The car-buying journey begins online, so dealerships should use various smart strategies to market their vehicles and services. For example, a dealership can build brand loyalty by replying to reviews and offering exceptional customer service.
Dealerships should also ensure that their websites are responsive to mobile users. Additionally, they should offer online automobile inquiry forms for customers to fill out.
Social Media Marketing
Car buyers are already online, whether looking at your website or searching for “car dealerships near me.” Digital marketing strategies allow you to reach potential customers at multiple points in their research and buying process. Whether through your Facebook page, ads on aggregate sites, or Google searches, digital marketing engages undecided buyers and presents you as the solution to their vehicle problems.
For years, SEO gurus have been extolling the importance of content. It’s become a cliche, but it’s true: compelling content drives traffic and increases sales. Dealerships need transactional and informational content, including pages detailing vehicles and a dealership blog.
Dealerships should also use social media to share news and updates and spotlight standout employees. Sharing personal stories helps build brand identity and creates a sense of community for current and future customers. It also sets dealers apart from competitors who are robotic and profit-oriented. Unified social media accounts are another way to establish a cohesive brand image and boost consumer confidence.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
To reach more potential car buyers, dealerships need to have dealership best practices that are both visible and effective. This includes optimizing their website, creating online listings, and running targeted platform ads—their ability to target particular demographics and raise their likelihood of connecting with potential clients.
SEO, often known as search engine optimization, is crucial to any digital marketing plan. It involves using keywords to optimize a site for search engines. This ensures that a page is relevant to a user’s search query and helps it rank higher in the results.
Another aspect of SEO is ensuring that your content is fresh. This means updating your website regularly and including relevant content. It is also essential to consider location when determining what keywords to target, as Google serves different results based on a person’s location. This is why it is essential to have a well-rounded SEO strategy that incorporates both local and organic SEO tactics.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is an effective digital strategy for car dealerships to connect with customers, convert leads into sales, and retain existing buyers. A well-managed email campaign can also help improve dealership rankings and increase brand visibility.
A targeted email campaign can be used to send out special offers, coupons, or updates to dealership customers. It can also promote upcoming events, service reminders, and new car inventory. Emails are often read on mobile devices, so they must load quickly and display correctly on all platforms.
It’s also essential to build a quality email list by asking for emails at every opportunity. Many businesses use lead magnets like free samples to collect email addresses and pop-up prompts that offer exclusive access to sales or customer loyalty programs. However, if email messages are sent too frequently or are irrelevant to customers’ interests, they may become annoyed and unsubscribe from the list. Car dealerships can prevent this from happening by using email marketing strategically. For example, by sending an email with information on a specific vehicle model that customers have shown interest in.
Video Ads
Potential car customers can be attracted to your brand with the help of video advertisements. They can be used to promote dealership specials, new vehicle models, or test-drive events. Car dealerships can also use targeted online advertising to reach specific demographics and maximize their ad budgets.
To make their videos more effective, dealerships should focus on telling a captivating story and avoiding complex sales. They should also make their ads as short as possible to avoid people skipping them.
Other ways to drive traffic to a dealership’s website include blogging and listing their inventory on third-party websites. Blogging allows them to establish themselves as industry experts and build trust with potential customers. Moreover, by using proper SEO inside their blogs, they can increase the visibility of their website and attract more buyers. Additionally, dealerships can host community events like car shows or charity drives to connect with local shoppers and build a positive brand image.
Local SEO
An excellent digital marketing strategy is integral to any auto dealership’s business model. Whether you’re trying to get car buyers into your showroom, fill up your service bays, or sell additional parts and accessories, an effective marketing strategy is the key to success.
Local SEO is a significant component of any automotive digital marketing strategy. This involves implementing keywords relevant to your specific location, optimizing the content on your website, and getting listed in local business directories. It’s also important to monitor reviews on your website and GMB listing. Potential buyers have comically easy access to online review sites, so stay on top of these.
As more and more car shoppers shop online, dealerships need to adapt their marketing strategies to meet this new reality. A strong digital marketing plan will help dealerships reach their target audience, keep them engaged throughout the car buying process, and ultimately drive more sales. To make the most of their marketing efforts, dealerships should focus on identifying their unique selling points and using them in their digital marketing campaigns.