As many of you know, when you’re a part of the AskPatty Certified Female Friendly family, we call to check in with you, and we like to have chats about your marketing and advertising efforts. Since COVID 19 began back in March, we’ve been hearing from a lot of you that you’ve had to put some bigger plans on hold due to safety and health concerns. We’ve heard from a lot of you that you either host regular car care clinics already, or that you were planning one, only to have to squash those plans due to lockdowns and social distancing.
Well, let us help you move forward. Losing the ability to gather people together physically doesn’t mean that you cannot connect at all. Since March, many people (including you, probably) have been using tools like Zoom to keep in touch with family, friends, and even business associates. Here at AskPatty, Zoom meetings have become a way of life for us, and many people who would have been mystified by Zoom in February 2020 are now using it regularly.
To that end, let us encourage you to not drop your plans for a Car Care Clinic. Instead, consider hosting a virtual one via Zoom! Here are some benefits of hosting your Car Care Clinic virtually:
1. You can invite more people. Even on the best of days, a clinic is best when everyone has some up-close time with the vehicle, so 8-12 people seems like a good number. However, in Zoom, everyone has a great view, so you can pack in as many attendees as you want.
2. You can get up close with components. Many car components have tiny details that it can be hard to see. At a clinic, you may pass around a spark plug, oil dipstick, or other smaller component so that attendees can see details. In a Zoom clinic, you can use a smartphone camera to get a detailed view of every engine component.
3. They can be recorded and shared. Want to share your car care clinic with even more people? Record your Zoom session and upload it to your YouTube channel, and now anyone can attend your clinic, anytime! Share the video on your social media or post it to your blog, and now you’re also generating visual content.
How to Host a Virtual Car Care Clinic
Opt for Zoom Pro
If you don’t already have a Zoom account, you can get one at zoom.us. There is a free account available, but there are limitations: You can only host group meetings for up to 40 minutes at a time. If you think your clinic may run longer, Zoom Pro removes this limitation, and adds more features like cloud recording and social media streaming. In our opinion, it’s very much worth it at $149/year if you’re going to use it for a business. Get zoom at zoom.us
Collect RSVPs via SignupGenius
Anytime you plan an event, it’s good to collect RSVPs. Not only does this let you know what to expect, you can email those customers reminders closer to the event, and add them to your mailing list after. A great virtual tool to collect RSVPs for this or any event is SignupGenius. A free account let you make unlimited signup pages, while a low cost subscription (starting at $10/month) gets you fancier themes and the ability to email/text attendees right from the form. Make a form now at SignupGenius.com
Need Help? Ask Us!
We’ve been using these tools extensively for a while now, so if you get lost along the way and need a little guidance, we’re here for you! We are happy to help you set up Zoom, make a signup form, get your recordings uploaded to YouTube, and more.
We’re here for you, so if you need help, please ask! Book a meeting now.
Use the assets we’ve created below to plan and announce your virtual clinic. We’ve left space for you to add your own branding, date, and RSVP info. Need help customizing? Just ask – we’ll add whatever text and branding you require!