Leveraging Social Media As A Customer Retention Tool

Leveraging Social Media As A Customer Retention Tool

If you’re using social media simply to drive new customers to your shop, you may be disappointed. Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels may help to some degree with customer acquisition, but social media is at its most powerful when used for customer retention.

If you’re using social media simply to drive new customers to your shop, you may be disappointed. Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels may help to some degree with customer acquisition, but social media is at its most powerful when used for customer retention.

Social media offers the opportunity to build a stronger relationship with your client than what is possible with more traditional marketing efforts. Through social media, your audience (who are likely already somewhat familiar with your shop), can gain an inside track on special offers as well as a clearer picture of your shop’s values, your community involvement, who your employees are and how other customers view your business.

If you’ve been hesitant to get involved in social media, now is the time to dip your toe in the water. Simply creating a profile on Facebook and Twitter is a good way to improve your SEO efforts since both channels serve as directories and having a page will allow you to show up in search listings. If you’re ready to become more active, posting regularly will help you stay top of mind with customers.

Here are some simple guidelines that will allow you to leverage social media to cultivate loyalty and increase sales.

Get in a Routine

Whether you’re just establishing a Facebook or Twitter page, or if you’ve been active for awhile, it’s crucial to get into a regular routine. Creating new posts at the same times each day can give your audience something to look forward to reading. You should also check and respond to any messages or replies you receive on a regular basis. If you are worried about fitting social media into your sporadic schedule, invest in software that automatically uploads posts at pre-determined times.

What Not to Do on Social Media

While social media is a very open place, there are certain ways businesses are expected to behave online. Here are a few things to keep in mind before you start posting:

  • Keep it Clean. Even though you are targeting adults, you still need to keep your page family-friendly.
  • Stay on Topic. It’s OK to post the occasional holiday message, but don’t stray too far from industry-related topics.
  • Don’t Get Personal. Your business page is no place for your political opinions, favorite recipe or religion.
  • Be Professional. Always be polite and put your best foot forward.
  • Avoid General Questions. Don’t try to engage your audience with “How are you?” Instead, ask specific questions and relate them to what you are discussing.
  • Don’t Over-Advertise. You want people to make a personal connection with you, not see you as just another company. Feel free to promote your business, just don’t do it in every single post.

What to Post About?

The goal is to remain interesting and unique, so viewers have a good reason to return to your page. A good rule of thumb is to post one advertisement only every seven posts. This means varying your content a little bit. Try exploring several different types of posts and monitoring which ones bring you the best results.

Here are 10 suggestions to keep your content fresh and interesting:

1. Pictures, Videos & Infographics
Visual content tends to most effectively capture the attention of customers and is more likely to be shared, so consider including an interesting picture or video with your posts. A relevant image can help increase retention rates by 55% over that of plain text. When a potential customer views one of these images or videos, they are twice as likely to visit your shop, even if they might not need anything urgent at the time.

2. Highlight Promotions
Roughly 43% of all customers make the decision to follow a business on social media for the sole purpose of being able to gain access to their discounts, special events and promotions. You can help extend the reach of a promotion simply by putting it on social media and allowing your followers to share the offer with others.

3. Build Relationships
Participate in conversations with your customers, answer questions they might have and request feedback on ways you can improve.

In doing so, you can help boost your reputation and give your repair shop a personality that never existed previously. Customers feel they can interact with your shop when you are personable and involved in what matters to them.

4. Focus on “Shareable” Content
Post news customers can use, like seasonal care tips, pre-winter maintenance information and tips to stay safe on the road, which might not only prove relevant to your direct audience but their friends and family as well.

5. Share Testimonials
Nothing strengthens your credibility more than sharing stories from actual customers who have already had work done at your business. Seventy-two percent of consumers will visit a business after reading a positive review online. In fact, increasing your average rating on Yelp by even one star, can translate into a 5-9% increase in revenue.

However, remember to be authentic and avoid posting manufactured reviews. While we all wish that every review was a positive one, you can’t control what customers write. However, you can be responsive to criticism and turn negative reviews into positive ones with a little hard work and dedication.

6. Community Involvement
Getting the word out about events you sponsor establishes you as a proud supporter of your local community. Share videos from some of the charitable events you attended to help raise awareness. If your shop repairs vehicles for charitable organizations or needy families, you should take photos and share them on your social media page. It’s also helpful to share posts from the organizations you support to help them increase exposure for their events and initiatives.

7. Contests
Contests are a great way to build exposure for your shop while increasing audience engagement. Every month, consider running a contest to drive views of your page or website. For example, offer to give a customer a free oil change or tune-up just for sharing your business page to their timeline.

The customers you gain from running one of these contests every month is going to earn you more in revenue than what it will cost to provide a free service.

8. Customer Photos
Consider posting photos of repair work you did for customers. In exchange for posting the photo, you could offer the customer $10 off their next repair. By highlighting some of the work you did, potential customers will be able to gain a sense of the quality of your repairs and a better understanding of how you operate.

9. Employee Highlights
Showcasing your staff allows customers to get to know them better and helps build trust and confidence in your shop. Announce new hires and consider highlighting existing employees by posting their bios and photos once or twice a month. It’s also fun to highlight an employee’s off-duty hobbies and achievements, such as completing a first marathon or winning a volunteer award.

10. Boost Engagement
Increasing interactivity with your visitors is a great way to boost engagement. Ask a question and request feedback or start a poll and comment on the results. Be sure to reply to comments or messages as soon as you get them.

Social media can be one of the best marketing investments your shop can make. As long as you commit the time, social media will allow you to quickly connect with your customers and grow your brand.

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