Often, new car services operate at a loss for a long time, for months without recouping even a part of the money spent on their opening. Unfortunately, many owners simply close the enterprise or resell it, or continue to work at a loss or zero, gradually giving up. To prevent such a situation, you need to know how to advertise a car service, because proper promotion is one of the keys to success. This article describes the most and least effective methods of advertising - it is this information that can help entrepreneurs draw up the right and most thoughtful marketing plan.
Point decoration
Facade
Outdoor advertising
Billboards
pillars
It is also worth ordering a bright pavement sign and putting it in a well-visible place near the road. Make sure that the text is easy and quick to read - a motorist is unlikely to slow down to study it in more detail.
Advertising in elevators
If you work near a residential area with many potential customers, you can advertise in elevators. Order a large ad, because your task is to make a potential client see it against the backdrop of many other offers.
Pointers
Order signs, they will help motorists find their way to you. You can use the standard sign used to indicate a car service, or you can use brighter and more visible options.
Inflatable, three-dimensional figures
Inflatable figures are often installed at car services. Their main advantage is that they can be seen from afar, they attract the attention of all passers-by and drivers without exception, which means they can increase the flow of customers.
Internet advertising
Website
Currently, having your own website is a must have for almost any enterprise. Car services are no exception, and their promotion requires a page on the World Wide Web. However, you should not think that you can create a website, put the basic information there and forget about it with a very small amount of money. It will need to be promoted and optimized for search queries. To do this, it is better to hire a team of professionals, without knowledge of the specifics, you are unlikely to cope with the task on your own, plus it will take you a lot of time. You should also not expect instant results - it takes time to promote the resource.
If you decide to create a website on your own, be sure to read our articles:
Here we have laid out our experience and opinions on the use of various tools that you will simply need in your work. This will allow you to reduce the time to select the necessary resources to create it and get profit from the site as quickly as possible.
Ads on ad sites
No one can guarantee you that placing ads on specialized sites will bring you hundreds of customers. However, the main advantage of this method is that it does not require any material costs (as a rule, such sites place ads for free), but it may well give you visitors who will subsequently recommend you to their friends and acquaintances.
Sending emails
If you have your own website, you can find out the email addresses of your customers by offering, for example, a discount for registering on your resource. Having obtained addresses, you will be able to notify visitors about discounts and promotions, special offers, and this, in turn, will be a huge plus for your company.
Printable advertisement
Leaflets
Bright and informative leaflets can be distributed in the nearest parking lots and other places where cars accumulate. Order material and hire a person to stick a flyer on car windshields - even if you don’t attract hundreds of customers using this method, visitors who do respond to the brochure can become your regular guests in your service.
business cards
Distribute business cards to each of your clients - there is a chance that they will give them to a friend or acquaintance, moreover, the visitor himself will be able to call you or visit your site at any time convenient for him.
Print ads
Print tear-off ads (when the phone number comes off) and organize their posting at the entrances of the settlement. At the same time, the text should be concise and informative, if you have attractive prices, be sure to indicate them as well.
Advertising in newspapers and printed catalogs
Be sure to advertise in all newspapers that have a special section for various services and catalogs of the city. It is better if you post them as a private person, describing your most popular services.
TV ads
Running line or TV newspaper
Place your ad on local channels - this can greatly contribute to increasing the number of customers. However, remember that such advertising is expensive, which means that it is not worth giving it every day, but, for example, only on weekends.
Radio advertising
audio clip
Record an enticing audio clip and pay for it to be broadcast on local radio. Such advertising does not come cheap either, but the main advantage of this method is that it directly affects motorists, who are known to listen to the radio frequently on the road.
Other
Discount cards
In addition to discounts when presenting leaflets or when registering on the site, you can also enter the so-called "club" cards, according to which the client will be served cheaper. This will increase the loyalty of visitors and help keep them in the future.
Carrying out price promotions
Run seasonal promotions, offer free diagnostics, give customers small gifts - all this will attract visitors.
word of mouth
As in many other areas, word of mouth plays a huge role in this business. Carefully monitor the quality of your services and the work of your employees, because the success of your enterprise depends on this to a greater extent.
Examples of slogans for car service advertising
- Forward to the price and quality!
- Everything for your car.
- Car service with an impeccable reputation.
- One problem, many solutions!
- Modern car repair technologies.
- instrumental approach. Successful result.
- Fix your iron horse!
- Quality is in the details!
- Axiom of security.
- With respect to you, with love for the car!
- We work to keep your cars alive!
- Your reliable partner.
- Get the most out of your car.
- We love motors! It will be like new!
- Movement for joy. We have enough for everyone.
- We greet like family - we do it like ourselves.
- We will do what others cannot do.
Opening your own car service is one of the most popular business ideas in Russia. At the moment, there are more than 39 thousand points in the country. Despite the fact that today a car is more of a norm than a luxury, and the ranks of motorists are replenished every day, serious competition is unfolding among the owners of car services. How to attract customers to a car service in such seemingly unfavorable conditions for doing business?
Proper Marketing
A large base of regular customers is the backbone of any business. A continuous flow of customers means high demand, and the overall profitability of the business will depend on the demand for a product or service.
Marketing is at the heart of attracting customers. This is where the first mistakes appear, because most aspiring entrepreneurs believe that marketing is a creative process, and only very creative people are able to cope with the tasks of attracting customers, but this is far from the case.
For all those who think they do not know how to attract customers to a car service, marketing is primarily applied tasks, consisting of dry calculations and schemes. Moreover, these very schemes and calculations, as well as specific plans for attracting customers, have long been developed and implemented by someone. It remains only to use the right tools.
Of course, there is still some creativity in how to attract customers to a car service. True, if you think about it, the creative part, in general, can be found in any business.
The right marketing policy works according to the “everything for the client” formula. What should you pay attention to in order to attract customers? First of all, on their desires and on the contradictions arising from this. That is, you need to understand what the client wants and how the company can satisfy these desires. After that, it remains to show the potential client that he can get what he wants in a particular car service.
Advertising campaign
There are many ways to attract customers to a car service. The main method is advertising. Large enterprises that have been on the market for a long time and have already managed to earn a name for themselves, in general, do not need advertising. Large market players already have a formed customer base, which will grow, working on the principle of "dominoes" or word of mouth (customers will tell their friends, those - theirs, etc.).
Young enterprises need advertising more. But the problem is that start-up entrepreneurs often do not have the funds to conduct a comprehensive advertising campaign. What exactly and how to advertise? Emphasis can be placed, for example, on fast deadlines for the execution of work or specialization for a particular brand of car. It is not necessary to focus only on car services with a narrow range of services provided, such as those who face, for example, the question: “How to attract customers to a car body repair service?”
- Press advertising.
- Printable advertisement.
- Audiovisual advertising on the Internet.
- Radio and TV advertising.
- Mailing list to potential clients.
- Participation in exhibitions.
- Realization of advertising souvenirs.
Printable advertisement
Print advertising is the first thing a novice businessman can do. This type of advertising has proven itself due to low prices and fast production. Also, the advantages of print advertising include ease of perception and high efficiency. This is how you can attract the bulk of customers at first.
Also, print advertising must contain the address of the car service and feedback methods (phone, email, etc.). The presence of feedback will not only increase consumer confidence, but also allow potential customers to clarify additional questions in a convenient way.
Press advertising
Press advertising is an alternative to print advertising. This type of advertising is even more effective in terms of how to promote a car service quickly and attract customers, but it also costs more. The price of placing an ad is higher, the larger the publication and circulation.
This advertisement can be very diverse, most often start-up entrepreneurs order small ads, where the main focus is on the name of the company and contact information. The most important thing in it is a bright and interesting name that can attract the attention of the client. Just like in print advertising, the address and phone number should not only be present in the ad, but also stand out well.
TV and radio advertising
The concept of radio advertising implies the supply of information in the form of voice messages on the radio or between broadcasts. You can record such an advertisement yourself, and the radio studio will play it in the form of a message that repeats from time to time, or you can arrange directly with the studio that the hosts mention the company during the broadcasts.
TV advertising can be different. It can be presented as a regular video that is played during pauses. However, this option is very expensive for novice businessmen, and more often an advertisement for a new car service can be seen as a short splash screen or as a running line.
Promotion of a car service on the Internet is not a tribute to fashion: it is easier for its owners to reach the target audience on the Web. This is the reality of most thematic sites, according to Demis Group experts.
Moreover, automotive resources, in theory, can get an almost larger audience on the Internet than other topics: according to Avtostat, there are 340 vehicles per 1,000 Russians today, of which 284 are cars, and about 50% of Russian families own one car.
The main audience of car services are men and women aged 18 to 55 who actively use the Internet and have an average income (or above average). Among other things, they make up the target audience of auto-related sites, ranging from giants like auto.ru to pages of the nearest service stations.
Why does a car service need a website?
It is widely believed that a website is a very costly investment for a local business. Necessary, but not a priority: the site indicates data on services, opening hours, contacts, but in order for potential customers to find them, you need to spend a lot of time and money for advertising and promotion. However, with reasonable planning of the marketing policy, the profit will quickly exceed the investment.
According to Google, already in 2014, up to 85% of mobile Internet users regularly turned to search engines with queries about local business, that is, they were interested in data about companies located nearby. Up to 81% of users, based on the results of such a search, made a decision to purchase or order services: 46% called the phones they found, and 35% went to the selected company if opening hours were specified. And finally, some more statistics from the automotive industry: about 85% of consumers of auto technical center services start searching for spare parts and car service on the Internet, even if they are looking for them near their home or work (according to AutoMarketolog.ru).
So, the site is an advertising and information platform, available around the clock. Almost any information can be placed on the site: not just a dry listing of services and contacts, but also videos, photographs, illustrations and feature articles demonstrating the professionalism of employees. It can also be other materials: all kinds of service calculators, technical inspection calendars and much more that can be useful to customers and highlight the resource from the others.
Car services that do not have a website use thematic forums, review services, geolocation services such as 2GIS, Yandex.Maps, Google Maps and specialized groups in social networks, attracting customers from the Internet. However, the flow of their customers is a drop in the ocean against the background of the opportunities that open up for a business if there is a website with competent promotion and advertising on the Web.
Car service promotion on the Internet
So, the car service has its own website, and it was decided to promote it. Where to begin? The best option is to fit the promotion of the project into the overall marketing plan of the business, based on data about the clientele, potential customers and target audience. Having data about the audience, it is easier for specialists to position the campaign, that is, to correctly choose the direction of work.
The main directions in the promotion of auto-technical service:
- Search engine promotion (SEO).
- Advertising (primarily contextual, but banner advertising should not be neglected).
- Promotion in social networks (SMM) - maintenance of thematic groups, participation in large communities, teaser advertising in social media.
- Registration in geolocation services (2GIS, Yandex.Maps, Google Maps, etc.).
- Participation in discussions on thematic forums, feedback services, registration in thematic catalogs and reference books (PR on the Internet).
Promotion of a car service with the help of search engine optimization of the site
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the most common method of promotion aimed at achieving a leading position in the search engine results for thematic queries. The key to success is a competent selection of the semantic core, that is, those queries by which real customers will search for a car service and its services.
Let's dwell on this point in more detail. An extra waste of time and money will be promotion on expensive keys (for example, “car service”, “autotechnical center”, “service”, “auto repair”, etc.). Knowing your audience, you can easily select targeted thematic queries:
- by car brand (“autotechnical service Lada”, “Ford car service”, etc.);
- taking into account the model range of cars (“spare parts for VAZ 2112”, “hyundai solaris car service”, etc.);
- with geo-dependence (“car service Lyubertsy”, etc.);
- with a mention of specific services (“oil change”, “tire fitting”, etc.);
- by the name of the spare parts, the installation or replacement of which is the business card of the organization (“vase injectors”, “toyota injectors”, etc.);
- taking into account the pricing policy of the salon (you should not write "cheap" if in reality it is not, and vice versa).
Thus, to successfully promote a car service website, focus on mid- and low-frequency queries. When searching for a car dealership, the user will certainly specify the request in order to receive offers that are suitable both in geography and in terms of service. Additional bonuses: the cost of promotion for specific queries is lower, and the ratio of the number of orders to views is higher.
And one more thing: since attention in website promotion today is focused on quality content, do not skimp on the description of all the services offered. This is good not only for search engines: this way the site will become a good source of information for customers. For example, now the visitor does not need an engine overhaul, but he will be interested in washing and polishing services. But, having become a regular customer, on occasion, he can turn to you for a specialized service or advise his friends. Describe the services in detail, illustrate with photographs and useful tips for motorists - the fact that specialists who know all the subtleties and know how to talk about them work in a car repair shop will add confidence to a potential client.
We know how to increase the number of car service customers! Cases, experience, own methods and know-how
Contextual advertising for car service promotion
- for contextual advertising, geolocation is important: not only mentioning places in the text, but also setting up ad impressions at the right addresses, cutting off unnecessary ones;
- you should set up ads to be displayed only to the target audience, and prohibit everything unnecessary in the settings (include in the list of negative keywords), because extra impressions reduce ad click-through rate (CTR) and increase the cost per click;
- ads should be as specific as possible so as not to waste your budget on ineffective calls.
The fact is that contextual advertising is shown above and below the main issue of search engines to users who have asked the query you need. That is, ads are shown to already interested users, which reduces the cost of attracting customers to a car service. In addition, contextual advertising is suitable for special promotions, because it takes several hours to prepare and launch, and payment is made for each visit to the site.
Car service promotion in social networks (SMM)
Social networks are effective as a channel for introducing the target audience to a car service. Here interaction with the user is built not at the time of the need (when he goes to the search engine and looks for the nearest car service), but before that.
At the same time, even more targeted exposure settings are available in social networks than in all other sources. At your service - information about gender, age, place of residence and work (up to the exact address), make of car, main routes - a lot of data can be obtained about a user simply based on his activity in social networks. You can use not only thematic communities of motorists, but also create your own group, of course, if you feel the strength to regularly pay attention to it: publish posts that are interesting and useful to users, respond to questions, reviews, etc.
There is another way to influence the audience of social networks - targeted advertising. You can set it to be displayed both to all users of a particular area, and, for example, to users of competing car services.
How does Internet PR help promote a car service?
Under the Internet PR in this case, we will understand the active participation in the online activity of the target audience around the topic of car services. In other words, this is presence on thematic forums, in discussions in review services, registration in specialized directories and reference books. The essence of the method is communication with potential customers under the guise of a competent specialist who can advise the services of your own service, answer questions and even smooth out possible negative reviews. In fact, this is the launch and maintenance of the desired interest - an analogue of offline word of mouth.
Also, do not forget about car service advertising using banners (graphic advertising) posted on thematic sites and forums. Such advertising has an image effect rather than attracting customers. Therefore, this method should be considered as an additional one in working on business promotion. Payment in this case is charged for a certain number of banner impressions.
Car service promotion using geolocation services
In fact, this point is taken into account in all other cases - registration in the same Yandex.Maps with the placement of their widget on the site has a beneficial effect on the process of its promotion. At the same time, geolocation services, especially those not related to search engines (for example, 2GIS), can bring additional visitors. We are talking about those who simply did not look for a website or service advertisement and turned to maps to find the nearest service point for their car. This will allow a potential client to immediately see the car services closest to their location with the exact address, opening hours, phone numbers, and only then the website and other contacts.
Promotion of a car service in the company Demis Group
It is tempting to consider saving that the owner of a car service or his managers, in their free time from their main work, are engaged in a website, promotion, advertising and other issues. Another thing is that the result in this case may turn out to be far from expected: lack of experience, time, necessary developments slows down work and can drastically affect the quality of business promotion. The Demis Group company is professionally engaged in the promotion of sites. That is why there are so many automotive and other thematic sites in our portfolio: we are professionally engaged in ensuring that professionals have enough core work!
Over 12 years of activity, we have created a name for ourselves, recognized by many leading Runet SEO ratings, awarded several awards, and have also built up an impressive portfolio and portfolio of reviews. You can specify the details of cooperation when ordering online or by contacting us in any other convenient way!
The main goal facing the owners of car services is to attract new customers. Some see marketing as a creative activity. In fact, everything is extremely simple. This is an applied task, consisting of dry calculations and self-compiled schemes. How to attract customers to a car service in order to promote your business, we will talk in this article.
Internet advertising
Previously, Internet sites were used extremely rarely to attract customers to a car service. In our time, the situation has changed radically. The Internet has become the most popular advertising tool, so many entrepreneurs choose this method to promote their business. If you want to promote your business and increase its profitability with the help of the Internet, seek help from specialists.
The work begins with search engine optimization. To do this, it is necessary to adapt the site to the most popular queries so that it gets into the TOP-10 of search engine results. Specialists correct internal errors, place external links and optimize the content on the resource. In addition, you need to register the site in special directories.
You will not get an instant effect from this method of promotion. If the site on the Internet was created recently, the optimization process can take 5-6 months, and sometimes a year. It is also important to constantly maintain the occupied positions, otherwise you will be bypassed by competitors. To establish an influx of customers for a long time, you will have to invest a lot of money in the site.
- Territorial sign. This is a very important criterion by which customers usually search for a car repair shop. It is unlikely that any car owner will drive his car for several hundred kilometers, therefore it is the geographical location of the service that is the determining factor when choosing a workshop;
- Price policy. If you do not plan to attract customers with low prices, then there is no point in promoting a car service for queries like “inexpensive”. Users who land on the site by these words immediately look at the prices. If they are high, no one will be interested in your services.
Press advertising
Many aspiring entrepreneurs are interested in how to quickly promote a car service and attract customers? One of the most effective ways is advertising in the press. These can be small ads, the main focus of which is on the name of the car service. The text below should contain contact information. Do not forget that the most important thing is a bright and attractive company name. The effectiveness of such advertising depends on the print brand, the circulation of the publication and the place of publication.
The only disadvantage of this method is the cost of advertising. In popular publications, the price will be quite high, so this option is not suitable for people with limited financial resources.
Non-standard ways
Before you promote a car service from scratch, you need to answer many questions and take into account all the important details. The most important thing in any business is service. You must do everything to ensure that visitors feel cozy and comfortable in your car service. It is advisable to open a small cafe on the basis of the auto repair shop so that customers can have a cup of coffee and a snack. Quick service, affordable prices, the possibility of "field repair" - all this is an additional advertisement for your company.
You can also periodically offer visitors a "free diagnosis day" or hold a joint promotion with suppliers of spare parts and car accessories.
Also, do not forget about image advertising:
- sponsorship;
- Souvenir products;
- Specialized exhibitions.
All these non-standard methods will help make your business recognizable and increase its profitability.
Printable advertisement
Its advantages include:
- Ease of perception;
- Short production time;
- Affordable prices;
- High efficiency.
Such advertising should be accurate and concise. Vague phrases will not be able to make the right impression on consumers. Try not to overload ads with any unnecessary information, but it is advisable to use illustrations that match the text of the ad. Do not forget to focus readers' attention on the possibility of feedback from the advertiser (address, fax, phone).
outdoor advertising
If you don't know how to promote a car service that is going through hard times, it's time to revise your marketing policy and come up with a more effective way to help attract customers. For example, it can be an outdoor advertisement for a car service. In large companies, special marketing departments are engaged in this business.
In addition to the usual advertising posters, they now use:
- light boxes;
- Huge billboards;
- Wall panels;
- Signboards.
The best advertising for a car service is billboards. Such marketing assemblies are installed along busy highways. It is desirable that the shield be located near the car service. This will significantly increase its efficiency.
Modern businessmen have realized that it is impossible to save on advertising, since an unprofessional approach can backfire. Therefore, they do not spare money and cooperate with the best marketing agencies.
Advertising on cars
Each company has its own vehicles. It can be several cars of employees or a whole fleet of different cars. Many entrepreneurs do not know that car service advertising on a car is an affordable and cheapest way to promote a business. For these purposes, you can even use your own car by placing removable magnetic stickers on it.
Form style
Many customers evaluate a car service by external signs - business cards, letterheads, and so on. Corporate identity is an integral part of any business, therefore, before that, it is necessary to hire specialists who will implement the corporate culture.
Corporate identity is not only business cards and logos. It includes the arrangement of the office, the overalls of employees, the corporate charter. This system plays an important role in the development of the company's image, so it should be given special attention.
Related videos
word of mouth
Internet users often ask the question, ? The first thing that comes to mind is your own auto repair shop. In order for the company to bring good profit, you need to hire good specialists and purchase professional equipment.
The most important task facing a novice entrepreneur is how to attract customers to a garage car service? In this case, word of mouth works best. If you do quality work and provide customers with really high-quality service, they will recommend your workshop to their friends and acquaintances. Thanks to this, you can quickly build up a base of regular customers and carve out your niche in the automotive services market.
Many businessmen use word of mouth as a source of new customers. This is a fairly effective way of promotion, for which you will not spend a dime. In parallel, you can distribute various promotional products (key chains, pens and other useful souvenirs). For regular customers, you can make discounts on service or offer service out of turn.
How to promote a car service is only of interest to those entrepreneurs who look to the future and take care of their business. Today, all business on the Internet and even small firms or even private craftsmen have their own websites, who do not even have such an opportunity, they register in various directories, open groups on social networks. But this approach is ineffective, if you are engaged in car repair and additionally sell spare parts, then you should get an online store with good functionality.
But we have a question : "How to promote a car service?". To do this, in our article we will highlight a few highlights and mandatory activities that will help you have a constant influx of new customers. Based on our own experience in the promotion of auto parts stores and car services, we can distinguish two main rules of our own, which are listed below.
How to promote a car service - rule number 1
Material base, human resources.
If you, for example, are engaged in Nissan repair, you need to provide a full range of services only in this area, to become the best in your specialization. To do this, you need to have the right tools, the right craftsmen, i.e. fully prepare the material base and human resources. Perhaps you are a universal car service and take on everything in a row, this happens most often. But not always, customers are satisfied with such car services, firstly, car repairs can drag on for many weeks, and secondly, the quality of service leaves much to be desired.
So, the rule is - be experts in your field, do not spread yourself, find a niche in the car service market, do not dilute your car service to all car brands.
Geographical location and internal space of the car service.
It is very important when you are going to open a car service to decide on a place, because your profit depends on how conveniently and quickly you can get to you. Otherwise, it will be difficult promote a car service. Have you ever wondered why official dealers, take at least Volkswagen or Ford always queue. Yes, many complain about their expensive service, but this does not make them less customers. Yes, because it is simply pleasant to be with them: here you are treated with respect, smile and help; all neatly dressed; there are waiting rooms; here you can follow the progress of the repair through special monitors; as well as such auto centers are conveniently located, the buildings are modern, and the interior inside envelops with high service and comfort.
So, the rule - if you are just starting out, find a box in the center where you can get there without traffic jams, at least paint the walls inside white, dress your masters in branded overalls, organize a leisure room for your clients.
How to promote a car service
Car service automation.
This implies the use of information technology, special programs for business automation, as well as the website of an online store. Promote a car service– today it is possible only through the Internet. Give up notebooks, notepads and Excel.
No computer can hold so much information, and not all entrepreneurs can afford to buy a server and spend a lot of money on its maintenance. And here “cloud technologies” come to the rescue, which, by the way, are implemented in our program.(LINK TO THE PAGE). Here you can store unlimited amounts of information, unlimited time.
There are ups and downs in any business, so if suddenly the flow of customers is reduced, which incurs losses, you open your chest with the numbers of your customers and make a mass mailing, which, by the way, is also implemented in our program. But you shouldn’t abuse this, it’s easier to establish a trusting relationship with the client and make sure that he always comes to your car service.
How to promote a car service - rule number 2
The main points on the promotion of a car service and attracting customers:
Smart marketing.
There are many definitions of the word marketing. In simple terms, marketing is all about attracting and retaining customers. How to promote a car service, and not lose your grip. Our three must-have events are your base. Your customers should attract customers so that rumors about your car service are passed from mouth to mouth, this is called a reputation and you need to develop it with the quality of the services provided.
Online advertising and the Internet.
If you have a website, then you can use contextual advertising services from Yandex Direct and Google, promote a car service, so much easier. If you do not have a website, then your competitors will soon force you out, who not only have a page on the Internet, but also services such as pre-registration for services.
Advertising for a car service
By the way, with our program, you can connect the online store option so that your customers sign up for your services - and you will get a functional website with high conversion.(LINK TO THE PAGE) It is important that your site be indexed by search engines, for this you need to register the site in thematic directories such as Double Gis, etc. It also does not hurt to create groups on social networks, where you must specify a link to your site.
Off-line advertising.
Some sources advise you to advertise in free newspapers, which naturally cost money to advertise. A dubious undertaking. Answer yourself the question, how often do you personally turn to such sources. As a rule, free newspapers with ads are several pages, where a bunch of ads are printed in a not always readable font and there is not even an empty square centimeter. So think about whether it is worth spending time and money, albeit small, on such advertising. An effective way to promote a car service is to distribute your own printed materials: business cards to the traffic police (where car owners apply after an accident), distribution of coupons with discounts in traffic jams (your entire target audience is in traffic jams).
All articles What equipment is needed for a car service
How to advertise your car service
The main wealth of any service is customers and their trust. But in order for a client to come to your service, stay yours for a long time, and even better, forever, you will have to work hard. The success of attracting and retaining customers consists of many components. Ignoring at least one of them reduces many times the overall effectiveness of the struggle for the client. Car service advertising in the media is one such component.
All car service customers can be divided into three categories:
1. Loyal customers - those who keep the client base, those who talk about your service to others in enthusiastic colors, those whom you need to cherish and cherish.
2. Clients who contacted you for the first time through a recommendation or an advertisement; their trust must be won and flattering recommendations confirmed.
3 . Clients who come to you by accident. Perhaps they will also replenish your permanent client base.
It is believed (at least, so they write in clever articles and books) that advertising, like customers, does not happen much. The manager or owner must constantly promote their service. At the same time, various types are listed, starting with "word of mouth" (stopping on it, albeit enthusiastically, but in passing), and ending with advertising in external sources - as a rule, in the media. Let me agree with them only partially.
Not to say that there are a lot of questions about advertising. These questions that come to me, among all consultations, are far inferior to questions on taxes, service management, personnel, and even labor protection and fire safety. But there are quite a lot of requests to place an advertisement for a car service in the magazine. Obviously, most of the owners or managers of the service either believe that placing ads somewhere, without analysis, is already enough, or do not pay due attention to this issue. In a series of articles on this topic, I will try to tell you the basics of advertising that a manager needs and consider typical mistakes made when conducting an advertising campaign.
I will not describe the basics of advertising - enough articles and books have been written on this topic. Obviously, a director who decides to deal with this issue deeply and seriously should stock up on literature or contact an appropriate specialist. True, there is a difficulty here. Personally, I have met, unfortunately, very, very few who understand the car service specifics well. Moreover, this applies both to the provision of services by the station itself, and sales of spare parts, materials, and services to car services.
I’ll make a reservation right away: talking about advertising, I will not talk about a sign over a car service or a roadside sign about finding a service. The conversation will be about advertising in various newspapers, magazines, radio or on big boards, i.e. about the advertising that is costly for any organization.
So. Does the number of clients on your service leave much to be desired? Have you decided to advertise your service to attract customers? Good deed. But… You may have already made the first mistake. Lack of customers is not a reason to immediately spend money on advertising. Let's consider several situations.
Reopened car service
If you have just opened a car service, then analyze several factors:
— types of work performed;
— location of the station;
— qualification of personnel and climate in the team;
- financial opportunities.
For example, if the service is located in a busy place, is well visible and performs tire fitting and oil and other consumables services, then you should not spend money on advertising at all - a bright sign is enough. If the team has not yet formed (high probability of turnover), its qualifications are not clear, then attracting a large number of customers that you will not satisfy will do more harm than good. And no one will return your money and time. You should not immediately start an advertising campaign if a new service has opened in place of the old one. Here you have to find out the "pluses" and "minuses" of the previous service, and preferably not so much from the words of the landlord or others, but from the words of the client. In my practice, there was a case when the negative attitude of customers towards the previous service forced new tenants to move out. In this case, neither the high qualification of the staff nor the advertising company helped.
Car service with history
– a new service is provided that will be of interest not only to old, but also to new customers;
- lack of customers on the service.
Usually, it is the introduction of a new service that aims to better satisfy existing customers and attract new ones. But, let's first consider whether our service is able to pass through itself a sharply increased number of customers (hereinafter, I conventionally believe that advertising increases the flow of customers), or is it enough that the old ones, using this service, will increase the profitability of the service and download new area of work.
For example. You have a fully loaded undercarriage repair shop (your regular customers) and an engine and fuel diagnostics shop (your clients, clients of other small services and casual visitors). You are introducing a new service — wheel alignment. It is clear that at the initial stage this post will not need advertising, since it will be provided with work at the expense of all these cars.
Car service promotion: how to quickly attract customers and promote service stations
Moreover, the rest of the posts will be loaded at the expense of other services.
The case of no customers is more complex. A number of factors need to be analyzed here.
Seasonality. If the absence is due to the New Year holidays (which is approximately from December 15 to February 1, depending on the level of service, specialization, etc.), May holidays (from approximately April 25 to May 15, depending on Easter and memorial days) or holiday season (approximately from July 20 to September 10), then you should not be upset. On the contrary, use this time to improve your skills (your own and your employees), to expand the provided
services, purchasing equipment, restoring order or repairing a service.
Here we are also dealing with deferred repairs. That is, with those works that car owners have postponed to a later date (for example, replacing shock absorbers from winter to spring).
Based on the foregoing, it becomes clear that advertising in the "off season" is a disastrous business. The response, if any, is minimal. But advertising placed on the eve or during the season is most effective. It is at this moment that customers are looking for where to service their iron horse.
Personnel qualification. The most painful topic for the leader. It is considered in the "Management" section of the "Auto-Master" magazine and at seminars held by the Association of Car Service and Tuning Specialists. It is clear that without putting things in order with personnel (training, attracting specialists or poaching them), there is no point in spending money on advertising.
station specialization. To understand this point, consider an example. You specialize in servicing inexpensive domestically produced vehicles. The financial situation in the country has deteriorated - customers have no money, gasoline is becoming more expensive. The client, in order to save money, does some of the work himself. In the above case, this applies not only to changing the oil or brake pads, but also to more complex repairs on the chassis or engine. Add to this the extended service interval for replacing consumables. Thus, the focus of the service on this fleet of vehicles has led to a decrease in the number of visitors. And if not from
You have analyzed your situation and decided to advertise. Let's think about where to do it. Let's start with a typical situation not only for a car service, but also for companies selling spare parts, equipment, etc.
In the editorial office, a reader calls: "I have been reading your magazine with interest for a long time. Now I want to advertise my station with you!" It would seem something easier. If I read this publication, I like it, so others will read and see my ad. This is the main mistake. If you like a magazine or newspaper, this does not guarantee that your potential customers will read it.
In the example above, the reader wanted to place an advertisement in "Auto-Master" aimed at attracting customers to his universal car service specializing in car maintenance. At the same time, it was not taken into account that the audience of the magazine is services similar to it, and not motorists or corporate clients.
Another example. Placement of advertising in an automobile magazine or magazine "Buy-sell a car". Here it is somewhat more complicated. The main audience of such a publication is people looking for a new car. Naturally, today they are far from interested in repair or maintenance. The rest of the readers of such a publication, of course, will pay attention to your ad, but the question is whether the investment in advertising will pay off.
Here we need to make a small digression and talk about a very important parameter for assessing the cost of investments in advertising. I call it "call cost". Let me explain with an example. The cost of an advertisement in edition X is 100 rubles. We received a call from 2 people. Thus, the cost of their call for you is 50 rubles. In publication Y, the cost of an ad is 200 rubles, and 10 people called on the ad. In this case, the cost of the call is 20 rubles.
Very often, the advertiser chooses a publication with either a low ad cost or a very high ad cost. In both cases, we either have an incorrect definition of the readership as potential customers (this is most often), or the choice of publications on the basis of the "I like" principle.
Therefore, before deciding to advertise, it is necessary to understand exactly who we want to attract and what they read or at least view. Agree that a client who has a two-three-year-old Mercedes, most likely, will not pay attention to a piece of bad paper with various advertisements thrown into the mailbox.
Conversely, the owner of an inexpensive car is more likely to take a publication distributed free of charge through gas stations, mailboxes, or read a newspaper that is distributed at intersections.
Before engaging in advertising (not only in the media, but in general), one must be clearly aware that what suits large companies, for example, those selling auto parts, often does not suit a car service - a car service sells services. And in selling services, the main thing is to build confidence in yourself. Therefore, ideally, it is necessary to advertise the quality of the services provided. But this is extremely difficult to do. And I do not have a ready-made universal solution. Usually, services set a simpler task - to get the client to come.
Smart books advise finding a "unique selling proposition." For most universal service leaders, this is a daunting task. If you find a "unique selling proposition" in your car service - honor and praise to you, it may be worth changing your qualifications and going into advertising. Another thing is if your service has a narrow specialization - for example, repair of fuel equipment for diesel engines. Narrow specialization allows not only to have highly qualified personnel, but also a "unique selling proposition".
Such a "unique selling proposition" can, of course, be the price. But think about whether such advertising will play a cruel joke on you. During the winter dead season, a large Kiev station placed on the radio an offer to paint a car with fashionable materials for a fairly low price. I don’t know how many customers they managed to attract, but the talk that the company has problems spread among customers, among fellow competitors, and among suppliers. I would like to hope that their advertising has given at least some effect, although I doubt it.
Thus, before engaging in advertising, and anyone, and not just in the media, the manager must clearly understand how much he needs it, what consequences the increase in the number of customers will lead to, for which categories of customers it will be intended, where to advertise, how it should look, in what terms to carry it out.
We have already considered some of these issues, the rest will be considered in future publications.
To be continued…
Andrey Deceivers
Auto-Master
Promotion service station for body repair
Good day! I continue a series of articles about the STO business plan and as I promised earlier, today I will write an article about how to advertise a service station.
How to advertise service stations
As a rule, an advertising company is one of the most expensive items, especially when opening a service station, while quite often novice entrepreneurs spend a lot of money on advertising and everything would be fine, BUT most of the money is simply wasted.
What advertising attracts customers to the service station
Let's look at where the owner of the service station should advertise:
- business cards. I already mentioned them in the business plan. Be sure to order business cards, but not cheap pieces of paper for 2 rubles, order colorful laminated business cards.
Car service as a business and personal success
You can place these business cards in auto parts stores, and you can negotiate with the owners of auto stores so that they place your business cards at their place, and you, in turn, place their business cards at your place;
- Printing colorful booklets. These booklets are ordered at the printing house, and business cards can also be ordered there. Booklets are distributed free of charge to mailboxes of city residents. The booklet must contain the name of your service station (if you have not done this yet, then it's time to think about it, the name should also be on business cards), the address and telephone number of the service station. If you cannot come up with an interesting name for the service station on your own, then just google the Internet and take it from there. Just try to make the name of your service station unique in the city (that is, only for you). And of course, on booklets, you can describe in detail the types of services provided;
- Advertising in elevators. This type of advertising works well for the entire service sector, including service stations. The size of the layout should not be too small, because in this case it will simply be a waste of money;
- Radio advertising. This is where advertising is a must. Only the radio should be promoted and broadcast in the local category. Many car enthusiasts listen to just the radio. But before you advertise on the radio, you need to determine the competitive advantage over other service stations, that is, the reason why the car enthusiast should go to you;
- Car magazine. Almost all major cities have auto magazines, I myself live in a small town and we do not have such a magazine. If a car magazine is published in your city, then advertising of your service station should be there on a permanent basis. However, pay attention to the circulation of the publication and the method of its distribution. In journals with a circulation of less than 5,000 copies. there is no point in advertising. Also, some publishers simply cheat and indicate the wrong circulation of the publication. Therefore, for the first time, it is worth coming to the publishing house and seeing how many magazines go into distribution;
- City newspaper with ads. Almost every city has such a newspaper. There are two ways to advertise in such a newspaper. The first is in the form of an advertising module in the section on car sales (list the types of services provided by your service station in the module) and additionally place an ad in the section “Services” as from a private person about car repairs. If there are several such newspapers in the city, then, of course, advertise your service station in the most promoted one with a large circulation;
- TV station advertising. In general, the cost of such advertising is quite high, but in every city there is a so-called TV newspaper in which the prices are not so high and the effect is much better (advertising in the form of videos and a ticker should not be given, as it is very expensive);
- Internet advertising. Do not neglect this type of advertising, the most effective is Yandex Direct contextual advertising, as well as advertising in social networks. In order to give such advertising, it is worth ordering a business card website for a service station with a list and cost of services, as well as contact details and address;
- word of mouth. With quality service and the performance of the work itself at a high level, people themselves will begin to advise your service station to each other. This type of advertising can be influenced only by high quality of service and low prices.
Advertising that does not work for service stations
- Free newspapers. With a huge circulation and almost zero efficiency. Such newspapers have zero value for the citizens and are very annoying, such newspapers are a relic of the past. And if we take into account that the cost of advertising in such publications is simply prohibitive if we compare price and quality, then it is better to refuse it;
- Advertising on and in transport. This type of advertising does not work well because there are quite a few potential customers in public transport, and if they exist, then your advertisement will either not be noticed or simply ignored;
- Plasma panels. It doesn’t matter which ones, on the street, indoors, at payment terminals, wherever they are trying to stick them. This advertisement does not work for almost any activity;
- billboards. Advertising on billboards is image advertising and is not suitable for attracting potential customers;
- Outdoor advertising.Requires coordination with the architecture of the city, but it’s not scary, the cost of such advertising is quite high, you won’t hang this banner in one place, for the effect you need to place it at least 5 places where there is a major traffic intersection (then it will make sense);
- Posting ads. Despite the fact that the service station belongs to the service sector, posting simple ads does not have a strong effect.
This is where I will end my review, if you have any questions, ask them in the comments, or in my VK group “Business Secrets for a Beginner”.
Successful business!
