8 Essential Marketing Tips For Independent Auto Dealers
Independent auto dealers don’t always have it easy, and we understand that. It can be extremely difficult for used vehicle dealerships to compete with huge OEM franchise dealerships, which frequently have access to extra resources, money, and inventory.
However, we also firmly believe in helping independent auto dealers and the value they add to the sector. We’re here to help you shout it from the rooftops because we know how hard you work and how much good you provide for your communities.
Because of this, we wrote this post with our independent RV and automotive partners in mind. Check out these marketing suggestions to make your used vehicle shop stand out from the nearby OEM strip mall.
1. Make Use Of Your Website’s Power
Utilizing your dealership’s website is a crucial strategy for differentiating yourself from franchise shops. Independents have an advantage when it comes to inventiveness, whereas your rivals must maintain a digital presence in accordance with predefined guidelines established by the OEMs. Your website can look and operate in a way that communicates your brand. This includes your voice, your services and goods, your message, and your design.
Using SimpSocial as a partner is your secret weapon
Have you been searching for a digital partner who genuinely comprehends the advantages and difficulties of being an independent vehicle dealer? You will be able to outsell and outperform your rivals with the aid of our dealer websites, inventory solutions, and marketing plans.
2. Provide unique promotions and discounts
When it comes to internal deals and promotions, independent dealerships may prevail. Independent dealers have greater flexibility over their pricing strategies than OEM dealerships, which are busy offering their automobiles at MSRP with broad-based national incentives. To draw clients from your target market, think about offering discounts and promotions on a selection of vehicles, such as seasonal specials, holiday dealers, or referral programs.
3. Go to regional events
By participating in neighborhood activities like auto shows, fairs, festivals, and more, you may increase your visibility and promote your dealership. To raise brand exposure, you can also support local sporting events and teams. Since Rainbow Motor Sales in Coldwater, Michigan, is so involved in the community, it generates a lot of leads, sales, and positive energy for everyone associated with the dealership.
4. Make use of email marketing
Email marketing, ahh. Don’t even begin to discuss how underutilized this important tool is in the automotive sector! Independent car dealerships have a great chance to use email marketing to stay in touch with their customers for years or even decades after they make a purchase. They can do this by sending them timely service reminders, incentives, inventory updates, and educational content that keeps them in the sales process and keeps your dealership top-of-mind.
Learn More About Email Marketing’s Advantages For Auto Dealers
5. Deliver top-notch customer service
In general, independent dealers are freer to go above and above for their clients. What else can you do to differentiate yourself from the competition besides offering a welcoming, supportive, and polite car-buying experience?
Perhaps it’s your sub-prime financing program, your capacity to locate any used vehicle a customer requests, or the fact that your service manager will travel after hours to a remote location to assist a stranded client (just take a look at the testimonials Mike Davenport, aka The Chevy Dude, receives to get an idea of what we’re talking about).
Your clients will remember whatever makes your customer experience stand out from those of your rivals and be more likely to talk positively about your dealership as a result.
6. Work with other nearby companies
Work in a silo not is one of our favorite sayings at SimpSocial! You have a special chance to collaborate with local companies and groups that share your beliefs as an independent dealer. Too few dealerships use their ability to collaborate with other companies, yet it’s a marketing strategy that has the potential to be quite fruitful.
7. Spend money on SEO
Are we really still discussing SEO, you ask? We are, indeed! In actuality, it still has relevance today. One of the most effective ways to raise your website’s position in search engine results pages and make it simpler for potential customers to find your dealership online is to invest in search engine optimization (SEO) strategies.
We suggest performing routine website audits to identify and implement local SEO optimizations, producing consistent, original content (sorry, no robots allowed: search engines have already figured that trick out), and working to keep your Google Business (GMB) profile up to date as excellent places to start.
Send us a message for a free consultation if this sounds like too much work; we can assist!
For additional details on the advantages of SEO for automobile marketing, you can also read this article about how it can increase your car sales.
8. On social media, be genuine.
As an independent dealer, you have the freedom to display as much or as little personality as you’d like. In our experience, dealerships that err on the side of more personality tend to be the most successful. Sure, everyone loves a good attractive automobile picture.
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