“We need to get our social media numbers up, but we’re so busy, we don’t have time to play
around on Facebook all day.”
Reason Number One: Be where the customers are
If you want to talk to a group of people, it’s much easier to be heard if you walk up to them. It wouldn’t be the best use of your time to hide behind a corner and try to get the whole group to come to where you are. This hypothetical group is made up of your customers and potential customers. Like it or not, 1.56 billion people are daily active users on Facebook. That’s just too large of a number to ignore. The attention is currently on Facebook. The eyes and ears of your customers live on that platform and that’s where you need to be as well.
Reason Number Two: Community participation
Despite the fact that the world has gone digital, people still like that “hometown” feeling. The facts are that potential customers are far more likely to buy or work with a company that they feel some sort of connection to. Buying is, on a subconscious level, emotional. Getting your oil changed at the same shop that your dad used to get his oil changed at feels good. That action feels safe and it puts your mind at ease. It’s your job, as a shop, to give people that feeling. Now, admittedly, you’re already at a disadvantage. If you’re reading this, you probably haven’t been open for 30 years and you don’t have multiple generations of customers coming in your shop. That’s fine! This is where the community participation comes into play. Make yourself part of the conversation and become part of the local scene. Be active in the Facebook groups and post content (weekly at a minimum). Respond to comments and offer suggestions and tips without trying to pitch your business or being that annoying “salesman.” This part takes work and does not happen overnight. If you’re looking for quick ways to get in front of people, skip ahead to Reason Number Three. If you want to become the place where people go and the team people trust, you need to put in the work. Create a Facebook event for an open house at your shop or even a Meet & Greet in the parking lot of the nearest chicken wing place. Facilitate conversation and it will help you in your endeavors. There are, obviously, more tactical approaches we could discuss, but this is meant to serve as a very surface discussion to help get your mind moving
Reason Number Three: Running ads
There is no other, more effective, way to advertise in today’s climate. This is especially true of small, local 4x4 and specialty automotive shops. The level of detail that can be drilled into ad placement is simply astounding. Are most of your customers middle-aged males who average $50,000 a year and like driving their Toyota off-road on the weekends? You can target Facebook users that live in your area with the aforementioned details. This isn’t direct mail, or buying email address. This is specifically targeting the exact demographics you want to reach. If you’re not taking advantage of Facebook ads right now, I urge you to try it. If you don’t have the time to dedicate to it, outsource it. Properly implemented, it can be a game changer for your business.
*According to a study done by Zephoria Digital Marketing – Updated July 2019 https://zephoria.com/top-15-valuable-facebook-statistics/
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