5 Digital Marketing Strategies for Your Auto Repair Shop
If you want to really make money with your auto repair shop, you need to step up your marketing efforts. A solid marketing strategy that not only helps you in retaining existing customers but also helps in acquiring more is crucial for success.
Today, we will be specifically discussing digital and online marketing strategies. While auto repair shops have the option to market themselves through a variety of channels, online marketing is one of the most useful ones.
As an auto repair business, you can easily target new customers with a well-planned marketing strategy.
To help you get started, we have put together some useful auto repair marketing strategies for automotive shop. Use them to make your auto repair shop stand out in the automotive industry.
Why Are Digital Marketing Efforts Important?
Before investing in marketing efforts, all small and local businesses must evaluate the feasibility of the marketing strategy. So in case, you’re wondering if an automotive digital marketing strategy is worth the hassle and the money, here are a few reasons why it is:
The Automotive Industry is Becoming Digital
The number of people who have positive experiences with buying cars online has been growing steadily for some time. Obviously, the epidemic pushed the boundaries of this industry to completely new heights.
People have become accustomed to the idea that they should be able to carry out the majority of the processes involved in purchasing and maintaining their vehicles online at this point in time.
Even though the customers’ vehicles need to be brought into your shop for repairs and maintenance, they still want to be able to complete as much of the process as they can before and after the fact through your website. Website design and enhancing the overall quality of the consumer experience are both components of digital marketing.
As a result, it will go a long way toward assisting you in catering to the shifting expectations of the general public.
The Internet is Becoming Popular
When searching for goods and services, more and more individuals are turning to the internet. In point of fact, it is anticipated that over 2.14 billion customers throughout the globe would move their product research activities online by the end of this year, and that number will only continue to rise going forward.
When looking for a service, at least 87 percent of consumers start their search online, and this includes consumers looking for auto repair shops.
You will have a stronger online presence and the ability to attract new customers for your auto repair business if you implement a digital marketing strategy that is successful. Incorporating targeted auto repair marketing strategies, such as local SEO, social media advertising, and customer review management, can further enhance your visibility, build trust with potential clients, and drive more traffic to your shop.
Technology is Advancing
We live in an increasingly digital world. Technology is constantly changing and new tools are always being launched to make processes more efficient. In fact, as an auto repair shop owner, you should stay up to date with the latest technology in the industry.
Technological advancements also impact the way new and existing customers will approach your auto repair shop.
Those that drive vehicles with a more recent model year have access to a multitude of technological advancements. Wi-Fi hotspots, driver-assist features, advanced safety innovations, automatic emergency braking, heated seats, automatically defrosting mirrors, and many other new developments are available in today’s vehicles.
Although these features are wonderful options to have, the more innovations a vehicle offers, the more likely it is that something will go wrong. Remember that the market for electric vehicles is also increasing at a rapid rate.
This is excellent news for an auto repair business owner such as yourself provided that you offer services related to the repair of all those new features.
Target customers who drive modern and technologically advanced vehicles will be looking for repair businesses that are able to assist them in keeping their vehicles operational.
Such customers also tend to look for a suitable automotive business online. Hence, marketing on social media platforms can assist you in getting in front of such customers.
Top 5 Digital Marketing Strategies For Automotive Shop
Now that you understand the importance of automotive digital marketing, let’s look at some of the top auto repair marketing ideas and strategies that you can use to win more potential customers for your auto body shop.
You can use these strategies to also earn a better ROI from marketing tactics for your auto shop.
1. Brand Your Website
Your website serves as the digital equivalent of a storefront, and as such, it should present an alluring perspective of your auto repair shop that piques people’s curiosity and makes them want to visit your shop.
When developing your company’s website, some fundamentally sound marketing strategies to keep in mind include the following:
- Use a design that is responsive since more people use their mobile phones to access the internet than any other device, and search engines like Google give preference in search results to websites that are mobile-friendly. Users and your search results will both benefit from the implementation of HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Standard Secure), a communication protocol that ensures the safety of data transmitted over the internet.
- Make sure that the content and information on your website appropriately describes your services, is easy to understand, and offers contact information that can be relied on.
- You should also select a domain name for your website that is relevant to your auto repair shop. You may make it simple for people who visit your website to get in touch with you by including live chat boxes in various locations around the site or by emphasizing the Contact option at the top of each page.
Having a branded website is actually the first step in setting up an effective marketing plan for your auto repair shop. Without a website, you won’t even be able to benefit from search engine optimization efforts and can lose out on many potential, new customers.
Before you start setting up your store’s website, you should also work on a brand strategy so you know what brand logo, colors, and content you will be publishing.
2. Invest in Search Engine Optimization For Your Auto Shop
To be visible to people conducting web searches, local companies including auto repair businesses like yours need to implement search engine optimization (SEO) best practices.
According to HubSpot, a software business that specializes in digital efforts and marketing, 72 percent of customers who conducted a local search, such as searching for “Dallas auto shop,” visited a store that was located within 5 miles of their search results.
According to Google, 28 percent of those who look for anything nearby end up making a purchase as a result of their search.
SEO for auto repair shops is a great way to attract new, loyal customers to your website. Many car dealerships also use this strategy to connect with car buyers and boost their sales revenue.
However, SEO is not as easy as it sounds. It requires a strategy and loads of hard work, to see actual results.
To help you get started, here are a few SEO strategies that you can use for your auto repair shop.
You may ensure that your website is optimized for search engines by:
1. Conducting research on prominent keywords that are relevant to your company, and then using those keywords in a natural way throughout the content of your website
Including those keywords on additional websites where your company has a presence, such as in the bios of your social networking sites and review sites
2. Make sure that your entire website contains valuable content that is relevant to certain keywords; for instance, have a different page for each service that your store provides.
3. As was previously noted, the accessibility of your website from mobile devices as well as its level of security has an impact on the results of your search.
To optimise both your website and its content and fall in the top search engine rankings, you could find it helpful to collaborate with a skilled website designer and an SEO consultant.
3. Social Media Marketing For New and Existing Customers
Do you know that positive reviews on social media are the equivalent of free advertising in the online world? And not just free, but a very effective method to win over clients.
In fact, there are quite a few statistics available that show that social media is a great way to get more new customers for your business. If your business page is active on social media, you can successfully compete with other local businesses as well. According to research published by the Pew Research Center in 2018, users use social media:
- 73% of adults in the United States make use of YouTube.
- Facebook is used by 68 percent of adults in the United States.
- Instagram is used by 35 percent of adults in the United States.
- LinkedIn is used by 25 percent of adults in the United States.
- Twitter is used by 24 percent of adults in the United States.
Although there are dozens of additional social media sites that you should think about adding your company to, the following five are vital to get started with. The following are some examples of possible applications for them in your store:
- Upload movies on YouTube demonstrating how your mechanics do their jobs or provide video content offering advice on how to keep a car in good condition.
You may still connect with new customers and other channels even if you are not yet producing your own content by connecting with auto-focused videos on YouTube and leaving comments on behalf of your shop. This can be done in place of your business.
- Use Facebook to share updates about your company, such as new product or service promotions.
- Instagram is an excellent platform for uploading content, such as before-and-after views of work that you’ve completed, or for sharing photographs of your personnel in order to promote the company culture of your retail establishment.
- On LinkedIn, you may connect with other local business owners by creating your own personal page and sharing business updates on a company page. LinkedIn also allows you to share business updates on a company page.
- Twitter: If you want to build relationships with online influencers and journalists, Twitter is an excellent platform to use. Conduct research on trending hashtags and then share material from your company page that also makes use of those hashtags.
Consider each social network that your company participates in as if it were its very own branded website and a great platform for online advertising.
However, make sure that the business page on social media is reflective of your company, that you offer accurate contact information, and that you constantly check your channels in the event that customers use them for customer service.
Your social media handles should also feature relevant content, customer testimonials, online reviews of past customers, and video marketing for excellent results.
4. Email Marketing
Ask your clients whether they would like to be included in an email list for your company so that they may receive information about upcoming sales and other new products and services.
Always get the customer’s consent before adding their email address to a list before doing so. If you begin sending consumers emails without first obtaining their consent, those customers may report your company’s emails as spam, which may impede your capacity to send emails to additional customers in the future.
Depending on the number of individuals you are emailing and the frequency of your communications, you can utilize one of a number of free email marketing platforms.
For instance, using MailChimp, you can enroll up to 2,000 people at no cost and send 12,000 emails each month without incurring any additional fees.
Utilize the email marketing strategy to:
- Send an email of welcome to newly acquired consumers.
- Share information about the newly introduced services.
- Blogs and other forms of content marketing should be shared.
5. Pay Per Click Advertising and Google Ads
Especially in the early stages of your company’s existence, pay-per-click advertising is an excellent method for spreading the word about your shop.
It is one of the most effective forms of advertising that is currently available because, as the name suggests, you do not pay for it unless people click on your advertisements.
To use pay-per-click advertising, you must first create an advertisement and then direct it toward a particular demographic or type of search term.
You are charged for the conversion when the user clicks over to your page, whether it be your website or a landing page. You can run pay-per-click advertisements on search engines like Google, on social media websites like Facebook, or through pay-per-click ad networks, in which your advertisements will be displayed on a number of different websites.
Let’s consider the case of Volkswagen dealerships to illustrate how a successful PPC campaign can be implemented. Volkswagen dealerships, like auto repair shops, operate in a competitive space, where standing out and reaching the right customers is paramount. They regularly use PPC campaigns to increase visibility and drive targeted traffic to their websites, promoting special deals on cars, service appointments, or highlighting their unique selling propositions.
Just like a Volkswagen dealership, your auto repair shop can adopt similar strategies. For instance, you could design a PPC ad promoting your specialist services, such as ‘Volkswagen repair and servicing,’ targeting local Volkswagen owners who might need your services. As with the Volkswagen dealerships, your PPC campaign could focus on specific models, age of vehicles, or particular types of repair services. Remember to incorporate strong call-to-actions, like ‘Book your appointment now’ or ‘Contact us for a free quote’, to encourage the audience to engage with your advertisement. With a well-planned and executed PPC strategy, your auto repair shop, like a successful Volkswagen dealership, can capture potential customers’ attention, leading to increased website traffic and ultimately, more conversions.”
Conclusion
In the ever-evolving digital landscape, incorporating the right digital marketing strategies can empower your auto repair shop to reach new heights. From optimizing your website to match the changing consumer behaviors to capitalizing on the power of SEO, email marketing, and social media platforms, each step leads your business closer to sustained success. The adoption of PPC advertising, as exemplified by the Volkswagen dealership case, can further extend your reach, driving more traffic to your shop and increasing conversions.
However, just like vehicles needing regular tune-ups and servicing, your digital marketing strategies require constant adjustments and upgrades to stay in line with the dynamic market trends. Embrace these strategies, stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and trends, and you’ll ensure your auto repair shop not only survives but thrives in the digital era, guaranteeing long-term profitability and growth.”