Facilitating growth in the crowded auto industry can be incredibly difficult without unique marketing. In today’s digital age, marketing trends are far different than they were even two decades ago. Below are some of the trends that are helping dealerships grow and expand despite the thick competition.
A Solid Mobile Website
According to information provided by Google, 92% of the consumers who buy cars will first research cars and dealerships online, and of those who do their research online, almost half research from their mobile devices. With this information in mind, it becomes clear that you must be able to provide shoppers with a quality mobile website that looks and feels amazing from a handheld device. Through this website, your customers should be able to access information about every car on your lot, and preferably, they should also have access to videos. If you do these things, you already have a significant edge over your competitors.
Video Accessibility
That same information from Google shows that more people than ever before are relying on quality videos to help them make their shopping decisions. In fact, in 2018, the time people spent watching videos like test drives, features and options overviews, and walkthroughs doubled from the year before. If you want a competitive edge when it comes to your dealership’s automobile marketing, one of the best things you can do is provide your customers with video that they can access from a computer or a mobile device.
Emotional Advertising
These days, simply showing a consumer the features and options associated with a vehicle is not enough to get them to buy. After all, they can buy the same car from numerous dealerships, so why should they buy from you? One of the best ways that you can ensure that your dealership has an advantage is by affecting your potential customers’ emotions. Focus on your company’s commitment to the community, for example, by hosting a car wash that donates proceeds to a local charity – then make sure you advertise the event. This way, the community comes to trust and like you, and your dealership becomes even more memorable over time.
Transparency
It’s important that you are transparent about your dealership, yourself, your practices, the cars you sell, and the services you provide. In fact, this is probably the number one trend in the auto industry today in terms of marketing. For many years, people in general have distrusted auto dealerships, citing less-than-trustworthy practices, hidden fees and charges, and much more. If you can be the one local dealership that everyone can trust, your reviews will be fantastic, and you will experience growth at an astonishing rate. Transparency is the key to this, so be sure that you are always upfront with those who want to buy from your lot and those who come to you for service.
Advertising in the auto dealership industry has certainly changed over the years. Rather than simply showing off features and benefits, companies now make sure they can reach consumers’ emotions through good works in the community. They also facilitate easier and more user-friendly browsing via mobile devices, and above all else, they do everything – including sales and service – with unprecedented transparency and honesty.