Joe Schafranek is an Account Manager at Tread Partners, a marketing agency focused on the tire and auto repair industry. With roots in Detroit and hands-on shop experience at Firestone and Big O, Joe brings a unique perspective to digital marketing through his understanding of both operations and data. Prior to Tread Partners, he helped grow BAIC and explored data-centric roles in the auto aftermarket. Today, Joe leverages that diverse background to help multi-location shops increase car count through performance-driven strategies.

In this episode…

Marketing in the auto repair industry often feels confusing and inconsistent, especially for multi-location shop owners. With so many digital channels and buzzwords, it’s hard to know what’s actually driving car count and boosting business. How can tire dealers make smarter marketing decisions based on data and results, not guesswork?

According to Joe Schafranek of Tread Partners, it starts by focusing on transparency and measurable results. Joe leverages his real-world shop experience and data expertise to help clients improve performance using tailored PPC campaigns, SEO strategy, and localized promotions. He emphasizes the importance of tying marketing activity directly to car count and revenue growth — not just impressions or traffic.

On this episode of Gain Traction, Mike Edge welcomes Joe Schafranek for a conversation about data-driven marketing in the tire and auto repair space. Joe explains how to tie marketing efforts directly to car count and revenue, why transparency matters, and how shop owners can avoid wasting budget on ineffective campaigns. He also shares a case study on how a $250 Facebook ad led to $22K Saturdays.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

• [03:48] How hockey and family life shaped Joe Schafranek's community involvement
• [06:34] Lessons Joe learned from managing Big O franchise stores in Arizona
• [07:43] Joe’s transition into digital marketing and data roles
• [10:37] Why revenue isn’t always the best indicator of marketing success
• [12:23] The importance of new customer acquisition for long-term growth
• [18:52] How experience helps Joe prevent clients from wasting ad spend
• [19:58] What excites Joe most about working in marketing for tire dealers?

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Joe Schafranek on LinkedIn 
• Tread Partners
• BAIC Global
• TJ White on LinkedIn
• Tire Source
• Mike Edge on LinkedIn

Quotable Moments

• "You don't know what you don't know — there's a whole world of discovery out there every day."
• "The best campaigns are the ones that fill your bays, not just your inbox."
• "Marketing success should be tied to car count and revenue, not just clicks and impressions."
• "Transparency works both ways — clients should know what’s working, and we need to know how it’s executed."
• "Even small campaigns, like a $250 Facebook ad, can have huge returns if done right."

Action Steps

1. Rethink how you measure marketing ROI: Focus on car count and specific service conversions, not just traffic or impressions.
2. Run local Facebook ads to test promotions: Try low-cost campaigns targeting service-specific offers to boost visibility and appointments.
3. Invest in transparency with your marketing team: Share performance data both ways — ad results and in-shop execution.
4. Use digital tools to track campaign effectiveness: Leverage reporting that ties ads to phone calls, form fills, and actual sales.
5. Target new customer acquisition regularly: Offset the average 15% annual shrinkage by always growing your base strategically.

Sponsor for this episode...

This episode is brought to you by Tread Partners. 

At Tread Partners, we provide digital marketing for multi-location tire dealers and auto repair shops. 

By using our strategy, branding, and marketing services, we help shops sell more tires and put more cars in bays.

We’ve helped companies like Action Gator Tire, Colony Tire and Service, and Ulmer’s Auto Care Center bring extreme growth in paid leads, ROI, and searches. 

So, what are you waiting for?

Visit www.treadpartners.com or email [email protected] to learn more.