One of your main goals when running a car dealership should be getting potential buyers into your showroom. However, before you let your sales team do their job, you need to give shoppers a reason to head to your establishment. You can do this by investing in an excellent lead generation campaign, both online and offline, to help you stand out on whatever platform.
That said, here are six expert tips that can help bring the spotlight to your car dealership business.
Highlight Amenities
Your car dealership’s showroom needs to stand out, and what better way to do that than highlighting amenities? Whether you have a coffee shop inside or if your establishment is pet-friendly, let it be known. Plus, the furniture and equipment you use don’t necessarily have to be new. You can reuse your existing ones and hire office movers to transport them. They will add character to the place and make it look like you’ve been around a long time.
For example, a wooden conference table will look good in the new office since it can be a conversation piece or ice-breaker if you tell your new staff its history and background.
Offer Incentives
Once customers reach your showroom, it’s time for you to take advantage of the moment and make your brand stand out among the rest. After all, being close to the real deal lets them become more inclined to sit, test drive, and thoroughly look at the vehicle that they might not even know they wanted in the first place. A way to target these kinds of consumers is by offering online incentives for offline use.
For instance, you can place lead forms on Facebook ads for viewers to sign up for free test drives and have their names entered to win an exclusive prize.
Take Advantage of Social Media
Social media has quickly become a ‘part’ of everyone’s daily routines. It’s a prominent part of everyone’s personal lives, directly influencing the entire car-buying process. When shopping for a new vehicle, 90% of buyers using social media for research said it greatly influenced their final purchasing decision. Because of this, social media is one of the best marketing channels for a car dealership, making you stand out more.
Invest in Pay-per-click Advertisements
With buyers spending up over half of their time on the internet, you need to have a robust presence on online search engines. Although you can make your way to the top via SEO keyword strategies, you can instantly get your website on top of the Google results page by paying for pay-per-click or PPC ads. These allow you to target specific audiences, only showing up for relevant keywords.
For instance, when a user in your target market searches for ‘car dealership’ locally, your PPC ad will appear on the top. However, keep in mind that no matter the web page you’re promoting through your PPC ad, it should have a contact form or lead magnet, encouraging visitors to submit their contact details in some way.
Form Local Partnerships
You don’t need to use digital marketing strategies to attract consumers to your car dealership as traditional ways can do the job just right, primarily when you’re operating locally. It’s best to do this by building partnerships with other businesses, allowing you to garner top-quality leads with minimal to no costs. When partnering with other automotive industry members, those who aren’t direct competitors can complement your services, establishing a beneficial relationship—expanding both networks.
For instance, when you partner with a rideshare company, your car dealership can suggest their app whenever a consumer has their vehicle in your establishment. In return, the firm can refer you to current and prospective drivers. One of the reasons this strategy works so well is you’re getting leads from a customer base that may be loyal to the brand you’re considering forming a partnership with—and when they back you, you gain the trust of their customers.
Launch a ‘Why Buy’ Campaign
This form of unique marketing campaigns showcases the benefits that come with buying a particular vehicle at your car dealership. For instance, Ford dealerships sell the same cars, and this concept stands for most branded dealerships. Thus, you need to create a message differentiating your dealership from others selling the same models. You can do this by highlighting offers that your competition doesn’t offer alongside what unique experiences customers can enjoy in your business that they can’t find in other establishments.
That’s why regardless of the unique offers you have, take the time to craft your ‘why buy’ message and create videos and other types of content to humanize your brand and make you stand out.
In essence, if your car dealership strives for the best results possible and maximizes profit, you need to show to potential leads that you are groundbreaking as well—and the tips mentioned can help make your brand stand out among the competition.
