It might be hard to know which auto repair marketing approaches will work for you when it comes to getting your automobile repair business recognized on the internet. Digital marketing is essential for any business, but the auto repair industry is especially competitive. You need to make sure that your digital marketing efforts work towards the target customers with the right marketing messages at the right time.

We understand that you don’t have all day to get started, so we’ve compiled a list of ten auto repair marketing ideas to assist you optimize your listing and gain some traction with your email lists so that customers who are looking for you can easily discover you.

1. Word of Mouth

Although traditional marketing is usually dismissed, word-of-mouth is still one of the best ways to get your business recognized. Did you know that 84 percent of Americans trust internet reviews as much as they do personal recommendations? This may seem intimidating, but it’s an exceptional chance to show what you do and get credit for it when it comes to automobile repair shop marketing.

Encourage consumers to leave reviews as often as possible. When it comes to where you appear on Google searches, the site considers around 200 variables, but online comments are crucial. Teach and urge your employees to ask for evaluations. It’s also suggested that you follow up with clients after their appointments with you. This is an excellent technique to ensure that you’re receiving the benefits of your efforts without having to spend additional money. Around the world, word of mouth is considered the most effective form of free traditional advertising available.

2. Content is King

Content marketing is a process of producing and sharing material that is educational, entertaining, or both, with the objective of generating interest in your business. It’s an excellent online marketing strategy to reach new consumers without coming across as too promotional.

The most important thing to remember – from how you rank on an internet search engine to how people may discover your firm – is to provide value right from the start. The simplest approach to do this is by producing content that will encourage visitors to click your website. What does this imply for a car repair shop?

• Create videos on simple car maintenance topics, like oil changes
• Write blog posts answering common questions people have
• Send out emails with special information your customers can’t get anywhere else

You can do it, and you can do it much better than others. You may share your material on social media and ensure that you’re using SEO best practices to get the organic exposure this material will provide. The more organic visitors you have, the less money you’ll need to spend on advertising.

3. You’ve Got Mail

Email marketing helps to keep in touch with your customers. Unlike many other industries, auto shops can be bad at getting the email addresses of customers or website visitors. This automated process is a great way to increase sales and repeat sales.

When it comes to what you should email people, You may feel a bit overwhelmed, but it isn’t as bad as you might think.

• You already know your target audience since you see it every day. What are the issues that they’re inquiring about? People want to know what is it that you’re talking about? If you’re reusing blog material, direct people to click on these articles. Don’t be concerned about having to send out a lot of emails; a monthly reminder is enough.
• Determine if you should segment your audience. You’re aware that a vehicle owner has distinct requirements when it comes to an oil change. By organizing people into segments, you raise the likelihood that they’ll open your emails (which is why you send them in the first place).
• Give them something of worth, not just advertising. We can’t emphasize this enough: people are far more concerned with receiving useful and valuable material than they are with emails full of advertisements and offers. So make sure you’re not spending all your time selling hard.

Once you’ve compiled a list and started sending out emails, keep in mind that it’s also useful to be timely and seasonal. If you’re entering the winter season, send them some suggestions on keeping their vehicle in good running order through the snowy months. Also, don’t be too formal or standoffish; instead, act like you normally do when dealing with your consumers.

Marketing automation software can help with this process. It will automate repetitive tasks, like sending out emails, and help you keep track of your progress.

4. Back to Basics

When it comes to impressing potential consumers and getting them to invest in you, the first step is ensuring that you have a respectable, professional-looking website. This should include:

• Your own .com address and blog
• An easy to find email address, telephone number, and auto shop address
• Usefully laid out information that is clear and easy to read

Consider how aggravating it is for you to go to a website where the information you need isn’t readily accessible and instead takes hours to discover. You don’t have hundreds of hours on a website; you have only 15 seconds. Your website should be simple enough that a consumer won’t spend more than three clicks looking for what they want.

Don’t stress about cramming the site with everything you think your visitors may want. Consider the perspective of a consumer instead of yourself. People seek for information that is well-organized and easy to read, which is why a dark gray type on a black background might be attractive to you.

5. Gift Giving

While customers may be turned off by an aggressive hard sell, there’s no denying that everyone wants the opportunity to save a little bit of money. Everyone appreciates a gift every once in a while. Gift giving to prospective customers is a great way to get someone through the door. And gift giving to your existing customers is a great way to turn your already loyal customers into brand advocates. This could be anything from complimentary snacks, free trinkets, or a rewards program.

You can also reach out to other local businesses and see if they might be interested in giving a voucher for a discount or a free oil change to their customers. This is a great idea to build relationships within the local area, as their customers are likely to appreciate getting to be your customer too. You may have to spend a little more on branding, but it’ll be worth it in the long run when you gain loyal customers.

Other potential outreach companies include auto detailers, insurance agents who sell auto insurance, and auto parts stores.

6. Know Your Brand

It’s critical for you to understand your brand so that others can clearly understand it. How long has your vehicle repair shop been in operation? Is your firm a family business? It’s essential that brand identity and message are apparent to customers. As much as feasible, assist people understand your brand’s image and what you represent. Along the road, make sure to include customer testimonials.

If you provide a certain product or service, make sure you inform people why they should select your auto business rather than the competition.

It’s also vital to maintain branding consistency across all platforms you use, such as your website, Facebook, Instagram, and so on. Do you know what typefaces you want to utilize and what color scheme you’ll follow? Images are more memorable than words. If you’re establishing a company or working on outreach, having a logo that people can identify and comprehend as your brand is especially beneficial. Then when someone thinks about which automobile repair business to employ, one in particular will spring to mind.

When developing an auto shop marketing plan, look around and see what other people are doing and how well they’re doing it. What are you striving to achieve the same as them? What do you want to do differently? Make sure you’ve got everything organized so you can keep track of what’s working and collect any useful comments.

7. Facebook Ads

Social media marketing is one of the most effective and cheapest ways to reach new customers as part of your digital marketing campaigns.

If you’re not using Facebook ads, you’re missing out on a massive opportunity. Facebook is the perfect place to target potential customers who might be interested in your products or services.

When creating a Facebook ad, make sure to include a strong headline, Locally targeted Facebook Lead Ads are a wonderful approach to bring attention to your firm, as well as offering freebies or discounts to people in your neighborhood. They enable you to filter down your audience by geographical region, as well as provide vital lead information such as names and email addresses (for your email list!) Even with a small budget of roughly $5 per day, you can create leads and obtain crucial email addresses for later outreach.

8. Install Facebook Pixel on Your Website

The truth is that Facebook or Instagram knows when you’ve been to a certain site because of a Facebook pixel. This little device, which you won’t notice on your website, allows you to send Facebook and Instagram advertisements to people who have previously visited your site. This is more valuable than advertisements in a few ways. Because it targets people who have previously visited your site and are aware of your company, they are more likely to be looking for things to buy from you.

9. Join in the Chat

Use social media to make yourself more approachable and to spread the news of your daily victories. Include photographs of satisfied clients, stunning automobiles, or even behind-the-scenes shots in the auto repair shop. This is a fantastic method to not only demonstrate that you care about your customers and see them as individuals, but it also allows them insight into the personalities behind the company. Customers will view you and your brand as more relatable and inclined to use your services as a result of this. Mobile marketing is absolutely essential in this day and age.

Make sure your website is mobile-friendly, as more than 60% of searches are now done on mobile devices. Check that the click-to-call buttons are visible and easily accessible, as people are far more likely to call a business directly from their phone rather than fill out a contact form.

10. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

As an auto repair business owner, you should also focus your digital marketing strategy on SEO for your website. SEO, or search engine optimization, involves you making sure that search engines know to list your website when people are looking for specific things. So you want to make sure that your auto shop appears, for example, when people are looking for “[Your City] Auto Repair”. SEO for auto repair shops is therefore a critical component of any auto repair marketing plan. Search engine marketing can be a complex and time-consuming process, but there are some simple things that you can do to get started.

This is a hyper-simplified version of how SEO works, but to get your website found on Google you should really invest in working with an SEO agency that understands auto repair shop marketing, just like Auto Shop Digital. Our team are experts in the auto industry and have years of experience working with auto related businesses and helping them rank better on Google and increase business revenue.