As we’re preparing for Q2 in 2023, now is the perfect time to try some new auto repair marketing ideas for your auto repair business. If you’ve been wondering how to get more auto repair leads, we’ve got a ton of things you can try—and it all begins with your auto repair website design.
It’s important to try a variety of things when it comes to auto shop marketing. Why? Because every auto shop needs auto repair leads to survive—no matter your location or how long you’ve been completing jobs for your community. Without a good flow of new auto repair leads, it becomes impossible to grow your auto repair business.
But, if you create a system that attracts new customers and delivers new auto repair leads to your business like clockwork, that’s a recipe for:
- More high-paying auto repair jobs
- Increased revenue for you and your crew
- A dependable way to grow your auto repair business
We know why auto shops need to generate auto repair leads, but how can you do it affordably and efficiently? The answer is: good auto repair marketing with good auto repair website design. If you’ve ever wondered how to get more auto repair leads, follow the steps below—and consider working with an auto shop marketing agency to grow your auto repair business!
1. Get More Auto Repair Leads Through Your Website
If you don’t yet have a website, one of the best things you can do for your business is to create one. A website acts as your business’s online storefront—it’s the cornerstone of your online presence and gives potential customers a place to:
- Learn more about your auto repair business
- Read about the auto repair services you provide
- See your service area
- Get in touch with you about auto repair jobs
- Become a quality auto repair lead for your business
Without an auto repair website and professional auto repair website design, how are your potential customers going to find your business on Google? How will they know where to contact you? They won’t.
Without a website, your business might as well not exist at all. An auto shop marketing agency can help you get set up.
Fill out the form below to get a free quote on professional auto repair website design.
2. Use Pay-Per-Click (PPC) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
A good PPC and SEM campaign is one of the top auto repair marketing ideas that’s been proven time and again to generate quality auto repair leads and grow your auto repair business. So, if you’ve been wondering how to get more auto repair leads, give this a shot!
While Google is the most popular search engine for these types of campaigns, thanks to its widespread popularity, don’t sleep on Bing. PPC and SEM are great ways to bring in auto repair leads.
Still on the fence? Check out these stats:
- For every $1 spent in Google Ads, businesses make an average of $2.
- About 41% of clicks on a search results page go to one of the top 3 paid ads.
- More than 85% of people use the internet to find local auto shops.
- Visitors who come to your website via PPC or SEM are 50% more likely to make a purchase.
Sounds good, right? Reach out to us to learn more about how we can help you create a powerful PPC and SEM campaign that will help you with auto repair lead generation. An auto shop marketing agency can also set you up with a professional auto repair website design and share other auto repair marketing strategies.
3. Always Use Local SEO to Generate Auto Repair Leads
Auto repair search engine optimization (SEO for auto shops) is still king in auto repair digital marketing, which is why SEO for auto shops is so popular. Auto repair SEO is what moves your auto repair business to the top of page 1 on Google and keeps it there. If your campaign is robust enough, auto repair SEO alone can generate the majority of your auto repair leads (but we still recommend reading the rest of these auto repair marketing strategies)!
A good first step is setting up your Google My Business account. From there, you can advance to backlinking and content marketing.
It’s always a good idea to work with an auto shop marketing agency and let an expert in SEO for auto shops get you up and running.
Fill out the form below to get a free quote on auto repair SEO!
4. Get More Auto Repair Leads Through Facebook + Instagram
Still wondering how to get more auto repair leads? Auto repair digital marketing on Facebook and Instagram can be a cost-effective method for auto repair marketing, provided you put the right strategy in place and know how to navigate the ad builders on these platforms.
You can target your ideal auto repair customers by their location and other pages they’ve liked—such as your competitors’ pages.
Displaying ads to this audience has the added benefit of creating and boosting awareness of your business. If people see your logo and your ads all over the place, they’re more likely to remember you when they need an auto shop in the future. If you’ve been wanting to try auto repair digital marketing, this is definitely one of the auto repair marketing strategies worth trying.
Paired with auto repair search engine optimization and professional auto repair website design, this is a powerful way to grow your auto repair business. An auto repair marketing agency can get you set up.
5. Create an Auto Repair Facebook Group
Having a dedicated Facebook business page for your auto shop is a must, but creating a group page for your business is an idea, too. Post helpful content (maybe something you wrote for content marketing!) and interact with group members to start building trust and brand awareness in your audience. Down the road, that trust could turn into auto repair leads and help grow your auto repair business.
6. Content Marketing = Auto Repair Marketing
Creating content for your ideal customers is a great way to get more auto repair leads. Consider writing blog posts and articles that you can post on your auto repair website, and make it easy for your audience to share that content on social media.
Here are some topic ideas:
- Car Maintenance Tips for Winter
- Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Your Warning Lights
- Car Maintenance and Service Checklist
As you write these articles, plug your auto repair services. Suggest that readers use an auto shop they can trust to do the job correctly the first time, and—if you’re affiliated with any auto repair brands—talk them up!
7. Create Helpful YouTube Videos About Auto Repair
YouTube is a popular platform, so why not use it to your advantage? Make an account (it’s free!) and start posting helpful auto repair videos. The videos can document your day-to-day activities, follow a job from start to finish, or illustrate how to properly repair something. These videos will build your credibility as an auto shop and make it easier for viewers to see that you know what you’re doing and build trust.
In the video description, include your contact information and a link to your auto repair website so they can learn more.
8. Email Marketing = Auto Repair Marketing, Too!
Email marketing is one of the oldest forms of auto repair digital marketing, and there’s a reason it’s stuck around so long: it works. For every dollar you spend on email marketing for your auto repair business, you’ll make (on average) a $40 return on your investment.
Because most auto repair businesses overlook the benefits of email marketing, it’s a great lead generation option for your business. For instance, businesses that stay in touch with their ideal customers via email generate 50% more sales-ready auto repair leads and spend 33% less money on making sales.
9. Get Auto Repair Advertising Ideas From Your Chamber of Commerce
If you haven’t already joined your local chamber of commerce, attend their next meeting and start networking with other local business owners. In particular, try to connect with dealership owners and other mechanics—they’re likely to send more auto repair leads your way!
10. Reputation Management Affects Your Auto Repair Business
Did you know 85% of people search online to find local auto shops? Those same people are also researching your reputation—what are your past customers saying about the quality of your work? Were your prices fair? Did you show up on time and do what you said you were going to do?
Offline, you can use word-of-mouth to your advantage. Ask your satisfied customers if they can think of any neighbors, friends, family, or acquaintances who might need your auto repair services. Give them plenty of business cards to pass around, and ask if you can put a temporary sign in their yard with your business name and phone number.
Online, list your auto repair business on review websites and ask your happy customers to leave a review on Google. Doing so makes it more likely that you’ll get more auto repair leads.
11. Ad Retargeting Is a Fresh Auto Repair Advertising Idea
Have you ever searched for a product online then noticed ads for it following you around the internet? That’s retargeting, and you can do it to help grow your auto repair business.
Retargeting is a great way to keep your auto repair business and auto repair website in front of potential customers who have already shown interest by visiting your website. This is one auto repair business marketing idea well worth trying, especially if you’re already getting good traffic to your auto repair website. Throw in some SEO for auto shops for an extra visibility boost!
12. Make Your Auto Repair Advertising Stand Out With a Unique Selling Point
If you want to stand out from your local competitors, your auto repair marketing needs a unique selling point. That could be your level of service, your experience in the industry, your competitive prices, your reputation, your employees, your guarantees—anything that sets you apart. Once you’ve figured out your USP, use that selling point in your auto repair advertising!
If you’re not sure where to start, take a look at how your competitors are generating auto repair leads. What’s their USP, and how can you beat it? What would matter more to your customers and the community you serve? Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Competitive prices
- Specialized services
- Guarantees
- Level of service
Can you think of something else that’s unique to your business? Maybe your origin story or how you got started? Use it!
13. Use Google’s Local Service Ads to Get More Auto Repair Leads
Google’s Local Services ads are a type of pay-per-lead ad, and they appear at the top of the search results page. These ads get about 13.8% of clicks—that means if 50 people in your area search for auto shops, at least 7 of them will click one of those ads and turn into an auto repair lead.
How much more money would you make per month with 7 more auto repair jobs? For an extra boost, consider investing in auto repair digital marketing, then use auto repair SEO and a professional auto repair website design to hook your potential customers.
14. Co-Market With a Relevant Business
Co-marketing means you’re teaming up with another business to share lead generation opportunities. For example, you might want to partner up with a dealership or complementary service provider and offer a discount to customers who use both of your services. In the end, this kind of combined marketing can help grow your auto repair business since you’re both working to generate new auto repair leads.
15. Send Out Direct Mailers to Get More Auto Repair Leads
Here’s another auto repair marketing idea that’s stood the test of time: direct mailers. Compared to the chaos that is most email inboxes today, old-school mailboxes are seeing a lot less action, which means your letter or postcard is much more likely to be seen and read by potential customers.
According to the Direct Marketing Association, direct mail has an average cost per lead of $51.40 for a general mailing list and $54.10 for postcards. Compare that to what you’re paying on average for auto repair leads from other sources to determine if this is a viable solution for you.
16. Canvass the Area to Generate Auto Repair Leads
Canvassing an area to generate auto repair leads might seem like an old-school marketing tactic, but it can still be effective in auto repair marketing. After all, consumers are more likely to work with you when they can put a face to your business.
Follow these tips for the best results:
- Always be polite and courteous, even if you don’t get the reaction you want.
- Set a goal for each interaction: set an appointment, get their contact information, or make a sale.
- Have a script ready, so you’re better prepared.
- Follow up with potential customers after getting their info.
When you’re prepared for a constructive interaction, you’re much more likely to get a favorable result. In this case, that’s new auto repair leads!
17. Increase Referrals to Get More Auto Repair Leads
Referrals are a great way to capitalize on word-of-mouth marketing. Offer your existing customers an incentive to refer their friends, families and neighbors to your auto repair business, and give them a discount in return. Since people are far more likely to use a business that a friend recommends to them, this is one of the auto repair business marketing strategies you shouldn’t pass up.
18. Take Pictures of Completed Jobs
A picture can say a thousand words, so make sure you’re taking before and after photos of every auto repair job you take on. It’s a great way to show the quality of your work, and it gives you great content to post on your auto repair website and social media.
19. Hunt for Auto Repair Leads on Craigslist
Craigslist might seem like a dated suggestion, but tons of people still use it when they need to find someone for an auto repair project. Take a quick scroll through the classifieds and see if anyone is looking for an auto shop. Write down their names and numbers, then get in touch with them to discuss the project they have in mind and schedule a consultation. More often than not, people searching for auto shops on Craigslist are ready to work with you now and pay for your services.
20. Don’t Pay for Auto Repair Leads If You Don’t Need To
We’ve talked about using HomeAdvisor, Angi, Thumbtack and CraftJack for leads before, and all of them should be treated with caution. While they might deliver a lot of leads to your auto repair business, the quality of those leads often isn’t up to par. Whenever possible, you want to attract quality leads to your auto repair website that will turn into paying customers. All too often, lead generation services like HomeAdvisor and Angi just don’t deliver on quality. You’re likely to spend your time chasing down bad leads instead of talking to good ones.
A better alternative for helping grow your auto repair business is using auto repair digital marketing. Combined, auto repair search engine optimization and professional auto repair website design can increase your online visibility and win you more auto repair leads.
Sign Up With Townsquare Interactive to Maximize Your Auto Repair Advertising Budget
Website design isn’t the only element of an effective auto repair marketing campaign, but it is the most important. One of the best things you can do for your business is to make sure your website has everything it needs to continuously generate auto repair leads using the steps above.
Adding other elements to your marketing campaign, such as SEO for auto shops and reputation monitoring, can strengthen your auto repair business marketing campaign and help you to generate more auto repair leads.
The team at Townsquare Interactive specializes in creating auto repair marketing campaigns and auto repair website designs that generate auto repair leads for auto shops across the country. All of our auto repair website designs feature the elements mentioned above, and our dedicated marketing specialists and teams of experts can provide personalized suggestions for how to take your auto repair marketing campaign to the next level.
Fill out the form below to learn more about our auto repair marketing strategies and how to grow your auto repair business.