There is a lot of competition among dealerships in the auto industry. There are a finite number of people who are shopping for their next vehicle at any given point in time, and most cities in the United States have multiple local car dealerships. Competition among automotive dealerships has increased as of late due to the increasing demand for both new and used vehicles paired with dealership inventory shortages that are largely a consequence of manufacturing delays due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Given the high level of competition among dealerships in the auto industry, it is important for car dealerships to market themselves and the vehicles on their lot well in order to draw in as many prospective car buyers as possible. However, coming up with creative and effective ways to market your car dealership can be difficult. If you run an auto dealership and are being hit hard by the increasing competition among dealers in the auto industry, keep reading to learn 5 current top tips for how to promote your car dealership in ways that yield notable results.
1. Offer Deals
Many successful car dealerships jump at any excuse they get to offer special deals and discounts on the vehicles on their lots. Offering deals on certain vehicle models incentivizes prospective car buyers to take a second look at your dealership rather than taking their business elsewhere.
Holiday weekends like Memorial Day weekend or Labor Day weekend are great times to offer special deals and discounts on vehicles on your dealership lot. Many auto dealerships offer deals in honor of holiday weekends, so doing the same with your own dealership can help you keep up with the competition in your area.
2. Host Events
Hosting events at your car dealership lot takes a lot of time, planning, and overall effort–but it can be an extremely effective way to promote your dealership and can pay off big time in the long run. By hosting lively events that feature music, family-friendly games, and crafts, food trucks, etc., you start to build brand loyalty.
Hosting events is one of the best ways to connect with the community where your dealership is located. Even if not everyone who attends your dealership’s events is currently in the market for their next vehicle, they will be more likely to take their
business to your dealership when it is time for them to buy their next car if they already associate your dealership with a positive experience of community togetherness.
If you have the budget for it, hiring an event planner can help you pull off a more successful event and reduce the amount of effort you have to put into planning and hosting an event at your dealership lot.
3. Hold Giveaways
Everyone loves a good giveaway that gives them the chance to win prizes. Holding giveaways can be a great way to draw in the attention of the community and get people excited about what your dealership has to offer.
Make sure that you design your dealership’s giveaways in a way that incentivizes prospective car buyers to engage with your dealership in some way. You can include giveaways at events that you host at your dealership, or you can allow potential customers to enter online giveaways by visiting your dealership website or have them visit your dealership in person to enter the giveaway.
4. Update Your Website
More and more car buyers are shopping for vehicles online. Most prospective car buyers expect dealership websites to be modern and current, so it is important to update your dealership website to meet these expectations.
Make sure that your dealership website is SEO-optimized to increase the chances that prospective car buyers in your area will come across your dealership website. Your dealership website should also be optimized for mobile device use because many online car shoppers scroll through vehicles on their smartphones or tablets.
Also, you should always feature updated inventory lists so that car shoppers can browse through your dealership’s inventory online and not be disappointed by what they find when they visit your dealership lot in person.
5. Use Social Media
Social media can be a very powerful marketing tool that you can use to promote your car dealership. A successful social media marketing campaign can increase awareness of your dealership and encourage prospective car buyers to make their next vehicle purchase from your dealership.
Make sure that your car dealership has accounts on all of the major social media platforms for businesses–including Facebook, Instagram, Yelp, Google Business, etc. Then, set up social media marketing campaigns for each of these platforms in order to optimize and make sure that your posts and stories reach their target audience of prospective car buyers in your community. If you are inexperienced with social media, consider investing in a social media manager to help you with your dealership’s social media accounts in order to ensure the success of your marketing campaigns on Instagram, Facebook, and more.