The automotive industry is one of the biggest globally, and consists of countless companies that involve design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and sales. It also generates massive yearly revenues with a massive amount of dealers, brands, and independent sellers jostling for their market share. Getting new buyers while retaining existing ones is a huge challenge, so it is imperative to create an automotive campaign that delivers.

What is automotive campaign management?

Automotive campaign management basically refers to creating campaigns for promoting and advertising vehicles and related products or services within the automotive industry. It means strategically planning and implementing various marketing techniques to lure and engage potential customers, boost brand awareness, drive sales, and build customer loyalty. This type of campaign automotive advertising includes activities like traditional advertising, digital marketing, social media campaigns, content creation, events, sponsorships, and other promotional efforts. An automotive campaign is customized to target specific demographics and meet the needs of consumers interested in automobiles. It positions a brand or a certain vehicle as a desirable choice, in a competitive market, for establishing a strong presence in the minds of potential customers.

Ideas for running automotive campaigns

Mobile responsive marketing

Did you know that an average car buyer spends 33% of their journey time on mobile devices? All content, visuals, and ads have to be mobile-friendly. Companies usually develop content keeping the desktop in mind, and then force-fit it for mobile, which is a mistake. Google has now introduced a dedicated channel that helps automotive players ensure an immersive mobile experience. Compared to conventional automotive digital marketing strategies, mobile ads can boost conversions by 45%.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

It is necessary to boost visibility online, so your automotive website has to appear on top of the search results, when users enter relevant keywords. Thus, potential customers see your website first. Using SEO techniques, you can get website pages to rank higher on search engines. Make sure to position relevant keywords throughout the site and blogs – it provides useful information to shoppers and helps in achieving higher rankings too.

Video marketing

Nowadays, video content is ruling the roost in the automotive industry, so it should definitely be a part of your automotive campaign. Potential buyers need to view the car from all its angles, and get a feel of what it would be like to own it. Create interesting videos of a particular vehicle, while highlighting its build and best features (video test drives, accessory demos, and 360 degree visuals), and upload it on your website and social media channels. The videos should be detailed and informative, so viewers engage with them instantly. By tailoring this experience, you subtly convince buyers to take a closer look at a certain vehicle. With your video doing much of the work, your on-site sales personnel will simply need to give a final push to persuade visitors to buy.

Manage reviews

Don’t neglect online reviews, as it is an excellent automotive campaign strategy that can attract more buyers to dealerships. Respond to online reviews, especially negative ones, because potential buyers need to see that you take every customer seriously, even if they aren’t happy with the product or service. You have to actively work on boosting the number of positive reviews as well. In addition to general review sites like Google and Facebook, auto marketers should also be paying close attention to feedback on auto dealership review sites. These platforms are inhabited by serious car buyers, who are more likely to visit your dealership, if customers have good things to say.

Live streaming and events

Live streaming is another potential tool to attract and engage buyers. You can talk about your car features, new arrivals or offers, conduct live sales, address buyers’ doubts and concerns, and so on. Moreover, you can collaborate and participate in other live events. Take part in webinars and discussions and expand your reach.

Remember, you can’t follow any particular formula or a fixed strategy while designing an automotive campaign. It is an ever-changing landscape, and businesses have to adapt to trends accordingly, as it is the only way to grow and stay ahead of competition. Several trends arise in automotive marketing every year – you have to stay updated and integrate them into your campaign if and when required.

The post The ABCs of Creating an Automotive Campaign That Delivers appeared first on Modera.

The automotive industry has become quite competitive, especially after the pandemic, so marketers are searching for new ways to engage with customers and build brand loyalty for their car business. It is time to come up with innovative strategies to retain existing customers and also interest new ones.

Which is an effective customer engagement strategy? Let’s find out.

Personalized experiences

Personalized customer experiences can make your business stand out from the crowd. When you tailor customer experiences, it creates a lasting impression on their minds. Here are some ideas how to do just that.

1. Offer personalized recommendations based on customer data – customized interactions and content can work wonders for your brand. Use customer data for tailored messaging, and recommending relevant products and services.

2. Use personalized video messages to communicate. Videos are highly engaging, effective and shareable. Create interesting and informative videos, which can effectively capture the attention of their target audience and drive higher engagement.

3. Offer personalized test drives and vehicle customization options – create offers and promotional campaigns.

Use social media platforms

Needless to say, social media is great for keeping customers engaged and building brand loyalty. When you create compelling content on the most relevant platforms (as per target audience), and leverage social media trends, it lets you maximize engagement. Here’s what you can do:

1. Create interesting content that resonates with your customers.

2. Use social media influencers to boost your message as they have credible followers.

3. Run social media contests and giveaways.

4. Respond to comments and criticisms.

Implement email marketing

It is imperative to leverage the power of email marketing, by personalizing email content, optimizing subject lines, and segmenting target audiences. Your brand can boost engagement through effective email marketing campaigns.

Make use of user-generated content

Encourage customers to share their experiences and opinions. This user-generated content can significantly enhance engagement. By featuring user-generated content on websites and social media platforms, automotive businesses can foster a sense of community and authenticity.

Create customer communities

As mentioned above, building a community lends more credibility to your message. When you create a sense of belonging among customers, it fosters a deeper connection with your brand. For instance, you can create online forums and discussion groups, host events, offer loyalty programs and rewards, etc.

Use technology

Technology can be a powerful aid for creating engaging experiences that customers are likely to remember for a long time. Many dealerships are using augmented and virtual reality to offer immersive experiences to customers, while others are investing in mobile apps so they can cater to a certain niche. Nowadays, the usage of chatbots and AI technology in providing personalized customer service has greatly increased. This is because these technologies can be used to engage with customers in real-time, providing instant assistance and personalized recommendations. Gamification is also being used to make the buying process more engaging.

Last but not the least…

Don’t forget to measure customer engagement, or else you won’t be able to understand the effectiveness of your engagement strategies. You have to take some aspects into account such as customer satisfaction ratings, retention rates, engagement metrics that include likes, comments, and shares. You can utilize the following to measure engagement:

1. CRM and marketing automation platforms.

2. Surveys and feedback forms.

3. Website & social media analytics tools.

Have you devised a customer engagement strategy yet? Make sure you do so ASAP, so your automotive business can establish a loyal customer base by fostering long-term relationships. Marketers should invest time and effort to develop a strategy that includes a mix of articles, videos, infographics, and social media posts to resonate with their target audience.

The post Customer Engagement Strategy for Automotive Businesses appeared first on Modera.

Originally published in Swedbank’s private banking client magazine “Fookus”.

Looking to buy an electric car? The bold-lined sporty Chinese SUV Aiways U6 would be a trendy choice. Want to go for a test drive? Sure! Just schedule a time at Euronics and the car will be prepped and ready for you. Enjoyed the ride? Great! Get all the necessary steps of the purchase process done on the manufacturer’s website and the car will be delivered to your doorstep.

At first glance, the above story seems to be a bit off, to put it mildly. But this is actually already the reality in Germany, as this is exactly how this specific Chinese car can be purchased over there. And there’s certainly no shortage of interest since one Euronics store sees around 40 test drives a week. 

According to the French consulting company Inovev, the percentage of Chinese electric vehicles in European new electric car sales will grow from the current 6% to a couple dozen percent by 2030. That’s about a million cars per year. 

Changes in the sales model and Chinese car brands are some of the biggest new trends in the European car market. This time, Raido Toonekurg, the chairman of the board of automotive software company Modera, will share his expert opinion on what the European car market has got coming in the next few years. 

Here come the electric vehicles

There’s no turning back when it comes to the rule of electric vehicles. This trend is led by a combination of factors. Firstly, a change in people’s thought patterns where an environmentally friendly car is now a conscious choice. Secondly, the rules and regulations set forth by legislators, and thirdly the decisions of car manufacturers. 

The European Union’s decision to only allow the sale of cars and vans that create zero CO₂ emissions from 2035 is both a clear sign and an assurance to manufacturers as to where to direct their focus from hereon.  

The permission to sell new cars with an internal combustion engine after 2030 does however leave the door open in case not enough lithium needed for batteries can be mined by then, but this does not affect the trend. 

According to Raido, big manufacturers have taken a clear direction towards electric vehicles, and they’re ambitions are great. 

Volkswagen Group, which includes Volkswagen, Audi, Škoda, Seat, Porche and many others and sold a quarter of all the new cars in Europe, has promised that by 2030, 70% of all the cars they sell are electric vehicles. Stellantis, which includes Peugeot, Fiat, Citroën, Opel, Jeep, DS, Lancia and Alfa Romeo and owns about a fifth of the market, is aiming to reach a full 100% by the same time – an ambition shared by the Renault Group with a 10% market share. 

Currently, manufacturers are actively trying to turn their entire selection electric. Raido is certain that this will be achieved within the next two to three years. 

Chinese electric vehicles – a rising trend

Last year, the most sold models of electric vehicles in Europe were Tesla Model Y and Model 3 with a combined market share of 8%. There really are no outstanding leaders on the market at this point. 

On a global scale, Chinese manufacturers have taken a solid lead. Chinese BYD Auto sold over 1.8 million electric vehicles last year and is a clear global leader with a 20% market share. You should memorize the names of their three most popular models Song, Qin and Han, as BYD is looking to bring these models to the European market this year. According to Raido, Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers have finally gotten over the hump, making the increase of their models in the European market one of the biggest trends. 

The selling points are strong. High quality when it comes to both durability and driving range, as well as appearance and the design of the salon. Of course we can’t forget the price as Chinese cars tend to be cheaper especially in the more low-cost price range. At the same time, a Chinese car falling in the average car price range in Europe, usually comes with several premium-class features. 

Although, thus far, the most sold electric vehicles in Europe belonged to Chinese companies, but were initially under European brands such as MG and Polestar as well ask Lynk & Co, now more and more fully Chinese brands like Aiways, NIO, XPeng, BYD and others are finding their footing on the market. 

The consulting firm Inovev believes that it’s quite a conservative expectation that in seven years every fifth electric vehicle sold in Europe will be by a Chinese brand. 

Car from the web and straight from the manufacturer

The rise of Chinese electric vehicles will also change the traditional sales model. Carlos Tavares, the head of Stellantis, has said that if European manufacturers want to stay in competition, they need to find ways to cut costs. One way is to reduce the share of the price given to resellers.

An upcoming trend is buying cars straight from the manufacturers. In Sweden, Mercedes has already started with this model and many other European countries are following their lead. For example, the same decision has been made by BMW and Stellantis Group. Resellers will enjoy the pleasure of organizing test drives along with some compensation, but the buying and selling will happen between the manufacturer and the consumer. 

Some Chinese brands who don’t have an effective cooperation agreement with European resellers are trying out new ways of selling. This is where the story described at the beginning of this article falls under – customers looking to buy an Aiways car can take a test drive at an Euronics store in Germany. 

Although 40 test drives a week per store is not a small number, in the end, what counts is still how many of those drives turn into actual purchases. It would probably be naive to expect a strong reseller-type sales approach from Euronics. Since it’s yet to be determined how significant of a role reseller’s marketing approach plays in finalizing a sale, companies like Toyota, Kia and Renault are still continuing with their existing sales model for now. 

From a buyer’s perspective, it really doesn’t matter whether they’re checking out their choices on the manufacturer’s or reseller’s website and who they end up finalizing the deal with. As a trend however, it’s worth mentioning that the entire car buying process from picking out the model and putting together the ideal fit, to finalizing the leasing and buying contracts, will become increasingly more digital. 

Decreasing importance of owning a car

The time when a kid would work and save money to make their dream of owning a car a reality, is now in the past. Owning a car, or really anything material is not as important to young people anymore and their focus has shifted on being more environmentally friendly. At the same time, the actual need for a personal car is also declining.

A short term rental is easy and becoming even more simple. Numerous car rental companies are making it very convenient to rent a car. Some companies can even deliver the rental car at your doorstep by managing it remotely. These fast developing solutions are also reducing the need for a second or third family car. 

There’s an increasing selection of 4‒6 month rentals. For example, Modera, whose system includes various car sellers, is currently developing an easy solution to rent a car for a few months. 

Delivery service keeps evolving. We’ll see an increasing number of cars that are bringing things right to our doorstep. 

Raido Toonekurg believes that these trends will not drastically reduce the need for new cars however, at least not on a global scale. Big countries such as China and India are just getting started with owning their cars and driving. 

When will we see self-driving cars?

There’s been a lot of talk about self-driving cars, but at one of the most influential technology exhibitions CES, held at the beginning of the year in the USA, big car manufacturers shared a clear message that no great breakthroughs are expected in that area in the next few years. At this time, everyone’s focused on developing electric vehicles and changing their sales models. Autonomous vehicles will evolve where they’re used in a limited area and on specific trajectories. 

On a higher level, where artificial intelligence is driving a car in general traffic without the need for human interaction, there are still many unanswered questions even outside the technology. For example, a programmer would have to install the right choice in the artificial brain in a situation where, in case of an inevitable accident, the car would either hit an 8 year old kid or an 80 year old person. Who’s going to make this decision? Who’s going to be responsible for the end result in that case – would it be the manufacturer? Manufacturers are not eagerly rushing into situations full of potential lawsuits and court cases. 

Exceptional infotainment

Let’s end on a lighter note however. Thus far, trying to navigate the touch screen of a car has proven to be much less enjoyable than tapping away on your smartphone. Luckily, there’s reason to believe this is about to change. Finally, car manufacturers have started to focus more on making the info and entertainment systems in the cars easier and more intuitive. 

What’s going to happen with the prices? 

Currently, the price difference between electric vehicles and cars with internal combustion engines is the smallest in the premium-class car range. As a trend, we can see that prices are becoming more uniform in all classes. On one hand, cheaper electric vehicles are entering the market, while on the other hand, the price for petrol cars is on the rise. 

One of the reasons for such increase in pricing are the taxes set forth by governments on cars producing CO₂ emissions. The leasing percentage and insurance payment will also become more dependent on the size of the carbon footprint of the car and the loan applicant. 

The sale of new electric vehicles in the European Union

The light blue bar shows the share of cars running on different types of fuel in new vehicle sales in 2021 and the dark blue bar in 2022. The orange bar shows the percentage increase or decrease in the share compared to 2021. The share of electric cars increased the most and the share of diesel cars decreased.

Electric car sales by country

While electric cars made up 3,4% (731 cars) of all new car sales in Estonia last year, in Norway, it was a whopping 79,3% (138 207 cars). The biggest electric car markets in Europe are Germany (471 394 new electric vehicles sold last year), the UK (267 203) and France (203 122). 

The post New Trends in the Car Market appeared first on Modera.

There are several ways to build a stronger relationship with your customers, but it all boils down to some old-fashioned face-to-face time. If you’re aiming to get your potential car buyers from your online sales journey to your actual store, we’re here to share some great tactics. From reviews and social media, to using your network and connections, there’s a lot to test out.

Consumer behavior in the auto industry is undergoing a swift change these days. People find that it is more convenient to browse vehicles, configure the features they need, and even scout for financing options – all online. It is up to you to come up with innovative approaches that would tempt customers into visiting your showroom. They should feel that it is worth their time to actually come in, look around the dealership, and then decide what vehicle they wish to buy. Without further ado, here are some new tactics to try out.

1. Get customers to give reviews

Prospects often make up their mind after just reading reviews – it makes them feel as if they can trust the business. But these reviews can’t be generalized. Customers have to highlight exactly why they felt good after visiting your showroom. They have to talk about the in-person shopping experience and services offered. Ask them to write about the aspects that attracted them. Why not ask customers to leave a review when they are at the showroom? The experience is fresh in their minds, so reviews are likely to be more honest. Set up a tablet in the middle of the showroom or waiting room, and make sure the Google review page is pinned on the device.

2. Use social media to your advantage

Nowadays, social media plays an integral role in influencing the car buying process. Consumers are increasingly turning to social media before making up their minds. This makes social media a great marketing channel for car dealerships to engage new customers (and re-engage existing ones). You can use social media to share posts that link to relevant pages on your website, and engage users accordingly. Paid ad packages work great on social media – they let you target a specific segment, so you reach the most relevant audience. Thus, you get in touch with potential customers who have actively entered your sales funnel.

3. Bank on local partnerships

You don’t have to depend on digital marketing techniques all the time. Talk to local businesses and build partnerships to get high quality leads. Collaborate with other members of the auto industry (not those in direct competition of course) to start a mutually beneficial relationship that expands both of your networks. For instance, you can talk to a rideshare company, where your dealership suggests their app whenever a customer has their car in your showroom. In return, their company can refer current or prospective drivers to your dealership. Other companies you can consider are local car washes, auto parts stores, car detailing shops, and even auto insurance companies.

4. Referral programs are effective

Expert marketers have agreed that referral programs have a lower cost per lead as compared to any other channel. These programs work based solely on trust. Getting the support of an existing customer can work wonders in gaining the trust of their friends, family members, colleagues, etc. For every lead that you are able to convert successfully, you can give incentives to the referrer, such as gift cards, extended warranties, free service evaluations up to a certain value, cash bonuses, or a discount on a particular service. Referral programs can even include employees, where they are offered bonuses if their leads turn into successful sales.

5. Come up with innovative video content

Creating an informative and compelling video attracts viewers to your showroom as it provides details about what they are looking for. You give them a glimpse of the vehicles in your inventory – they can check out the different features, match cars to their requirements, and so on. Videos help customers view your product in a more cost-effective manner. They are more likely to visit if they have a clear visual of what they want, and nothing helps them envision their dream car like an appealing video. A dull and drab text ad isn’t going to cut it anymore!

6. Organize community events

Ultimately, people will visit your showroom only if you provide an enjoyable experience. Sponsoring, hosting, and setting up a booth at local events are excellent ways to build up a solid rapport at a more personal level. If you take part in events organized by others, make sure you have a target audience among the attendees. Encourage them to provide contact information by offering incentives like discounts on repair services. When you host your own event, do it at your showroom. Thus, you can get good leads, while getting the community under your roof at the same time. During these events, you may offer test drives of a new car model and deals on cars to attract customers.

7. Lastly, include a Call to Action on your website

Texting is an amazing way to follow-up and stay in touch with customers. When you add a “Text Us” button on your website and other online listings, it gives customers a chance to connect directly. Customers appreciate the fact that you are open to communicating on a more personal level. The faster you respond to prospective customers, the more likely it is that you will get their business. You can even set up an autoresponder with some key resources that gives the customer a reply within seconds while giving a real salesperson enough time to respond personally.

Remember, none of the strategies will work overnight – it could be weeks before you notice any lucrative results. It is necessary to be patient and implement the strategies mentioned above; you can decide later on what works for you and what doesn’t. Meanwhile, keep your focus on making sure your online presence is impeccable thanks to a high-quality website as well, as most of your customers will go through at least a part of their shopping journey online.

The post 7 Fresh Ideas to Attract Customers to Your Showroom appeared first on Modera.

Yes, you might not have even heard of social CRM, and could even be skeptical about it. It is at times, tough to distinguish the hype around social media from the genuine value it can bring. But social CRM isn’t a gimmick, and it doesn’t ask you to restructure the business or start anew! Social CRM simply adds a social dimension to the way you think about customers and your relationship with them.

What has been the scenario till date?

Until now, customers’ social media activity has been something of a closed book – a channel of communication that was not trackable, measurable, plannable or improvable. With social CRM, that has drastically changed. By adding the critical social media channel to your existing CRM systems, you can combine everything you already know about each customer, prospect and lead with new information about their social media activity. So when a customer decides to contact you via a social media channel like Twitter or Facebook, you can track and manage the conversation in as much detail as you would for a telephone or email enquiry. You can act faster, respond better and anticipate your customers’ needs.

Why is social CRM important these days?

So your marketing department is diligently creating and publishing tweets, Facebook posts, YouTube videos and more – all carefully crafted to make the most of each channel and designed to encourage sharing, retweeting and customer engagement. But the audience isn’t paying attention.

Meanwhile, your customers are elsewhere on Facebook and Twitter, having conversations about your organization – discussing you, recommending you, complaining about you and even trying desperately to talk to you. But they aren’t getting the answers they want.

This is where social CRM plays a crucial role. A customer relationship management platform that integrates social media gives you access to the same level of insight you have for more traditional channels, plus the ability to use social tools for communicating internally. You can monitor, track and benchmark your social media communications using familiar tools, dashboards and metrics.

With social CRM you can place the customer right at the centre of your organization. No more forcing customers to use the channel you prefer! No more losing track of issues when they change channels! You can engage and respond to customers individually and in the way they choose, without compromising your ability to track and manage communications on a global scale. You have both a broad overview of your brand’s reach and a granular, detailed view of each customer interaction.

Customer service, marketing and sales all benefit from a more dynamic, complete picture of each individual customer, and can make use of social tools to communicate between themselves. Your customers see an organization that listens to what they want and responds in a way that suits them, across multiple channels. It is a win-win for everyone.

What are the benefits of social CRM?

The combined promise of reduced cost and increased effectiveness is a heady one for any marketer. And while social CRM has a valuable role to play in customer services and sales, it can also revolutionize your marketing effort. It can change your understanding of brand reach and perception, while giving you access to a wealth of new information about customer behavior and opinions. Social CRM can help you deliver:

• Greater exposure in the places where your audiences spend their time.
• Increased engagement and deeper relationships with customers.
• Increased web traffic and conversions and higher search rankings.
• High-quality inbound leads that turn into revenue faster.
• More efficient marketing budgets with higher returns.
• Faster marketing campaigns with better targeting.

So how can social CRM be of use to you?

One of the strongest elements of the business case for social CRM is the integration of business functions it allows, with sales, marketing and customer support all able to cooperate in an infrastructure based on the individual customer. But each discipline can also expect to see its own benefits.

Sales

Sales teams can expect to see an improvement in retained and referred business, as customers become recommenders and advocates; and that leads to increased revenue.

Marketing

Marketers can use social CRM to increase reach and cut costs, while improving customer tracking and measurement.

Customer Service

By tracking and managing customer contacts across channels and business functions, customer service teams can deliver dramatically better service. 

To sum up, social CRM can be used to:

• Deliver customer support via the social media networks your customers are using.
• Interact and engage with customers in real time.
• Talk to each other so that customers get the best help.
• Monitor social media for complaints and resolve issues quickly.
• Find and reward brand advocates and customers who help others.

There is no secret formula involved for customer service on social media. In fact it is an opportunity to get the basics right and provide excellent responses to customers in the way they choose. By enabling you to track social interactions with customers using the same sophisticated tools as you use for other touchpoints, you can deliver faster, more complete resolutions to customer service cases from across your business – and that means happier customers. Keep in mind that it is not only about reacting. Using monitoring and tracking tools, social CRM can help you to identify and reward brand advocates and influencers, encouraging them to spread the word still further.

The post What is Social CRM? appeared first on Modera.

When it comes to car dealerships, it is crucial to forge customer relationships and guide them through every step of the buying journey. This is essential if you wish to stand out, stay a step ahead of the competition, and attract new customers. It is time to think out of the box, and that is where social media plays an integral role – a lot of prospective buyers are out there. Moreover, with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, 62% of car buyers search their vehicle online, not to mention a lot of pre-purchase research takes place from behind a screen. As per stats, more than 70% of consumer buying decisions are regularly influenced by social media.

Top social platforms that can benefit your car dealership

1. Find customers on Facebook

Facebook is a behavioral powerhouse – it understands the interests and habits of nearly every demographic on the planet! This data is gold, as it enables Facebook to keep consumers online for longer periods of time by presenting more specific content. When you put out a Facebook ad, you select the demographics you want to market to, and Facebook does the rest. Once published, Facebook automatically presents it to the most relevant database that consists of the target demographic based on their past behaviors. Factors like location, search keywords, comments, likes, posts, and even liked brands are taken into account. People even use Facebook to engage dealers about listings, talk about vehicles and services, conduct vehicle research, and much more.

2. Take advantage of Twitter for sales conversions

Car dealers can take advantage of Twitter by keeping focus on short snippets of content. You should regularly share or post concise, striking comments, and even link to a video or longer format to boost organic traffic and followers. Frequency of posts is also vital. Consumers don’t want to see ten posts per day, but they also want to see more than one post per month. It is about maintaining a balance with your Twitter audience that will involve some trial and error but helps in the long run. Business-oriented services are available too, such as advertising, campaign management, targeting, and analytics. Twitter business lets you promote tweets, videos, and the overall account to boost brand awareness.

3. Explore video marketing on YouTube

It is no secret that top YouTube influencers make an excellent income, a majority of which comes from ad revenue on the ever-popular platform. Regardless of the industry, YouTube’s video platform is a very effective channel for advertising. This is because users are highly engaged, and the ad placement has been tested and refined. When you advertise on YouTube, your placement is displayed on content in a variety of ways. Some are video-based, while others are simple text-based pop-ins. It is up to you to decide who will see your ads on YouTube by creating buyer personas. Proper selections of demographics and interests influence the effectiveness of ad campaigns. They let you modify the ad strategy as you go so that you target the right audience.

4. Cater to millenials on Instagram

Did you now that millenials are officially the largest auto buyer group in the U.S.? And a lot of their decisions are based on what they see on Instagram. This platform is excellent for engagement and reach.  Showcasing a car through boosted advertising on Instagram gives your dealership’s social media strategy a chance to expand into a larger community of in-market shoppers. You might have to adjust your strategy a bit around posts, when it comes to first-time buyers. You also need to consider images and videos that support your brand. This new community is interested in learning more about your dealership in addition to your inventory. Break the ice, engage with customers, and motivate them to opt for the test drive.

Some additional pointers to bear in mind:

• Create content that customers can relate to. Not everything shared or promoted online should have a direct sales focus to it. Being relatable and sharing fun content through social channels can be a more effective strategy than only posting inventory or car-specific content.
• Add a specific social media element during promotions or special events. For instance, you can offer incentives to users for “liking” or “sharing” an event post by entering them into a special raffle. It increases your user base and organically improves the content’s online reach.
• You have to engage with social media users via two-way communication. Respond to comments, answer questions, and clarify doubts.
• Dealership social media business profiles indicate quite a bit about the kind of quality service you can expect. How would you feel about a business if you saw their comments were vague and sometimes misspelled or grammatically incorrect? Yes, it doesn’t mean there are quality issues at the dealership, but these minor issues matter for consumers who wish to do business.

Progress on social media doesn’t happen immediately. The money and effort put behind social media marketing through car advertising and brand awareness, takes quite a bit of time. You might not see results at first, but over time your social media strategy builds on itself and progress is more visible in the form of significant results. You should keep prioritizing the presence of your brand on social media because it boosts the proof and trust factor, attracts new customers, instills a sense of loyalty, improves brand awareness, and drives traffic and sales.

The post How Can Social Media Help Your Car Dealership? appeared first on Modera.