Marketing Auto Repair to College Students [E069] - The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast

carmcapriotto · October 11, 2023

In this episode of the Auto Repair Marketing Podcast, host Kim Walker discusses the topic of attracting college students as customers for automotive repair shops. She shares her conversation with Lucas Underwood, owner of L&N Automotive, who plans to send direct mail to college students offering a free oil change every other oil change they pay for. Kim emphasizes the importance of building trust with both students and their parents, and suggests conducting audience research to understand their preferences and expectations. Kim also offers strategies such as hosting car care clinics, creating digital business cards, and engaging with students through social media and events.

Thank you to our friends at RepairPal for this episode. RepairPal will introduce your shop to new customers through repairpal.com, the largest site for auto repair. Learn more at

RepairPal.com/shops.

Show Notes with Timestamps

Attracting College Students (00:01:16) Discussion on how a shop owner is reaching out to college students through direct mail and building relationships with them and their parents.
Understanding the College Student Audience (00:03:51) Exploration of the college student population in the speaker's town and the potential research and survey methods to understand their preferences and expectations.
Connecting with College Students (00:06:18) Suggestions on how to connect with college students, including finding out their interests, clubs, and organizations, and understanding their automotive knowledge and preferences.
Teaching College Students Car Care (00:09:12) Discussion on the importance of teaching college students basic car care skills and ways to effectively educate them.
Engaging College Students with Food and Coffee (00:10:26) Exploring the idea of using food and coffee as incentives to engage college students and hosting Q&A or mechanic tech talk sessions.
Connecting College Students to the Local Community (00:15:08) Suggesting ways to partner with local businesses and organizations to help college students become familiar with and connect to their local community.
Building Loyalty with Students (00:16:36) Creating an app-based oil change club and offering a buy one, get one free oil change to build relationships and loyalty with students.
Creating a Digital Business Card (00:17:40) Using a QR code to create a digital business card that students can easily add to their contacts, making it convenient for them to reach out for automotive services.
Engaging Students through Workshops and Social Media (00:19:50) Utilizing seminars, workshops, and a "what if" social media campaign to position the shop as experts and build trust with students.
Sponsoring Events to Reach College Students (00:25:04) Discussion on sponsoring pizza nights, coffee mornings, and pool parties at apartment complexes to get your name in front of college students.
Hosting Ladies Automotive Clinic (00:26:13) Exploring the idea of hosting a ladies automotive clinic for college students to learn more about vehicle and automotive care.
Expanding Your Audience to College Students (00:27:23) Encouragement to consider attracting college students as an audience and offering to answer marketing questions related to this demographic.