Creating an Ad Campaign
Develop a theme and identity to stick out from the crowd. Regular old car washes are a dime a dozen. They’re all over the place. If you create a theme or identity, you’re sure to stand out from the other car washes. This could be something really obvious, like a high-end racing theme, but it can also be something a little more subtle, like putting soap bubbles behind the letters on your signs. Something as simple as a distinct color scheme can go a long way to making you stand out. Just choose a color scheme, logo, mascot, or vibe and adjust your signs, business cards, and building to reflect the unified theme. Other possible themes include a vintage look, a mom-and-pop style, or a sleek minimalist vibe.
Hire an advertising firm to develop a campaign for best results. The easiest way to develop and implement an advertising campaign is to hire a PR firm to do it for you. It may cost $1,000-3,000, but you won’t need to spend your time doing all of the work your own. The PR firm will also use market research and data to develop the most effective campaign possible. Reach out to some local advertising companies and sit down with them to see what they can offer.Tip: Most of your competitors are likely not using a PR firm. If you get the professionals to develop your ads for you, your marketing materials will likely stand out quite a bit compared to the rest of your field. You’ll also need to pay out of pocket for the billboards, air time, and TV spots. Still, the long-term value may be worth it if you have the upfront cash. Email advertising is another way you can promote your business.
Advertise a special over the radio to catch customers while they’re driving. A lot of people listen to the radio while they’re driving. This means you may draw a lot of customers into your business by advertising with a local radio station. Choose 2-3 local radio stations and call them directly to find out what they charge for radio spots. Unless you’re also an audio engineer and sound effect expert, you’ll need to hire a PR firm to make a radio ad. This is much cheaper than paying for a full campaign, though. It will cost $300-600 to produce a radio ad. Air time will range from $100-2,000 a week depending on the station you’re working with.
Put billboard ads up along local highways and roads. Billboards are a great way to attract customers since most of the people that see them will already be in their vehicles. Pick a few locations along the street where you’re located to let people know that your business you’re nearby. If you’re near any major highways, put a few billboards up around the closest exits to attract drivers. You’ll need to pay a designer $150-800 to design your billboard. The cost of renting billboard space is roughly $200-10,000 a month depending on whether you’re in a city, suburb, or rural area.
Include coupons with newspaper ads to attract older drivers. Newspaper ads are relatively inexpensive compared to other mediums and you can draw in older clientele that like scouring papers for deals. Offer something simple, like $5 off of your first wash, or 10% off of any detailing services. Contact a local paper to take an ad out. Newspaper coupons are great because it’s easy to tell how much business you’re drawing in. Just hold on to every coupon people bring in and calculate the cost of the ad and the revenue from the coupon-holding customers to see if it’s making you money.
Building an Online Presence
Make a website for your business to share deals and self-promote. Register a domain and either pay a developer to make a site for you, or use a website builder, like Wix or Squarespace. List your hours, contact information, and make a special page for promos and deals. This way, people will have an easy time getting basic information about your business. Make sure your website is optimized for mobile users. You could set up an online, contactless payment feature on your website that lets people pay in advance.
Create a Facebook page to advertise deals and attract views. Facebook is free advertising, and it’s a great way to connect with potential customers in your region. Create a Facebook business page and start posting free offers for people that like or share your page. Upload your logo, include your location, and consider paying to advertise on Facebook to grow your page quickly if you’re seeing results. Try to provide incentives for people to visit your business.Tip: On Facebook, the cost of your ad is determined by how often people click on your page. It’s rarely worth it unless you’re selling a digital product or software. Still, it’s a good way to grow fast if you want a big online presence. Promote a Car Wash Business Step 7.jpg
Make an Instagram page and share photos of your work. Nothing strikes a potential customer like a high-definition photo of a beautiful, clean car. Create an Instagram account and start taking photos at the car wash. Snap 1-2 photos a day of great looking cars leaving your car wash, happy customers, and the clean facilities. This is a great way to connect with people and grow your brand’s awareness. Make sure you sign up for a business account, not a personal account. It’s free, and you get access to data about who is visiting your page.
Inject some humor or unrelated topics into your page to mix it up. People tend to be more attracted to online business profiles that feel like they’re run by real people. Every now and then, throw in a meme about clean cars, a joke about being “washed up,” or some other fun photos to show that your business has some personality. Post profiles of your workers, stories about interesting stuff that happens at the car wash, and behind-the-scenes tips about washing and caring for vehicles. Avoid getting political. You’re more likely to alienate potential customers than build goodwill.
Creating Incentives and Getting Involved
Develop a loyalty program to incentivize customers to return. Roughly 25% of a car wash’s customers make up about 65% of a car wash’s cash flow. This means that it’s really important to keep the people that really take care of their car coming back. Create a loyalty program for returning customers to build some goodwill and keep people coming back to you. Possible rewards could be 1 free wash after you fill a punch card out, or 10-15% off of high-end services if you get at least 2 washes a year. Free coffee for loyalty card members is a great way to get people to sign up. The easier it is for people to understand the rewards, the better. Avoid going for some kind of complicated point-based program or scaling reward system. Keep it simple.
Work with local charities and community groups to develop your image. Sponsor a local children’s sports team and run specials where 5% of your income goes to a local community group. Organize a special day where veterans or people in your ZIP code get a free wash. If you build your brand around your community, they’re more likely to support your business. If people associate your car wash’s name with the community, they’ll naturally be more inclined to come to you even if it’s less convenient!
Sponsor a local car club to attract clients that need frequent washes. The folks in car clubs tend to pay much more attention to their vehicles and are more likely to wash them regularly. Reach out to some local car clubs and offer to sponsor their uniforms or give them a discount if they host events in your lot. This is a great way to draw in a group of people that are highly likely to return to your business. Letting a car club host events in your lot is a great way to draw other customers in as well, since people will see that your business is popular with people that love nice cars.
Improving Your Building and Amenities
Open a convenience store inside to offer snacks and coffees. If people know they can grab a snack or a fresh cup of coffee while they wait for their vehicle to be detailed, they’re more likely to come to you. It’s also free revenue, especially since there’s already someone at the counter managing the phones and register. At the bare minimum, put a few vending machines inside your lobby.Tip: Get comfortable seating! If people don’t feel comfortable while they’re waiting, they won’t want to come back. Besides, decent chairs are only a bit more expensive than the mass-produced plastic seats.
Remodel your lobby to make it more impressive and interesting. The lobby is where every customer has their first intimate experience with your business. If the lobby is looking a little run down, redo the tiles, update the front desk, and replace any old lights or fixtures. The more modern and clean you can make your lobby look, the more impressed your customers will be.
Update your signage and building to be friendlier for customers. If your sign is really dull and your building could use a fresh coat of paint, now is the time. Hire a graphic designer to develop a new logo and stunning sign and hire a contractor to make any repairs that need to be made. Give your car wash a striking coat of paint to stand out from the other dull car washes in the area. Bright shades of purple, red, or blue are more likely to catch a driver’s eye than a basic white or black building.
Offer Wi-Fi to customers waiting in the lobby. This is one of those little things that can really make your business feel high end. Car wash operators rarely think about this, but customers are typically staring at their phone while they wait for their car to be detailed. Get a strong Wi-Fi router, post the network password in the lobby, and let the customers browse their phones for free. This obviously isn’t that important if you only have a drive-thru wash.
Keep your bathrooms clean to keep your customers happy. Get an employee to inspect and clean the bathrooms every 2-3 hours as needed. Keeping your bathrooms pristine is a great way to keep customers happy and if your restrooms aren’t particularly nice, customers are less likely to return. Decent bathrooms are one of those things a lot of businesses forget about, but they can be a dealbreaker for many customers.
Build a kid-friendly area to make visits more enjoyable for parents. Select an area of your lobby or set aside an entire room for children to hang out. Put in some kid-friendly games and lay a fun carpet down. Add some children’s books and educational toys. This will excite any kids that visit and give parents something to do with their children. If you have a drive-thru car wash, put some fun lights inside. Adults won’t particularly care, but car wash tunnels with memorable lights are a fun time for kids.
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