Too many consumers shrug off scheduled maintenance on their vehicles. Most people avoid it because they think the services being offered are cash-grabs and not really necessary. If you own, work in, or have had any PR dealings with an automotive repair business, you already know how many problems can arise. People avoid things like getting tires rotated, winterizing, brake inspections, scheduled tune-ups, and the list goes on.
This level of apprehension actually presents a huge opportunity for your shop in the area of content marketing. You know that the services you’re offering are necessary and legit. What if there was a way to set people at ease and make them trust your judgment? Well, what if I told you that I could think of five things completely off the cuff you could be doing to accomplish that? If the prospect interests you, keep reading.
Marketing automotive services is no different than marketing anything else. You need to needle the buyer’s pain points and nurture them along every step in the buyer’s journey. Most people won’t do anything preventive with their cars. They’ll wait until a real problem arises and then act. In order to help them make more informed decisions, it is necessary to do several things.
First, you need to establish trust. Everything else hinges on this. You do that by presenting quality, authoritative content that is easy for the common person to understand. Follow that with good visibility on social media and everyplace they go online where your content is relevant and easily accessible.
I promised five ideas, so here they come. How many of these are you doing already, and how many do you need to add to your content marketing strategy beginning today?
1. Email
Not only is email still the best online marketing resource there is, but it also is easier than ever to customize the content experience. I’m not talking only about list segmentation (although that is a huge part of the equation), but also about customized delivery methods that ensure the right messaging reaches the reader at the right time.
For the moment, I’m going to zero in on current customers and those who have opted in to your list via other marketing efforts. I highly recommend using an autoresponder platform that is customizable enough to send single messages to specific readers. I further recommend developing a library of messages that can be sent automatically at the right time or interval and refreshing those messages at least once a year (more frequently for services that recur throughout the year). Emails about routine maintenance, like oil changes and snow tire change-outs, should be sent automatically based on the client’s maintenance schedule.
For those who aren’t customers already, you can use email to nurture those leads and motivate them to call or come in (take your pick of calls to action here) for service. This is accomplished by implementing some or all of the following strategies.
2. Newsletters
Keeping people apprised of the goings-on in your business is a good idea no matter what industry your business represents. They give people a closer look at your company and the work you do. They also provide the human element needed to motivate people to want to approach you when they have problems with their cars.
Newsletters can focus in on all kinds of topics and should include a variety of stories. Let people get to know your staff a little better. Alert them to events that your shop is hosting, sponsoring, or attending. It should go without saying, but any specials on maintenance services should definitely be mentioned. If you want to reach an even broader audience, you can even develop some of your newsletter content into press releases, allowing new leads to find your brand and engage with it.
3. Social Media
I won’t spend too much time here because I have so much content on the value of social media in marketing already throughout our blog. Suffice it to say that social media is a big deal and that there isn’t a single social platform that doesn’t relate to cars and automotive services. It has everything to do with how and where you present your content. I also have plenty of blog content that can help you develop that strategy, so do a little digging while you’re here.
Keep in mind that while it is possible to automate much of what you do on social media, the social aspect here is crucial. Be sure to be visible on all your channels and engage regularly with your audience. Respond to messages quickly and positively or hire a VPA to do it for you. However you choose to do it, keep your visibility high.
4. How-to Videos
YouTube is a great platform for this kind of content. You can also link to your videos within your blog and advertise them on other social media channels. How-to videos serve two purposes: to educate and to demonstrate the need for a professional touch. You want to make the process look simple but not easy. The goal is to motivate people to bring their cars in, not to DIY you out of business.
So, how does one strike that balance? The answer here is pretty simple: Let people see you performing difficult tasks while speaking on their level about what you’re doing as you go. Explain, explain, explain. The more information you offer, the more it sticks in the viewer’s head that they should schedule service. “They’re obviously way better at this than I would be…”
5. Targeted Blog Posts
Finally, you should definitely be producing blog content about routine maintenance. Do separate pieces that outline the how and the why. Do one post on how to rotate tires, then one later on about why it’s necessary, for example. That strategy can be applied to anything. Why and when do air filters need to be replaced? “Wow, I’d better check mine…” is the response you’re going for with that one. Imagine how much more effective your next post that explains how to do it will be after that!
Every time a new post is published, an email should be sent, and the content should be posted to social media. Apps like IFTTT are great for automating this part of the process (and, yes, it’s perfectly fine to automate some things).
If, after reading all that, you still need help, please contact us here at BeezContent. We work with an expert team of both in-house and freelance writers who have extensive experience writing marketing copy on a broad range of topics. We are ready and able to serve all your automotive content marketing needs. Contact us today, and let’s iron out a plan for your next content marketing campaign.
