Instagram is a powerful marketing tool for auto repair shops with many unique features. With its visually driven format and massive user base, Instagram offers unique opportunities for auto repair shops to engage with a target audience, showcase expertise, and ultimately drive business growth.
What is Instagram, and What Do They Offer for Auto Repair Shops?
Before we dig in, we know how much you have to manage between Google Business Reviews, Facebook, and Yelp. However, Instagram is another powerful social media marketing platform that can expand your reach.
There are nearly 2 billion active monthly users on Instagram, right behind Facebook, it is one of the most downloaded and used social media platforms. Instagram users spend at least 30 minutes per day scrolling through various photos and videos, and reach at least 500 million active users daily on Instagram Stories. (Source)
In this article, we will dive into Instagram marketing tips that can help customers find your shop, as well as build your brand’s awareness.
How to Visually Showcase Your Repair Shop
Instagram allows businesses to showcase your services, expertise, and facilities through captivating images and videos. For auto repair shops, this means the ability to visually highlight your workmanship, state-of-the-art equipment, and satisfied customers.
Ideas for Instagram to Visually Showcase Your Repair Shop:
- Before and after shots of vehicle repairs
- Behind-the-scenes glimpses of technicians in action
- Testimonial videos and/or quotes with satisfied customers
Instagram provides a dynamic platform to visually demonstrate the quality of service and professionalism offered by your shop. Need help creating images? Canva is a free and great resource for your auto repair shop to easily create designs for Instagram. check out some auto repair templates we found on Canva.
Reach and Engage with Your Audience
Posting about your business is one thing, but we also suggest providing a variety of posts, especially posts that provide value and a chance to engage with you.
Research shows most consumers ignore car problems and they end up losing money in the end because they were neglecting simple car problems. It’s likely your customers and consumers in your area fall into a category of statistics described below.
According to a Ratchet and Wrench study in 2021, the most ignored car problems are as follows:
- Cracked windshield, 42.4 percent
- Wheels out of alignment, 35.3 percent
- Overdue oil change, 31 percent
- Bald or worn-out tires, 27.3 percent
- Check engine light on, 26.4 percent
Check out the example post to give your audience a chance to chat or book an appointment:
Did you know that more than half of drivers on the road do not know what this light means? 👀 Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems are equipped for all vehicles after 2007, and the average battery life is 7-10 years. When your TPMS light is blinking, you need to fill up your tires (check your placard on your door jamb to find the proper tire pressure to fill it up to). When your TPMS light stays lit, it means you need to come in for service! Come see us if this light is on, we will diagnose your TPMS system and get you safe back on the road again. Mention this ad for 10% off your services!
Come see us at Todd’s Full-Service Auto Repair in Waterford, Michigan. Book an appointment at ToddsAutoRepair.biz or give us a call at (248) 555-1212. We are open Monday through Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm and Saturday 8:00 am – 12:00 pm. #tpms #tirepressuresensor #tirepressuremonitoringsystems #carcare #aprilcarcaremonth #waterford #waterfordmi #autorepair #autorepairshop #repairpal #repairpalcertifiedshopThe above sample post provides customers with value, informative information, as well as a call to action for your shops for next steps. Use hashtags in Instagram to expand your reach, including your city, state, and post details. Feel free to use the post above, and download our series of Car Care Tips for your social media channels.
How to Use Facebook and Instagram Stories for More Reach and Engagement
Instagram Stories offer another way to reach out to your audience and give your audience a chance to interact with your page, share your story, tag people and businesses. Unlike most social media platforms, Instagram does not allow links in posts, but you are able to add links to Instagram Stories.
Before we get started, let’s check out the Instagram Stories’ various interactive tools and features that you can use to engage with your audience.
Stickers: There are several types of stickers that can be used for Instagram Stories to make them more interactive and visually appealing.
- Polls: Add interactive polls to your Stories to ask questions and gather feedback from your audience.
- Questions: Use the question sticker to invite your followers to ask you questions, which you can then answer in your Stories through messenger.
- Quiz: Create quizzes with multiple-choice questions to test your audience’s knowledge and encourage interaction.
- Countdown: Set up countdowns for upcoming events, product launches, or special promotions.
- Emoji Slider: Allow your audience to express their opinions on a sliding scale using emojis.
- Location: Tag your location to make your repair shop location discoverable.
- Hashtag: Add relevant hashtags to your Stories to increase their visibility and reach a wider audience.
- Mention: Mention other users in your Stories to give them a shoutout or collaborate with them.
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Text Tools: Customize your Stories with text, stickers and emojis to make them more engaging and visually appealing.
Music: Add background music or soundtracks to your Stories to enhance the message.
Filters and Effects: Use filters, AR effects, and augmented reality features to add creativity to your Stories.
Swipe-Up Links: If you have a verified account or more than 10,000 followers, you can add swipe-up links to your Stories, allowing users to swipe up to visit a website, product page, or landing page.
Instagram Live: If you have an announcement to make, share a live video broadcast directly from your Stories. Some followers will receive a notification that your account is live, allowing you to engage with your followers in real-time and receive instant feedback and reactions.
Boomerang and Superzoom: Another fun and creative tool to add variety to your Stories.
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Check out a few ways to utilize Instagram Stories for your auto repair business:
- Announcements: Instagram Stories have a higher reach than posts, so they’re a great way to share company announcements such as new staff members, hiring, and general updates. You can add several photos and videos to your story so they can get to know your business and culture better.
- Book Appointments: Since Instagram Stories have the ability to add links, be sure to add in your link to book an appointment with your shop. Want a way for your customers to book appointments at your auto repair shop? Click here.
- Polls and Questions: If you want a way to get information and interact with consumers, polls and questions are an interactive and creative way to target your audience and get their feedback. Responses will typically show up in your messages so you are able to respond accordingly.
There are plenty of benefits of having an Instagram presence for auto repair shops. From engaging with customers and driving sales, Instagram offers a versatile platform for shops to thrive in today’s competitive automotive market.
By harnessing the power of Instagram Stories and posts through strategic content marketing, and community engagement, auto repair shops can leverage Instagram to not only attract new customers but also keep long-term relationships and sustainable growth. Embracing Instagram as an integral part of your marketing strategy is an essential tool for auto repair shops looking to stay ahead of the curve.
