At one time or another, you may have thought to yourself: How can I help market my auto repair shop? Perhaps you have someone that is in charge of marketing, or you may have a company doing the marketing for your shop. However, there are few ways you can help in their efforts to make your customers’ experiences better, more memorable, and leave them more likely to review and/or refer.

#1: Email Newsletters

Email Newsletters are a great avenue to put your local knowledge out there. Don’t just put out shop news and promotions. You want to include them, but do not make that the main focus. Become your town’s local news source for driving conditions, automotive tips and ways to save money on car-related topics. Don’t just sell to your customers here, give them valuable information that is share-worthy and helpful.

#2: Thank People

Remember all those thank-you letters you had to write as a kid? Your parents didn’t make you write them just because – it was to help better prepare you for the future. Doing something as simple as sending a thank you email or postcard can make an experience more memorable. Adding a discount on the next service or a referral bonus is a good idea to help increase the possibility of return customers and referrals.

#3: GET SOCIAL

Hopefully your auto repair shop isn’t a bore, and I doubt it is. If you are doing something fun or interesting, take a picture and share it. Taking pictures of people while working or joking around is also a great way to get out there and be social. Get involved in the community – sponsor a team, have a charitable car wash or hold a blood drive. These are just a few examples of things you can do. Do things that are beneficial to the community around you. Let your community know that you not only care about fixing cars but also want to be a contributing member of it as well.

#4: Get Reviews on Yelp and Google

Reviews are so important these days and without them, people might not be able to find you. Don’t be afraid to ask customers for reviews. Whether positive or negative, reviews are beneficial. If it is a bad one, you have the opportunity to try to help make it right and turn a non-customer into a returning customer. If it is a good review, thank them for it and appreciate the time they took to write the review. Google picks up these reviews on your business page, and the more positive reviews you have, the more it could help your rankings. Don’t be shy, ask for reviews! Ask them when they are checking out, in your newsletter, in a thank you card or on a receipt.

Keep them Coming Back

Your customers are your shop’s lifeline and why you are there. Make sure they know you care and want to help. Be the next-door-neighbor people come to ask for advice when it comes to their vehicles. The more you do to help make the community you live in better, the more likely your shop is able to become a fixture in it – a place people trust and want to take their vehicle.