Independent repair shops favor Facebook, Google Plus for marketing

March 9, 2018
Independent repair shops that use social media to promote their business continue to show a clear preference for Facebook more than any other website. But Google Plus is growing in usage and is the number two social media website choice.

Independent repair shops that use social media to promote their business continue to show a clear preference for Facebook more than any other website. But Google Plus is growing in usage and is the clear number two social media website choice, according to the Aftermarket Business World 2018 Independent Repair Shop Study.

Some 71 percent of respondents said they use Facebook to promote their services and to offer coupons and specials, while 38 percent said they use Google Plus, a social networking platform from Google. The numbers exceed 100 percent because respondents were able to select more than one social network if they promoted their businesses through multiple networks.

LinkedIn was a very distant third choice as only 8 percent said they use that website to promote their business and Twitter was used by 6 percent. Those appear to be the two biggest losers from last year’s study, as LinkedIn dropped from 11 percent of users in last year’s study and Twitter dropped from 14 percent last year.

Google Plus showed the strongest growth from last year’s study as it increased in use from 28 percent of independent repair shops last year to 38 percent this year.

Omni-channel Marketing Explained in 60 Seconds

Autoshop Solutions Video

This one-minute video shows how to be found on the internet, what the anchor of your marketing strategy should be, five things to improve online visibility and how it all ties together in omni-channel marketing.

Watch The Video

Some 41 percent of respondents said their sales of the surveyed products increased in the last 12 months compared to the prior 12 months, while 51 percent said sales stayed the same.

Independent repair shops enter 2018 with optimism as 45 percent said they expect their sales of the surveyed products to increase in 2018, while 52 percent said they expect sales to remain the same.

The shops also show confidence in gross margin expectations as 50 percent said they expect their gross margins on the sale of the surveyed products to increase in 2018, while 47 percent said they expect their margins to be the same.

Quality is the number one part need of 35 percent of independent repair shops in this year’s study, followed by OEM form, fit and function (22 percent); availability (20 percent); and price (16 percent).

Regarding preferred suppliers, 42 percent of independent repair shops said they prefer to buy from auto parts retailers and 32 percent prefer to buy from warehouse distributors, while 18 percent favor jobbers and 8 percent prefer to buy parts from dealerships.

Methodology: The 2018 Independent Repair Shop Product Study was fielded to readers of Motor Age magazine via email. Survey results are intended to show general market trends, not statistical certainties, as results were generated from a small sample audience.

Subscribe to Aftermarket Business World and receive articles like this every month….absolutely free. Click here.

Sponsored Recommendations

ZEUS+: The Cutting-Edge Diagnostic Solution for Smart, Fast, and Efficient Auto Repairs

The new ZEUS+ simplifies your diagnostic process and guides you through the right repair, avoiding unnecessary steps along the way. It gives you the software coverage, processing...

Diagnostic Pre- and Post-scan Reports are Solid Gold for Profitability

The following article highlights the significance of pre-scans and post-scans, particularly with Snap-on scan tools, showcasing their efficiency in diagnosing issues and preventing...

Unlock Precision and Certainty: TRITON-D10 Webinar Training for Advanced Vehicle Diagnostics

The TRITON-D10 lets you dig deep into the systems of a vehicle and evaluate performance with comparative data, systematically eliminating the unnecessary to provide you with only...

APOLLO-D9: Trustworthy Diagnostics for Precision Repairs

The APOLLO-D9 provides the diagnostic information and resources you need to get the job done. No more hunting through forums or endlessly searching to find the right answers. ...

Voice Your Opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Vehicle Service Pros, create an account today!