As an owner and manager of an auto shop, you have three critical marketing goals—attracting customers, retaining those customers, and recruiting the best mechanics in your area. That's why you need a reliable digital marketing campaign that never stops working for you.
Your first step is to identify your target markets. Next, you have to choose the right marketing avenues to reach and convert those markets.
Auto repair digital marketing makes it possible to achieve outcomes without burning a hole in your marketing wallet.
Let's take a closer look at three digital strategies you can use to grow your business.
1. Google Digital Marketing for Auto Repair Services
Marketing budgets dry up fast when they're not focused on the right avenues.
Initial questions to ask include:
- Which digital platforms does my target customer base use to find auto shops in their area?
- Which platforms do local mechanics use to find auto shop jobs?
Auto shops should focus the majority of their marketing efforts on local avenues, the first being Google. Searches that end with the phrase "near me" have skyrocketed by roughly 150%, proving that the search engine giant is the perfect place to start your digital marketing campaign.
2. Create a Google My Business Listing for Your Auto Repair Shop
Even better, you can start a Google marketing campaign for free with My Business listings. Google business listings let auto shops dominate the first page of their exact name search.
Google My Business listings show the following information:
- Phone number
- Location(s)
- Hours of operations (including holiday hours)
- Google reviews (with stars)
- Photos and videos
- Google street view
- Business blurbs
- Company website
You'll need a business address and phone number to generate a My Business listing. Once approved, you'll notice a large generated knowledge card. You don't have to worry about your auto shop getting lost in the shuffle of local search results.
3. Auto Repair Google Ads
After completing your Google My Business listing, start brainstorming your Google Ads campaign. Google has a few ad platform choices, but the best option for auto shops is the search ad option. This service was originally called "Adwords."
Google ads are also one of the most affordable digital marketing strategies. It's built for small businesses to compete online.
Plus, its pay-per-click (PPC) model means you only pay each time a Google user engages with your ad. You only pay for impressions, clicks, and clicks to conversions (sales.)
You can easily plan your Google budget ahead of time. Auto shop advertisers bid on search phrases, also known as keywords. It's the same keyword concept as regular organic SEO, except you're competing with other shops for those keywords.
Some keyword bids are more expensive than others, depending on the competition ranking. You can also automate your budget strategy so that you're only spending money on the right keywords at the most opportune schedule times.
Supercharge Your Auto Repair Digital Marketing
It's time to establish your auto shop as a reliable (and high-quality) service in the community.
Start investing your marketing budget in the right digital marketing avenues!
Keep this guide handy as you explore your options. Take a look at the blog for more tips and tricks, or contact AA shop marketing to get started on your strategy right away.