OhmCo - previously rule of design - carwash marketing and blogging

7 Basic Car Wash Marketing Strategies for EVERYONE

Mel Ohlinger • January 7, 2022

7 Basic Car Wash Marketing Strategies

GETTING STARTED IN DIGITAL MARKETING

Whether you’re just starting your carwash marketing strategy or you’re reviewing it for the upcoming year, it’s important to know what you want to accomplish in your marketing efforts. You don't have to be constantly aware of the marketing industry to be successful, but you do want to build a marketing campaign that will be successful and bring you new customers.

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HOW TO GET STARTED

To have an effective marketing campaign, you don’t need a lot of money, but you do need to come up with creative marketing ideas and cover some basic steps to create a workflow for success. Sometimes that’s sometimes easier said than done. Here are the  best places to start to secure your place in the digital world and help make your carwash part of a successful carwash marketing strategy.

set-up your facebook page

If you have a tight marketing budget, you can use a Facebook page as a temporary substitute for an actual website. Designing and setting up a full website takes time and money, so Facebook is a great alternative to put all the necessary information for your customers. Then, consider if your budget has enough wiggle room to pay for a targeted ad on social media. This is a really effective way to target ads to individuals that live in your region.


set-up your google mybusiness page

Be found, be chosen, and be the best in the business with an accurate Google listing. Businesses can loose customers when they don't have accurate hours or contact information listed on their Google pages. Claim your listing and keep everything current via your Google MyBusiness page.


get on social media

Creating a page on different social media platforms is an excellent way to market your company without spending large amounts of money. Depending on your target audience, you may wish to think about the platform you’re using, because not all of them are the same. A Facebook or Instagram page is a really good way to not only promote your business, but also engage with your local community.


WORK WITH YOUR COMMUNITY

A great way to boost your business while also contributing with the local community is by partnering up with your Chamber of Commerce, a school, or a charity. These avenues can get you free local advertising with targeting your best community customers. Consider implementing a program that would donate a portion of your revenue to the chosen school or charity. This will encourage clients to come to your wash and spend money while also showcasing you as a positive, contributing member of the community.


RESPOND TO REVIEWS

Responding to reviews shows that you value your customers and the feedback that they leave about your business. High-quality, positive reviews from your customers will improve your business's visibility and increase the likelihood that a potential customer will visit your location. Plus, when you respond kindly to a negative review, it shows potential new customers that you are the kind of business that they want to work with and support.

Develop a loyalty program

There are a lot of retail businesses out there who are now offering loyalty programs to their customers. These programs are a great way to create engagement with your customers and get them to return to your company time and again. When you build a loyalty program, you need to think of your goals to make it successful. What are you trying to accomplish? Don’t just create a loyalty program without doing research in advance.


Send customers a free upgrade

Everyone loves freebies, and digital offers from carwash companies are not that common. This is a good opportunity for your company to leverage this gap in the industry to your benefit. Send a digital voucher to your customers for a free upgrade, and you’ve opened the door to connect with them, remind them of your business’ presence and build loyalty.


Your carwash digital coupon is an excellent opportunity to use your email list and make sure your contacts on it are up-to-date. You can email either a coupon for a free upgrade on an existing package or offer a free wash with the purchase of another wash. You’ll be surprised to find that you’ll definitely get some takers.

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Need more ideas?

Still feeling stuck on how to market your carwash? Maybe look around the wash site. Try to make sure all of your documents, packages, and signage are up-to-date. Signs are the best way to let your customers and potential clients showcase your brand identity, products, and services.


If you’re designing your carwash signs for the first time, you need to figure out the best options for placement, color, features, etc., for maximum efficiency. The carwash menus need to be appealing, so make sure you review the prices and you have great offerings. If you’ve had the same menus for a while, you can change things up and make an old sign look new again. You don’t have to put too much time in testing a new option. Start by showing the new offering as a promotion or special from the manager. You can also remove an option from your menu. Studies show that four packages or fewer on a menu are more successful for your revenue results. If you offer more than four packages, you risk creating too many options which will confuse or stress out your clients.


According to the studies, the best option is three packages, beating out four packages by as much as 5%. If you’re not sure which to remove from your menu, you should go for the middle package, which is the least popular option. Finally, review your pricing for all your washes, if it’s been a while. Customers actually prefer washes that are evenly priced, so change your off-price points to even ones that are slightly higher and see how that affects your results.


Marketing can have a huge positive impact on the success of your carwash, and you want to be always keeping your marketing new and fresh. If you’re struggling with ideas, these six options should put you on the path to marketing success.


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MEL OHLINGER
Speaker @ SCWA & CEO OF OHMCO

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