20 Digital Marketing Strategy Ideas for Auto Dealerships

We’ve reached the final chapter of our series on how auto dealers can boost auto sales! In case you missed anything, we’ll share a list of all the articles at the end. But for now, let’s dive into our final topic: digital marketing.

In today’s fast-paced digital world, auto dealerships must adapt and evolve to stay ahead of the competition. A digital marketing strategy is essential for increasing car sales and driving growth. This article will provide auto dealers with the knowledge and tools needed to harness the power of automotive digital marketing and boost auto sales.

What Is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing involves leveraging digital platforms like social media, email, and websites to reach potential customers and foster long-term relationships. It encompasses various strategies and channels designed to promote your products and services. The goal is to enhance brand visibility, attract new customers, and ultimately increase sales.

For auto dealerships, digital marketing offers a cost-effective way to reach potential buyers and showcase their inventory. Research by Google found that 95% of vehicle buyers use digital as a source of information, and twice as many people start their research online versus at the dealership. By implementing digital marketing strategies, dealers can engage with potential customers at various touchpoints in their car-buying journey, from initial research to final purchase.

So how much should you spend on your automotive digital marketing? According to research, the average local business puts 5-10% of its revenue toward its digital marketing budget, while larger companies spend about 14%.

This gives you an idea of where to start, but as we will discuss in the strategy section at the end, you’ll want to continually monitor and adjust to ensure you are putting your money in the right places. The sections below share automotive digital marketing strategies for your website, social media marketing, email marketing, and video marketing.

Website Strategies

A well-designed and user-friendly website is the foundation of any successful digital marketing campaign for auto dealerships. Here are five strategies to enhance your website and attract more customers.

1. Create a Blog

Establishing a blog on your dealership’s website allows you to share valuable information and expert advice with potential buyers. Some ideas for topics include car maintenance, industry news, and vehicle comparisons—but you should explore to see what your audience is most interested in reading. Creating a blog will drive traffic to your website and establish your dealership as a trusted authority in the automotive industry. Check out our article What Is Thought Leadership for more information on growing thought leadership.

2. Use Live Chat

Integrating live chat functionality into your website provides visitors with immediate assistance and personalized support. By promptly addressing their questions and concerns, you can improve customer satisfaction and increase the likelihood of generating leads.

3. Vehicle Inventory

Ensure your website showcases an up-to-date and comprehensive inventory of available vehicles, including high-quality images, detailed descriptions, and pricing information. This allows potential customers to browse and compare options, improving their overall user experience and the chance of highly qualified leads coming into your dealership.

4. Capture Leads

Implement lead capture forms on your website to collect valuable customer information, such as names, email addresses, and phone numbers. Use this data to nurture leads through personalized email campaigns or follow-up phone calls. VoIP solutions like DealerPhones® can integrate directly with your CRM or DMS.

5. Optimize for Mobile

Optimizing your website for mobile browsing is crucial as more consumers access the internet via mobile devices. Ensure your website is responsive and offers a seamless experience on all devices to prevent potential customers from abandoning your site.

Social Media Marketing Strategies

Social media platforms enable auto dealerships to connect with potential customers, build brand awareness, and showcase inventory. According to research, 52% of brand discovery happens through social media, and brand familiarity influences 80% of customers to purchase something. Here are five strategies to maximize your social media presence.

1. Choose the Right Platforms

Focus on the social media platforms where your target audience is most active. This typically includes Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn for auto dealerships. Each platform requires a tailored approach to engage users effectively.

2. Create Engaging Content

Share a mix of content that resonates with your audience, such as vehicle highlights, behind-the-scenes looks, customer testimonials, and industry news. Use high-quality images and videos to capture attention and encourage sharing.

3. Run Targeted Ads

Utilize paid advertising options on social media platforms to reach a larger audience and attract potential buyers. Use targeting features to narrow your audience based on demographics, location, interests, and behaviors. You can also retarget people who have visited your website.

4. Encourage Reviews and Testimonials

Positive customer reviews and testimonials can significantly impact your dealership’s online reputation. Encourage satisfied customers to share their experiences on your social media pages and respond to reviews to show your commitment to customer satisfaction.

5. Monitor and Analyze Performance

Regularly track and analyze your social media performance to identify trends, measure success, and adjust your strategy accordingly. Use insights from analytics tools to refine your content and targeting for better results.

Email Marketing Strategies

The ROI on email marketing is huge compared to other forms of marketing you may be using—as much as $40 for every $1 spent. Email marketing is a low-cost and effective way to maintain communication with potential and existing customers. Here are five strategies to optimize your email campaigns.

1. Build a Quality Subscriber List

Develop a high-quality subscriber list by encouraging website visitors and social media followers to sign up for your newsletter. Offer incentives, such as exclusive offers or useful content, to motivate them to subscribe.

2. Personalize Your Emails

Personalize your email campaigns by addressing recipients by name and segmenting your list based on factors such as location, vehicle interests, and purchase history. This will help you send more relevant and engaging content.

3. Craft Compelling Subject Lines

Write attention-grabbing subject lines that encourage recipients to open your emails. Experiment with different formats and styles, such as questions, urgency, and personalization, to find what works best for your audience.

4. Send Regular Updates

Maintain consistent communication with your subscribers by sending regular updates, such as monthly newsletters, special promotions, or event invitations. This will help keep your dealership top of mind and nurture leads towards a purchase.

5. Analyze and Optimize

Monitor the performance of your email campaigns, including open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. Use this data to optimize your campaigns and make informed decisions about future email strategies.

Video Marketing Strategies

Video content is an increasingly popular digital marketing tool. Creating videos can indeed take more time and resources. However, 78% of marketing professionals say videos have helped increase sales. If that’s your goal (and we’re pretty sure it is!), you should at least try video. Here are five effective ways to incorporate video into your automotive digital marketing strategy.

1. 360 Walk-Arounds

Create immersive 360-degree walk-around videos of your vehicle inventory, allowing potential buyers to explore vehicles from the comfort of their homes. This interactive experience can pique interest and lead to in-person visits.

2. Testimonial Videos

Showcase satisfied customers in video testimonials, sharing their positive experiences with your dealership. This helps build trust and credibility with potential buyers.

3. How-to Videos

Produce informative how-to videos demonstrating vehicle features, maintenance tips, or troubleshooting advice. This positions your dealership as a knowledgeable resource and adds value for your audience.

4. Live Video Events

Host live video events on social media platforms, such as Q&A sessions, vehicle launches, or virtual tours. Live video offers a unique and engaging way to interact with your audience in real time.

5. Video Ads

Create compelling video ads on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Use storytelling techniques to capture attention and showcase your dealership’s unique selling points.

Creating a Digital Marketing Strategy

In this article, we’ve shared many digital marketing ideas to try. However, before you dive in, it’s important to understand that developing a cohesive strategy is crucial for achieving results. Here are the main steps in creating your digital marketing strategy.

Set clear objectives and goals
Identify your target audience
Select appropriate digital marketing channels
Allocate budget and resources
Implement, monitor, and adjust your strategy

By identifying your objectives, goals, and target audience, you can decide which ideas on this list make sense to work on first (given your budget and resources). As you monitor your results, you can amplify the things that work best, drop less effective ones, and add new ideas to the mix.

Check Out the Entire Series!

Embracing digital marketing is essential for auto dealerships looking to increase sales in today’s competitive market. By implementing the strategies outlined here, dealers can effectively reach and engage with potential buyers, build brand awareness, and drive more sales.

This concludes our series on helping auto dealerships boost auto sales. If you missed any of the articles, you can check them out below!

20 Digital Marketing Strategy Ideas for Auto Dealerships