Welcome back to our seasonal marketing strategy series for auto dealerships! So far, we’ve explored 10 Strategies to Drive New Year’s Auto Sales and 10 Fresh Spring Marketing Ideas for Auto Dealerships.
Speeding through the calendar, our focus now shifts to the vibrant summer season. In this article, we share summer marketing ideas for auto dealerships to boost your sales and engagement during these sun-filled months.
14 Summer Marketing Tips
Summer brings a unique set of opportunities for auto dealerships. The season’s energy, activities, and events open new avenues for creative marketing. Let’s explore innovative summer marketing tips to help your dealership shine brighter than the summer sun and drive sales during this exciting season.
1. Refresh Your Showroom for Summer
Give your showroom a summer makeover. Bright, airy decorations can create a welcoming atmosphere. Consider having a special display area for summer-ready vehicles or new models. You can also use digital displays to showcase summer road trip destinations or to run videos of your vehicles in action to engage customers visiting your showroom.
2. Extend Your Summer Hours
Take advantage of the longer daylight hours by extending your dealership’s opening times. This caters to customers’ busy summer schedules and signals your commitment to convenience and service. Publicize your extended hours through all your marketing channels and consider hosting special evening events to draw in more traffic.
3. Create a Summer Blog Series
A summer blog series can attract potential customers to your website and provide valuable information that aligns with their summer needs. Seasonal blog content will also aid your summer social media refresh (see tip #12 below). Possible blog topics could include:
- “Top 5 Road Trip Destinations This Summer” (featuring cars ideal for each trip)
- “Summer Car Care Tips” (covering maintenance essentials for hot weather)
- “Best Cars for Summer Adventures” (including convertibles, SUVs, etc.)
- “Guide to Choosing the Perfect Family Vacation Vehicle”
- “Eco-Friendly Driving Tips for the Summer”
4. Showcase Summer Vehicles
Transform your dealership into a summer paradise by highlighting vehicles perfect for the season. Showcase cars that fit the summer vibe, like convertibles, cars with panoramic sunroofs, and SUVs with off-road capabilities. Emphasize the joy of summer driving in your promotional materials with vibrant images and persuasive writing. Consider offering test drives that include a scenic route to truly capture the spirit of the season.
5. Run Family Road Trip Promotions
Summer vacations and road trips are staples for many families, so tailor your promotions to cater to this trend. Offer package deals on family-friendly vehicles, emphasizing features like spacious interiors, safety, and entertainment systems. You could also bundle these vehicle sales with road trip essentials such as vehicle check-ups, roof racks, or entertainment system upgrades. Use your marketing channels to tell stories of families enjoying summer trips in their new vehicles to create an emotional appeal that resonates with your target audience.
6. Promote Summer Maintenance Packages
Throughout the summer, promote essential vehicle maintenance services related to the season. Offer a ‘Summer Care Package’ that includes air conditioning checks, tire rotations, and oil changes at a discounted rate. Market these packages as a great way to ensure a safe and comfortable summer driving experience. Highlight the convenience and value of the packages in your communications, and consider adding a complimentary service, like a car wash, to sweeten the deal.
7. Celebrate Father’s Day
Father’s Day presents a perfect opportunity for themed marketing. You can showcase vehicles that dads might love, like powerful trucks or luxury SUVs. Consider special Father’s Day promotions, such as discounted oil changes or car care packages that make great gifts. You could also create a “Dad’s Day Test Drive” event with special offers for fathers.
8. Host Summer-Themed Events
Summer-themed events can be a fantastic way to engage with your community and show off your latest models. Think about hosting events that align with the season’s spirit. Some event ideas include:
- Holding a family-friendly barbecue at your dealership, where you can also showcase the latest models
- Organizing a local baseball tournament, displaying some of your inventory at the field, and offering service discounts as prizes
- Hosting a classic car show to attract car enthusiasts
- Setting up a “Summer Safety Check” clinic, offering free basic vehicle inspections.
Each event can be promoted heavily on social media, through local advertising, and via email campaigns to draw in a large crowd
9. Hold a 4th of July Sales Event
Capitalize on the patriotic spirit of the 4th of July with a themed sales event. Decorate your dealership in red, white, and blue and offer special discounts or financing deals to celebrate. To create a festive atmosphere, you could also include themed items like American flags or BBQ sets with every purchase. Promote this event heavily across all your marketing platforms to ensure a good turnout and capitalize on the holiday buzz.
10. Create Summer Giveaways
Engage your community and attract potential customers with summer-themed giveaways. These could include beach gear, BBQ sets, or tickets to local attractions. Use social media to promote your giveaways, where participants get entries for activities like test drives, service appointments, or even just for sharing your social media posts. A well-planned summer giveaway can boost brand awareness and encourage foot traffic to your dealership.
11. Leverage Outdoor Advertising
The warmer weather means more people are outdoors. Capitalize on this by increasing your outdoor advertising. Billboards, banners, and signs in high-traffic areas can attract more eyeballs. Outdoor advertising is a great way to increase brand visibility and remind the local community of your presence during summer.
12. Refresh Your Social Media for Summer
Updating your dealership’s social media profiles for summer can create a vibrant and engaging online presence. Consider:
- Changing cover and profile photos to bright, sunny, and summer-themed images
- Posting content that resonates with summer activities, such as road trip tips, summer vehicle maintenance advice, or highlighting local summer events
- Running social media contests or campaigns that encourage user interaction, like a photo contest for the best summer road trip picture
- Sharing customer stories or testimonials focused on summer experiences with their vehicles
This approach helps keep your social media fresh and relevant, aligning with the season’s vibe and customer interests.
13. Engage in Community Events
Participate in or sponsor local community events to increase your dealership’s visibility. Summer parades, festivals, and community gatherings are excellent opportunities to showcase your vehicles and engage with potential customers. For example, you could have a float in a parade, set up a booth at a festival, or sponsor a youth baseball tournament.
14. Collaborate with Local Businesses
Partner with local businesses for cross-promotion during the summer. For example, collaborate with a popular ice cream shop to offer a free scoop with every test drive. Or partner with a local beach or tourist attraction for free or discounted entry with proof of a recent purchase. These partnerships can increase foot traffic to your dealership and provide added value to your customers.
Summer Marketing Can Boost Your Auto Sales!
Each summer marketing tip we share gives you a unique way to connect with customers and drive sales during the sunny summer months. As always, we recommend that you don’t try everything at once! Select an item or two from the list and devote your budget, time, and energy to making it the best. In marketing, quality beats quantity every time.
As much as we’d love to stay in the warmth of summer forever, our series must move on to the next season in the calendar. Stay tuned for our next article, where we’ll explore effective fall advertising campaigns to keep your dealership’s momentum going strong throughout the year. See you then!
