Using Facebook (or other social media) to promote car wash

[MEP001]

I'm planning to "relaunch" a car wash that's been neglected for years, and rather than wait for word-of-mouth I'm going to use Facebook for all I can get out of it for free. What sort of thing are you guys doing like that? I've seen promotion ideas like having people post pics of their clean car at the wash and having a weekly prize of free wash time. I might eventually pay through Facebook to promote the page.

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

I do a little bit of advertising on FB. Mostly just simple posts - or funny sayings/statements. About $250/mo. I also use Yelp and Google AdWords ( Love the analytic data).

 

[Earl Weiss]

Facebook is free so give it a shot. I think better options might be local. You did not say how the wash is set up vis a vis the ability to give free washes. One of the best launch promos was thru the local chamber of commerce. they had a mailing list in Label format. Figured out how many coupons with a get acquainted letter - (asking local merchants to share coupon with employees and customers) - i could fit in the envelope for minimal postage and had my daughter stuff envelopes for 10 cents a piece.

 

[MEP001]

The wash has tokens mixed into the changer and everything takes them, so I'd mail the weekly "winner" a bag of maybe 40.

I can get a list of property owners in the area with a tax records search since it's public record, but there's no way for them to use or redeem them as there won't be an attendant. At least with Facebook I can get apartment dwellers involved, and there are lots of them in the area.

 

[APW]

MEP check out one of our Facebook pages "Pierce Pro Wash". My wife handles it and has done a very good job. Last year we did a giveaway every Tuesday by posting random questions. Out of all the people that would comment or like the post, my wife would randomly pick a winner and give them a IBA coupon and sometimes add in a little tree along with it. She got our page up to almost 900 likes by doing it. This year we call it 15 on the 15th. Every 15th of the month she gives away 15 IBA coupons or something corresponding to the number 15. Really gets allot of interest by doing the giveaways. I think the best post are the ones where she post a question or picture of the Car Wash and ask them to Like, share, and tag a friend. Usually the the ones where they tag a friend, the friend that is tagged will win the same prize as the randomly drawn person. It gets a lot of eyes on our car wash.

 

[carwashireland]

Be sure to add a picture, review, location and opening times on google maps!

 

[MEP001]

Be sure to add a picture, review, location and opening times on google maps!

That's the first thing I did after I created the Facebook page, except for the review. I might have a few friends give it a good review once I get it the way I like, if that helps the page get exposure. I also need to create a Google page (It currently doesn't show up in any search I make for it) but to verify a business they need either a phone number to reach or a reply via mail, and neither of those will work.

 

[soonermajic]

Good ideas

 

[NitroHouston]

I did the same thing. Boost posts that are fun in your target area. The key is getting a lot of Page Likes (not post). Then every post you do shows up on all of their friends pages. The average FB user has 100 friends. So 300 pages likes actually gets your message in front of 30,000 people. Not bad for $1 per like. Check out mine: https://www.facebook.com/RinseNRunCarWash/

 

[cap732000]

If there's anyway to advertise without comments is great. However, I have locations in different areas-demographics and one always turns into a Bitch fest/ people taking up for wash. But it's only one particular town which I basically after trying my hardest to give a top notch was and watching other local businesses advertising and see the same type of activity in that town so I try and make it wear complaints or kudos are sent privately. Just my two cents