Five Marketing Ideas to Boost Your Fixed Operations

Ideas for Marketing to Boost Your Fixed Ops

Do you have trouble attracting new customers or keeping hold of the ones you already have? Or perhaps you want to see a significant increase this year. Then reviewing your fixed ops marketing approach is probably in order.

Numerous industries have had a difficult year. The “new normal” for fixed operations has been shaped by the need for dealership service departments to adapt to changing consumer needs.

It is difficult to stand out through effective marketing. However, your customers’ feedback from last year’s SimpSocial Dealership Retention Report did highlight some of the most successful fixed ops marketing strategies. For instance, we saw that text messaging was rapidly gaining appeal among people of all ages and generations.

In this piece, we’d like to delve a little further. Of course, not every service department will be able to handle all of these marketing strategies. The secret is to plan ahead and take baby steps. Start with actions you can take right away, and they’ll provide effects more quickly than you might expect.

Here are five marketing strategies to help you attract new clients to your service center while retaining your present clientele.

1. Boost your SEO.

Search engine optimization, or SEO. In a nutshell, it indicates that clients will find your dealership service center when they search by name, location, vehicle issue, or query.

Example:

The “Daytona Auto Clinic”

By Proximity: Local Auto Shops

Brake Repair Louisville, Mississippi

How frequently should I change my brakes?

No matter how beautiful your website is, if clients can’t locate you, it’s all for nothing.

SEO should always be a key priority with your fixed ops marketing to make it easier for potential clients to find you online as opposed to your rivals.

The better option is to become more regional.

If you operate a dealer service facility in Cleveland, for instance, your marketing initiatives, landing sites, and videos should go beyond simply listing the top auto service facilities. As an alternative, concentrate on terms and phrases like “best auto service centers in Cleveland” or “brake repair shops in Cleveland.”

Among the methods you may use to evaluate and enhance your local SEO performance are:

* Schema Generator

2. Use video marketing to inform customers.

Video marketing is arguably the best approach to personalizing your service department. Create a YouTube channel, make one or two videos to showcase on your website’s “home” or “about” pages, and use brief videos in your email marketing.

Customer endorsements, staff, and service manager interviews, service center tours, and expert Q&As are all excellent ways to humanize your brand and come off as more approachable to customers.

Example:

The distinctions between regular, synthetic, and high-mileage oil changes are sometimes unclear to consumers. To differentiate yourself, instruct them via video marketing. To encourage the initial visit, you might even think about offering a customized manager’s offer or discount code.

Consider the following examples of more possible video topics:

indications of an alternator failure

What does the shaking of the steering wheel indicate?

Prior to my initial visit to the service department, I should inquire

What causes a new automobile warranty to expire?

It will help your SEO, position you as a reliable automotive expert, and instill confidence and trust in your audience if you can consistently generate a video that draws in, engages, and delights your audience.

3. Participate in social media.

Take a Saturday afternoon cruise on Facebook. You’ll undoubtedly find people posting accounts of auto problems and requesting advice.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are capable of far more than merely increasing brand awareness for your fixed operations. It may demonstrate your sincere desire to assist your clients. Here are some best practices to maximize your involvement while understanding that you might not become an influencer overnight:

* Favoriting and retweeting content posted by your followers

* making remarks on followers’ posts

* responding quickly to comments on your blogs

* Getting back to the mentions

* establishing connections with other experts in your field or your neighborhood

* sharing information such as videos, images, and blog posts

* Adding or following clients on social media

Many dealerships decide to execute paid social media ads in addition to just enhancing their organic social media presence with the aforementioned advice. With targeted advertisements promoting your fixed ops and pertinent deals on Facebook, Twitter, and even Instagram, you can connect with consumers that traditional media frequently ignores.

4. Encourage client testimonials

Online reviews are excellent for assisting prospective clients in selecting a service provider. However, they are also crucial in assisting potential clients in finding you. Your SEO is impacted, and your visibility is increased when members of your community comment about you online.

Whether you like it or not, customers today are likely researching you online before they call or use the internet to schedule an appointment. Therefore, the more favorable evaluations you can gather, the better for your brand’s reputation. Here are some pointers to improve the reviews your service department receives.

5. Introduce a value-added reward plan.

Programs with incentives might serve as a dealer service department’s marketing tool. When you work with the proper provider, you can provide your current and potential clients with a special package of perks with each oil change that both promotes repeat business and aids in customer retention.

An excellent illustration of how incentives may turbocharge fixed ops marketing is Mazda of Orland Park. With a compelling program in place, they were able to grow their customer base and increase market share, yielding a 6X ROI.

Is Your Marketing Standing Out in the Crowd?

For fixed-ops directors, ensuring that their service departments stand out in a crowded market can be challenging. However, if you have the correct plan in place, you can guarantee that when clients are thinking about vehicle maintenance and repair, they will think of you first.

SimpSocial’s expertise in all things fixed-ops marketing (including tried-and-true strategies like SMS, email, and direct mail) will help you stand out from the competition in addition to offering unmatched advantages that make you the go-to supplier for maintenance, tires, and unforeseen repairs.