marketing ideas

This maybe a really wild idea, but you could hang around professional office buildings and wait until someone, rich looking, with a really shiny car parks. When they get out of their car, go over and put dirty water all over it and get it really messy. Then leave a flyer on the windshield.



Oh come on - I thought you could use a laugh. What the heck, it's not like you're busy detailing.
 
Actually, to be serious, I would check out the parking lots of office buildings and put flyers on the windshields (with the building owner's permission, if it is a private lot). If you are a mobile detailer, you could pick up something, i.e. doing the work while the customer is at work.
 
We've had this argument before but I get a great response putting my business card on expensive reasonably well maintained cars. I haven't come across anyone that has complained. I agree people hate having the whole lot spammed with cheesy fliers, but a high quality business card on just THEIR special car? Works great for me. I don't even consider any other type of advertising because being in that industry I know the return rates aren't going to be nearly as good. I ran an ad in a newspaper for $120 for 5 weeks and got one call, screw that.
 
i may try the buisness card thing more and more i went door to door today to reality and insurance offices and gave them a price sheet / flyer lets see if i get cals from that
 
local newspaper ad

---Your name of biz---

---things you do---

Licence & Insured

202-384-9000



Being Licence & Insured and having a permanent biz shop you get more costumers



Doing things for your community is great PR



look professional buy uniforms



Phone book ad



Place sign on your truck or trailer park it in a high traffic area
 
Bigsteve--did you check your private messages yet?



Bigsteve2200 said:
i may try the buisness card thing more and more i went door to door today to reality and insurance offices and gave them a price sheet / flyer lets see if i get cals from that
Click to expand...
 
:mad: I'm mad because the same question was posted in a thread last week, but when I went to get the link to post here, the thread had disappeared, along with all our ideas we posted to help the guy. I suspect he deleted the thread, taking our ideas with him so no one else could benefit from them. Nice.



Anyway, I'm going to try and nutshell what I posted there.



I'm not a detailer, nor do I have a marketing or advertising background, so user beware. Oh, and if you successfully use either of these ideas, let us know, and send me money (5% of first year's increase in business ought to do it :D ).



Anyway, the first idea that sprang to mind was to come to an arrangement with a store that sells detailing products you use. On a sunny Saturday, you set up in the store's parking lot (visible from the street would be bonus), with a beautiful car in dire need of attention, and then you detail half of it, taking your time, using products the store sells. Jazz it up a little with those fluttering strings of pennants you see at car lots. You have someone on hand to book appointments, and you patiently answer questions, no matter how dumb (I think a good "car-side" manner is a must here). It would be great if you had a canopy with your logo etc on it; you'd certainly want prominent signs saying who you are etc.



Maybe you could even sell hotdogs and refreshments, and make some dough out of the deal. :) Another way to make dough that day would be to take a cut of the products sold that day above usual volumes. I wouldn't try that one on with the store until you've secured the parking lot arrangement, though, and don't hold your breath for a favourable response. ;) If it really worked out for the store, you'd have better future bargaining power.



If it's a chain store, maybe you could tour (though you might run out of beautiful cars in bad shape -- maybe you could offer a free detail to customers who let you do the demo on their cars). If it's a car you can keep your hands on for a while, you could park it in prominent places, still half detailed, with brochures/business cards available at the car. Maybe you could get one or two magnetic signs that stick on cars, saying "Car Detailed by Donny Doowop, Detailer to the stars. By appointment only. Usually a week's notice is required, so phone early etc. "



Another idea is a more standard approach. You advertise and then give detailing seminars. Of those who attend, some will learn and do themselves (the nerve!:angry ), others will think you need to do it for them. Whatever you do, don't tell them about Autopia! ;) Even many of those who don't go to the seminars will come to believe that you're the local expert, if they see your ad enough times in the paper.



Good luck,

~3W
 
Try doing friends, family, neighbors and encourage word of mouth promotion by offering discounts to old customers that bring you new customers.
 
Oh come on - I thought you could use a laugh. What the heck, it's not like you're busy detailing.
Click to expand...

ROFLMAO!!!



I also do the business card on selected autos...



Another idea, similar to above is give the store that sells detailing products your cards...it's amazing how many people will ask them if they know anybody who does good work...then when those guys return to the store after having their car done they'll thank the store, who willl tell more people, etc...
 
It's not the slinger, it's not the flyer it's the right offer at the right time. You have to give sombody a reason to come to you other than the fact that you detail cars. Just to get started offer a free interior cleaning with a polish. Always put an expiration date and limit it to a handfull of people. I do this with much success everyear.
 
We have had great success with target advertising. We regularly advertise with car clubs in our city. Whether it's Japanese, American, Euro or even low-end markets, we advertise and participate in ANY query regarding detailing.



Eventually, you'll gain a somewhat "unofficial" preferred detailer of most car clubs. Once the "car fanatics" market is penetrated, layman car owners will follow suit...



Just our experience.
 
~One man’s opinion / observations ~



Just a thought… do a search on ‘mirrorfinishman’ if nothing else he had some great marketing ideas





~Hope this helps~



Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/ Jon

justadumbarchitect * so I question everything *
 
Ditto on the car club idea. You will be surrounded by enthusiasts, they will understand the work and prices that go into detailing. I belong to an MR2 club and we meet over at this place where every type of car/bike enthusiast shows up at every saturday. Find out where the meets are, and show up you'll at least meet some nice people.
 
Lots of good ideas in here but skip the newspaper ad, trust me. They're expensive and I didn't get any result at all from it. Which is sort of odd because I do on ads that I place for clients, but no one was interested in the detailing ad.



I also looked into cinema advertising something I've never used before. There looks like there might be a lot of potential in that. I'm going to place some cinema ads for some clients and I'll let you know what their result is.



Also I'd go into some car repair places and offer to do a card swap. They give out one of your cards to every customer, you give out one of theirs. I'm going to do that here probably next week and see how that works.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top