A company newsletter is one of the best forms of advertising for auto shops. It’s a lost-cost way to keep your business top of mind for customers who are between services. With that said, sending out the same thing each month won’t necessarily do the trick. To create an effective auto shop newsletter, here are 4 must-have components.
1. Be Valuable
The first and most important thing you can do with a newsletter is to provide valuable content. Include topics that your readers would find interesting like
- How to change a tire or how to check the oil
- A list of the best snow tires
- How to get salt off your car in the winter
- Tips for avoiding rust
- Safety kits to have in your trunk
- Steps to take if you’re in an accident
While you don’t want the promotion of your shop to be the top priority, an auto shop newsletter does create a great space to include special deals or promotions. Make sure to be consistent. If customers come to expect that they will see your weekly or monthly promotions at the bottom of the newsletter, for example, make sure you include one each time.
2. Be Personal
Putting together a general newsletter is a great idea, but it is even better if you can put a personal spin on it. This doesn’t have to be complex or time-consuming. You could incorporate ideas such as
- A customer question and answer section with each issue
- Personalized greeting (which can be automated with certain software)
- A list of customer anniversaries or birthdays with a note to collect a special coupon
3. Be Engaging
Remember, your customers can get basic auto repair information with a quick search on their phone. Part of the value a newsletter provides is the ability to be engaging.
- Ask for feedback about your newsletter or shop, giving your customers a way to communicate what they want to see. Upgrading your waiting area? Ask customers what they want to see and show progressive pictures during the project.
- Show before and after pictures of your best auto repairs.
- Tell customer stories about how they found you, what went wrong with their car, and how you helped them to fix it. This connects your customers with one another, creating a sense of community around your newsletter.
- Have an employee highlight section that features one of your techs or front office staff, tells their story, and lists out their credentials. This can also make them more approachable to your customers.
4. Be Consistent
Consistency with your newsletter is key to its overall success. Send it around the same time each month and make sure to keep the same format that includes similar sections each time.
Consistency is a great way to build trust with your customers, letting them know they can count on you and expect value each time.
Expand Your Reach
Having a newsletter can be a great resource that helps to build your auto repair shop. Not only is it inexpensive, but it helps keep your business top of mind between services. This can help you retain customers and build your auto shop up as a trustworthy brand. With that said, your effort is wasted if there is no one reading it.
Enter BayIQ.
BayIQ is an automated marketing software built for auto shops that can help you build up your customer base with ease. From a built-in loyalty rewards program to text and email reminders, we help you take the customer experience to the next level and we do the heavy lifting.
An auto shop newsletter is just one component of your overall marketing strategy, let us fill in the blanks.