If you have started building your marketing strategy, you should experiment with the idea of starting an automotive blog. Recent studies have shown that 61 percent of US customers decide to purchase a product or service based on a blog post, opening the door for potential growth opportunities. If you are struggling to kick off your automotive repair blog, here are some topics to help get you started:
1. Seasonal Car Care Tips and Tricks
As an automotive repair pro, you are already aware of the fact that not all drivers know how to properly take care of their vehicles. This gives you the perfect opportunity to reach out to your existing and targeted customers with some tips and tricks. As an industry expert, providing tips on car care comes naturally to you. Just log on to your computer and start writing these tips into a blog post. Potential tips can include:
- Driving habits that waste gas mileage
- Turn off the air conditioner before turning off a vehicle
- Pre-checks before a journey - Don’t forget to add that your shop can help with this service.
- Check tire pressure and fill up
By encouraging these seasonal car care actions, you can lead your customers to set an appointment with you for inspections and regular maintenance.
2. Benefits of Regular Maintenance
Auto owners are focused on extending the life of their vehicle. The best way to ensure the longevity of their car is to stay on top of regular service and maintenance. Basic services include the following:
- Tire checks
- Oil check and change (the frequency of change depends on the age, make, model, and mileage)
- Engine and cabin air filter change
- Brake inspection and replacement (if required)
- Replacing timing belt
Utilizing blogs around factory scheduled maintenance can encourage your customers to opt into smaller maintenance repairs over time rather than expensive total overhauls.
3. New Equipment and Products Available For Customers
An average customer cannot tell the difference between two products for their vehicle. Therefore, as an expert, you can help guide customers to purchase the best brands and parts for their car. Put pen to paper and spread your useful knowledge with your customers. This can include:
- Best tires for the winter season
- Best car battery brands
- Best motor oil
- New alignment machine
- New mount & balance machine
- New computer diagnostic machine
This reinforces that you and your team are always looking to improve their services.
4. Staff/Associate Spotlights
Building a brand name and customer trust is an exceptionally difficult task, especially in the automotive repair industry. According to AAA, most people do not trust their mechanics. One way your team can address this is writing about your shop values and by humanizing your team through employee spotlights. Both serve as an opportunity to promote your shop and team as an honest and experienced leader in the market. Here are some things you can callout:
- How and when your shop started
- The values and work ethics you demand from yourself and your employees
- Certifications and licenses
- Experience and specialty
5. Upcoming Special Events
Getting involved with your community is a major factor when it comes to driving new customers through the doors. By sponsoring and featuring upcoming local events in your community, you can stay relevant and in the eyes of your customer base. Some of the events you can showcase include:
- Marketing events - preferred customer sales and car care clinics
- Car shows
- Service special - factory rebates and special service offers
- Community fairs
6. DIY Blog
This one is an educational piece that enables your customers to learn some technical tasks that they can do themselves. Write user-friendly blogs with pictures depicting how to complete certain tasks such as:
- Every tool a car needs before a breakdown - cell phone, jack, tire iron, spare tire, jumper cables, caution triangles, water, comfortable shoes
- How to check your tire pressure - tire pressure check device
- How to change a tire
- How to jumpstart your car
BayIQ: Your Solution to Optimize Your Marketing Strategy
A well-rounded blog strategy can help your automotive repair shop business assuming you are releasing consistent, educational material. That said, a blog is only one aspect of a comprehensive automotive marketing strategy.
BayIQ is an automated marketing software made by and for automotive industry experts. With BayIQ you can automatically send service reminders, create a loyalty program, solicit reviews to be posted on social media, and even curate informative reports with their fully integrated point-of-sale system.
Whether you are trying to attract new customers or cultivate lasting relationships with your existing customers, BayIQ can help you curate a blog that will drive traffic to your shop.
