Your November Social Media Master Tech Toolkit

In this months Social Media Master Tech Toolkit, we go over best practices for managing social platforms for auto repair shops.

by Net Driven 11/19/19
Your November Social Media Master Tech Toolkit

Keeping your Social Media on the Road to Success:
Best Practices for Managing Social Platforms for Auto Repair Shops

It’s 2019 and social media is more important than ever for small and large businesses alike. While you may not think that social media is an aspect of your business landscape that you should be utilizing, statistics show otherwise. In the third quarter of 2018, there were more than 2.27 billion monthly active Facebook users which is a 10% increase year over year. Not only is Facebook where your customers are spending the bulk of their technological lives, but when utilized the right way, can significantly impact your business with little to no cost to you. The following steps in managing your social media will help you make the most of your posts.

Consistency is Key

Just like the team of technicians and mechanics in your shop, consistency is key in your social media posts. The businesses with consistent social posts are the ones who see the best return on their efforts. You want to consistently be in the eye of your customers, meaning you don’t want to make a social post once a month. A consistent social presence would include at least 2 to 3 posts weekly. It might seem tedious to stay consistent with your social media, but it can be very easy if you use the right tools. Facebook has a scheduling tool that is extremely user-friendly and can be used to schedule posts in advance. This means that you can sit down for an hour or so every few weeks and schedule your posts to go out whenever you want, making the burden of posting content multiple times a week significantly less.

Studies show that every 60 seconds on Facebook: 510,000 comments are posted, 293,000 statuses are updated, and 136,000 photos are uploaded. How do you ensure that your posts and photos are getting the most attention possible? Look at the facts. The highest Facebook traffic occurs between 1:00 and 3:00 PM. Also, engagement is 10% higher on Thursdays and Fridays than other days of the week. Use these statistics to optimize your return.

REMEMBER: Consistency does NOT mean spam

Attempting to be consistent can very easily cross the line into spamming. Spamming your customers’ timelines may not only lead to them unlike your page all together, but it makes every post less likely to receive engagement.

Keep Content Relevant

Creating and posting social media content can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. The key is not to think about it too hard and to stick to what you know. Not only will it keep the content relevant to your industry, but it will make it easier for you to post the content that your customers are expecting from you. For example, would you expect a restaurant to post about oil changes? No, but this is the place for your automotive shop to shine. Share knowledge on car care that makes you a trusted service provider in your community. While certain things like motivational pictures, celebrity gossip, and memes not relevant to your industry may receive likes and shares, they don’t drive traffic back to your page for the right reasons. Keep your content relevant and your customers will continue to come back to your page for the information you would want them to get from you.

Personality is Key

“Don’t just give your customers something to talk about, give them somebody to talk about.” – Jay Baer, Social Media Expert

What Baer means by this is that you want your social media content to feel like its coming from another human being, not from some robot behind a computer screen. Giving your social presence personality is one of – if not the – most important part of a social media strategy. Some major brands are starting to do this as well. Take Starbucks for example. They are known for replying back to tweets written to them, and when responding, sounding like the customer’s friend. 

Engaging with your customers shows them that you actually care about their responses or insights into your business and gives them more of a reason to trust you. If you don’t think this is important, statistics show that it is. Studies show 80% of people on social media choose to follow brands based on whether their content feels and sounds authentic. Other ways to show your shop’s personality on social media is through personal photos and stories. Hire a new mechanic? Do a profile on your new employee to welcome him or her to the shop. Did a member of your staff get married? Wish them a wonderful wedding day on your page with a photo of your staff celebrating. These types of posts typically see very high engagement and put a face on the business behind the page. Luckily, sounding and being authentic is as easy as being yourself – making using social media even easier! 

Adopting these strategies and learning from them will help you use social media to its fullest potential to help your shop thrive. The best part? If practiced correctly, social media can be a free source of marketing and advertising for your shop that costs no more than a few hours of your time. So get behind that computer and set up your Facebook business page today to get your auto repair shop on the road to success.