When it comes to marketing for your auto or tire shop, many owners are often missing out on one important demographic—millennials. While some of us may be stuck in the stone age, this entire demographic isn’t - so if you want to reach them, it’s time to get acquainted with their purchase behaviors.
We want to break it down for you.
Marketing to millennials is an opportunity to set up your auto shop business for years to come. By tapping into the lifeblood of this demographic now, you have a chance to build lifelong relationships with a very powerful generation.
Who are these “milennials” we keep hearing about
The millennial generation (born in 1980-2000) are tech-savvy consumers. They’ve grown up with modern technology (mobile devices and the internet) and they have buying power. There are more than 79 million millennials in the United States—that’s more than one-third of the country’s population.
The bottom line? Marketing to millennials should mean something to you since this generation will become your shop’s dominant demographic within the next ten years. It’s critical to start earning their loyalty now.
By adjusting how you’re marketing to millennials, you can reach and retain a large customer base that, once they’re hooked, could be loyal to you until the end.
How do we reach them and get them to buy?
There are specific things to keep in mind when it comes to marketing to millennials. Here are a few tips to help you succeed.
Tip One: Make Every Experience Fast & Simple
Millennials have short attention spans. Just take a look at this stat for example:
If a website takes longer than three seconds to load, 40 percent of visitors will leave and go on to the next website.
We told you. The attention span of a fruit fly. And an extremely low tolerance for any process taking a long time. A sure way to turn off a millennial:
- A website that isn’t mobile-friendly
- Having to wait for someone to speak to
- service that takes longer than normal (or they were told it would take)
- No option to communicate via email or online
- Bad customer service
All of these are friction points that will make millennials take their business somewhere else. Millennials only know a day and age where they have the ability to get a ride, fast-food delivery or a movie with just the swipe of a finger. Their expectations are different when it comes to all processes.
Tip Two: Be Transparent
One of the keys to marketing to millennials and building loyalty is by being transparent. It can be intimidating and overwhelming trying to understand foreign terms or services like what a transmission flush is or what a rear differential is, for example. When your customers are presented with information that is transparent and straight-forward, they’ll be more receptive and trusting.
Tip Three: Provide Proof
Millennials are persuaded by their peers and lean on their social media networks and search skills to make decisions when it comes to choosing an auto shop. When you’re marketing to millennials, remember that they need proof—think proof-packed testimonials, a solid social media presence, an informative blog, or case studies to ease the worried mind of that potential millennial customer who’s faced with unlimited options.
Check out these stats:
- Eighty-four percent of Millennials say user-generated content has at least some influence on what they buy.
- Seventy-three percent of Millennials say it's important to read others' opinions before purchasing.
If a millennial isn’t educated about something, they’ll seek out someone they trust to get their recommendation. Be sure that you’re always keeping tabs on your auto shop’s online reviews and that you’re impressing customers every chance you get day in and day out.
Using these tips for marketing to millennials in your auto repair marketing game plan means more customers and customer loyalty to your shop.
References: https://www.ratchetandwrench.com/articles/4763-selling-maintenance-to-millennials, https://www.ratchetandwrench.com/articles/4759-think-like-a-millennial. https://www.ratchetandwrench.com/articles/1579-marketing-to-millennials, https://blog.csiaccounting.com/auto-shops-how-to-reach-millennials, http://www.captaincarcount.com/auto-repair-marketing/marketing-auto-repair-to-a-millennial/
https://jalopnik.com/millennials-suck-at-maintaining-their-cars-apparently-1517698213
https://www.forbes.com/sites/larissafaw/2012/11/20/does-it-matter-if-millennials-dont-know-how-cars-work/#7e9b58914d58, https://www.repairshopwebsites.com/millennials-and-your-auto-repair-shop/, http://www.captaincarcount.com/auto-repair-marketing/marketing-auto-repair-to-a-millennial/, https://www.inc.com/ryan-jenkins/the-millennial-car-buyer-and-how-to-sell-to-them.html, https://9clouds.com/blog/sell-service-to-stubborn-millenials-with-automotive-content-marketing/