So you’ve searched “marketing ideas for car dealerships” and it’s led you here. You’ve come to the right place.
For most people, a car purchase is one of the most expensive decisions in their lives. Naturally, it’s a stressful decision. So most car buyers do their research online. They come to the dealership with their minds already made up.
As a dealership owner, if you design your marketing campaigns to ease the anxiety in the car buying process, you’ll see higher success rates. You also need to learn digital marketing techniques to reach potential buyers online before they decide.
Below, we have collected some great ideas that can help your car dealership marketing efforts:
SEO – Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) helps your website show up on the first page of Google or Bing. So you need to have an effective SEO strategy to get your website to climb the search engine ladder.
Most car buyers do their research online.
For SEO, you need to first find the right keywords for your business. If you target popular short keywords like “car dealership,” it’s going to be harder to get to the first page. The competition is too steep.
Use long tail keywords for more success.
Instead, use longer keywords like “car dealerships for the Houston metro area” to target more specific search results. You’ll reach the audience who will be more likely to convert into customers.
Blog – Content Marketing
You’ll hear both stories of success and failure in blog marketing. You might be asking yourself whether a blog is right for your car dealership. It depends on your expectations.
Blogging is one of the least expensive content marketing options, but it takes a long time to build your reputation.
Blogging is one of the least expensive marketing options.
However, a blog can help your customers find you easily. It can tell your customers what to expect from your car dealership. It also gives you an opportunity to shape the narrative about your business.
Digital Advertising
Advertising your car dealership on Google or Facebook can help you reach your audience faster. Digital advertising platforms allow you to personalize your advertising to the audience.
It means you have more leverage with car buyers. You can customize your ads to meet their particular needs.
Customize your ads to meet your specific audience’s needs.
For example, if a potential buyer is looking for a family car, you can advertise your SUVs to that buyer. When they see you are advertising relevant cars, the buyer is more likely to come to your car dealership to make a purchase.
Social Media Marketing
Even though digital advertising is effective, it can get expensive. The cost of pay per click (PPC) is going up every day.
Social media provides organic growth potential for the right content.
With organic growth, you don’t have to worry about wasting money, so make sure you have a good social media marketing strategy.
Rewards Programs
Car dealerships have always known that rewards programs are great for customer loyalty. Even giants like Ford and General Motors use them.
Rewards programs are great for customer loyalty.
In the digital age, these programs have turned into new avenues to create connected customer experiences. People can participate in these programs online and share their rewards on social media. It helps with word of mouth marketing.
Community Engagement
People are more likely to trust a recommendation from someone within their own community. So community engagement can provide great value for any car dealership.
People are more likely to trust recommendations from people within their own community.
You can sponsor local events and charities to bring attention to your business. Also, you can take advantage of digital groups and communities to organize your own events.
For example, celebrate your car dealership’s anniversary with free pizza or organize a Halloween costume competition. Bringing foot traffic to your premises builds trust and relationship. It allows you to help customers on a one-on-one level.
Improve Website User Experience (UX)
Today your website is a crucial part of your brand identity. Make sure you have a great web design that makes your customers want to buy their next car from you.
Most users browse websites on their phones, so you need your site to be fast and mobile-friendly.
Investing in a good website designer can boost online engagement which will result in more interest in your car dealership.
Your website should be fast and mobile-friendly.
Encourage Online Reviews
Online reviews are the testimonials in the digital age. So, ask satisfied customers for reviews. It will boost your reputation.
At the same time, monitor negative reviews, so you can respond appropriately and resolve issues before they become a bigger problem.
Build a Brand
You should coordinate your marketing efforts to create an overarching narrative about your car dealership.
Brand awareness means that a person in your area should be able to tell what kind of cars you sell and what kind of business philosophy you have.
Your business name, logo, website design, and content – everything contributes to your brand. So, send a consistent message to your potential customers.
Use EWR Digital as Your Next Marketing Partner
Are you looking for someone who really knows how digital marketing can help your car dealership? At EWR Digital, we help you find the right combination of tools and techniques for effective marketing in the digital age. Call us today at 713-597-2656 to get started!