What motivates someone to buy a certain car?
Is it that green-with-envy feeling they get when they spot a certain model on the freeway? A TV ad that interrupts their viewing of The Voice? Or are they simply trying to keep up with the Joneses by buying the most expensive vehicle they can afford?
It may surprise you to learn that in many cases, the most successful automotive marketing is conducted online.
The Digital Revolution in Automotive Marketing
In fact, nearly three-quarters of car buyers do more research on the Internet than they do offline.
Naturally, they research vehicles, but potential buyers also do their homework when it comes to the dealership. That’s why it is imperative to make sure that you have claimed your local listings, and that you respond professionally to online reviews your dealership receives.
That’s just one part of the puzzle, however. To grow your automotive business, you’ll want to put the entire picture together.
Today we’ll talk about two interconnected ways to do that.
First, Get Diverse
In today’s digital-driven marketplace, there are multiple channels to understand and utilize.
Luckily, this means a wealth of ways customers can find your dealership, too.
In addition to the traditional advertising platforms — print, radio, television, and good old word-of-mouth — you need to focus on digital automotive marketing.
Let’s say you write a blog post about the year’s new models, and then you post it on your blog. Great! All done, right?
Not so fast. Naturally, you’ll want to share the blog post through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram…whatever social media platforms you’re tapped into. But you can also use that content and repurpose it.
Don’t just tweet out a link to the post. Tweet a surprising statistic or an interesting fact, too.
Tweak the post and turn it into an email campaign. Or use some of the content as the voiceover for a video showcasing cars you have for sale.
A good rule of thumb is to try and repurpose every piece of content at least two additional times.
Analyze, Rinse and Repeat
Now that you’ve diversified your automotive marketing channels, why not use that diversification to really drive results?
Using Google Analytics and URL parameters, as well as your own in-house CRM system, track the visitors to your website. Not getting a lot of traffic from Twitter? Maybe it’s time to focus on email marketing instead.
Is your pay-per-click campaign worthwhile? What about the keywords you’re targeting with your SEO strategy?
You’ll also want to analyze your overall conversion rates. Did that direct-mail piece from last month perform? Any traction from your primetime radio spot? How are those AutoTrader listings treating you?
When you know where the bulk of your business originates, you can redouble your efforts through that channel. This maximizes your marketing and advertising dollars, which in turn increases your profit.
Of course, all this posting and tracking is time-consuming and can be overwhelming.
Let the digital marketing professionals establish your online presence, analyze your traffic, and ensure that you can spend time doing what you do best — selling great cars at terrific prices.
