Gone are the days when a car dealership’s shiny new vehicles would catch a passerby’s eye, prompting them to walk in, talk to a salesperson, test drive a car, and make a deal. Social Media is for automotive marketing and we explain how.

Before most buyers take a step into your dealership, they’ve explored the web for information about the car they want. They discovered your business, deals they might be able to get, and more. 

While many consumers conduct this research by querying search engines and poring over blog posts, those aren’t the only ways they learn about your dealership online. 

Also, prospective customers find out more about your dealership and its vehicles on social media. So, how is social media used for the marketing of cars?

Automotive Social Media Marketing

Digital Marketing for Auto repair shops and dealers starts with Social Media. And no, people are not actively looking for a service on Social Media. But people get inspired by the visual creativity that sparks the desire to get your assistance!

How Does Social Media Affect Car Sales?

So, how does social media affect your sales? To name a few,

• Increase Brand awareness
• Inspiration to change
• Enhance Market Authority
• The Go-To Dealer for Tips & Tricks

You can’t achieve these things with any other channel other than PPC campaigns. 

Posting, sharing, and engaging with your audience allows you to connect with your potential customer easily. You can help people find their dream car with the accessories they desire to help them fulfill their dream. 

Their dream is not a car but something they can do with the vehicle. For example, starting a family, going on a road trip, living an eco-friendly lifestyle in the city, or taking their partner on a romantic day trip. So if you can spark an idea with the inventory you have, you are halfway there. 

Digital and Social Media Marketing Trends In Automotive

You probably wonder, “What are the trends for 2022 for the automotive industry?” The answer to that is — Get personal.

I’ll explain. People love doing business with people and not brands. But people HATE being sold on something they don’t want and that means removing the pressure and the pain a customer usually has when going to the dealership to see a car. 

Instead, you’ll allow them to get to know you before they even step into your shop.

Now, this can be a blessing and a curse at the same time if you don’t know what you’re doing and treat your Social media as a broadcasting channel. DO NOT do that! 

Be social on social media and help your potential customer find a solution that works for them and fulfills their dream.

Car Content Ideas — Five Ideas For Your Automotive Social Media Account

To help you find recent trends on Social Media for your shop, here’s a list of five ideas you can repeatedly do with the new inventory you get. I also included a short description of what each of those trends does and how you can create similar trends without the video content.

• Car Features and Benefits ( by Theimportmasters )
• Vehicle Accessories ( by Bmwdurham )
• Dealer Announcements ( by Luxurycollectionwc )
• Model Promotion ( by waltersmercedesbenz )
• Join Trending Sounds to get exposure ( example by mini_maxindo )

Automotive Digital Marketing

At first, it is very time-consuming to find creative ways to connect with your target audience. Algorithm changes, and people’s behavior tend to head towards social connection.

Furthermore, people use the internet to educate themselves, seek inspiration, or want to find a solution they are trying to solve. If you find a way to do all three things with your Digital Marketing strategy, you have won their trust to do business with you.

In addition, if your product was a success, you’ll reinforce your first impression and increase your chance of getting a referral from them.

Conclusion:

Promoting Inventory via Facebook

8 out of 10 Dealerships and auto shops have a Facebook page. Only a handful are using the Facebook page effectively. There are over three billion monthly active users on the platform.

Facebook is a text, picture, and video-sharing platform. That allows you to post longer-form content with images and videos that give room for creativity.

Share your services and your inventory. Tell a story behind your vehicles and paint a picture of what the car can be for the next owner—combined with the extraordinary ability to target your audience with Facebook ads.

You’ll own your market in no time.

Promoting Inventory via Instagram

In comparison, only 3 out of 10 dealers have an Instagram account. However, 50% of IG users agreed to be more likely to buy from a business with an Instagram Account.

A study shows that time is the most common reason for not having an Instagram account. That opens up an opportunity to get you ahead of your competition.

In our recent article, “How do dealerships attract more customers?” with 7 tips and examples on creating content fast and efficiently.

Being active on both platforms will allow you to be your local celebrity business. You are the dealership that cares about the people in your area. That increases your brand authority and, ultimately, your sales down the road.

Ready to get started?

V Eight Marketing has been recognized as one of Top California Digital Marketing Agencies by DesignRush.

We is a leading full-stack automotive digital marketing agency. We’re helping automotive businesses focus on closing the deals and make sure their online presence brings in new customers. Our end-to-end solutions help you to save time, increase the revenue, and allows you to have full transparency on what we do.

Book Your Free Strategy Session and find opportunities to increase your revenue today!