- Mar 24, 2020
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- Matthew
Holler at me if you need any questions answered on the TradePending side. Happy to assist or pull in others here as needed.
Small used car dealership marketing tips
- Thread starter jenniferexclusive
- Start date
- Feb 3, 2020
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- Justin
What's the size of your database? We're doing a lot of 'mass' SMS deployments with human follow-up. It's really generating appts and activity in showrooms for a very reasonable expense. Let me know if you want any help.
- Feb 4, 2022
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- David
How long have you been actively marketing? Marketing takes time to generate results.
What are the traffic stats for the road in front of your store? If you don't know that, I can run a free traffic report for you. Just need the address.
What years and pricing are your units at? What demo are your vehicles best suited for? Are you marketing to the correct demo?
You are in Mississippi, a blue law state so you're not open on Sunday. Does your store get decent Sunday shopping traffic? Consider QR codes on your inventory to interact with those in-market car buyers who are invested in not only buying a car but also investing time in shopping your store.
- Nov 3, 2015
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- David
It's a great post Jennifer. Independent dealer marketing is very different than franchise, but in some ways has advantages as well.
First, I recommend identifying what makes you special. What's your focus, what's your value. Are you aggressive with sub prime? Do you have low priced inventory? Do you specialize in low mileage, newer vehicles at fair prices?
Second, website. Most of the independent websites aren't great, which is why they cost 99 bucks a month. They aren't built for conversions, but that doesn't mean you can't get them. Trim the fat on the site, make it an easy experience for people to do what they want to do (look at inventory, apply for financing, value a trade).
Now, I'd start with paid social. Organic social is great, sounds like you have a handle on that, but paid social opens up a lot more doors. Targeting sub and near prime audiences on Facebook with ads promoting the ease of application and likelihood of approval, optimized for completed credit applications, can make a huge impact on sales. Running "automotive inventory ads" is a little trickier. Basically, everyone is running them...which means you and 50 other dealers are advertising to the same audience with the same carousel. It can drive cheap VDP views, but often not much else. Instead, look at running what are called "collection ads". This is still inventory driven, dynamic ads, but they also can use video and design to promote your value prop as a dealer.
Create events! (No, I don't mean buy one of the Facebook Events). OEM's have known for a long time that "Sign and Drive" and "Truck Month" type marketing creates a sense of urgency and activity. You don't answer to an OEM, so you can have "Truck Month" this month if you want. You can have a "Celebrate America" sale, promoting all your domestic made inventory. Year end liquidations, manager's specials, literally whatever you want to create and run.
People tend to forget that digital advertising is still advertising first, digital second.
First, I recommend identifying what makes you special. What's your focus, what's your value. Are you aggressive with sub prime? Do you have low priced inventory? Do you specialize in low mileage, newer vehicles at fair prices?
Second, website. Most of the independent websites aren't great, which is why they cost 99 bucks a month. They aren't built for conversions, but that doesn't mean you can't get them. Trim the fat on the site, make it an easy experience for people to do what they want to do (look at inventory, apply for financing, value a trade).
Now, I'd start with paid social. Organic social is great, sounds like you have a handle on that, but paid social opens up a lot more doors. Targeting sub and near prime audiences on Facebook with ads promoting the ease of application and likelihood of approval, optimized for completed credit applications, can make a huge impact on sales. Running "automotive inventory ads" is a little trickier. Basically, everyone is running them...which means you and 50 other dealers are advertising to the same audience with the same carousel. It can drive cheap VDP views, but often not much else. Instead, look at running what are called "collection ads". This is still inventory driven, dynamic ads, but they also can use video and design to promote your value prop as a dealer.
Create events! (No, I don't mean buy one of the Facebook Events). OEM's have known for a long time that "Sign and Drive" and "Truck Month" type marketing creates a sense of urgency and activity. You don't answer to an OEM, so you can have "Truck Month" this month if you want. You can have a "Celebrate America" sale, promoting all your domestic made inventory. Year end liquidations, manager's specials, literally whatever you want to create and run.
People tend to forget that digital advertising is still advertising first, digital second.
Remember that people fall in love with a particular vehicle, not a particular dealer, so spend money on advertising vehicle inventory and less on the dealership itself or store branding. This is especially important for small dealerships, Get as many eyeballs on the vehicles themselves as possible either through classifieds, social, inventory ads, etc.... If you are buying and/or stocking the right vehicles, and your prices are in line with market demand, just add eyeballs and they should sell themselves.
- Apr 7, 2009
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@jenniferexclusive
Those stars don't come easy. Show them off!
You are 1hr from New Orleans and Mobile Al. Can you attract long distance shoppers? Ask your website vendor and dig around for long distance evidence
p.s. I'm from snowy NY state, Long Beach Miss looks like a great place to buy a car
Free Airport shuttle?
Those stars don't come easy. Show them off!
You are 1hr from New Orleans and Mobile Al. Can you attract long distance shoppers? Ask your website vendor and dig around for long distance evidence
p.s. I'm from snowy NY state, Long Beach Miss looks like a great place to buy a car
Free Airport shuttle?
Attachments
Reviews are a good point. It is probably one of the most beneficial things you can do which doesn't cost anything. It directly relates to your Google placement in local search results... Someone once asked me what free thing can they do to increase business. I told them to get Google reviews from their customers.... The came back to me months later and said their business tripled.
- Sep 7, 2021
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- albert
A good idea would be to organize a referral program: Implement a referral program that rewards existing customers for referring friends and family.
Offer incentives such as discounts on future purchases or free services.
Offer incentives such as discounts on future purchases or free services.
- May 1, 2005
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- Jeff
@jenniferexclusive you asked a LOADED question but asked you question in the right place! Plenty of professionals in here can point you in the right direction.
I'll second the recommendation of reaching out to @Matthew Davis to see how you can utilize their TradePending service.
Merchandising your inventory (lots of great photos, detailed descriptions, walk-around videos, included history and service reports, etc.) will be your number 1 needle mover.
I'll second the recommendation of reaching out to @Matthew Davis to see how you can utilize their TradePending service.
Merchandising your inventory (lots of great photos, detailed descriptions, walk-around videos, included history and service reports, etc.) will be your number 1 needle mover.
- May 1, 2005
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- Jeff
Great suggestion. Having a solid strategy and process for obtaining and leveraging customer reviews are PRICELESS. Promote, promote promote your dealers and your personal customer reviews.
Google Reviews
DealerRater
Marketplace sites utilized (cars.com, Autotrader.com, etc.)