In the competitive culture of car sales, bringing new customers into your dealership is more difficult than ever. In the past, a well-placed ad with a memorable jingle was all you needed to seal the deal, but today, you need to work harder to get new leads in the door. Younger, more media-savvy buyers balk at old-school sales methods, so sharpening every tool in your social media arsenal is essential to keeping your dealership competitive.
Any modern comprehensive media advertising strategy has to include a social media aspect. There’s simply no escaping it. There are over 230 million active social media users in the country, with the average American owning more than 7 social media accounts. If you want to engage with new customers or retain existing ones, an active social media presence is necessary, especially if you wish to attract and retain younger buyers who shun the traditional dealership experience.
Facebook remains the dominant social media platform for automotive advertising in the country with 94% of marketers using it daily. Facebook gives your dealership access to 190 million potential customers nationwide. Used effectively, Facebook Ads can drive your sales to new heights and keep customers coming back again and again, but where to begin? Here are four winning strategies you can use to market your dealership effectively on Facebook:
- Differentiate your business. According to a recent report on car purchasing, 78% of new car buyers who plan to purchase a vehicle in the next three months have not chosen a dealership. Each one of these is a potential customer for your dealership, you just need to explain why they should buy from you. Concentrate on what you do differently from the competition and develop a unique selling proposition. Finding that ‘secret sauce’ can mean the difference between stagnant sales and breaking records.
- Connect with ready-to-buy consumers. Facebook is a powerful marketing tool for reaching customers who are searching for a specific vehicle. By using VIN-specific dynamic advertising through Facebook’s Automotive Inventory Ads, you can easily grab the low-hanging fruit and convert leads that already know what they’re looking for.
- Retain your buyers. Facebook can help you leverage your CRM and build lifelong customers from the first interaction. By providing personalized, interactive messaging targeted to specific customers, Facebook can keep your buyers fully engaged with your business long after the first deal is done.
- Promote events and campaigns. Facebook is a fantastic tool for advertising sales events and test-drive campaigns. By using the built-in tracking tools provided by Facebook Ads, you can drive new sales by targeting specific audiences and demographics to ensure you get the most bang for your advertising buck.
Use Facebook with these four key strategies in mind: differentiation, connecting with ready-to-buy consumers, customer retention, and event promotion, and watch your sales numbers climb. Facebook Ads has many resources that allow you to laser focus your marketing efforts, but if you need assistance, consider speaking to one of our Social Media Specialists at the Automotive Advertising Agency. We can provide the guidance and expertise you need to maintain consistent sales. Call us today at 512-610-7300 or contact us at TheAutoAdAgency.com/contact/ for more information.
