to refer new customers to you.
Provide an incentive for customers to suggest a friend – Sometimes clients need an additional push to refer a friend, so give an incentive such as a free tire change for customers who refer a friend. This will encourage customers to bring in more leads for your business.
Host unique events in the neighborhood – By holding a special event in the neighbourhood (for example, a vintage car exhibition or even something as simple as a local BBQ), you and your shop may earn notoriety in the area and create trust with the community outside of the shop. You should always try to experiment with such innovative marketing ideas for your auto repair shop.
4. Run Email Marketing Campaigns
As opposed to popular opinion, email campaigns can be super effective for auto repair marketing. In fact, email marketing is a great way to grow your auto repair business.
99% of email subscribers check their inbox every day, according to optinmonster. So, is email marketing still relevant? According to Word Stream research, email marketing have the greatest conversion rates of any digital media, at 4.2%. Social media conversion, for example, is barely 0.7%.
Here are some pointers to get you started with email marketing:
Invest in the proper equipment: You may construct an email list from your client information using auto repair shop software. Customers with similar purchasing habits can be grouped together and targeted for each campaign.
Furthermore, an auto repair shop software allows you to plan campaigns so that you don’t forget to send the emails. You may even arrange follow-up emails to stay in the customers’ minds for when they need a service.
Provide relevant and helpful content: Nobody enjoys reading emails that are clearly advertisements, so it’s critical to provide material that delivers value for your reader.
Sending out frequent newsletters to your customers will also keep them informed about new products and services at your shop. This is also a good strategy to grow your auto repair business.
5. Build your auto repair shop’s reputation by featuring reviews on your social media
Online reputation management entails soliciting good customer feedback and carefully responding to negative feedback. According to BizRate Insights, 59% of people consult Google Reviews before visiting a shop.
The most successful auto repair shops are highlighted on Google Maps, making it simpler for potential clients to locate them. They also spend money on auto repair marketing software so that they can manage and respond to feedback straight from the app.
You may increase the credibility of your auto shop by responding to bad reviews and resolving client issues. To create confidence with potential clients, the best auto businesses offer a testimonials section on their website.
So make sure you add this to your auto repair marketing plan! It’s also one of the best ways to gain customers in the automotive repair business.
6. Have a solid social media marketing strategy
According to IDC Research, over 80% of customers check their social media within the first 6 minutes of waking their eyes.
Here are some online auto repair marketing strategies for both existing customers and new audiences:
Choose the correct social media channels: Facebook and Instagram are fantastic venues for promoting an auto service shop since they are simple to use and the most popular.
Make posts that are both entertaining and relevant: Posting short video material on Facebook on the drawbacks of poor maintenance might be an excellent strategy to engage your audience. Furthermore, running polls on Instagram stories about what auto repair services clients desire from your shop allows you to engage with them informally.
7. Run Sponsored Ads on Social Media
Running a focused social media ad campaign may necessitate the involvement of an outside specialist.
However, when you run customized social media advertisements, you may run ads for your shop on various social media sites that target people in your preferred demographics (like people in a certain age range).
A social media ad specialist can assist you in determining critical elements such as:
- Your objectives for paid social media advertisements
- Your financial situation
- Which social media networks do you want to run customized advertisements on? What demographics do you want to reach?
- How frequently do you want social media advertising to run?
- How long do you want the social media advertising to run?
In summary, sponsored social may help you reach new clients you would not have reached otherwise. Consider this: depending on others to locate and share your shop’s social media sites confines you to a certain group of people: those who have previously followed or liked your pages, or those who happen to stumble onto your pages by chance.
With paid social, you can reach customers that don’t yet follow you.
