One of the top challenges marketers in the automotive industry face is gaining a sales lead’s trust and respect. Car-buying customers are making a significant financial decision. Your automotive marketing strategies should push them to choose you.
Keep your target audience in mind when creating a marketing plan. Get to know your target customer’s journey before you even start the marketing process to meet them on the right platforms at the correct times. You will stand out in even the most saturated car market if you use modern channels to promote your dealership.
This guide will outline some of the best automotive marketing strategies, automotive advertising ideas, salesperson marketing strategies, car dealership marketing ideas, and more.
Build an Engaging & User-Friendly Website
95% of vehicle buyers use the internet to start the search for a perfect car. They should have a great experience with your website when they first visit.
Here are a few automotive marketing strategies to make your website more user-friendly.
Listen to your users.
Ask for input from your target audience to find the missing elements your website needs. You can do this in person or even with an email survey.
Speed up your site.
Experts say pages should load within 2 to 3 seconds. Google and other search engines even penalize sites that load too slowly.
Choose your colors carefully.
Your color palette should be appropriate for the car industry, but the contrast between the background and text should allow easy reading. Choose primary colors with contrast that's easy on the eyes. Not sure what to choose? Check out competitors' sites.
Improve your site layout.
Ensure that your website looks great on both desktop and mobile and that your mobile users can see everything without zooming in every few seconds.
Content Marketing & Thought Leadership
Content marketing is another excellent automotive marketing strategy. Thought leadership is a technique that content marketers use to build credibility for themselves and staff at their automotive company.
To become a thought leader, create and promote educational content. Become reasonably active in the automotive industry community, especially on social media platforms.
With thought leadership, you and your company become recognized as automotive industry experts and the go-to resource in your field, especially for first-time car buyers.
Search Engine Marketing
Most marketers use search engine optimization (SEO) and Google Ads to increase traffic and leads for their automotive business. But what exactly are Google Ads and SEO?
Pay Per Click (PPC)
Google Ads is a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platform that allows marketers to reach potential customers and interested leads. PPC ads can appear in various forms, including search ads, Google Shopping ads, and local services ads.
With PPC, you will only pay when the users click on your ad, making Google Ads more cost-effective than traditional advertising methods like newspaper, radio, or TV ads.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization (SEO) involves optimizing your website and content for search engines and users. The goal is for pages to appear higher in search engine results so customers more easily find your website. SEO refers to search marketing without paying for ads.
Text Message (SMS) Marketing
More than 95% of all Americans own smartphones. Cater to mobile customers to gain a competitive edge over other automotive companies.
Smartphone users typically spend hours every day looking at their screens, and they click on messages too. Text message marketing (or SMS marketing) campaigns have an average 98% open rate.
SMS marketing is a great way to reach your target customers, especially on a platform where they actively search for messages.
People buying a vehicle want to speak to automotive experts as long as the interaction is convenient, and SMS messaging is about as convenient as it gets.
Focus on Customer Experience to Build Loyalty
Want to build brand loyalty offline? Create an experience your customers genuinely want. Then promote it.
To give car buyers a customer experience they want, you need to know their personality, demographics, likes, and dislikes. When you truly understand your customer, you can cater to them at every opportunity. (This includes playing music they like at your car dealership.)
Research Car-Buying Trends
One of the most crucial car sales marketing ideas is thoroughly researching car-buying trends to better understand what your customers are looking for. According to research from Google, here are some of the biggest car-buying trends since 2020:
People Love Cars Again
Some customers lost interest in car ownership between 2010 and 2020 due to the rise of transportation options and a reduced interest in car culture. The coronavirus pandemic changed everything.
About 93 percent said they were using their cars more since ride-sharing and public transportation have become riskier due to the coronavirus. And 20 percent of people who didn’t own vehicles before the pandemic are now considering buying cars.
Car Shoppers Are Searching for Deals
Many car shoppers prioritize value, and automotive companies respond by offering favorable terms. We recommend using digital marketing campaigns to promote deals and promotions.
Digital marketing strategies are becoming increasingly critical for automotive companies, as many customers are moving their car shopping online.
People Want Car Dealer Experiences From the Comfort of Home
Fortunately, the move toward online car shopping has not reduced customer interest in their experiences at automotive dealerships.
Car shoppers enjoy traditional car dealer experiences, but virtually. Some ideas include:
- At-home test drives
- Review videos
- Digital showrooms
- Online configurators
- Virtual reality test drives
How to Incorporate Video
Customers like YouTube videos that show road tests, car walk-arounds, and expert views.
Live-stream events during the pandemic also boosted interest in virtual events from automotive companies. We recommend integrating music into these live-stream events with the help of companies like Pandora CloudCover.
Frictionless Car Buying & Delivery Resonates With Customers
Another huge car-buying trend is an interest in quick and seamless purchasing.
Creating simpler buying experiences for car purchases and deliveries can boost sales for manufacturers and automotive companies.
About 18 percent of all car buyers would buy cars sooner if they could do so online, with at-home test drives and vehicle delivery rather than going to the dealer in person.
Target a Specific Demographic
Another important automotive marketing strategy is identifying and targeting a specific demographic that is more likely to buy your products.
Market segmentation divides your data on your automotive dealership’s target audience into various segments.
Each segment shares characteristics, so you know they will react similarly to your marketing efforts. You can segment your market in five different ways:
- Demographic
- Geographic
- Technographic
- Psychographic
- Behavioral
Demographic Segmentation
Look at variables like gender, income, age, and ethnicity. Target home addresses that meet your criteria, like a certain household income level.
Geographic Segmentation
Look at factors like city limits, state lines, and the distance between two points.
Technographic Segmentation
Look at the way the market segment uses technology. For example, if your market segment prefers TV as their media, you might run a traditional TV commercial to market your car dealership.
Psychographic Segmentation
Target psychological characteristics, motivations, and conscious and unconscious beliefs.
Behavioral Segmentation
Look at customer behaviors like time spent on a website, browsing history, and consumption habits.
Incorporate Music Into Your Selling Strategy
While Americans do a lot of research online before buying a car, they typically close the sale inside an auto dealership. No conversation about sales would be complete without discussing the role of music.
Remember your market segmentation and audience interviews. What sort of music would your ideal customer listen to while inside one of your cars? Playing those songs in your showroom could remind your customers why they need to work with you.
Consider your customer's journey through your dealership. The best music streaming services offer curated music for each area in your dealership.
What Music to Play in Your Car Dealership
The right music in the right space shows you care about your customers' experiences. The soundtrack underlines all of the hard work you’ve done on the rest of your marketing plan.
Consider playing different music around your car dealership:
- Fast-paced, exciting music in the showroom to make inventory seem hip, cool, and interesting
- Soothing, professional music in your finance offices so customers feel comfortable signing paperwork
- Upbeat music to help people feel safe, calm and patient while you're conducting repairs
Choose Pandora CloudCover
Incorporating music into your business can be an excellent way to build your brand and attract more customers. If you want a business music service, look no further than Pandora CloudCover.
We offer a fully licensed and legal solution for background music that is clean and commercial-free. Plus, you can use it at multiple locations, making it an easy solution for enterprise businesses.
Control the music from one dashboard, and use dayparting to adjust the playlist throughout the day. Add in custom messages to tell consumers about your sales and promotions. And adjust as needed to keep customers happy.
Try our 14-day free trial today. Terms and conditions apply.
References
Digital Car Research Statistics. (January 2017). Google.
Google: Keep Site Speed Below 2-3 Seconds. (November 2016). Search Engine Roundtable.
Mobile Fact Sheet. (April 2021). Pew Research Center.
Tap Into the Marketing Power of SMS. (November 2016). Gartner.
5 Trends Shaping the Auto Industry's Approach to a New Normal. (May 2020). Google.
With Car Shoppers More Willing to Buy Online, Auto Marketers Must Bridge the Divide. (September 2020). Google.