Basics
Pro Tips
Dec 20, 2024
Starting a car detailing business is exciting, but the real challenge lies in attracting customers. In this competitive industry, standing out and building a loyal client base is essential.
Here’s how you can effectively get customers for your car detailing business
Word of mouth
You want to start small and focus on friends and family, maybe even neighbors. you probably won't charge them what you'll eventually want to charge in the long run. But when you are just starting out this will help you showcase your work and get your name out there.
Best of all is this is absolutely free advertisement at no extra out of pocket cost from you. As a detailer just make sure to always do a good job when you are out cleaning and detailing those vehicles.Quick tip, guys is it never hurts to sometimes go that extra mile for a customer in order to leave a good impression.
Business cards
The old-fashioned way or the standard business essential. Business cards can help in many ways whether you hand them out to your family and friends, pass them out to trainers at a grocery store or if you hand it to potential customers who see you detailing a vehicle in a driveway in their neighborhood which does happen almost every single day. It is able to provide you with simple and straightforward information as to who you are, what you do, your branding and most importantly your contact information.
You can make it as simple as inserting a unique QR code into a business card that will let the customer scan it and take them to whatever links and information you'd like to provide them with.
Social media
There is no doubt we're living in a social media era where everything you need or want is online literally. So go ahead do yourself and your business a favor and create some social media accounts whether it's Facebook, Instagram or Tik Tok. Another active product I haven't heard of is the next door app. It’s an app where you can connect with the neighborhood in which you live in and even neighborhoods that are close by. you'd be very surprised with how many people are on there and they can really pay off by posting yourself and your services on there to get your name out There.
So social media is a simple and easy way to advertise your business and completely free. Some of the things you want to be focused on is posting good pictures on there like proper before and afters, showcase your work and even funny videos or content based on car detailing. Trust me when I say this even when you think no one is watching, someone is watching. So be patient, don't expect to have a thousand followers overnight rather be consistent and slowly build up your online presence.
You can always experiment with paid ads like Facebook ads and even Instagram ads as they can be really helpful at times when done right. Another key tip is to choose one online social media platform and focus solely on that platform. a lot of times when we have a lot of things on the table it is hard to be consistent with every single one of them and not provide your best. Choosing one platform and Sticking to it will eliminate that and help you master that account as well as help you provide the best of the best content you can give out.
Google my business profle
Google my business is a completely free, essential, helpful and effective platform for any business.It can be a really great tool to attract customers who are looking for specific services. Let me ask you this. when you are looking for a restaurant, Cafe, grocery stores or even clothing stores where do you go? That's right. Google. whether you're wondering when they're open, looking for the store hours maybe menu pricing or reviews. you will almost always find it on Google. This is no different when it comes to car detailing. You want to make sure you are active there with up-to-date information, consistently post pictures of your work, describe and explain what you do and how you work and most importantly get reviews and testimonials.
For example when you search for your business and you have similar businesses pop up that offer the same service or product. as the first results on top of the page, they are paid advertisements to Google to be on there. don't get me wrong. you can choose to also experiment with this if you have the budget. but who doesn't want to be on top of the game for free without having to spend out of pocket advertisement costs. Speaking of paying for a spot, let's talk about Google ads. It can be a really great tool whether you try it out in the beginning you can always experiment with it and set different budgets, run different sets of ads and campaigns and see how well and effectively it works out for you. As well see if it makes sense for you and if you can remain profitable in your business while doing so.
Offer discounts
If I could give a couple of general examples, I'd say maybe offer to a current customer 10% off or 10% off their next detail if they refer you to someone else and have you called out for a detailing job and basically just repeat this process over and over with everyone. This will not only help you book additional jobs but have that current customer call you back out later again to fulfill that 10 off discount.
Last and bonus tip is having a form of advertisement on your vehicle whether you choose to add a couple of decals on your vehicle or wherever you happen to have the budget and decide to go all out and add an entire route to your vehicle. These are great ways to display your business to everyone everywhere you go. it is a good investment in my opinion of course when you are ready to make that move. however you don't always have to go with the wrap. Even car magnets are effective and very cheap to get especially in the beginning of your detailing career. The point is to have something on your vehicle that displays your brand and what kind of services you offer and of course a number where they contact you. essentially having a moving billboard that is seen everywhere you go, even noticeable when you are parked.
Ryan at Motorvate
Director of Partnerships
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