Publishing content to your auto repair shop’s social media pages can be just one more thing to check off your marketing to-do list, or it can be an integral part of your online marketing strategy. Let’s focus on Facebook, but understand that other platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Google Plus, and more recently, Google My Business are relevant. Posting to your business Facebook page can seem like busywork. We recommend an approach to curating content that is integrated with your complete online marketing strategy.
It’s rare that a potential or current customer visits your auto repair shop’s Facebook Page. It’s more common that they interact with your business on Facebook by being served ads and by seeing content a friend likes, shares, or comments on. Page likes can also increase your exposure in a person’s Facebook news feed. So, how important is it to post to your Facebook Business Page? Does custom content you create get better results than sharing other auto industry articles and posts?
We see many auto repair shops that outsource their Facebook content publishing. It’s common to see many businesses posting the same content that is being broadcasted by a service provider that is using a get it done, cookie-cutter approach. We also see a disconnect from the auto repair shop’s brand and company culture and the content published to their social profiles. We question the value of this type of content. We also question if the business and the consumer are benefiting from the content.
Creating effective social media content starts with finding ways to engage your target audience. We recommend a mix of content about your company, your customers, and your local community. Tips related to vehicle maintenance work as well, but work best when created by you, not simply copied or shared from sites like Car Care Aware or AAA Automotive. Content like this can be used, but it’s best to create a custom post and reference the source. Sharing reviews are also a way to add more diversity to your content.
Posting to your auto repair shop’s Facebook page is essential, and content created just for your business representing your brand is always a best practice. When was the last time you checked up on how your business Facebook page looks? Would you share the content with your best customers, and would they see value in it? Or, are you just adding to the endless chatter of recycled and reused posts? When was the last time you polled customers to see what they think about your Facebook content strategy? We’d like to hear your thoughts, send us a message on Facebook, and let us know what you think.
