If there’s one thing we’ve learned over our decades of experience in automotive marketing, it’s that Social Media is here to stay. Sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok have experienced consistent growth, with social media sites surpassing 4.14 billion users worldwide last year. This explosive growth has led to them being a dominant force in dealership advertising, and are an essential asset on any marketer’s tool belt. Dealerships are pretty familiar with the big three at this point (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), but one popular site is often noticeably absent from most marketing plans: Pinterest.
For the un-Pinterested (see what we did there?!), the site is an online bulletin board on which users “pin” (share) images that are linked to websites. And Pinterest is BIG. Just this year they announced a whopping 478 million active users. They added over 100 million users in 2020 alone, and that growth doesn’t show any signs of slowing. On top of that, 6 out of 10 Pinterest users are women, so it can be a great avenue to reach female shoppers in the often male-dominated automotive sector.
By creating a Pinterest account for your dealership, you are opening up a new channel for customers and potential customers to find you. Your dealership could be leveraging Pinterest’s appeal to attract countless new visitors to your site immediately.
Not yet initiated? Here’s a few tips on how to utilize this resource effectively:
Tip #1: Post Quality Content
Even more so than other social media sites, Pinterest is content driven. Pinterest users are typically not looking to fill out a lead form. They use the platform to explore different looks, styles, and feels of products. If you’re going to utilize Pinterest, you’ll need quality, engaging content that will motivate users to pin and share your posts. Highlights of unique features, local road trip destinations, or tips for spring cleaning their vehicle are all possible subjects that might work well on Pinterest. Interiors, exteriors, cool paint jobs, even garages are all great. Make sure any images you pin to your boards are high-resolution and interesting. If you have a blog, share it! Do you have photos of recent car buyers with their cars on your site? Pin them! This is a very visual medium, and you’ll need to dedicate a little bit more effort in your posts than you might on Facebook to see more engagement.
Tip #2: Establish Clever, Themed Boards
How you organize your content can be almost as important as what you are pinning. Imagine Pinterest boards (subject-related collections of pins) as an old-fashioned mailroom with slots for every name. As you build your boards by filling them in with relevant content, you’re stocking your entire pinboard with opportunities for people to find you. When naming your boards, showcase your dealership’s personality a little bit (keep it clean and professional); for instance, you could name a board “Faster Than a Superhero” for sports cars, or “The Family Bus” for minivans.
Consider also creating a board for the local community, with pictures of Little League teams you’ve sponsored, charity events, and love for your hometown. With a little creativity, the sky is the limit.
Tip #3: Pin and Re-Pin
By pinning engaging content across all of your boards you can spread your message and enhance your site’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in the process. But pinning is only one aspect of Pinterest’s appeal and functionality. You can also “re-pin” someone else’s image, which shares that content to your boards. This can be just as important and effective in growing your boards as posting your own content. If you can aggregate a healthy mix of quality pinned and re-pinned content, your boards will experience consistent growth and engagement. You can also simply “like” someone else’s pin, much like Twitter or Facebook.
Be careful not to be too self-promoting. Pinterest discourages overt self-promotion, so be mindful of the balance of content you promote between your own inventory and interesting content from others. For instance, stay current on the latest reviews from publications like Car and Driver and share their pins and/or site content.
These small steps can make the difference between skating by with your marketing plan and collecting a valuable group of followers. By utilizing Pinterest effectively as part of your overall strategy, you won’t have to allot a great deal of time; you just have to commit to quality upkeep.
If you’re looking for a partner to help you navigate the ins and outs of social media marketing, The Automotive Advertising Agency has you covered. Our social media specialists know how to generate quality content that will increase your engagement and drive users to your site. Give us a call at 512-610-7300, or contact us at TheAutoAdAgency.com/contact/ for more information.
