Your customers under the age of 30 rarely read a newspaper or magazine article. They consume more than 50 percent of their information electronically. Print advertising is no longer reaching them because, for the most part, they are not seeing it. It has never been more important to review and revise how you are marketing your auto sales to existing clients and potential customers.
EFG Companies has a full range of added products and services that can help you and your dealership create marketing campaigns that will utilize the Internet and social media sites to notify, recruit, educate and retain existing clients and potential customers. The messaging could promote internet auto sales as well as service promotions offered by your dealership. Here are five effective ways to market your dealership to new and existing customers:
- Your website – Do you know what constitutes a good or bad website? Your customers do. Make sure your site is up-to-date and easy to use. Images of your vehicles in inventory should be high quality, and the site should include plenty of information about your inventory, specials, incentives and reasons to buy from you.
- Search Engine Optimization – According to a study done by iPerceptions in March of 2011, search engines accounted for 25-33% of the paths used to reach automotive retail sites worldwide last year. Is your site search-engine friendly?
- Get social – Social media is here to stay. Many auto purchases start with a web search. 45% of new vehicle buyers and 43% of used vehicle buyers used the Internet when shopping for their vehicle, using the web to compare car models across different makes.
- Utilize Facebook for posting pictures of new cars/showrooms/inventory and for conducting giveaways and promotions
- Use YouTube to promote your vehicle inventory
- Encourage and monitor consumer reviews – more consumers are turning to online reviews from peers to read and share information about their buying experience. Make sure you have a voice in this area and that your customers are reporting a positive experience online
- Use email to recruit and encourage referrals from your current customer database.
- Create a contest that features a drawing for a popular ticket item (Laptops/iPads) for referrals that result in a sale.
- Stay in touch with your customers about your service specials and other incentives
- Be visible. Participate in your community by partnering with other community businesses to give back. Sponsor a local sports team or volunteer at a local charity.
It’s a good bet that the costs to implement any of these tips will be less than what you are currently spending in print advertising for auto sales. While it is not time to abandon print advertising altogether, it is time to reassess and re-allocate your resources to increase your visibility and presence online and in your local community. EFG Companies creates lifetime customers. They can assess your current online and traditional marketing programs and assist you in creating a winning solution that will have your customers returning for generations to come.