For firms aiming to increase automotive sales, digital marketing has become the go-to technique. It is an effective way to increase customer engagement and build long-term relationships.
Customers often look for vehicle information on their smartphones. They check pricing, features, dealerships, and more using these devices. So, automotive manufacturers should make their websites and campaigns mobile-friendly to increase ROI.
SEO
Automotive digital marketing allows auto dealerships to reach potential customers, build brand awareness, and boost automobile sales. It is an essential tool for automotive marketers since it allows them to keep ahead of the competition in an ever-changing market.
Automotive marketers must tap into consumers’ buying journeys across various tiers of the car-buying cycle. Tier 1 focuses on increasing awareness for your vehicle brands, while Tier 2 identifies qualified buyers in mid-level consideration and moves them closer to purchase.
During the research phase, automotive shoppers look for reviews, features, and comparisons. They also decide on essential factors like whether to opt for an electric/hybrid or traditional vehicle and the size of the car that would be a good fit for their lifestyle.
Paid ads on search engines like Google help you reach automotive shoppers at this stage. Geotargeting is another effective advertising strategy in the automotive industry, as it allows you to target specific locations, cities, or states with your ads. Your ads can appear when potential car buyers research vehicles in their area.
Social Media
Automotive digital marketing agency can help dealerships and manufacturers promote vehicles, products, and services. It can also drive new leads by connecting with consumers online. It allows you to engage with your audience one-on-one and create personalized content.
Many buyers are now researching, comparing prices and features, and making decisions in the comfort of their homes without interacting with salespeople. As a result, the car-buying journey has moved mostly online. As an auto manufacturer or dealer, you must meet potential buyers in these micro-moments to convert them from shoppers to customers.
Social media is a great way to advertise new features and models. You can use video ads to show off vehicles and highlight their benefits more compellingly than traditional text or image advertising. You can also share informative blogs and videos that showcase your industry expertise to attract consumers. This content can also be used to demonstrate your cars’ high-tech features, such as Wi-Fi connectivity or self-driving technology.
Remarketing
Remarketing is a digital marketing strategy that lets you target customers who’ve already visited your website or used your app. This enables you to appropriately target advertisements to them, giving them a message that speaks to them at the appropriate moment. This helps you improve engagements and conversions, making it a tremendous automotive digital marketing strategy to consider.
Auto-shopper journeys typically start online, so it’s essential always to be where your target audience is. Using contextual advertising, marketers can show ads based on content and keywords they’re reading, such as articles about the best cars for kids or the most reliable vehicles. Geotargeting can also deliver ads at specific locations, such as country, state, county, city, zip code, or latitude and longitude coordinates.
Customer reviews are critical in the automotive industry, and one of the best ways to collect them is through review management software. By automating the process, you can ensure that every positive or negative review gets seen by your team and is addressed accordingly. By leveraging technology, your dealership can get more reviews in less time and boost sales.
Content Marketing
When it comes to automotive digital marketing, the most successful campaigns are the ones that connect with car buyers where they already are. That means leveraging PPC to target specific car shoppers and using video content to show prospects the features of a vehicle.
Today, potential auto buyers spend about fourteen hours on average researching and consuming content online before visiting a dealership. This includes comparing prices, reading reviews, and learning about the vehicles they’re considering. To attract these buyers, your website and content must include your unique value proposition (UVP) and address your audience’s questions and needs.
The automotive industry is incredibly diverse. You could be closing a deal in the showroom one minute and communicating with a buyer through email the next. This diversity makes staying up-to-date on the latest auto marketing trends and digital strategies even more important. By following these automotive digital marketing trends, you’ll be able to attract more high-quality leads and convert them into buyers.
Email Marketing
In addition to social media, a well-executed email marketing strategy is another way automotive marketers can reach potential buyers. Auto dealers can leverage email to communicate vehicle pricing, finance promotions, and other important information, such as upcoming events.
Using digital advertising tactics, such as contextual and geotargeting, automotive manufacturers and dealerships can tailor messaging at the Tier 1 level to capture specific groups of consumers at critical moments. For example, leveraging weather targeting to run ads for all-wheel drive or winter tires during a cold snap can help align an auto brand with consumers most interested in those products and services.
As the world of automobiles continues to evolve, so do the needs of today’s consumers. Consumers now prefer efficient and safe vehicles that feature innovative technologies such as Wi-Fi connectivity and self-driving solutions.
Car dealerships need to keep up with these changing trends to succeed in automotive digital marketing. The best way to do this is through a robust programmatic advertising platform supporting your entire automotive digital marketing strategy, from campaign planning to optimization and measurement.
