The DOs and DON’Ts of social networking for auto body shops

Lots of businesses these days are taking advantage of all that social networking has to offer, including auto body shops.  At Stratosphere Studio, we think this is a great trend and one that could potentially help a number of collision repair shops to increase their business.  With so many shops getting on the social media train, you might be tempted to climb aboard, as well.  Before you get started, beware of the many wrong ways to go about social networking—ways that could suck away your time, energy, and money. 

To help you get on the right track for your body shop’s social networking, here is our list of DOs and DON’Ts:

DON’T neglect your website.
Before you can even think about getting into social media, it’s imperative that your shop’s website be in great shape.  Without a great website, you will lack the necessary foundation for attracting leads and future customers.  So make sure your design is appealing and that all of your information is up-to-date.

DO determine which networks are best for your shop.
Social networking is not “one size fits all,” so don’t pressure yourself to be on a network that isn’t right for your shop.  Some factors to consider are whether you have time to devote yourself to more than one network and whether your customer base is more likely to be on one network over another.

DON’T update intermittently.
In order to be successful, a social media strategy requires time and devotion.  It might be a good idea to start with one platform, like Facebook—a solid, popular choice, and get really good at it before you branch out into something else, like Pinterest or Tumblr. 

DO post photos.
A photo will make nearly any social media post more dynamic and interesting, which can increase the likelihood that people will stop to read what you write.  On Facebook, for instance, people often scroll quickly through status updates and only stop on the posts that catch their eye.  Get your posts noticed!

DON’T post irrelevant information.
Try to refrain from posting random photos of cats or anything political or religious.  Instead, focus on the collision repair industry and any related topics that your social media followers might be interested in.  They’re not following you for your comedic skills or social opinions—there are plenty of other personalities out there for people to follow for that.  Share your expertise in auto body work, instead.

DON’T be afraid to call us for help with your social media. 
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, contact us today.