Word of mouth and consistent endorsement from happy clients is the heart and soul of any auto repair business. People need to know you do good work. And you need to be rewarded for that good work, and make a living. Here are five easy steps that will help you improve your automotive repair shop marketing, boost your visibility outside of automotive repair circles, and net you loyal, happy customers.
1. Social Media Marketing
The equivalent to word of mouth on the internet, social media advertising and customer interaction can bring in huge numbers. You essentially have to be maintaining it all the time. Give customers incentives for joining you on social media sites, offer games and contests, and ask customers for their experiences. Updating them on new stock and special offers. This will make you more approachable, give you a chance to display your knowledge, generate engagement, marketing opportunities and build customer loyalty. People want to know that their auto repair shop can be personable and understanding of their needs.
2. Email and SMS Marketing
Auto repair shops do a lot of communication. From damage assessments and estimates to repair progress to pickups and appointments, they are always in contact with one customer or another. This cuts into the time staff members have to engage in conversation with clients, make repairs, and even grow their auto business. All of those communications can be automated using email marketing and SMS marketing. Many auto repair shops haven't yet begun to really engage these sorts of solutions, yet they can certainly be a time saver. Have notifications go out for repair estimates, or automatically send reminders for appointments. Let a customer drop their vehicle off and go about their day, then have a text message go out telling them that their vehicle is ready with a number of options after an assessment. The automotive repair shop marketing process can move smoother and free up much more time for the mechanic just by automating a few simple messages.
3. Encourage Online Reviews
If you have a good customer experience, and a high satisfaction rate, you should consider encouraging customers to review you on various websites. This will allow you to generate a great deal of positive visibility on the internet, and will also boost your appearances in related searches. This will increase your web and foot traffic as more people hear about your fantastic, engaging customer service experience that doesn't stop when the vehicle leaves your shop. Auto repair shops can be engaging and friendly, even offering basic advice like when is the best time for oil changes and inspections, and reminders to book ahead. Online reviews of your services before, during and after the repairs will definitely help generate return customers and will attract new ones.
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For more ideas on how to boost your automotive repair shop marketing success, check out our other automotive blogs.
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