A survey of 10,000 car buyers done by Accenture revealed that on average, a client spends between 13 and 15 hours of research before they decide to buy a car. For example, a consumer spends two hours a day to gather information about a car he’s eyeing, he only needs about a week before he writes a check. As a car dealership, you want that check to be addressed to you.
But the game has already changed for car dealerships. No longer are consumers dependent on your websites alone or your ads in newspapers, in magazines, or on TV. They are looking for more. Encouraging your salespeople to undergo automotive finance and insurance training, digital marketing lectures, and personality enhancement seminars will arm them with the right skills to survive in this dog-eat-dog world of the auto industry.
Digital marketing, in particular, is what you should be focusing on and investing in. The Social Media Trends study by Digital Air Strike in 2015 said that car shoppers use social media to study their car options. A staggering 75% of car buyers and 68% of service customers actually said that they use Internet research as the basis of their decision, with 83% of service customers saying that online reviews played a huge part in influencing their choices.
Never Try to Trick Your Customers
Here’s the most important thing that you need to remember about selling cars: Never trick your customers. They have access to the same data you know about the car. There’s an insurance and loan calculator installed in their phones. They only need to open the app to compare prices. If your price happens to be higher than other insurance or auto companies, tell them why that is so. Never try to fool them into thinking that yours is cheaper when obviously, one glance on their phones will tell them it’s not.
Use Videos to Highlight Good Reviews
According to a Google study in 2018, 75% of auto shoppers said that their purchase decisions were influenced by online review videos. This number should be a reason enough for you to invest in video marketing for your auto dealerships. It also means that your target market is spending more time on YouTube, which should be the focus of your digital marketing strategy.
Videos are a great way to show the features of the car. They allow you to directly address your consumers. Even if they haven’t heard about your dealership or the car you’re trying to sell them, being on YouTube puts you in a great position to target them with your message.
Create an Instagram Profile to Lure Millennials
Instagram is more about showing your lifestyle than any other social media platforms. Use Instagram to target a very specific demographic—the millennials. Since Instagram is primarily concerned with sharing and uploading photos and videos, the platform is a great way to showcase your brand’s story. Share a photo or video that will trigger millennials to imagine themselves being in the same moment—whether it’s camping or taking a road trip with friends. Think of any creative way that can showcase the lifestyle that the car represents.
Social media is all about telling the story of your brand. With a consistent message and story, you can connect better with your audience and develop relationships and loyalty. Your social media profiles should not just be used for promotions and advertisements. It should be a way for you to hold conversations—answer their questions and provide solutions to their concerns—with your target market.
