Data-Driven Marketing for Your Auto Shop

Automation and Data (3:55)

• How can you take what big businesses are doing and make it possible for small businesses

• Understand what data you have and clean it. You might have duplicates, mismatched info, etc. That’s the first thing Cinch does for you and it’s the first step to getting started with using data to supercharge your marketing.

• Even just misspelling a first name can mess things up. It’s easy for service advisors to mix up names when they’re entering information into the system.

• It can be expensive if you’re sending multiple mailers to people that only need one (because you have multiple profiles in your POS that are actually the same person)

• Getting mailers with the wrong data makes the customer feel like they don’t matter

• Cinch uses machine learning to match the profiles and assess their value

• Capture personal and demographic information about your customers to help you connect with them better

How to Not Be Intimidated by Data (9:45)

• It just starts with getting the right customer data to start with

• We bring all of that data into Cinch (customer personal info, vehicle info, service info, etc.)

• Accurate data helps service advisors in the shop understand how to engage with the customer better

• Entering vehicle mileage is a great example. It helps predict when an oil change reminder needs to happen. Even missing one number can throw that off.

• Cinch tracks customer behavior for you even when it changes, so you send the right message to your customers at the right time

How Cinch Helps with Data from the POS (13:40)

• Your POS has your service data

• Your marketing software should be tracking all your customer marketing data

• Cinch shows the ROI of marketing campaigns and integrates with your POS, so the data between the two is seamless

Marketing Automation with Cinch (14:47)

• Cinch is like Lego code snippets that allow you to build whatever marketing you want

• We have pre-built journeys like that are like Lego sets that help you launch faster and customize

• You can also do internal communication and automate hiring

• It’s low code/no code marketing automation tool

“We’re Too Busy For Marketing” (18:00)

• Marketing should be an all-the-time thing. Some businesses just turn it on when they need but it doesn’t work like that. Automation helps you to stay consistent with your marketing

• You can start promoting services when you’re busy and schedule time for future repairs that you know the customers will need. Keep your shop busy all the way into the future.

• If you don’t advertise, your competitors are more likely to steal your customers.

• You can also improve productivity so you have time for more cars and increase your general revenue

• Even when their microchips manufacturing was delayed, Ford and Dodge kept advertising their trucks and cars. They didn’t just wait until the chips were back in stock. They were still selling vehicles on backorder. They still stayed in front of their customers.

• Recency wins in marketing. Consumers will go to the last shop they heard from when they have an emergency service

• Blanket “empty bay” promos can feel desperate. A better idea is to only contact the people who are on the schedule for the coming weeks. Tell them “we can get you in sooner!” It makes it feel like you’re elevating the customer experience.

Requesting Online Reviews (24:50)

• Online review requests after every transaction where a customer hasn’t left a review are easy with automation

• Also include a text-message opt-in for double opt-ins and build a legally compliant text list

• Don’t review gate! It’s against Google’s terms of service and leads to fewer overall actual reviews

• Cinch gives you the ability to have a 2-way conversation with the customer. A lot of customers will express frustration in the text and they can get it resolved right there within Cinch, before they leave a negative review on Google

• Most people will leave 4 or 5 star reviews if you just ask them

Violating Code and Regulations (29:22)

• Cinch stays on top of the laws and codes so shop owners don’t have to worry about it

• Email reputation for higher open rates and efficacy

• Text messaging to a legally compliant list

You Need Better Marketing Software (31:30)

• You can’t do it all as an entrepreneur. You need a tech stack for your marketing.

• Cinch’s ability to do multi-channel marketing saves you money and time. We help you make data-driven decisions and give you all your marketing tech in one platform