5 Marketing Strategies to Bring in More Customers to Your Auto Repair Shop

Marketing can feel like a broad task. Though important for any small business, it can be hard to determine where your time and money is best invested. With that said, these 5 marketing strategies have been proven successful and are a great way to bring in more customers to your auto repair shop. 

1. Leverage Social Media

With the frequent use of social media around the world, it can be a surefire way to reach your audience. In fact, consumers are spending almost two and a half hours on social media every day. But where do you start? 

While a case can certainly be made to be on multiple platforms, it isn’t necessary. Instead, consider leveraging the best chance you have to reach your audience. In this case, it’s Meta (formerly Facebook). Here are some best practices. 

• Post Consistently- It’s been determined that businesses should publish posts at least once per day to fully leverage the power of Facebook. However, post too much (2 or more times per day) or too little (1 or 2 posts a week) and your engagement can drastically decrease. 
• Be Creative- Vary your posts so that they are always different and interesting. They can include any topic related to cars, driving, or even events in the local community. Share advice for how to keep a car in great condition, information about your staff, and even include special offers from time to time.
• Responses- Set time aside each day to respond to messages including private messages, comments on posts, or reviews. This is a great way to boost engagement which can both help your shop appear more and show potential customers that you care. 

2. Solicit Reviews

Soliciting reviews is one of the best ways to bring in more customers to your auto repair shop. 72% of customers use Google reviews to find a new business, and more 90% read reviews before making a purchase. Other benefits of soliciting reviews include:

• Getting found online- Higher ratings also give a little boost to SEO which can help your shop appear at the top of the Google review pages and improve overall web presence.
• Gain credibility- More than half of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation from family and friends. 
• Gain feedback- What is your business doing well and what areas could be improved upon? For better or worse, online reviews let you know how you’re doing in the eyes of your customer.

It’s also important that your reviews are tied into your website and other digital tools so you can maximize the benefits. AutoVitals, a digital solution for auto repair shops, offers this functionality and can help to automate review solicitations helping to streamline the process. 

3. Uplevel Your Website

Oftentimes, a website is the first impression that customers will have of your auto repair shop. And, it matters as  38% of people will stop interacting with a poorly-designed page. Consider some of these tips to leverage your website.

• Make it mobile-friendly- Most people search from their phones, so you need a responsive design that will work on mobile.
• Use SEO best practices- Know what your customers are searching for and integrate those keywords into your website.
• Have an email opt-in- Entice website visitors to submit their email as this is still one of the most effective marketing strategies generating the highest ROI than any other.
• Don’t forget content marketing- Update your site frequently with new, engaging, actionable content through blogs and videos. This has been shown to triple the leads (or potential customers) over outbound marketing but costs less than half.
• Improve your lighthouse scores (LHS)- A website’s LHS is based on a Google performance test and considers SEO, performance, and consumer accessibility. 

4. Send Text and Email Reminders

Make it easier and more convenient for costumers by sending text and email reminders about the need for service or any upcoming appointments. Not only is this a great way to stay top of mind, but it’s also nearly guaranteed that your customers will see your message as the open rate of SMS text marketing is 98%. Both text and email reminders are preferred over calls and voicemails. 

Moreover, this should be part of an overall strategy for 'deferred work'. It provides a reminder for the consumer. Consider the DVI/CRM connection offered by AutoVitals, which helps to automate the process. 

5. Leverage Software

Automating your processes with software not only streamlines your efforts–ensuring every customer gets the same experience–but also alleviates the burden of mundane daily tasks for you.

AutoVitals is a software for auto repair shops. With solutions for inspections, workflow management, websites, and CRMs, we help you take your marketing to the next level without monopolizing your time. Our goal is to streamline and automate your marketing efforts so you can bring in more customers to your auto repair shop without lifting a finger.