German repair shop marketing can be really exciting because there are so many digital marketing options, but there’s also an important consideration when developing your digital strategy: free advertising methods.
When you’ve got a limited budget and limited time, it’s important to consider what the best ways are to advertise your german auto shop for free. Here are the 4 methods that you should look into first for your European repair shop marketing.
Google My Business Profile
Consider claiming your Google My Business Profile to be an online marketing must!
According to Neil Patel, 56% of businesses haven’t claimed their Google business profiles. What a shame! Google My Business is a great place to start to ensure that when a user searches for your business, similar service or product, all the information you want them to see is front and centre.
Take ownership of your Google My Business listing and add your location, website, hours, and even encourage customer reviews.
Blogs and SEO
Value, value, value. If you’ve been paying attention to online marketing gurus, you’ll hear how important it is to not just ‘sell’ when you are executing your digital strategy but to more often deliver value. This is a very effective strategy, which can be used through your blog and even external forums (ones that are specific to your local audience). We’ll talk about forums next, but let’s first discuss blogs.
Blogs allow you to provide advice and information that caters to your audience, based on what they would likely be searching for that may inevitably bring them into your German repair shop. Marketing your business through your blog requires just some planning, brainstorming and strategic use of short and long-tail keywords. That way when they search for an issue, such as BMW cabin air filter in Houston, your blog posts and business will more likely appear on the top page of the search results.
For more information on SEO, visit our blog post here.
Local Online Forums
There are typically a variety of local forums, whether on industry-specific platforms or places like Facebook groups and Reddit. Participating in local forums can allow you to, again, deliver value by providing advice, answering questions, and giving how-to instructions and tutorials. Not only will you be able to source all your submissions back to your shop, but you will begin to create a reputation for industry leadership in your area.
Email Marketing
Most people have an email that they check every day. While most social media users log in on a continual basis, social media has its drawbacks – one of which being constantly shifting algorithms, leaving many businesses with outdated strategies and social posts that aren’t seen by the right people.
Instead, have you ever considered adding email marketing to your digital strategy?
Email marketing allows you to get into contact with your customers in their inbox, rather than just hoping that the algorithm shows your post to your customers. Of course, you do need your customer’s permission to begin to email them, but this can be done so simply by having your customer consent to email reminders and other updates.
Then, you can craft emails that, again, deliver value but, lucky for you, keep your business at the top of your customer’s mind when it’s time for their next service. Some ideas for your email marketing campaigns could include:
- How-to articles that are timely and relevant
- Car inspiration
- Funny or entertaining content
- Exciting shop updates (that benefit them in some way)
- Coupons, promotions or discounts that encourage them to visit
Social Media
Yes, we left social media until last – for two reasons: 1) this is the most popular way for businesses to ramp up their digital strategy and, 2) we left the best until last!
If your European repair shop marketing strategy doesn’t have a strong social media component, consider making it a priority. It’s completely free to start and run social media accounts. For your needs, Instagram and Facebook are likely going to be the most useful and give you the most access to your ideal customer. Use striking visuals, deliver value and engage on any and all of your social media platforms for best results!
For more advice from German Repair Shop Marketing on using social media for your business, visit our complete guide blog post here.
Level Up Your Online Marketing
Limited budget and even more limited time? We’re here to help get your business in front of the right customers. If you’re interested in investing even more into your digital strategy, contact us today!