When you think of organizations to follow on Twitter, you probably follow your favorite places to eat, your local newspaper and even maybe your cable company. It is the perfect way to keep updated on the services you use, as well as have a place to communicate if needed. How many of you follow your auto repair shop? Let's go further and ask, how many auto repair shops even have a Twitter profile? Marketing for auto repair shops, especially digital marketing, is often overlooked.
The truth is that digital communication and marketing automation is perfect for any business, and that includes marketing for auto repair shops. By using Twitter marketing for auto repair shops, you instantly jump ahead of the competition because there are few doing it. Twitter is also an easy-to-use marketing tool, while not costing a lot other than the time it takes to do. Depending on how well you use automation, that time could even be cut down to almost nothing.
Since there are not that many auto repair shops tweeting, we decided to lay out how you could get started in only a few minutes. Here are a few ways in which any auto repair shop could use Twitter to build a stronger brand, attract and keep more loyal customers, and possibly even make internal processes work more efficiently. We are going to assume you have set up a Twitter profile.
In a perfect world, all of your clients follow you just because you fix their car. That won't happen. You need to offer something of value in exchange for their follow, perhaps a recurring discount for all Twitter users. You need to be personable and show yourself to be efficient and resourceful. You need to make it worth their while to join your Twitter legion.
Of course, as you will experience, there is a lot you can do that is considered second-hand exposure that even non-followers will see. It will grow your brand locally and give you a strong digital presence.
Here are 5 ways to use Twitter marketing for auto repair shops.
1. Connect with new customers
When you provide a service that everyone needs, it's all about making it clear why they should come to you and not the shop down the street. Cars will always need fixing, so push information that will interest those who are not happy with their current situation. Tweet about your extended hours, how easy it is to make an appointment, how quick your team is and basically try to take away any pain points someone may have. Even if you have free coffee, share it with your followers. A lot of these messages won't change that often, so they are perfect to automate. A solid mix of marketing automation and organic tweets will grow your reach in a hurry. Marketing for auto repair shops doesn't need to be dull; be funny, show some personality and make it clear there is not a robot on the other end. At the end of the day, it is really lead generation, so you want to make the initial connection and continue the engagement with simple Twitter nurturing tactics. Every now and then, send personalized tweets to your new followers. Not to sell, but just to further connect.
2. Stay in touch with current customers
Your work on people's cars will ultimately be the reason people continue to use your service, but it never hurts to show a little customer care. Make lives easier with automated appointment reminder tweets, saying when you are closed for holidays and tweets asking for feedback after a job is done. The more interaction you can get from current clients on Twitter, will help interest those doing the research on your auto repair shop. You can offer quotes, make it easy to schedule appointments, and even provide status reports on a current job via Twitter. More and more people use Twitter to manage their daily lives and this includes the automobile and its care. The more you do for your customers to make them happy, the more it will actually attract new customers. That is the beauty of Twitter, it is free, word-of-mouth marketing for auto repair shops that you can't put a price on.
3. Promotions
Promotions are perfect for twitter. They are instantly broadcast to the world and you can make them as funny or silly as you want. For an auto repair shop, you can easily promote the latest deal or coupon to save on any number of services. Coupons create a buzz, drive traffic to your website and helps establish you locally. Offer promotions on preventive maintenance, seasonal procedures and the benefits of keeping your car healthy. Twitter is a great place to get creative with promotions. You can tie a promo to almost anything. Back to school, car appreciation month, or any of the standard holidays where people need their car. You have all seen the popular promos of getting employee discounts, well all you have to do is use that message on Twitter and watch the flood of new clients.
4. Educate with entertainment
Successful Twitter people understand it's not about selling. You can't just sell, sell, sell. You need to offer more. Education is always a great way to go, because it shows you know your stuff and it shows you care more than money. Simply post tweets that direct readers to articles and blogs to help them understand their cars better. Link to tips about how to get the most out of a tank a gas, or when the best time to get new tires would be. Be a resource for everything related to auto repair.
5. Differentiate
Just like with any other service, people will shop around. There are few who are 100% dedicated to their auto repair shop. Price, quality, customer service and even a "cool" factor can have clients move. That is why you need to differentiate your shop from the others. Twitter is perfect for this as you can show off your personality. You can be a little less serious. You can showcase your story and give the audience a sense of what you are all about. Wow your followers. Make it clear what their current auto repair shop is not doing. Share testimonials. Retweet what your fans are saying. Have an active two-way communication on Twitter and show you truly care about your customers and future customers. More and more, it can be a simple message on Twitter that makes a person think, that is the kind of place I want to be a part of.
