Car Wash Advertising

[packerscw]

Anybody have any good ideas for good advertising routes? Some form of advertising that does not cost a fortune. Looking this winter season to save some money. What have people had good success with?

 

[DiamondWash]

We are in the process of building a facebook and twitter page to promote specials.

 

[Waxman]

I'm doing the facebook and twitter too. If you want free advertising, social networking is a good place to start. But it takes a commitment to make it go.

 

[robert roman]

Promoting a carwash business begins with attitude.

People with winning attitudes look to make money by investing wisely in marketing and promotion.

For example, the simple coupon has been one of the most popular and effective forms of promoting a carwash business for decades. However, coupons are rarely used by self-service owners because most have no attendants on site to handle redemption.

Advertising only costs a fortune if it doesn't get results.

A highway billboard is very expensive relative to the cost of placing an ad in the newspaper. However, experience has shown that billboards can get big results and ROI while statistics show that newspaper circulation in many markets is dropping like a rock.

Marketing a carwash is similar to building one, you need to have a solid and balanced business plan.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Coupon on the back of the grocery store cash register tapes. Offer is "Free Sea;er Wax" with wash purchase.

Direct mail to local chamber of commerce members. Organization proviodes a "label Format" mailing list.

 

[Whale of a Wash]

I have a plumber friend that just put out 500 door knob hangers and had great success. He had a $25 off coupon. Maybe putting enough tokens for a wash cycle would be a good idea.

 

[pitzerwm]

Setting up a website and putting the adress all over your locations is pretty cheap.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Also did some Google Local Business listings. it's free and you can do an on line coupon. Have gotten some responses.

 

[guitarandy]

Also did some Google Local Business listings. it's free and you can do an on line coupon. Have gotten some responses.

Thanks Earl, I didn't realize that Google listings were free.

Packer, I have a full size vinyl sign in the back window of my pickup. I try to always park my "rolling billboard" were it can be seen.

I have found that printing a coupon or just a small add that my fellow Chamber of Commerce members can send out with their monthly invoices is very effective.

 

[packerscw]

Has anyone had an good success with local newspaper advertising? Is it really worth the money? I like the idea with the advertising in the back window of the truck

 

[packerscw]

Coupon on the back of the grocery store cash register tapes. Offer is "Free Sea;er Wax" with wash purchase.

Direct mail to local chamber of commerce members. Organization proviodes a "label Format" mailing list.

I look into that and my local Kroger Store said they can not guarantee that my advertising will be posted at my closes store. Didnt like that idea and it was kinda pricey

 

[lighthousecarwash]

I got approached about the grocery store receipts also. Doing my due diligence. I went to the store, got a long receipt tape for my grocery purchase and called every business on the back of the tape and asked if they had seen any increase in business from it. Not one business said they were going to do it again. Everybody just throws them in the trash and never looks at them. I would also like to find something, but for now I'm stuck to banners outside the wash, facebook, and telling everyone I know about my car wash. I try to get my customer's to get the word out and I will treat them to a free wash once in a while.


Thanks,
Lighthouse.

 

[Chiefs]

Twitter, Facebook, Google, building a website while all relatively inexpensive or free altogether sounds great, but our response over the last two+ years in these mediums has been lackluster to say the least.

Coupons in mailings like Val-Pak or welcome wagon are also costly and returns suspect.

The best bang for my buck has come from cable TV ads. yes its costly, kind of. We are currently celebrating our 50th anniversary and running 800 spots from September to Mid October. To try and draw in new customers and as a promotion we are advertising half off Tuesdays $5.00 instead of $10; 5 wash books on sale for 5 for $30 through October; And, save $20.00 when you purchase 2 monthly passes. We're doing this to spur revenue as well as September and October are hsitorically our wrost months of the year. So far we've been lucky on the weather (3 beautiful Tuedays in a row) and we have washed 300-400 each day. We've never done this kind of volume on a Tuesday in September or October in the 13 years since we swicthed from full serve to express exterior and the guys are seeing alot of new faces.

We are also selling 150-200 books per week. We promote these specials internally as well with handouts given to each customer. We are also having a raffle with the winner getting a 3 month winter wash pass, a one month pass for 2nd place and a 4 wash book for 3rd. The drawing is October 31st. On the entry form they also have to provide us with their e-mail address to add to our database and tell us their birthday so we can enter them into our birthday club which gets them a $5.00 off coupon on their birthday. They can also register for this on our website. Lastly we are also running newspaper ads in a local newspaper. The cost of all the advertising is about $3,000. But we are seeing definite results. After all, isn't that the purpose of advertising - results?

 

[packerscw]

Im currently using a punch card system for my automatic. Buy 12 and get 1 free. Does anyone use anything like that? Chiefs, I like your idea with the half off day. How long have you done the half off day? Do you give half off on any of your washes or just the "GOLD" or "SUPER WASH" ?

 

[Earl Weiss]

I look into that and my local Kroger Store said they can not guarantee that my advertising will be posted at my closes store. Didnt like that idea and it was kinda pricey

Here you get to choose your locations/ Perhaps another store has a location near you. It was about $400.00 for a 3 month run of 100,000 exposures and since they oftne don't have all the advertisers they need to fill the run you often get more exposures.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I got approached about the grocery store receipts also. Doing my due diligence. I went to the store, got a long receipt tape for my grocery purchase and called every business on the back of the tape and asked if they had seen any increase in business from it. Not one business said they were going to do it again. Everybody just throws them in the trash and never looks at them. I would also like to find something, but for now I'm stuck to banners outside the wash, facebook, and telling everyone I know about my car wash. I try to get my customer's to get the word out and I will treat them to a free wash once in a while.


Thanks,
Lighthouse.

I thnk a lot has to do with the type of business and offer. I have tried it for my MA school and got -0- responses. I think it works best for low price consumeables, especialy if they are already in a car and can easily take advantage of it.

 

[Chiefs]

PACKERSCW

Every car we wash gets the works for $10. We offer no other wash options. The only extra service we do not include is Rain-X. From this we offer discounts to the most loyal customers. 5 Wash book is normally $35 but will be $30 through October. These are also available in quantities of 5 books for $125 (norrmally $150) We also offer $2.00 off coupons on our website and Google, $2.00 off coupons are also available in Town Planner calendars in the six different communites/school districts that surround us (we see an excellent return on the calnedar coupons). I have little sympathy whenver anyone complains that $10 is too much. I can only lead them to water (discounts) if they don't want to drink, that's on them. I am big on rewarding loyalty. If you don't want to be loyal, then pay $10.

 

[soapy]

I contacted a local radio station about giving away a free car wash during one of their morning contests. They do a battle of the sexes every morning during drive times when people are listening to their car radios. Part of the prize for the winner is a wash token for my car wash. The only cost to me is the token and my name gets mentioned not only during the contest time but several times during the day.

 

[JJJakubowski]

.....The best bang for my buck has come from cable TV ads.....

Chiefs:

I've heard other operators say that cable TV has been a good advertising vehicle for them. The thing is, cable is sooooo wide open --- soooo many, many different channels, programs, and time slots. How much control have you had in cherry picking just where and when your spots run? And which exposure slots have worked best for you?

Thanks!

JJJ/SSCWN

 

[packerscw]

Chiefs

Do you get a lot of complaints because you do not offer a cheaper wash?

Just knowing how people can be, wondering if you have any problems?