Marketing your auto repair shop can be confusing.
With so many ways to market your business—website and SEO, paid ads, organic social posts, “boosted” social posts, branding, sponsorships, print campaigns, email campaigns, radio/TV/streaming media, and more—it’s hard to know where to begin.
Let’s cut through the clutter and make this as simple as possible.
To do that, we’ll start at the very beginning…
What is marketing?
The first thing we need to agree on is this: what do we mean when we say marketing?
While that might seem obvious, you could ask a dozen shop owners what “marketing” means to them—and come back with a dozen different answers. That’s not helpful.
And we don’t need an overly sophisticated and textbooky definition. Those aren’t helpful, either.
For most business owners like you, John Jantsch’s simple definition in his book Duct Tape Marketing is perfect:
Getting someone who has a need to know, like, and trust you so they’ll try, buy, repeat, and refer.
That’s it—clear and simple.
Your customer has a problem: she needs to find an auto repair shop that’s reliable and meets her expectations for price and service.
As a shop owner—as a marketer—your job is to:
- Capture her attention (know)
- Empathize with her problem and show her you care about the same things (like)
- Give her the confidence you can solve her problem (trust)
When you do,
- She may come to your shop for an oil change or a simple repair (try)
- If she has a good experience, she’ll return for another problem (buy)
- If that experience meets her expectations, she’ll keep coming back (repeat)
- And maybe tell her friends about the great service she receives from you (refer)
Now—let’s go a level deeper.
The Magical Know-Like-Trust Filter
You can use this know-like-trust model as a filter for everything you do in your business.
Vehicles, of course, use all kinds of filters: oil, fuel, air. They keep the bad stuff out and let the good stuff through so your car runs its best.
The Know-Like-Trust Filter does the same thing for your business. It helps you keep the bad stuff out of your marketing and lets the good stuff through so you win more customers.
How does this magical filter work?
Just ask the question: Does this help our customers get to know, like, and trust us?
If your answer is no or you’re not sure, tap the brakes.
If your answer is yes, consider doing it.
Here’s an example.
Let’s say the local food pantry asks your shop to collect food donations during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. You make a plan to create some Facebook posts and email your customers, inviting them to bring canned goods to your shop.
Would this promotion help your customers get to know, like, and trust you?
Most likely.
It shows you care about needy people in your community, which helps people like you.
The point, though, isn’t to help the food pantry because it gets you customers. You do it because you’re a generous person who truly cares about others. That’s what builds your likability.
Again, with any of your marketing efforts, just ask if it helps your customers get to know, like, and trust you.
What else can you do?
Apply the Know-Like-Trust Filter in your marketing
Taking a broad look at your marketing efforts, here are several ways you can apply the Know-Like-Trust Filter in your auto repair shop:
- Offer outstanding service: It almost goes without saying, but treat customers well and do great work. Display your certifications or industry awards where customers can see them.
- Make it convenient: Offer a shuttle service or loaner cars so your customers can get to work or back home while their vehicles are being serviced.
- Website: Create an attractive, easy-to-use website with a clear message and strong calls to action. Showcase the positive reviews you’ve received.
- About page: On your website About page, introduce yourself and your team. Give a short history of your business (to establish credibility) and show how you have a reputation for solving your customers’ problems with a few testimonials.
- Blog/SEO: Create educational articles or videos about vehicle maintenance and repair. This not only highlights your expertise, it also helps search engines find your website.
- Google Business Profile: Make sure all the information about your business is current. Encourage customers to leave Google Reviews and respond to them frequently. Keep your profile up to date with new posts.
- Social media: Post regularly on the platforms where your customers spend their time. Show your staff working on vehicles and interacting with customers. Show your involvement in the community. Share tips and tricks that keep your customers’ vehicles running.
- Direct mail: Create compelling offers and design your mailers so they’re interesting and inviting.
- Community events: Participate in or sponsor events that matter to your community.
And before you do anything—share a post, run a promotion, create an offer—always run it through the filter: Will this get people to know, like, and trust us?
Let Turnkey Marketing help you build your own Know-Like-Trust Filter
At Turnkey Marketing, we’ve helped hundreds of shop owners get more customers with a know-like-trust approach to their marketing. It’s the foundation for a winning marketing plan.
We follow the model outlined here—plus we add our own secret sauce so our clients get amazing results.
Schedule a call today and we’ll help you get more customers to know, like, and trust your shop.
