12 Automotive Marketing Ideas to Bring in More Customers

Today’s car dealership is a 24/7 operation. The future of the industry, however, will require it to change with new technological advancements and user preferences. Automotive marketing experts can innovate on how they reach out to potential customers by considering these 12 ideas that are bound to bring in more business.

The “car dealership advertising ideas” is a blog post that discusses 12 different marketing ideas to bring in more customers.

The 12 automotive marketing strategies below prove that marketing in the automobile business is surprisingly simple and inexpensive. To begin, ensure that your website is search engine friendly, that it has quality material, and that you have a system in place for obtaining favorable client feedback. Then, to boost sales, utilize a combination of automotive digital marketing and conventional marketing methods to raise brand recognition and traffic to your store and online.

Use these 12 tried-and-true automobile marketing methods to expand your business:

1. Boost Your Company’s Online Presence

One of the most effective automobile marketing tactics is to start with a superb website. Even if you currently have a website, starting from scratch may be a smart option. Consider a thorough redesign, followed by a new construction using one of the top website builders.

When you use an all-in-one site builder, you won’t need to look for web hosting or a web designer to get the job done. A good website should be simple to access, professional in appearance, and aid in your ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). If you do need assistance with your site, look for a Fiverr freelance website designer that has worked with your favorite site builder.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Your Website

Search engine optimization (SEO) is vital for any automobile digital marketing plan since it helps your website rank higher in search engines. This may be accomplished by utilizing correctly crafted titles for your pages and articles, including keywords that your audience often searches for in your site’s page and blog post content, and encouraging consumers to write favorable reviews for you online.

Squarespace is one of the greatest all-in-one web hosting and site-building tools for putting up a professional, search-engine-friendly website. You’ll receive a website that’s simple for Google and other search engines to “crawl” using Squarespace, which may help you rank better in automotive-related search results. Plus, Squarespace has over 100 sleek and contemporary layouts to choose from, so you don’t need any design or technical knowledge to get started.

With the Right Keywords, You Can Improve Your Google Ranking

For consumers to locate your auto sector firm online, you need more than a nice-looking website. It’s critical that you take the proper actions to improve your Google ranking. When it comes to organically ranking material, such as articles or pages on your site, it might take a time for the search engine to identify you as an expert or authority in the automotive business.

To find keywords that your target audience is likely to be looking for, use a keyword search engine like Ahrefs. Choose keywords with a lot of traffic yet a low difficulty level. Based on “KD,” which stands for “keyword difficulty,” you can assess how challenging it will be to rank for a certain term in Ahrefs.

Difficulty is measured on a scale of one to one hundred, with higher numbers signifying more difficulty. The larger the volume, although not usually, the more difficult it is to rank for a term since there will be a lot of other websites vying for ranks.

To make your website more search-friendly, look for high-volume keywords (Source: Ahrefs)

In addition to the keywords your target audience would look for, include local keywords such as your city’s name. If you operate an auto repair business in Phoenix, for example, keyword phrases like “repair shop Phoenix” or “car repair Phoenix” can work well.

Once you’ve compiled a list of keywords for which you want your website to rank, create web pages and blog posts that answer the questions that searchers are asking, and include your keywords into them. If your target audience searches for “best vehicle repair businesses in Phoenix,” for example, you might produce a blog post detailing why your firm is one of the finest in the city.

Appear in Google’s local search results

There are many ways to rank on Google, and local search results are essential for brick-and-mortar companies. When someone searches Google for a certain sort of company, such as a car dealership or an auto repair or parts store, Google often includes a map showing nearby companies towards the top of the search results.

Local Google search results often include a map and local businesses (Source: Google)

The “three-pack” or map pack refers to the top three organic results. As far as your automobile digital marketing plan is concerned, being among the first three organic results is great since they appear closer to the top of the page.

The top organic ranking in Google search results obtains 31.7 percent of all hits and is 10 times more likely than the last item on the first page of results to earn a click. According to ClickFlow statistics, less than 1% of clicks get to any listing on the second page of results.

Create and fill up your Google My Business profile listing to reach to the top of Google’s local search results pages, or SERPs. This is completely free and takes very little time. Include keyword search words similar to those you use to enhance your website, such as “auto detailing Phoenix,” to improve your rank in local search results.

It may take time for your listing to increase in the rankings, just like typical organic search results. However, there are several things you can do to expedite the process, such as increasing good reviews and advertising on Google, which we discuss further down.

Increase the number of positive customer reviews.

Getting recommendations from satisfied, loyal clients is one of the finest methods to gain new business. In fact, review engagement is up 50% from pre-pandemic levels, and most customers won’t do business with a company that has a review average of less than four stars. You may either wait for word-of-mouth to come to you, or you can increase your chances by encouraging pleased consumers to leave a Google review.

The more good ratings you have on your Google My Company profile, the more Google will consider your automotive business to be the best choice. When members of your target audience do online searches for similar services or goods, your listing is more likely to appear towards the top of the results.

Customer trust and loyalty are built on the basis of reviews and your replies. (Image credit: Google)

The apparent first step in getting more Google reviews is to simply ask people to rate your company. But there’s more you can do. Make it simple by asking for a review and adding a link to your Google My Business page in an email after repairing a car or selling merchandise.

You can also include a Google review link on receipts to encourage people to go online after a transaction and offer comments for your company. If you sell online, you may include a link to a review request on the landing page that clients see after they complete a transaction.

You may also hire a reputable reputation management company like Podium to handle your review marketing. To encourage consumers to submit favorable reviews for your company on Google and Facebook, Podium will use SMS marketing, messaging platforms, and a chat widget on your website.

Podium is a great place to visit.

Advertise on Google’s Local Search Results Pages

Even if you’ve done all you can to get your website to rank in organic search and your Google My Business profile to appear in local results, you can benefit from a sponsored push to the top of the search results for local services. Just like you did with your website and Google My Business directory, use keywords to target advertising to appear in local search results.

Because advertising are shown above organic search results, service-based companies profit from employing Google’s local service ads. You may also acquire a “Google assured” sticker, which boosts client confidence.

You must consent to a background check and your firm must fulfill certain industry-specific standards to get the green badge as part of your Google ad listing. If you require a license to run your company, you’ll need to present evidence along with your application.

Google advertising may be costly, particularly if your advertisements aren’t properly set up or targeted to the suitable demographic. You don’t want to spend money on clicks that don’t result in sales. If you need to outsource Google Ad management, Hibu is a wonderful alternative. They can also set up and maintain your company’s Google My Business directory and Facebook page.

Visit Hibu

Bing can help you reach a new audience.

Although most people think of Google when surfing the internet for anything, Bing is not to be overlooked. In terms of demographics, Microsoft’s search engine, Bing, draws a distinct sort of user. The majority of users are older and have a greater family income. Fill up your free Bing for Company profile to increase the chances of your automotive business appearing in Bing search results.

The demographics of Bing users vary from those of Google, allowing you to target distinct audiences. (Image courtesy of Bing)

Use some of the same keywords that you used to make your website and Google My Business listing search-friendly in your Bing business listing. Invest in Microsoft advertising to appear before organic results on Bing. Bing advertising are often less expensive than those on other search engines, costing roughly one-third as much. In addition, Bing’s search engine attracts roughly 1 billion monthly visits.

One of the pillars of a successful search engine marketing (SEM) strategy is Google advertising. Learn how to use the four important parts of search engine marketing to drive traffic to your website, create leads, and develop your company by understanding the differences between SEO and SEM.

2. Submit your automotive company to online directories.

It’s a good idea to list your company on Google and Bing, but you can take it a step further by looking for additional online business directories that are relevant to your sector. Listings may aid your SEO by allowing individuals looking for a certain kind of automobile company to find your listing, which includes your hours of operation, location, and website.

There are several broad business directories available, such as Yelp and Yellow Pages, as well as specialized specialty directories. Look for car industry-related directories where you may establish a free listing online.

However, adding entries to several directories and updating them over time may be very demanding. If you alter your company hours, phone number, or website URL, you must update it on all directories where you have a listing to guarantee that your information is current throughout the internet. Fortunately, you can monitor and update your listings with the help of an online reputation management provider like Yext.

3. Create a Facebook Page & Participate in Groups

Create a Facebook business profile for your auto shop so that potential customers can discover you no matter where they browse. Facebook pages for businesses might even appear in search results. Incorporate some of the same keywords into your Facebook profile’s “About” and “Description” sections, as well as the information you provide on the platform, that you utilized to optimize your car website.

A Facebook page for a car dealership, for example. (Photo courtesy of Facebook)

Join or start a Facebook group dedicated to particular automobiles, common auto repairs or concerns, or even automotive components, and publish posts that demonstrate your knowledge. Every time you publish, your followers will see your company name, which might assist with brand recognition. You may also use the platform to promote new items or services to assist generate interest (and new visitors to your website or business).

4. Use Facebook to promote your business.

Another fantastic technique to get your automobile marketing material in front of your local target audience is via Facebook advertising. Facebook adverts appear in users’ news feeds rather than depending on terms they use to seek for something online. As individuals read through social media, your ad may display in between their friends’ postings (if appropriate based on your targeting criteria). Location, hobbies, age, gender, and other variables may all be used to target your ideal audience for your marketing campaign.

With Facebook advertisements, you may not only target particular audiences, but you can also target “look similar” audiences that meet your criteria to some extent. So, if your target buyer types are guys aged 25 to 49 who reside in Phoenix, a look-alike audience may be men aged 18 to 24, or ladies aged 25 to 49 who also live in Phoenix.

Facebook advertisements may also target ideal and look-alike audiences based on recent searches made by Facebook users on the social media platform or inside its advertising network. For example, if someone is passionate about sports cars and searches for relevant material online, your ad or sponsored post will appear in their newsfeed.

Advertising your automobile company on Facebook may be more complicated than you wish to take on due to its wide features. Lyfe is a digital marketing firm that can assist you with most social media marketing strategies. Furthermore, since there are no long-term obligations, you may test the service for a month to determine whether it fits into your car marketing strategy.

5. Use Other Social Media Platforms to Attract Your Target Audience

Facebook isn’t the only social media platform where you can use automobile marketing strategies. Instagram and Pinterest are also visual social media networks, making them ideal for sharing photographs of cars, components, or before and after shots of what a car detailing service can achieve. TikTok is a good option for individuals who wish to make short, entertaining films for their fans, and these videos can be shared on Facebook and Instagram.

Pinterest is a social media platform that is mainly reliant on visual content. (Photo credit: Pinterest)

Use hashtags on any social media platform to help people who are interested in your sector locate your posts and pages. If you operate a car dealership, for example, you may use hashtags like #carsofinstagram, #caroftheday, #autoparts, or #autorepair. You may also use hashtags with location to hypertarget your audience, such as #CarRepairPhoenix.

As part of your entire automobile marketing strategy, there are several chances to increase brand recognition and sales through social media. For additional information on how to utilize online advertisements to target individuals who aren’t currently aware of your company, see our entire guide to social media advertising.

6. Add Your Business to Yelp & Optimize Your Listing

People who want to check out a local business’s reputation before purchasing often use Yelp for Business. Setting up a business listing is free, and once you do, individuals browsing Yelp will locate your listing based on their searches. To improve your Yelp company profile, use the same keywords that are helping your website rank better in search results.

Keep an eye on any reviews posted on your company listing after you’ve registered and listed on Yelp, and reply to each one, whether favorable or bad. Top places in organic search results go to listings with the most reviews and the most favorable ratings, but you can also pay to have your listing sponsored to appear above the organic results.

7. Grow Your Email Marketing List & Send Helpful Content

Customers may join up for your mailing list at the point of sale, which is a simple method to start collecting email addresses. Offering a consumer a discount on their next purchase, for example, might assist persuade them to give you their email address, phone number for SMS marketing, and even postal address for future direct mail advertising. You may also utilize online forms to collect information, such as a pop-up form that offers new sign-ups a 10% discount.

Create useful content and place it on a landing page on your website with a sign-up form to collect email addresses. For example, you may include information on how to prepare your vehicle for driving in the rain or snow, as well as typical do-it-yourself fixes and a 100,000-mile auto maintenance checklist. You can also send an email to your contact list with a link to this material, and post a link to it on social media for even more exposure.

An example of an email marketing campaign for the car industry (Source: Valvoline)

For targeting automobile marketing contacts, Mailchimp is one of the top email marketing solutions. If you have less than 2,000 contacts, it’s simple to use and free. Templates, A/B testing, predictive demographics, and a look-alike audience finder are all included in the paid plans. To give the most engaging information and offers to the proper audience, create pop-up forms for your website, surveys for your visitors, and segment your contact list.

Go to Mailchimp to learn more.

8. Use old-fashioned local advertising

Advertising through local newspapers, television and radio stations, and billboards is one of the most prevalent car marketing tactics. All of these automobile marketing strategies are still viable, despite being eclipsed by their more glamorous digital marketing competitors. They allow you to hyper-target the location of your ad and add to the credibility of your brand.

In October 2021, members of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) spent 4.9 percent of their total revenue on advertising. Car dealerships spend more than 40% of their advertising budget on television, radio, print, and direct mail campaigns, according to the NADA. Billboard advertising may also be surprisingly economical, depending on your area.

An example of a billboard campaign for vehicle promotion (Source: Flickr)

9. Send Press Releases to National & Local News Agencies

Press releases are a great method to get your automobile company’s name out there. It takes experience to write them, but you can speed up the process by using our press release templates. When your firm grows, new products or services are released, you donate to a charity, or you want to publicize a particular event, a press release is appropriate.

In addition to being published online, your press release may be picked up by a news agency for a story, giving your news and brand a significant boost. Even merely posting your press releases on the internet might aid your SEO. The domain authority of your website benefits from links from high-authority sites, such as news media sources. As a result, your website will be more likely to rank in internet searches.

Use a press release distribution provider like eReleases to enhance your chances of being picked up by news organizations. eReleases can publish your news release to over 5,000 different sites and tailor it to your desired audience based on parameters like region and industry.

Take a look at eReleases.

10. Make Use of Your Business Cards

Regardless of sector, a business card is a vital marketing tool. When your business cards are presented at the point of sale, customers are more likely to pick them up. Outside sales representatives are a necessary if you have them. You’ll also need a stock of business cards to give out if you network at automotive events, vehicle shows, or with local company owners, such as via your Chamber of Commerce.

You may also form a referral lead generating agreement with related firms and send out business cards to their clients. Consider forming a referral arrangement with an auto detailing business if you own an auto repair shop or a parts store. You will both display or even distribute each other’s business cards to create recommendations as part of the arrangement.

Look through many of the top business card designs for inspiration for your automobile company, or create your own. Vistaprint is a great place to go when you’re ready to print your business cards. They are at the top of our list of the best locations to have business cards printed fast and cheaply.

Automotive business card designs from a premier business card maker (Image courtesy of Vistaprint)

Work with a freelance graphic designer from Fiverr for as low as $5 if you’d rather have a pro produce a distinctive business card design for your firm. On the site, you may look at the work of various designers and pick the one that best suits your demands in terms of budget and design.

Visit Fiverr.com for more information.

11. Make an online sale of your automotive products

Another strategy for automobile marketing is to start selling things online. Given that internet sales of vehicle parts and accessories climbed about 3% in 2021, you may be able to get a piece of the $6 billion-plus American market.

When you’re ready, choose one of the top ecommerce site builders to make the process simple and time-saving. Visit each of the suppliers to see which platform is best for your sort of company. Examine which site builders provide designs that can be quickly customized to reflect your car company and brand, as well as which make it simple to add items to your online shop, manage inventory, and fulfill orders.

What if I told you that

65 percent of all traffic to online auto parts and accessories retailers comes from mobile devices.

Many ecommerce platforms might work for your car marketing plan if you wish to sell as a third-party distributor. Third-party merchants are welcome on large sites like Amazon and Walmart, as well as smaller specialised platforms. Selling on Etsy might be a wonderful alternative if your automotive company offers unique things like vehicle decals or ornamental seat coverings, for example.

12. Distribute Direct Mail to Locals

With postcards delivered by direct mail, you may generate a lot of interest in your brand, an event, or a sale, whether you employ a customer mailing list or build an Every Door Direct Mail® (EDDM) campaign. Make the design distinctive and engaging while still providing value to the receiver, such as a scratch-off part that exposes a percentage off.

A postcard template from a direct mail provider as an example. (Image courtesy of Vistaprint)

A direct mail campaign might take a long time to set up. Using one of the finest direct mail services, on the other hand, cuts down on the time it takes to develop mailers and set up direct mail campaigns while also lowering the cost.

Because many advertising expenditures are shifting to digital, organizations who employ direct mail for car marketing get an edge and chances. Customers who get direct mail are twice as likely to spend twice as much as those who do not receive or utilize direct mail.

What if I told you that

According to Alter Agents and PebblePost, 50 percent of millennial consumers disregard internet marketing, yet eight out of ten pay attention to direct mail.

Check out our post with 20 direct mail marketing ideas you may utilize to grow your company, given the chance to contact new clients with direct mail.

Most Commonly Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much do car dealerships spend on marketing?

In 2020, auto dealerships spent an average of $273,000 on internet advertising and $41,400 on radio commercials. In 2020, dealerships spent a total of $7.4 billion on advertising.

In the car sector, how do you market?

To get the greatest outcomes, your approach should combine digital and classic automobile marketing and promotion techniques. Although digital marketing has become the dominating marketing technique for most sectors, there are a number of local advertising strategies that work particularly well for local companies such as automobile dealerships, detailers, auto parts stores, and repair shops.

How can I acquire automobile sales leads from the internet?

The first step is to ensure that your website is search engine friendly. It should have educational information that demonstrates your knowledge of the automotive sector, as well as keywords that you want your content and site to rank for.

Using online forms to capture contact information from prospects is extremely beneficial when you add topic-specific landing pages to your website. Leads should be directed straight to your customer relationship management (CRM) software or email marketing platform for lead nurturing as a site visitor fills out a form on your website.

Conclusion

The idea is to understand your customer’s journey—some customers may prefer to study online before purchasing in person—so you can sell accordingly. Try a combination of automobile marketing tactics, measure your results, and reinvest in those that give the highest return on investment, whether you discover the most success with email, direct mail, SEO, word of mouth, or social media marketing.

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The “marketing strategy for automobile industry pdf” is a document that lists 12 marketing ideas to bring in more customers.

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