For many collision repair shop owners, the world of social media can seem hectic and oversaturated at times. While that perception is certainly valid, depending on how much experience you’ve had with social media, it doesn’t represent the whole truth. In reality, social media has many positive, as well as negative aspects, but the trick is to know how to use it to your advantage.
One of the biggest platforms that business owners all of the country have taken to is Twitter. Have you jumped on Twitter for your auto body shop, yet? If you have or if you’re thinking about joining the popular social network, here are some tips to help you use it effectively for your auto body shop.
· Get your website in order first. One of the biggest mistakes that some collision repair shop owners make is to dive into social networking without perfecting their website first. In order to get the most out of Twitter, it’s important to make your website a worthwhile place to visit. Provide interesting content, updated shop information, and clear navigation. Without a decent website, you won’t have much to back up your Twitter presence.
· Update frequently—very frequently. Of all the social networks, Twitter has some of the most frequent updating around. In order to stay connected, it will demand a significant amount of your attention. In fact, if you currently don’t have the time to devote to it, you might want to refrain from using it until you do. If you do have the time for it, then be sure to check your account and post updates multiple times each day.
· Stay engaged. As with any social network, the biggest benefit is social engagement. Take advantage of this factor and stay in touch. Follow what people are saying about you, about collision repair, and about anything else that might be related. Ask questions of your followers and answer their questions promptly. Post updates on the work you’re doing each day, along with photos.
· Have a real voice. When it comes to social media, people are turned off easily by a voiceless entity. To avoid having such a negative persona, be sure to use your real voice when posting anything on Twitter. In fact, when you set up your Twitter account, provide the name of the person who will be posting for your shop. That way, when you converse with people, it’ll be clear that there’s a person involved and not just some generic marketing voice.
Need help with your shop’s social networking?
At Stratosphere Studio, we specialize in digital marketing for auto body shops and offer a variety of affordable services, including blogging, social networking, website design, search engine optimization, and more. Tom, our company’s founder, once owned his own auto body shop before using his marketing expertise to help other body shops. We’ve even been featured in Fender Bender for our knowledge of body shop marketing. If you need an agency to help your body shop, give us a call today or click the link below.
