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As I write this article I’m sitting at the Orlando World Center Marriott for the STX Conference put on by Worldpac. Kim and I are teaching 3 different classes on auto repair shop marketing.
We teach so much about how to do search engine optimization, how to use social media for marketing your shop, how to do email marketing, how to have an amazing website, how to use storytelling in your marketing, etc.
At the crux of every one of these things is writing.
There is no more valuable skill that you can learn for marketing than how to be a great writer.
“I’m not a writer.”
We hear this statement all the time. “I’m not a writer.”
The people who make this statement fall into one of 3 camps.
- They have told themselves for so long that they aren’t a writer, and they now believe that at their core
- They are illiterate and therefore cannot write, because they literally don’t know how to (even illiterate people can “write” in this day and age)
- They don’t like writing, so they claim to not be a writer and are – in actuality – just a lazy ass
I used to be in the “I’m not a writer” camp, but I came around and it’s been life-changing from a business perspective. I even wrote a book, The Ultimate Guide to Auto Repair Shop Marketing. Except for 3 “notes from Kim”, I wrote every word in that book.
That book is now a business card for me, and it provides so much credibility when someone sees it. Want a copy? Get it here.
Writing is such a powerful tool.
- Write web pages and blog posts that make Google see your website as an authority and display it in the search results when people near you are searching for auto repair
- Write Google ads that attract clients to click through to your shop’s website or call directly from the ad
- Write persuasive copy (that doesn’t feel “icky”) on your homepage that convinces the viewer that your shop is the best choice for them and to make an appointment for their vehicle’s service
- Write posts on your social media channels that help your audience get to know, like, and trust you, your staff, and your shop
- Write emails that bring your current clients in more often and keep your shop top of mind when they or one of their friends, family, or coworkers has an auto repair need
- Contribute as an authority on the topic of auto repair in places like Quora, HARO, Medium, and other places where reporters, bloggers, journalists, etc. go to find professionals to get sources for the stories they are writing
“That’s all great, Brian, but I don’t have time to write. It’s not going to happen.”
Fine. I get it. There are places in my life where I’m a lazy-ass too 🤣. But you can still be a “writer”. Here are some options for people who just aren’t going to write.
There are tons of people out there who would love to do your writing for you. The gig economy is cool like that. Do you think I write all of those blog posts for our clients? Nope! My internal staff doesn’t do it either. We’ve spent years building a team of freelance writers who know auto repair. But the only way you get my writers is to hire us!
But you can find your own writers on places like Upwork, Fiverr, or other online sources. Just know that most of these people are great writers who don’t know jack about fixing cars. So here’s how you get around that.
Pull out your phone and make them a video or an audio recording and explain in detail what you want them to write about. It will take you 5 minutes to give them the info they will need to write a great blog post or web page for you, and you don’t have to worry about grammar, punctuation, formatting, or anything else like that, because your writer is going to do that for you.
You would be surprised just how cost-effective working with a professional writer can be.
If you don’t want to work with a writer, you can also create videos and have them transcribed by services like REV.com. That won’t fix grammar and it won’t format anything for you, but it will get the words into written form.
Just get started!
Writing isn’t as hard as you think. It just takes a little time, and I know that’s something you may not have, but I promise it will pay in dividends if you will make yourself do it.
Block out an hour in your schedule once per week and do some writing. Write a page on your website for something that you want to rank for. Use my writing template when you do it and you WILL see your website improve in ranking for the term you optimize for (it will make sense when you use my template).
Write a social media post once per week on your PERSONAL profiles. Make it about how your team fixed a problem car or how y’all went above and beyond for a customer, and watch how many people comment on your post about needing a great mechanic (their word, not mine).
When you make a habit of this, you’ll see your bottom line increase.
And when you do take the time to do some writing, I’d love for you to share it with me!
