Digital marketing for car dealerships is a huge growth area and a detailed digital marketing strategy is crucial for any used car showroom that wants to be successful. But how can your stand achieve this? Find out more in this article!
Why your stand needs digital marketing
The automotive industry is evolving at a very high rate – this is because the role of technology in your potential customer's decision-making process is becoming increasingly important. Second a google study, 95% of online shoppers use digital as a way to obtain information.
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Potential buyers no longer visit as many used car dealerships to find the right car. Instead, they spend time doing research online, as the answers to their questions are just a click away.
By the time potential customers arrive at the stand, they – in most cases – are already well informed and know exactly which car, used or new, they want to buy. That's why digital marketing plays such a crucial role in the success of your stand, as well as advice from a digital marketing consultant.
The decision process has changed
People can still buy their new car from the showroom, but most of the decision-making process – the most important and influential moments – take place online.
According to a Google study, digital marketing content acts as a source of information for 95%'s potential car buyers. 65% of potential car buyers it takes just three weeks from start to finish of the decision-making process – from online research to final decision.
Thus, digital marketing plays a crucial role in the buyer's decision-making process. Did you know that 6/10 potential buyers are undecided when they start doing their research.
Therefore, it is very important that your stand has an online presence to reach potential buyers while they are still in the undecided phase of their decision-making process. This needs to happen before they are influenced by the competition.
Digital marketing strategies for car dealerships
There is no doubt that investing in digital marketing for used cars It is important for the sustenance of your stand. However, it has to be effective. There are several strategies that can be implemented to help ensure success.
Establish an online presence
Potential buyers obtain information almost exclusively from online resources. The first step is, of course, to ensure that potential car buyers, used or new, are reached. This can only be done effectively by establishing a strong online presence. There are several ways to establish an online presence and use it to benefit your stand.
Search Engines – Car Stands
According to research by G/O Digital, it was revealed that 30% of consumers immediately go to search engines (google) when starting the car buying process. The stand's online presence is a big factor in determining success at this early point in the purchasing journey.
Strong Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies will ensure that used car buyers can find your dealership in search results. A comprehensive SEO strategy should include your website, keyword optimization, pay per click campaigns, link building, online reputation and quality content.
An important starting point for establishing your online presence is investing in a website. Websites need to meet high standards of search engine optimization and mobile optimization to ensure the success of your stand.
The goal of your used car dealership is to sell as many cars as possible. Therefore, your website needs to have an effective SEO strategy that helps boost your website to the top of potential buyers' search results.
Online Advertising – Car Stands
There are several ways to establish an online presence for your used car dealership. The main objective, however, remains to attract customers by optimizing leads. Find out the importance of leads here.
This is where the importance of visibility comes into play, as you not only need to be visible online, but you also need to attract the target audience – people who want to buy a car.
To maximize your sales opportunities, you must be visible to potential buyers when they are most receptive. This can be achieved through paid advertisements which, once again, allow you to reach your target audience.
Online advertising comes with excellent market analysis tools that provide quick and continuous feedback on your ad performance and results.
Social Networks – Car Stands
According to a study, 1 in 4 car buyers talk about buying a new car on social media and 38% say they will check the social media accounts of these car dealerships before purchasing a vehicle.
Social media is an incredibly important way for the auto industry to connect with new car buyers. Social media is also very important because it helps build brand loyalty, improve the customer experience and influence purchasing decisions.
When using social channels, make sure you share quality content that represents your position in the market. There are several social media platforms that can be used to increase the online reach of your second-hand car dealership. The main benefit of using social media, such as digital marketing strategy, is that the content reaches potential buyers quickly – and sometimes even by chance.
Successfully implementing a social media digital marketing strategy at your stand will increase your reach exponentially.
If you are looking for a agency or consultant for social media management, do not hesitate. Get in touch.
E-mail Marketing – Car Stands
When done properly, email marketing is a highly effective channel for booths. Personalization is key to creating emails that convert. A study shows that 35% of car buyers want personalized emails based on their interests.
Additionally, 28% said they would click on an email from a booth if it included information about a style, color, or model they were interested in. And if consumers receive an impersonal email (i.e., not specific to their interests or location), 23% are less likely to visit the dealer's website and 32% feel angry or resentful toward them.
Focus on mobile accessibility – Car Stands
Your website and any other digital platform you use to promote your cars or services must be optimized for all devices, including mobile devices.
People are using a variety of devices to access content that is available online and more than half already search on mobile devices. Therefore, you need to ensure that your content, videos, design and layout are compatible with all devices and, at the same time, easy to use. More than half of potential car buyers use a mobile device to research information during the search process.
According to research from Weve Automotive, the mobile journey starts with:
- Awareness – 57% browsed for car inspiration on their mobile devices
- Consideration – 59% researched and compared prices/specs on their smartphones
- Intent – 61% researched nearby stands, requested brochures and booked test drives via their smartphones
- Purchase – 9% purchased a car via mobile devices
- Loyalty – 9% explored after-sales through mobile devices
Online users are becoming less and less tolerant of websites that are incompatible with their mobile devices. That's why it's extremely important to ensure all your digital marketing content is compatible and easy to use across all devices.
Content Marketing – Car Stands
Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and acquire a clearly defined audience – with the goal of driving action.
It can drive factors such as brand awareness, sales, reach, interactions and loyalty.
• Educate your leads about the products and services you offer
• Increase conversions
• Build relationships between your customers and business that result in greater loyalty
• Show your audience how your products and services solve their challenges
• Create a sense of community around your brand
Instead of making a pitch about your products or services, with content marketing you are providing really relevant and useful content to your potential customers and helping them solve their problems.
Online Reviews – Car Stands
According to a Digital Air Strike study, a large percentage of car buyers go to online review sites before making a purchase. In fact, 70% of car buyers say online dealership reviews influence where they choose to go.
Additionally, 24% considers review sites to be the “most helpful” factor when making purchasing decisions. Track your online reviews, respond quickly and constructively to negative reviews, and continually encourage your customers to leave feedback about their shopping experience.
Car buyers are now online. Is your car dealership there to welcome them? Get in touch and find out what I can do to attract more customers for your stand.
