For most industries, marketing is a necessary evil. You can’t get away from it, and you need to be good at it if you want to succeed. Car dealerships are no exception. Car dealerships have some unique challenges that make the job even more difficult – like having to compete with other car dealers for attention in a crowded market or convincing people who’ve been burned before not to turn around and walk out the door when they come in for their first visit. The following marketing ideas will help you get started with six ideas that can make a huge difference in your dealership’s online and offline presence.
- Make Your Website Relevant
Car dealership websites are notorious for being filled with content that doesn’t serve the customer. It’s easy to get stuck in a mindset where you think it makes sense to talk about anything and everything to do with cars, but consumers don’t want or need all of that information – they only care about what’s relevant.
One way to make your website more relevant is by providing tools like an “Instant Market Value” calculator that lets visitors understand what their car might be worth. You can also set up an online form that allows them to submit the details of the type of vehicle they’re looking for and automatically sends it to you so you can contact them.
- Make Use of SEO
Search engine optimization is more critical than ever for car dealerships because it helps your dealership rank higher in Google searches. The most important thing is creating a blog with quality content about cars and selling cars – things like how much new models are going for or whether you can afford an older model on your salary. This blog should also have a backlink to your website.
- Manage Online Reviews
If you haven’t already, it’s time to get serious about your dealership’s online reputation management. First, set up a system that allows customers to review their experience at your car dealership on Google+, Facebook, and Yelp – this is known as “reputation monitoring.” It does more than increase consumer confidence in both new and current customers; good reviews can also lead to more business.
- Target The Right People With Your Automotive Campaigns
Most car dealerships have a large budget for advertising and marketing, but unfortunately, it isn’t being used effectively. To increase ROI on your automotive campaigns, you need to stop targeting everyone with the same ads. Instead, target people based on their specific interests to avoid wasting time looking at an ad that doesn’t interest them.
- Use Social Media
Social media marketing is an absolute must for your dealership’s digital presence, but it needs to be done right. Being active by posting relevant content and responding to questions and comments on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter help people think of your dealership as a resource. It also gives you the chance to turn those interactions into more business.
- Build Trust With Customers By Replying To Their Inquiries and Feedback
Customer service is a huge part of attracting and retaining customers, but it’s something that most car dealerships don’t prioritize. The fact that you’re reading this article means that you do value customer feedback, though! Let people know how much they matter to your dealership by replying to their inquiries and complaints on social media – use the opportunity to offer new deals.
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