FenderBender Editor Steve Bauer recently recorded a CollisionCast with Megan Williams, managing partner and strategist for 3P Marketing, on how important digital marketing has become in the collision repair industry, and which strategies are offering the best ROI for shop owners.
“This year has been a step in the right direction thus far, especially compared to how hard 2020 was on shops and how to handle that and get customers in,” she says. “So this year, and in the past 6-8 months, we’ve definitely seen things return toward a normal operating structure.”
Although there are plenty of directions you can go in advertising your shop to potential customers, Williams says three specific marketing strategies have been huge performers for the industry, and provides insight on which ones might be right for you.
Google Ad Words
Williams says Google Ad Words has been one of the industry’s top performers, and is the only way to ensure your shop and web site are reaching the top of Google’s search results. “For a majority of people, if they get in an accident and don’t have a shop in mind, they’re getting online and Googling a shop to go to,” she says. “Being able to put your shop at that number one spot, which also gets the most clicks, is really where you want to be.”
Geofencing
While geofencing isn’t the newest kid on the block in terms of digital marketing, it continues to be an effective marketing tool. “Basically we put an electric fence around the roofline of your competitors’ shops, so that way when people are walking into those shops, their location services, which runs in the background of most cell phones, pings the fence that they are there, and you are able to start serving them your ads,” she says. “And what’s cool is that once they go home, and let’s say they’re on their wi-fi network, you’re able to serve your ads to any other devices that are connected to that network. And in this day and age when everything is trackable and there is so much data available, you can make informed decisions and see the ROI you’re getting, and you’re not just throwing money at the wall and hoping it sticks.” Williams adds that, if you have the budget for it, combining two strategies like Ad Words and geofencing will help ensure you’re getting best return for your money.
Weather-based Targeting
A new but fast-growing trend in the industry is using weather-based targeting. “What’s great about this technology is that if you have it set up and if a hail storm hits your area, for example, your ads will start serving immediately,” Williams says. “When there’s a bad storm you want to be the first shop to get your advertising out, so by utilizing weather-based advertising you can ensure that. It also allows you to send out specific ads when particular weather events happen.” If the weather drops below a certain temperature or there’s snow, the ads will reflect that particular event. It can even work for non-weather events, like if your shop is in an area with a high deer population, and the hunting season is about to start, for example. “There are so many ways that you can utilize this advertising that it’s trending toward becoming the next big wave in digital marketing,” Williams said.
Regardless of what marketing method you choose, it’s important to ensure the ads you’re sending include language the customer can easily understand.
“Things like talking about your value proposition: what sets your shop apart, certifications, advanced training for the safest repair is a really good way to frame that, because in layman’s terms people typically aren’t familiar with specific industry terms,” she says. You want to focus your ads so they are easy to understand and highlight the best aspects of your shop.”
