Most of the time, when you think of using digital marketing for your car dealership, you’re not thinking about your auto repair shop.
Whether you call it the service center, a body shop, a collision center, or an auto repair shop, it can be the one area of your business that feels left out of your marketing strategy, but it should be a larger priority than it has been.
Why Should the Repair Center be a Priority in your Digital Marketing?
There’s no denying the fact that selling cars is the “big ticket” part of your dealership. Every car you sell represents thousands of dollars worth of income for your dealership. That being said, your customers are going to make more use of your auto repair shop than the sales area. From a pure volume and relationship perspective, you need to add your service center to your marketing efforts.
Why Are Customers Going to See the Service Center More Often?
When a customer drives away in a new or used vehicle that you’ve sold them, they have to bring it somewhere for service. Most people don’t perform their own maintenance and will need a place to go where they can have services performed. If you add your auto repair shop to the digital marketing efforts, you’re going to reach customers when they need to use the services offered.
How Can You Use Online Marketing for Your Auto Repair Shop?
No matter what you call the service center, you want to stay in the front of your customer’s minds when it’s time for them to have their vehicles serviced. Let’s look at some of the best ways to connect with these customers regularly.
Email Marketing
Send regular emails at various intervals based on estimated driving habits and mileage markets. You need to create a variety of emails that pertain to different segments of your audience. Identify customers that drive trucks, sedans, luxury cars, sports cars, etc., and create emails that are right for them. These emails should have value messages and service reminders to let them know you’re trying to offer savings to customers and remind them about the upcoming service that is necessary for their vehicle.
Offer Special Deals Via Text Messages
Start with an opt-in message to let your customers decide if they want to receive text messages from you and then add value to their experience. You want these customers to visit your auto repair shop and you can do it with some of these incentives:
• Free service with the purchase of another service
• Discounted services when services are bundled
• Dollar amount discount for necessary services
• Percentage discounts•Seasonal specials
Create Videos for Your Customers
Ask your service center team to create some videos that explain some of the simple services that are performed. If you don’t want to offer how-to videos, offer why videos. This could be why it’s important to change your oil, have your A/C checked, rotate your tires, service your transmission, etc. These videos give your customers information and you can invite them to see your team at the end of each video.
Create a Referral Program
Offer your current customers benefits for referring their friends and family to utilize your auto repair shop for the services offered. This program could amount to money off of the next service, a free oil change, or items that you give to the person who started the referral. Friends often trust friends and will go where suggested to go for the services they need for their vehicles.
Use Your Dealership Social Media Accounts
The videos you create with your body shop team can be put on your website and they can be used in your social media to educate your audience. Add some other ideas to the mix to help your customers care for their vehicle the right way. Your social media doesn’t only need to be about sales, but it can be about the services you offer as well.
Let Your Auto Repair Shop Shine with Online Marketing
The benefit of selling cars is hard to argue with, but when your customers see your service center team for required maintenance and service, you’re going to have customers that come back for vehicles every time they need one. Ensure you’re adding online marketing efforts to your strategy that are specific to the service team. You’ll be amazed by the return you receive and the amount of attention this type of marketing can bring to your dealership.
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