Professionalism, innovation and strong marketing practice are the pillars of some of the most successful companies in the world. The product or service alone can only drive so much business if there is no strategy in place to showcase it to your customers.
The two most widely-used marketing strategies nowadays involve social media posts and ads. These can be very effective if you optimize them, but there are many other marketing practices that will help drive business success. These 3 auto service marketing strategies can all help you get your brand out there, bring more customers in, and ensure they keep coming back.
1. Ask for Customer Reviews
You can talk about how great your own business is as much as you want, but it can come across as biased at times. Meanwhile, customers are typically loyal to a specific company they have already done business with previously. So, when people are looking to branch out from their regular routine, they usually turn to online customer reviews first. And since it is estimated that most customers make up their mind about a company after reading fewer than six reviews, they have become one of the most trusted forms of marketing.
Admittedly, the hardest part of this is actually getting your customers to take the time out of their busy schedules to review you on Facebook, Yelp, Google, etc. While it may take them just a couple minutes to actually write a review, they’ll put it off indefinitely if they’re not reminded or asked to do so.
An easy way to ask them to review your business is to send them a quick reminder email after their service is completed with a link to where they should go to review your business. In addition to sending an email, verbally asking them to write one when they’re checking out and having a section on their invoice/receipt as a reminder will increase your chances. Some companies even incentivise leaving good customer reviews by offering a discount or coupon. Though this practice is against the terms of service for most social media platforms and punishments can be harsh for serial abusers.
2. Create a Blog
For a newly established auto repair shop, it can be challenging to establish yourself as a credible and knowledgeable business. It doesn’t matter how long you have been working in the industry, establishing trust with new customers is hard.
An easy way to show your expertise and showcase your business as a thought leader is through a blog. Put out interesting content that will help your clients deal with frequently asked questions, common fixes, or other issues that are interesting to them.
For example, rather than simply telling them that maintenance is important, you can show them how a well-maintained car will save them money if they get in an accident. This will help them see that you are an expert in the industry and have an eye out for their best interests. This builds their trust in you and will encourage them to come to your shop, and not your competitors.
3. Have Engaging Loyalty Programs
At first glance, loyalty programs are meant to ensure that your existing customers keep coming back. However, they are also important when it comes to bringing in new customers! A loyalty program that provides discounts, promotions, and special offers is highly enticing for prospect customers. Especially since auto repair can get expensive.
Having a loyalty program also shows that you are genuinely interested in building a long-term relationship with your customers. This can help to gain their trust and keep them coming back.
These automotive marketing strategies can be very effective in bringing in new customers and having a tool like BayIQ, designed specifically for the auto industry, can streamline and simplify these marketing efforts. See how BayIQ can help your business by requesting a demo.
