Automotive
Multi-Channel Marketing
Multi-Channel Marketing: A Competitive Edge for the Automotive Industry
Your dealership has a professional sales staff that does an incredible job at nurturing customer relationships. This hard work encourages positive word of mouth promotion of your dealership, as well as buyers that come back time and time again. Additionally, you may be promoting sales incentives with television and perhaps radio campaigns. Your dealership has used these marketing tactics for years and traffic to the lot has been good.Â
As successful as these techniques have been, there will be a time when traffic slows, and you are not generating the number of sales as you once were. Perhaps youâve already reached this point. This time is when you need to analyze the strategy behind your marketing and advertising plan. Have you incorporated a multi-channel marketing approach into your efforts? You need to look at where you are today, and where you need to be tomorrow, to remain competitive.Â
Elements for a Sound Digital Strategy
Research shows as approximately 86 percent of car shoppers conduct online research before visiting a dealership. Consumers will be researching vehicle specifications, reading reviews, looking at vehicle comparisons, and of course, pricing information. This moment is crucial for your dealership. Now is your opportunity to ensure you show up in front of the shopper versus hoping they stumble across your website. You can accomplish this feat by having a digital strategy that includes paid search, SEO, and social and targeted digital ads.
Paid Search
Be seen at the top of search engine results pages when shoppers start their research. Targeted campaigns zero in on search queries or geographical locations to place your ad where your customers are looking.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Fine-tune your website copy to capitalize on valuable keywords. These updates will help with your organic search ranking, so shoppers have an easier time finding you online.
Social Media
Fine-tune your website copy to capitalize on valuable keywords. These updates will help with your organic search ranking, so shoppers have an easier time finding you online.
Targeted Digital Ads
Digital ads can grab user attention with custom-targeting by demographic, geography, interest, or keywords used in search. Ads can be display, video, or streaming audio. This level of targeting allows you to both increase your dealershipâs awareness, as well as deliver ads to consumers when they are looking to buy.
Avoiding the Cookie Cutter Strategy of the Preferred Vendor Programs
We know the initial appeal of running your dealershipâs digital advertising through a preferred vendor program. These vendors are supposedly seamless, and co-op reimbursement is âturn-keyâ. But the reality of your campaign is Tier 1 messaging in Tier 3 campaigns, along with cookie-cutter strategies that have the same goals as your competition. Work with a digital vendor who works with you on creating a custom strategy to make your dealership stand out from the digital noise and rise above the competition.
Marketing Success with a Robust Media Mix
Taking the steps to increase your digital presence is critical to your marketing success, but in doing so remember that digital channels are only a portion of your multi-channel mix. The traditional outlets of television, radio, billboard and so on will continue to promote awareness and familiarity with your dealership, as well as drive customers online for further information. Having a robust media mix will ensure that your dealership remains top of mind throughout the buyerâs journey.
Conclusion
Automotive sales will always have its ups and downs. By continuing to foster existing customer relationships, youâll see the impact of positive word of mouth. By leveraging your traditional and digital advertising efforts, your dealership will maintain top-of-mind awareness to help you outsell the competition. You can have an edge and continue to thrive even when the market is soft.