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7 Local Auto Repair Marketing Ideas to Try in Your Area

man underneath the car fixing some problem
Marketing your auto repair business can be a tricky thing.

Creating an advertising plan that appeals to the right customers is something that every business in every sector wants to do. If you can do that, then you can survive in the increasingly competitive digital world. If you can't, then you're going to be treading water sooner than you think.

This is especially true for auto repair shops. There are so many in a given area that your basic digital marketing concepts might not carry as much weight. Today, we're going to give you some auto repair marketing ideas that'll be sure to put your business on the map...literally.

Success in the auto repair world depends a lot on people knowing you exist and your reputation. With this knowledge, we can help you craft the perfect marketing plan to help your business explode. Let's get started. 

1. Local SEO

If you're not familiar with search engine optimization, then you're going to be a bit behind the 8-ball. Your online presence is heavily linked to what Google sees in you. As an auto repair shop, your focus should primarily be on local SEO.

Local SEO is the use of SEO practices to appeal to searches with localized intent. If you're located in Denver and someone types in "auto repair Denver", you want your auto shop to be at the top of the search results. 

Filling out your Google My Business profile and other listings profiles, the content you put out, your backlinks, and your citations are all going to help improve your local SEO.

2. Your Listings

You'll want to fill out your Google My Business page as completely and accurately as you can because most people conduct searches on Google. Your NAP (name, address, phone number) will help place you on a map and give the searcher your contact info directly on Google or Google Maps.

While you're at it, fill out your NAP on any other pertinent listings site as well. Make sure that you provide consistent info or Google won't recognize you. Don't put your address as "123 Any Street" on Google My Business and "123 Any St." on Yelp because it's going to appear different.

You should also make sure that anytime you're mentioned in an article online, that this information is correctly listed. The more consistent citations that you've got, the higher you'll rank on the SERP.

3. Specialized Blogs

Well-curated content will help you in many ways. If you don't currently have a blog on your website, then start one as soon as possible. This is one of the most important parts of SEO because you can use key terms and phrases to provide valuable information to the public.

This will set you up as an authority in your field and you can keep your blog local so that it attracts people in your target area. Once you get readers on your blog, you can gently urge them to different areas of your website to turn them into customers.

A lot of people look for car advice online before they ever think about going to an auto repair shop. Make your blog educational and readable, then people will trust you with their cars over your competitors.

4. Targeted Ads

Everything that we've discussed so far is completely free if you do it yourself, but if you're alright with putting a bit of money into marketing, you can use targeted ads on Google and Facebook to attract customers. A well-constructed ad can help you bring customers in for a long period of time.

Targeted ads allow you to zero in on the exact customer in the exact location that you want. Things like pay-per-click ads are helpful if you're able to convert those targeted leads into actual customers.

5. Social Media

Social media is great for local businesses because it allows them to get their personality and brand across. Not many car repair shops put a special emphasis on branding, but that doesn't mean that you don't have to.

Being consistent with your posting will help you gain followers and create awareness around your business. You can post about exclusive deals on your social media accounts and give your followers a behind-the-scenes look at what your day-to-day looks like at your shop.

A good social media presence will also help with your search rankings.

6. Direct Mail

A big part of auto shop advertising in the past was direct mail marketing and it still is. Direct mail is a more personal way to go about appealing to new and returning customers. Coupled with some of the digital marketing concepts that we've discussed, a direct mail campaign can bring in loads of customers at once.

7. Customer Reviews

When a customer leaves your shop, you should always ask them to leave a review on the listings site of their choice. Having lots of good ratings and reviews will not only be good for your SEO, but you can use them to promote your business.

There are countless stats to support the use of online reviews. 90% of consumers read online reviews before they visit a business and 84% of people trust online reviews more than a recommendation from a friend.

Simply put, a good online reputation will bring more customers in and a non-existent or bad one will drive customers away. Don't ignore your customers' reviews.

Auto Repair Marketing Ideas That Work

Employ some or all of these auto repair marketing ideas and you'll notice a difference almost immediately. If you're going to get ahead of your direct competitors, you've got to be more present and more neighborhood-minded than they are. This is how you'll become the big kid on the block.

Marketing for an auto repair shop isn't all that different from many other industries. You've got to focus on branding and content to have a good online presence, but you need to offer great service as well. Use these concepts to get customers in the door and give them the best service to keep them coming back.

For help with growing your auto shop's online presence, visit AutoShop Digital's website package prices. We'll help you make and maintain a website that looks great and appeals to all the right people. 

While you're there, check out more great posts on our blog, like this one about responding to negative customer reviews.

Start growing your shop business now!

Generate significant business growth with a Managed SEO service for your auto shop from Auto Shop Digital. 

Get Started
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