The Do's and Don'ts of Marketing for Auto Repair Shops

There are more than 285,000 auto repair shops in the U.S. Do you want to help yours stand out from the competition?

If so, it's time to take a close look at your current marketing and outreach strategies. If you have a campaign up and running, are you tracking it to make sure it's delivering the return you expected? If you haven't thought much about advertising yet, what's stopping you?

Marketing for auto repair companies has evolved over the years. Now, you can reach your community, support existing customers, and appeal to new leads in new and exciting ways. As you fine-tune your approach, there are a few things you should definitely do, and a few missteps to avoid. 

Let's take a look!

Do: Perform Audience Research

Before you invest any money into marketing techniques, take the time to learn who your current customers are.

Do your auto shop services mostly appeal to local families? What about individuals?

From there, break it down even more. Take a look at the age ranges you commonly serve, as well as other demographics such as where they live, what kind of vehicles they drive, and what services they need.

Once you have those concrete facts, you can analyze more subjective information. Some of the key questions to ask as you research include:

• What are their common pain points?
• What are their shared preferences?
• What questions do they tend to ask?

There isn't a rulebook to follow when performing this research, but you do need to know who you're trying to reach. The better you understand your target audience, the easier it will be to create content that appeals to them. If you're running into roadblocks using your own data for analysis, other ways you can glean this information include:

• Client surveys (paper or digital)
• Focus groups
• Personal interviews
• Social media analysis

Once you know who your clients are and what kind of information they want, you can develop content that will pique their interest and drive engagement. 

Do: Seek to Inform

One of the easiest marketing mistakes to make it assuming that your campaigns need to be purely promotional. Yes, your clients will appreciate a discount on an oil change or a free tire rotation on their next visit. 

However, the key to keeping them coming back for more is to offer information that's not only exciting, but also relevant, helpful, and informative. Start by thinking about the different issues they may encounter, or some of the questions they might have.

Next, consider how you can leverage your industry knowledge, experience, and skills to solve those pain points. Ideas include:

• Writing educational blog posts on key topics (e.g. common car problems/solutions, maintenance or safety tips, industry trends)
• Creating short videos on how to perform simple repairs or preventative maintenance 
• Sharing infographics on social media that break down complicated auto topics into short, snappy pieces

It might take a little more time to develop content like this. However, doing so allows you to position your shop as the go-to local source of automotive knowledge and expertise. This helps you build client trust and foster long-term loyalty.

Do: Invest in Direct Mail Advertising

Once you have your content marketing strategy down, it's time to do a little outreach! While there are many marketing strategies to try, print-based services remain the go-to way to reach new clients and satisfy existing ones. 

This is especially the case with direct mail advertising. Unlike digital ads, direct mail ads are tangible. Clients can hold them in their hands, stick them on the fridge, and look at them daily. 

Then, when it's time to schedule that service, they'll know exactly who to call. 

The best part? Services like our Every Door Direct Mail option allow you to reach every home in your local market with just one campaign. Once you've narrowed down where most of your clients live, you can create a dynamic, eye-catching postcard that will land in every mailbox. 

Don't: Bombard Your Clients

The modern consumer is discerning and selective, taking their time before choosing a certain brand. This applies to everything, from the kind of groceries they buy to, yes, where they take their car to get serviced. 

This is because clients now have access to a greater number of choices than ever before. One Google search for "auto repair shop near me" will reveal a long list of local options for them to browse. While you definitely want to stand out and get noticed, you don't want to rely on overly promotional messaging or constant bombardment to grab their attention. 

Spamming their inbox with multiple messages a day is one example. This also looks like updating your social media around the clock or even contacting clients directly via phone or text. You might see a slight uptick in engagement immediately after this outreach, but you'll ultimately wind up burning out your target audience. 

Instead, focus on a brilliant design and a short, impactful message to get your point across without pestering.

Don't: Be Generic

Generic options work when you're at the supermarket and want to save a little money. They aren't as effective in advertising. Studies show that today's shoppers crave personalization, with 71% expecting companies to always deliver custom interactions. 

When designing your marketing materials, look for ways to tailor each one to meet the needs of the recipient. This might be something as simple as including their name on your direct mail postcard, for instance. 

We can help you create personalized mail designed around your specific mailing list, so it's easy to get started!

Tune Up Your Marketing for Auto Repair

Is your auto repair shop getting the traction it needs? If you want to drive more business, capture more leads, and delight your current clients, it's time to reach out in a new way. 

Our team at Taradel is experienced in marketing for auto repair, and we can help you optimize every aspect of your campaign. In addition to direct mail services, we also offer printing services, digital ads, and social media ads! Start your campaign today and let's connect!