Selling cars is an art of its own. It’s a lot harder to sell someone a vehicle compared to other products on the market because cars are such an expensive purchase and an essential part of peoples’ daily lives. The auto industry is competitive, constantly changing, and it can be hard to keep up with the trends. That’s why it’s so important to have a long-term marketing plan to help you. But putting together an auto dealer marketing plan can take a lot of time and research, which takes away from time that you could spend doing other things for your dealership.
At AutoJini, we’ve compiled a list of automotive marketing strategies to help your dealership stand out and bring in more customers. Start the year off right with 5 strategies for successful auto dealer marketing in 2020.
Auto dealer marketing strategy #1: Develop an awesome, mobile-friendly website.
Your website is the face of your dealership online. The days of visiting dealerships in person to find a car are gone. Customers do their research online, and often pretty extensively, before stepping foot on a lot. Your site, how easy it is to use, and where it ranks on search engine results pages (SERPs) determine if customers will visit your dealership in person. That’s why having a website in the automotive industry is crucial.
Over half of car shoppers used a mobile device to conduct research in 2016, according to J.D. Power’s 2016 New Autoshopper Study, and that number has only continued to rise since then. If your website isn’t reachable to mobile users, then your dealership isn’t considered during their car buying process.
Auto dealer marketing strategy #2: Invest in local SEO.
We all know how important it is to invest in SEO (search engine optimization), but local SEO helps you connect specifically with local customers.
Most people aren’t willing to travel far to purchase a car. They want to buy a car that is near or in their location. That’s why local SEO is so important for dealerships – you want to make sure you are attracting customers who can get to your lot. At AutoJini, we use a variety of different local SEO solutions such as directory listing submissions, quality backlink building, citation cleanup, Google Analytics setup, and more.
Auto dealer marketing strategy #3: Start a blog for your dealership.
In 2020, content is the king of marketing and SEO. And what better way to regularly post fresh, new content to your website than an auto dealer blog?
By providing useful and quality content, you’ll drive more visitors to your website, and readers are more likely to share your website with their friends and family. A regular blog will also boost your SEO by telling search engines that you are active and an expert in the field.
Auto dealer marketing strategy #4: Use a dealer CRM.
People want to spend their money where they feel cared about. Since cars are a big investment, customers are more careful about which dealership they choose to do business with. That’s why it’s so important to build a meaningful relationship with your customers.
But we are all capable of forgetting to return a phone call or emails getting lost in the system. Maybe one salesperson will start working with a customer, and then another salesperson takes over, but you have to the process of forming a relationship all over again.
Customer relationship management (CRM) is technology that helps you keep track of your interactions and relationships with customers. You can log notes and details about your customers from phone calls, emails, and face-to-face interactions so that you can pick up right where you left off. An auto dealer CRM is specifically tailored for the daily tasks of a dealership. Dealer CRM features include leads, credit application, inventory, contacts, tasks, appointments, and more.
Auto dealer marketing strategy #5: Interact with your customers on Facebook.
Your dealership Facebook page can be a great way to form better relationships with your customers on a personal level. Many people use Facebook Messenger as a form of communication, and they may reach out to your dealership through Messenger. Respond to your customers as soon as you can, and show them that you want to connect with them. When customers leave testimonials and photos on your page, “like” and share the content on your dealer page. These small interactions add up over time, and they show people that your dealership cares about their customers on a personal level.
Ready to get started? AutoJini has been working with auto dealers since 2001 to build beautiful automotive websites, create marketing campaigns, and to sell more cars. Call us today at 515-232-2024 or send us a message to get started.