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Marketing your auto repair shop on social media - reach new automotive customers.

Photo by Kenny Eliason On Unsplash

The auto repair industry has seen big shifts over the past few decades. Technology evolves, as customers become more tech savvy. The online marketplace dominates. The strategies needed for marketing your auto repair shop have also had to adapt. How do you get the wheels turning to effectively market in this combative landscape?

At You Net Results, we have coached and guided auto repair shop owners just like you to success. This blog will shed light on some effective marketing strategies. These will work for  your auto shop, so read on.

1. Marketing Your Auto Repair Shop – Understand Your Target Audience

Before you jump in and try any marketing strategy, you first need to understand who your customers are. Are they millennials who are looking for quick fixes? Or are they families needing regular repairs? When you know who your target audience is, then you can create a message that speaks directly to them.

2. Strengthen Your Online Presence

This is the digital era. For any business, having a robust online presence is no longer just optional. Marketing on the Internet always involves a two pronged strategy:

  • Website Optimization: Ensure that your website is both user friendly and optimized for mobile devices. Pack your site with valuable auto repair tips. Use industry specific keywords naturally in order to improve your search engine ranking.
  • Social Media Engagement: You need to create pages for your shop on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). Post regularly about your services and promotions, as well as customer testimonials. Engaging visual content can work wonders for you here.

3. Offer Promotions and Loyalty Programs

Promotions work great for attracting new customers. Loyalty programs, on the other hand, retain existing ones. Offer customers discounts for referrals. Setting up a points based system where your loyal customers can earn rewards is also a great idea.

4. Seek Reviews and Testimonials

Positive reviews on platforms like Google My Business, Yelp, and even your own website can really boost your credibility. Remind your satisfied customers to leave you a review online. Just make sure you always address negative feedback both promptly and professionally.

5. Marketing Your Auto Repair Shop by Hosting Workshops or Webinars on Zoom

Knowledge is a powerful marketing tool, so why not invite your valued clients to in person workshops or online webinars via Zoom? Share your expertise about basic car maintenance, understanding car parts, and safe driving tips. This will position your auto shop as a thought leader in the industry. You can educate your audience, all the while also building trust with them.

6. Local Advertising and Community Involvement

Never, ever count out the timeless power of local ads! Posting billboards, recording local radio ads, or sponsoring a community event can reinforce your presence in your area. The act of growing goodwill in your community is never a bad thing!

7. Network with Related Businesses

Why not forge partnerships with businesses similar to yours? When you work together with car dealers, car washes, or even gas stations, the cross promotional opportunities can be huge. There is likely a local business owners group in your area you can join, if you do not already have strong bonds with other owners.

8. Set Up A Referral Program

Word of mouth is still one of the most potent forms of marketing going. You must give your current customers a reason to refer their family and friends. A simple discount or a free service can be tempting to anyone you offer it to.

9. Stay Updated with Industry Trends

The auto repair industry evolves, just like all others. Staying on top of trends, tools, and technology positions your shop as both innovative and up to date. Plus, adopting the latest techniques in your services can serve as a unique selling point.

10. Measure, Analyze, Repeat – Marketing Your Auto Repair Shop

Lastly, you should always track how effective your marketing strategies are. Use free tools such as Google Analytics in order to understand your website traffic. Meta Insights gauge your shop’s social media engagement on Facebook and Instagram. When you carefully study that data, you can then tweak your strategies in order to get better results.

Marketing Your Auto Repair Shop – What’s Next? 

Marketing your auto repair shop effectively is not just about drawing in a crowd. It is also about building trust and displaying your skills. Most importantly, though, it means more repeat business for your shop. As the old the saying goes, it is not just about working hard. It is also about working smart. Effectively marketing your auto repair shop requires mixing both traditional and modern strategies. It is all about knowing your audience, while positioning your shop’s brand. Only then can you provide your customers a genuine repair value.

Have you ever found yourself at a fork in the road? Perhaps you were not sure how to market for your auto repair shop? Just remember that our expert help is just a click away, anytime. We are here to guide you every step of the way.

You Net Results Is Here For You!

Contact You Net Results today, so we can help you start the process. Book a free consultation. Brian Gillis and his team will help you create the best marketing strategy for your auto repair business. When you build up trust and showcase your skills, you will ensure repeat calls. Let’s work together and make this the absolute best month of your business life!

How can your auto repair service advisor sell more jobs? Brian and You Net Results members discuss a method to help automotive service advisors sharpen their phone skills and sell more repair jobs. One of the cornerstone teachings we stress is PARP: Prepare, Audit, Rehearse, Present.

Want to Sell More Repair Jobs? Learn From Tom Brady and Metallica (Really)

You can sell more repair jobs when you work as a well oiled teamDuring the off season, as well as between games, NFL football superstar Tom Brady still trains and reviews game film. He is not required to, but he knows he has to in order to be the best. This is why Brady is a household name.
Metallica is one of the biggest arena rock bands in the world, but they don’t just step on stage cold. They put in thousands of hours when they rehearse and write. They employ a crew of over 100 roadies, sound engineers, and lighting technicians, who also have to test everything over and over to make sure the show goes smoothly. Not to mention the pyrotechnics crew who ensure all of the fireworks, fire, and explosions are done safely and up to code.
Your auto repair staff is just like a group of star athletes and musicians. If your team wants to win big and sell more repair jobs, then they have to put in the time. This means writing phone and in-person scripts and role playing them repeatedly, until they can present them in their sleep! Soon, you will have more happy customers and more money in the bank. Practice makes perfect!

Ready For The Next Step? Book Your FREE Strategy Session!

Brian Gillis - You Net ResultsYour auto repair shop lacks direction. Maybe your shop’s business plan has stalled out, and you aren’t meeting your goals. You need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with You Net Results guide Brian Gillis? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!

People in Overdrive

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We discussed the Hexagon and the 6 triangles that make up the Hexagon, specifically focused on the People Process today.  We formed the top three gears that will drive that process forward.  We also spent some time specifically discussing recruiting technicians.
  1. Recruiting and Retention
  2. Ongoing meeting (STS, SMS, SBS, SPS) along with ongoing skills training.
  3. Incentives and Pay Plans.

People Process

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SOP Formation and Review

WOIT Discussion and Notes Formation and Review

Today’s Agenda Topic

Creating an Onboarding Process for New Hires (SOP-617)

To create a comprehensive onboarding process for new hires, so they will feel part of our team, while retention and productivity improves. There is nothing like knowing all the ins and outs of the new position.

Downloads

Powerpoint PDF

 

What Are YOUTOOLS?

Auto Repair Shop owners getting hyped about Automotive Processes and Systems

Photo from the June 2021 Automotive Training Conference

Do you agree with these FOUR statements about Automotive Processes and Systems?

  1. Automotive Processes and Systems run your business, whether they are written or unwritten.
    __Yes__No
  2. Your People run the Processes and Systems.
    __Yes __No
  3. Making your business process and systems dependent, rather than people dependent, is the major objective of the Manager
    __Yes __No
  4. Your Daily Operations Silver Bullets do not exist.
    __Yes __No

At You Net Results we utilize what we like to call “YOUTOOLS.” They are a set of automotive business tools that can help you manage your business better as you grow it.

Online and In-Person Training

Throughout COVID, we have been meeting together online. We review processes and systems that help businesses operate smoothly and thrive. We have all gone through many changes during the pandemic. Online learning has helped our businesses pivot and grow during these challenging times.

In June 2021, our 360 Full Circle Group met in Atlanta, GA, in order to share our auto repair businesses’ methods. Look at all of those smiling faces in the photo above after we saw each other in person, shared hugs, and broke bread together. What a great event!

We see such great success among the auto repair shops we coach at You Net Results! Because of that, we are, of course, continuing our online and in-person educational programs.

Now, let’s look at the answers to the questions asked above about automotive processes.

Yes, processes and systems help run your business. However, they are clearer and easier to reproduce when you write down those Standard Operating Procedures down. Congratulations if you have all of your processes documented. However, you are in trouble if they are stuck on a shelf in a three-ring binder collecting dust. They need to be living, breathing, updated SOPs in order to work effectively.

Yes, your people run the processes and systems. But the question remains, are they doing it correctly? If you’re not sure, take a look at what your customers say about your business — both good and bad. Can you identify what must be improved? Can you determine if anyone within your team is sabotaging your systems and processes? If yes, then we can help you determine how to regain control.

Yes, the Manager’s main objective is to make your business process and systems dependent, instead of people dependent. If you focus on the systems and processes, then your business is more scalable. Imagine if McDonald’s could only run if one specific person were present. Would the restaurant be able to stay open as long as needed if it was entirely people-dependent? We think not. Because of well-documented systems and processes, McDonald’s has evolved into a multi-billion dollar, worldwide operation.

Yes, your Daily Operations Silver Bullets do not exist. You simply cannot write down your daily operations once expecting them to hold for a decade. Things change. Systems change, software changes, people change. It is crucial to treat your Standard Operating Procedures as living, breathing entities. “Silver Bullets” imply “one and done”, or “set it and forget it”. If you want your business to be successful, then that’s just not the case.

Take the YOUTOOLS Automotive Processes Journey with Brian Gillis

At You Net Results, we host coaching groups just for auto repair shop owners. Together, we can all reach our own turnaround points. You will move from a business owner to a confident business leader. Then, and only then, you can eliminate everything that is holding you back.

Are you ready? Let’s do this!

Don’t keep hiding in the weeds! Let’s Maximize our Daily Operations.

To find out more, contact us for a complimentary consultation. Brian Gillis will discuss your business strategies, and then find ways to improve both your annual revenue and company culture.

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