Preparing for October's Marketing [E168] - The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast

Thanks to our Partners, Shop Boss and AppFueled

Ready or not, October is right around the corner, and Brian Walker and Caroline Legrand are here to help auto repair shops get a jump on fall marketing before it sneaks up.

They cover fall-focused campaigns like Breaks for Breasts and Trunk-or-Treat events, along with practical reminders for promoting services like winterization and snow tire prep. The conversation also highlights creative ways to use national months and quirky holidays like Squirrel Awareness Month, National Pizza Month, and Name Your Car Day to create fun, engaging social media content that still reflects your shop’s professionalism.

Whether it’s encouraging community involvement, sharing behind-the-scenes shop moments, or reminding customers about safety during school and holiday season travel, this episode is full of ideas that help your shop stay visible, build trust, and keep the bays full as the season shifts.

Perfect for shop owners looking to market with intention and stand out in their local communities.

Lagniappe (Books, Links, Other Podcasts, etc)

October Social Media Content Topics

Days of the Year

National Calendar 

Show Notes with Timestamps

• Introduction and Sponsor Acknowledgments (00:00:01) Brief intro to the podcast, hosts, guest, and sponsor messages.
• October Marketing Planning Overview (00:00:56) Discussion about the importance of planning October marketing strategies in advance.
• General Shop Topics & Breast Cancer Awareness (00:02:10) Covering general shop topics, "Brakes for Breasts" campaign, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
• Trunk or Treat & Community Events (00:02:36) Ideas for hosting Trunk or Treat and other community events at the shop.
• Winterization, Tires, and Preventative Maintenance (00:02:58) Promoting winterization services, tire changes, and preventative maintenance for colder weather.
• Educating Customers on Fall Car Care (00:04:01) Tips for educating customers about tire pressure, coolant, and battery checks as weather cools.
• October National Months & Food Themes (00:05:10) Overview of October’s national months, especially food-related themes like National Pizza Month.
• National Women's Small Business Month (00:05:49) Highlighting and promoting women-owned auto repair shops.
• Squirrel Awareness Month & Automotive Tie-ins (00:06:08) Fun discussion on Squirrel Awareness Month and how it relates to brakes, tires, and rodent damage.
• Other October National Months (00:07:27) Mention of additional food and transportation safety months, and creative ways to tie them into shop marketing.
• National Go on a Field Trip Month (00:08:03) Encouraging partnerships with schools for field trips to the shop, including virtual options.
• October National Weeks: Safety Themes (00:08:55) National Teen Driver Safety Week and School Bus Safety Week, with tips for educating customers.
• October National Days: Green City, Name Your Car, and More (00:09:51) Ideas for celebrating National Green City Day, National Name Your Car Day, and other unique days.
• Engagement Ideas: Naming Cars & Social Media (00:12:50) Encouraging customer engagement by sharing car names and stories on social...