The Automotive Industry Shifts Online With Digital Marketing Tactics

Did you know: “95% of car sales before COVID-19 were made at the dealership?”  But now the graph is going down, steeply.

The car selling process is not traditional anymore. It is way more improved than it used to be. In the recent past, you could easily display a car at your showroom and let the salesperson take over the lead; it is not like that in 2021. People are now more involved and taking more active roles in the car buying process.

Customers are no longer relying on your sales representative anymore; they are more informed now. A person who is going to buy a car will gather the facts through their online research before taking any big step.

Seeing the trend, it is clear to most marketing teams in the automotive industry that online advertising is key to bring new leads into the dealership.

That’s where new entrepreneurs in the automobile industry need to focus. We reached out to different businesses and asked them what they mainly use for marketing their business and increasing their revenue streams.

We found the majority of automotive brands focused more on inbound marketing than traditional marketing. Hence, it is seen that updating your automotive digital marketing strategy is the best way to guide consumers to your dealership.

Let’s first talk about what avenues are there to explore!

Modern Marketing Tactics

Search Engine Optimization: To increase the audience of your website through organic means via search engines, like Google.

Pay-Per-Click Campaigns: Increase traffic by displaying paid ads.

Influencer Marketing: Increase exposure from influencers in your niche.

Press Releases: Increase press exposure for your new business by announcing new launches.

Social Media Presence: Let people reach you via social media platforms.

Content Marketing: Increase traffic by providing valuable content to read/see with various channels

Affiliate Marketing: Increase sales & leads by creating offerings that are sold through affiliate channels

How Can You Out-Do Your Competitors?

Answer the Most Frequently Asked Questions online. This makes it easier for customers to reach you. Here’s what more appreciated in the community:

“Help the people around you, without keeping your interest.”

That’s how you can change the game. You are answering the concerns without selling. If you do so, they’ll remember you whenever they make a purchase decision.

You need to add valuable pieces of content on your blog and website to make buyers’ research simpler. Let’s say, for instance, they want to know the specs of a newly launched Toyota. Write a neutral blog educating them about their interest.

Or, if someone asks: “What will be the trade value of my car?”

Answer it by creating a post entitled “How to find your car trade value before selling it.”

This is actually helpful. Answering FAQs on public discussion forums like Reddit and Quora will also allow you to establish your company as an industry expert and a standout.

Expand Your Footprint – Use all the means your audience sees and spread everywhere.

A regular and consistent posting on your profiles is a good and cost-effective way of staying on top of people’s minds. When they notice your content every day, it may affect their mindset.

Producing quality content, setting up an informational website, and keeping an active social media presence will encourage people to come back and make a path to your growth. Consistent quality content, a superior website, and an engaging social media channel don’t just encourage people to return; they also lay a growth path. People always love to see what’s different.

A very few businesses are active on social media and working on getting new prospects from there. So, there’s a huge opportunity for you to fill the gap and make the most benefit out of it.

Additionally, being in the business world, you already know the power of word-of-mouth. And it comes out when people know you, see your activities, and follow your pages. Putting social media buttons on your landing pages can also encourage those who want to pass it along.

Drive Return Traffic – Optimize your customer relationships and create a magnet to bring them back. It is not just about throwing out content every day and night and expect people to come to you. But it should be a balance. It depends on consistency. You can always put out car reviews whenever something worth telling goes out in the market.

So, how relevant is content in automotive marketing? It all depends on the quality content. By creating an effective content strategy for your new automotive business, you create a base of loyal users, and they will return. If you deal in car sales, you must also be working on automobile repairs, as selling and repairing always go hand-in-hand.

Connect with Influencers – Go with the new rising trend of reaching out to popular people.

We all must be following and relying on an influencer’s recommendations, not because they are just popular, but because they post genuine reviews. Some are actually good at giving neutral opinions about the things/objects/services brands offer.

Influencers often have huge fan bases specific to a niche interest, and people usually look up to them for worthy reviews. Many influencers in the automobile industry have created YouTube channels for informing people about new car models.

What they do is that they get test drives for different vehicles and then rate them on different scales. Partnering with influencers to promote your new business can be a plus in attracting many new customers.

Bid on Competitor Keywords – Keep an eye on your competitor’s strategy.

It is a bit technical thing to do but complex at all. The automobile industry is really competitive in nature, and you have to cope with every new trend going in. Therefore, while creating SEO optimized content, not only go for the obvious keywords like “new Honda Accord.” In fact, search for “review for Honda Accord” and see what your competitors are saying about the same car.

While you shouldn't copy anyone or anything blindly, always focus on creating highly persuasive ads to get leads to visit your website over your competition

The Bottom Line

As digital has become the new normal, it is important for you not to ignore it at all.

Work smart and cover all the aspects of the car buying process. To be the best car dealer in your area, your automotive marketing strategy must be strong enough to prove to car shoppers that you’ll lead them to a successful car buying experience.

The race to meet up or stay up can be easily achieved using the tips we have mentioned above. By using modern channels to promote your new business, you can stand out even in a competitive auto market. Good Luck!