The Competitive Edge: How to Gain Traction With Simple Marketing

7/6/2023 Matthew Tilley

Devising a successful marketing strategy these days can feel like a race that’s impossible to keep up with. From the dramatic developments in martech and adtech, to shifts in digital channel algorithms and an ever-increasing pressure to incorporate an omnichannel approach, it might all seem overwhelming.

This is especially true for those organizations without in-house marketers or insider knowledge of best practices. In this recent episode of the Business to Human podcast series, we sit down with Taran Sodhi, CEO of Conceptual Minds, to discuss how to gain traction and customers through the simple approach of “crawl-walk-run.”

Conceptual Minds specializes in providing guidance to auto-repair shops. They specifically focus on the strategies required to effectively coach businesses through marketing initiatives and gain a significant competitive edge — regardless of their size or market.

Niche coaching within the auto-repair industry

Most mom-and-pop shops in the auto-repair industry have expert-level operational capacities, and they tend to handle their marketing efforts internally. However, they typically lack a dedicated marketing staff. While in-house marketing is certainly possible without marketing know-how, small businesses are often left grasping at straws in a race to the bottom-dollar against high levels of competition. This is where Sodhi and his team step in.

Conceptual Minds, despite being a marketing agency, considers themselves marketing coaches: “We like to help auto-repair shops look at marketing in a nuanced manner, and help them figure out which channels they should participate in that will drive the best opportunity for growth,” says Sodhi.

Because an auto-repair shop’s growth and customer base directly relies on attracting more cars and increasing foot traffic, marketing assistance can help them reach exceptional levels of success.

Is omnichannel marketing success truly realistic?

The auto-repair industry is incredibly competitive, so determining the best marketing strategies comes with myriad challenges. With the industry being so saturated, many customers don’t see the differences between one company versus the next. The result: It often becomes a pricing game — shops are driven in a mad race to lower their prices, dipping ever closely to margins.

Conceptual Minds aims to help auto-repair companies find that standout quality that sets them apart from their competitors. Differentiation, says Sodhi, is the key to high margins and overall growth.

“Companies can create differentiation if they understand what their competition is doing and where the gap is,” he says. “This is where our knowledge can help our clients in creating that differentiator.”

Because most auto-repair shops go from little-to-no marketing strategies to attempting omnichannel marketing, it’s important to have a clear focus and know which channels will serve them best. Jumping into every platform at once can be as big of a mistake as participating in only one. 

Sodhi and his team have developed a comprehensive playbook that outlines a step-by-step process for clients to optimize their marketing efforts and achieve superior results. Here’s how it works:

• The playbook begins by focusing on one or two marketing channels, allowing clients to become familiar with the strategies and see a tangible return on their investment. 

• As clients gain confidence and experience success, they can gradually expand their reach to incorporate more channels over time.

• This systematic approach ensures that clients can effectively maximize their marketing potential — while minimizing the risk of being overwhelmed by attempting to simultaneously tackle multiple channels.

How ‘crawl-walk-run’ provides a competitive advantage 

Whether your business is involved in the auto-repair industry or an alternative market, it’s important to test your marketing strategies before going all in on every idea you have.

The “crawl-walk-run” approach is an effective strategy for finding your place in the market without risking everything. A best practice for when starting from square one, the approach involves starting with small risks and focusing on a single channel or two to assess the performance. In addition, using predictive technologies will help get your business in front of customers at the right time. By paying attention to algorithms and knowing your customers, new as well as old, you can retain and grow your customer base.

“If you can figure out these predictive technologies and use them to your advantage, you can really help a consumer who needs your service, right at the time they need it,” says Sodhi. “It tells them you’re looking out for their best interests — and the loyalty can spike tremendously.”

Start your marketing efforts off slow. Begin with small risks, and focus on learning and perfecting the strategies that give your business the greatest results. You will inevitably find what works and can run from there.

Want to learn more about how Conceptual Minds are the marketing coaches of the auto-repair industry, how the market for the industry is unique and how to navigate it? Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your podcasts.