Let’s be honest — getting an oil change isn’t exactly a highlight of anyone’s day. It’s more of a necessity than a thrill, like waiting in line at the DMV.

But here’s the thing: Everyone with a car needs maintenance — oil changes, new tires, brakes, and more. And you want them coming to your dealership’s service department.

So how do you make sure they choose you?

Four Key Marketing Tactics for Dealership Service Departments

Marketing success doesn’t come from just one activity. It comes from a thoughtful mix of online tactics working together to increase repair orders and create positive experiences for your auto service department. 

A strategic approach can make all the difference in attracting and retaining customers. Here are four essential tactics that can help you boost your service department’s visibility and engagement (and, ultimately, your bottom line).

1. Email Marketing

Email is still a rockstar when it comes to reaching your audience directly. Send personalized messages to your current customers and recent leads, keeping them in the loop about service promotions, specials, and new offerings.

​​Email Tips for Success:

• Segment Your List: Use your CRM to segment your email list based on service history. Target customers who haven’t visited in a while with special re-engagement offers.
• Craft Compelling Subject Lines: Ensure your subject lines are attention-grabbing to increase open rates. Example: “Don’t Miss Out: 20% Off Your Next Service!”
• Automate Reminders: Set up automated reminders for routine maintenance based on customer data. This helps keep your service department top of mind.

Pro Tip: Use A/B testing to experiment with different email formats and messages to see what resonates best with your audience.

Introducing the 2023 Performance Benchmarks Report for Automotive Digital Marketing

2. Website Optimization (a.k.a. SEO)

Your dealership’s website is your digital showroom, so it’s important to make it as user-friendly as possible. That’s where search engine optimization (SEO) best practices come into play.

Optimize your site to provide easy access to information about your services and highlight specials, incentives, and easy appointment scheduling options right up front.

SEO Tips for Success:

• Make Information Easy to Find: Ensure that key details about your services, promotions, and appointment scheduling are visible and easy to navigate on your homepage.
• Check Your Website’s Mobile Friendliness: Many users will visit your site on their phones, so make sure it’s easy to navigate on smaller screens. Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool to see how your site performs and get suggestions for improvement.
• Use Local Keywords: Include words and phrases related to your location and services. For example, use terms like “auto repair in [Your City]” or “oil change near [Your City].” This helps your site show up in local search results.
• Update Page Titles and Descriptions: Ensure that each page on your site has a unique title and description featuring relevant keywords. This improves how your site appears in search engine results and can attract more clicks.

Key Metrics to Watch:

You can track metrics such as sessions per user, average session duration, pages per session, and bounce rate using Google Analytics 4 (GA4). These will help you gauge how well visitors interact with your site.

More importantly, make sure and track your key events — like submissions on your service page forms — to see if your changes are making a difference.

[Case Study] One Website Change Increased Trade-In Form Submissions 173%

3. Meta Advertising

Meta Ads (a.k.a Facebook and Instagram ads) are your secret weapon for targeting and engaging potential customers. Craft ads that show off the awesome benefits of your service department — like cleaning protocols, contactless options, and killer seasonal deals.

Meta Ads Tips for Success:

• Target Precisely: Use detailed targeting options to reach local customers who are likely to need your services. Better yet, use custom audiences to highlight service offers to people who are in your CRM, like people who bought a vehicle in the last year.
• Showcase Unique Selling Points: Highlight features like contactless service options, cleaning protocols, and seasonal promotions.
• Use Engaging Visuals: High-quality images and videos capture attention and drive engagement. Don’t just stick with stock photos. Real images work best.

Key Metrics to Watch:

Pay attention to cost per click, click-through rate, and cost per landing page view to assess the effectiveness of your ads — plus, use UTM tracking and GA4 to track key events that come from your ads. Adjust your strategy based on these metrics to optimize performance.

4. Leverage Customer Reviews and Testimonials

Customer reviews and testimonials are powerful tools for building trust and credibility. Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews and showcase these on your website and social media.

More Tips for Success:

• Ask for Reviews: After a service appointment, follow up with customers and ask them to leave a review. Make it easy by providing direct links.
• Feature Testimonials: Highlight positive reviews on your website and social media profiles to build trust with potential customers.
• Respond to Feedback: Engage with customers by responding to reviews, both positive and negative, to show that you value their feedback.

Key Metrics to Watch:

Track review volume and average rating to gauge customer satisfaction and the effectiveness of your review strategy.

Success Story: Fixed-Ops Marketing

Picture this: You’re part of an auto group looking to amp up fall tire sales, but you’re not sure where to start. Naturally, you decided to take advice from 9 Clouds. What a brilliant strategy!

We recommended rolling out a friendly competition among your stores using savvy tactics like website optimization, Facebook Ads, Google Ads, and targeted emails. 

The result? Increased service traffic and record-breaking tire sales across all nine stores.

Now, there’s much more that goes into each strategy, but the bottom line is clear — by taking a few strategic steps, you were able to boost repair orders and create more positive experiences in your service department. Now, that’s what we call a win!

[Case Study] Facebook Campaign Increases Service ROs for Midwest Dealership

Elevate Your Service Department’s Online Marketing

Now, you’ve got the tools and tactics to supercharge your dealership’s service department marketing online. By nailing these four key marketing tactics, you can beef up your service department’s online presence, attract more customers, and increase repair orders — all while keeping your customers happy.

Ready to boost your dealership’s digital success? Get personalized marketing strategies to enhance your service and sales online presence and drive results.

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