Every day, search engines teem with questions about cars. As an auto mechanic, you have the answers people need about auto maintenance, repair, and buying tips. How can you share your expertise with this massive potential customer base searching for information, services, and answers? One of the best ways to connect is through a blog.
Studies show that small business websites with blogs get 126 percent more leads. Blogs are a powerful way to build a rapport with customers and boost your website’s prominence in search. That’s because fresh and engaging content is one of the key ways search engines determine how to rank your website when people search for things like “how to repair a flat tire” or “when do I need an oil change?” A blog can help your business rocket to the top of search results. If you’re not sure where to start, here are six blogs sure to get your creative juices flowing.
The Humble Mechanic
The Humble Mechanic is a Volkswagen technician who wanted to share his passion with fellow car lovers. His site caters to both professionals and car enthusiasts. He shares business insight on his favorite repair shop software, and doles out beginner tips about toolboxes and flat tire repairs.
The Humble Mechanic doesn’t stop at the written word; the site is full of videos and Podcast episodes. He also loves to answer reader questions through fun and engaging videos. His site is an excellent example of how you can infuse a bit of personality into your web content, and how to integrate video to capture attention and SEO value.
Advance Auto Parts DIY Blog
You might wonder why an auto repair business would want to teach customers how to solve common car issues on their own. Advance Auto Parts uses its blog to answer the pressing questions customers ask in their web searches. Its blog features beginner-oriented articles like “Car Windows Won’t Go Up? We May Have the Answer” and “My Car’s Making a Noise.” This helps position the company as an industry-leader, so it’s the go-to source when real maintenance problems arise.
Other sections of the blog cover a wider range of subjects too. You can learn about new car technologies, the latest in auto racing, or even tips for road trips. Seasonal features highlight how to winterize your boat or recommendations for snow chains. Speaking to an array of topics ensures customers in every buying journey find something useful, and helps your shop get the job done.
Girls Auto Clinic
Are you a “shecanic”? Girls Auto Clinic is an award-winning blog focused on women. Founder, Patrice, saw the process of buying a new vehicle trigger massive anxiety in many of her female friends. Many resources were male-dominated and didn’t connect with the unique concerns she faced when dealing with the car industry. She became so frustrated with the process that she enrolled in auto mechanic school.
Patrice uses her fun, exuberant personality to ease car buying concerns. She guides women through the sales process and gives pro tips on how to get the best deal. Her DIY maintenance shows you how to polish your headlights or prepare your car for snow season. Her TED talk also highlights her blog and plans to upend the industry. You can follow Girls Auto Clinic’s lead by establishing an authentic voice for your blog and saying something unique to stand out.
Car Talk
If you’re a car freak, you’ve definitely heard of Car Talk. Car aficionados Tom and Ray share their expertise on a weekly one-hour segment on NPR. Car Talk is another excellent example of how you can inject personality and humor into your blog. These two car enthusiasts love sharing bad jokes just as much as they care about vehicle safety.
They deliver expert advice in a funny tone, using titles like “I Don’t Want to Take My Parents’ Crown Vic to College” to chat about the perils of hand-me-downs. Another article gives a full run-down of the “25 Ugliest Cars in History.” Use your blog to connect with customers in more fun, off-the-cuff ways that you might not have time to share at your business. Ask yourself if your blog posts are interesting enough that you’d read them for fun. That will always give you an answer.
Review Jam
You’re always surrounded by the latest and greatest in automotive tools, so why not share your recommendations with your customers? Review Jam is jam-packed with product reviews ranging from the best car speakers to angle grinders and car batteries. It focuses on everything the garage enthusiast needs. Each article is extremely in-depth and informative and includes easy-to-skim pros and cons lists and how-to videos. Make your content skimmable, educational, and useful like this blog does, and you’ll be off to the races.
Moto Verso
Are you more of an expert in high-end luxury vehicles? Moto Verso reviews limited edition vehicles and performance-oriented sports cars. The dazzling high-quality photos and videos share the full experience of getting behind the wheel of the latest Jaguar and Lamborghini models.
This blog also shows you how to keep your car looking shiny and new. Moto Verso shares walkthroughs on how to keep your convertible top clean and how to replace premium brake pads. Take notice of the visual assets on this blog and emulate the top-tier quality on your own blog.
Eastwood Auto Restoration
Not all car questions come from beginners. Auto experts with burning questions about classic car restoration turn to Eastwood Auto Restoration for serious shoptalk. This isn’t the site for how to change a flat tire. Through videos and articles, Eastwood shares advanced tips on higher-level subjects like “How to MIG Weld” and “Paint Mixing Tips.”
It effectively uses its blog to connect with its core customer base of car restoration enthusiasts. So when it comes time to buy a plasma cutter or belt sander, Eastwood is the favored choice. This blog is a premier example of how to curate content that speaks directly to your customer niche. Glean inspiration on how to do that by reading this blog.
Blogging is a crucial part of your online marketing strategy that you can’t ignore. Distill your love of cars into weekly posts that improve your local SEO, and drive new customers into your business. While you might not have the time to chat with customers between repair jobs, you can use your blog to show more of your personality and develop lasting relationships with your customer base.
