Social media has changed the landscape of auto repair shop marketing. Image via Wikipedia
Social Media has become a powerful force in the business marketing world. The fact that Facebook is the most popular website in the world makes a business page a must have for marketing any auto repair shop. In addition, the rapid adoption of smart phones allows people to connect, interact, and update from anywhere, putting this power into the hands of the very people you want as potential customers.
In the fall 2011 Social Media Report produced by Nielsen, statistics show that social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquarereach more than 80% of active Internet users. When you look at that information and pair it with the finding that 70% of those active social media users also look online first when looking for auto repair, the value of optimizing your social media presence becomes clear.
Most auto repair shop owners know that that positive word-of-mouth advertising is the best type of advertising and often the hardest to get. However, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Yelp are rewriting the rules when it comes to word-of-mouth. The Nielsen study showed that 60% of the people who are active users of social networks make recommendations to their friends on products and services. These people are also more likely to be socially active offline which means they are offering their opinions there as well. This information highlights the need for a strong social media presence that connects with consumers.
The biggest social movement in the last two years however, is in the use of smartphone technology to access social media. With more than 40% of active social media users are accessing social media content through their mobile devices. The largest growing population of users in this area is in the 55+ age group which has doubled its active users in the past year. smartphone applications (apps) for managing social networks are now the third most popular apps sold running very slightly behind games and weather apps.
People age 25-34 are the most active users of social media, but all age groups show growth in user adoption. Americans as a whole now spend more time on Facebook than any other U.S. website. Blogreaders tend to have higher incomes and often more education than others in their age- group. As the accessibility of this type of social media on wireless devices and smartphones becomes easier to accomplish, using these tools for marketing will only continue to rise in importance.
The message of the Nielsen report is clear; auto repair shops need to buy-in to the value of using social media as a business building tool. By leveraging the viral nature of some of these tools and devoting adequate time to providing valuable, relevant content, auto repair shops can bring in more customers and connect with those customers they already have and want to keep.
