Your Automotive Marketing Specialists

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Your Automotive Marketing Specialists

  • Call us toll free! 877-958-4524
Digital to Dealer Direct

Category Archives: CTA

Keeping Colors Consistent: Online vs. Printing

3 min read

Let’s face it, we have all been there. You see something online and want to print it out all just to get a shock as it looks nothing like what you have on your computer. This can become a frustration between dealerships and their automotive digital marketing agency if not corrected. However, it’s a very simple solution to ensure that all of the work from the agency looks great through both print and web!

Creating a File

It all begins with the creation of the file, if the file is not started correctly for the right application it can cause problems in the future. Why not start from the beginning to make sure everything is in line? Yes, things can be changed later but most often it gets forgotten until it gets printed and you see a jarring difference. If the settings are changed, this can result in colors being too dull or to dark which may make things harder to differentiate or text to be legible.

When the design department creates a file, they need to determine if it’s for print or web. Once that is determined the color settings should reflect this destination of the design. Print has to be in CMYK while anything for online remains in RGB. These color profiles keep colors to remain true to the eye no matter the application you are viewing the design!

Color settings

What exactly is CMYK and RGB you ask? RGB refers simply to red, green, and blue which are primary colors. These colors are primarily used for anything digital, web-based, TV and scanners. Any of these applications uses a red, green and blue light to display colors. When all three colors are combined, they make the color white! Mind blown!

When dealing with printing applications in place of the RGB light on a screen, ink is used. Sounds like a “duh” moment I know. However, because the printer uses ink it is able to print a larger range of colors therefore needing a different color setting. Printing needs to use the color setting CMYK, or cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Similar to online, when the cyan, magenta and yellow ink combine it creates black!

However, not everything can always be universal in both print and web applications. On screens you can view bright almost neon colors, whereas you will never be able to produce those as vivid on a piece of paper. The CMYK process just doesn’t have inks within that range to produce such vivid colors because it lacks the light that a screen produces to enhance the brightness. Picking colors is the easy task when creating a design, the technological side is where all the magic happens and is a critical component of the design process.

Final Product

You can have everything situated in the file with colors settings to match the application, however sometimes it comes down to what printer and paper you as using. If color settings are correct and sent out to a commercial printer versus a home printer the colors may look better through the commercial printing process because the machines are equipped to do large scale printing. They also have technicians who regularly take care of the machines, make sure there are no clogs to produce the cleanest quality of prints.

Another thing to consider about printing is the type of paper that is used can make a difference on how the colors appear. Matte finished based papers or banners will show “duller” as there is no sheen on top to make it reflect light. Without the reflective qualities, colors can blend together, therefore more small details in a dark image or a super bright-white image can get blown out or lost within the background. Whereas a poster board that is that has a photo gloss finish will create vivid appearance because it can hold a wider range of colors without the colors muddling together.

Keeping colors consistent doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. Think about your application, set up the files for success, and think of the end product. Clearly web-based designs have more of an easy route as it’s what you see on your screen is what you get. While with printing it’s all the sight unseen of color profiles, printers, and paper quality that makes the difference! If you’re noticing there seems to be something lost in the translation of printing materials for your dealership, it’s best to talk to you automotive marketing company.

D2D has managed everything from websites, digital marketing, and conventional media. If you need assistance making sure your designs stand out against the crowd, contact us today. Our in-house design team are automotive specialists ready to help your dealership! 

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How to Take Your Social Media to the Next Level in 2021

4 min read

As we all know, consumers are on their phones now more than ever and spend a considerable amount of time on social media. According to DigitalMarketing.Org, on average, we spend approximately 2 and a half hours per day on social media. That means you have an ample amount of time to grab someone’s attention from your posts. Before we dive into the details of what content you should be posting, let’s discuss how to improve your page’s visibility to a consumer and tools to achieve more interaction with your followers.

1. Is Your Instagram Page SEO Friendly?

Instagram announced in late 2020 that it would become more “search friendly”. This means you don’t necessarily need to use hashtags to get more engagement on your posts. (That also doesn’t mean you should completely ditch hashtags since it is still a great way for potential customers to find you.) If someone on Instagram searches a term, relevant pages and posts populate. With that being said, make sure your Instagram bio includes relevant keywords to your brand. For example, including: Auto Dealership in Anywhere Town and your dealership’s brand(s) is a good start.

Another thing to consider improving are your captions. Are you being descriptive enough? It is important to include relevant keywords a consumer may be searching for. Instagram’s algorithm is based on the content you are posting and how relevant it is to the consumer. The more descriptive keywords that you include in your captions, the better chance you have of appearing on Instagram’s “Explore” page for consumers who have already been searching related keywords.

2. Take Advantage of Posting on Your Facebook & Instagram Stories

Since Instagram & Facebook’s algorithms are more complex than they used to be, posting on your story is a great way to ensure your followers will see your content. An organic post can get lost in sea of the feed and sometimes won’t be seen by some followers until 2-3 days after it was posted. Your followers are more likely to see your stories over your organic posts and will keep your followers engaged.

According to Sprout Social, Facebook produces a greater ROI than any other social media platform. Facebook also revealed that their stories are one of their most popular features. It is a no-brainer to take advantage of the stories feature. Facebook and Instagram stories are so valuable because of the location on the apps. They are shown at the very top of the app/web page. Aside from the prime location of the stories, they are a fun way to interact with your followers, such as using polls and a question box.

3. Top Content Ideas for 2021

Now that we accomplished how to make sure your page is getting visibility, let’s talk about how to keep your followers engaged, or possibly attract new customers and followers. We have compiled a list of the top content ideas for 2021!

  • Giveaways: because who doesn’t like winning something free? Giveaways are a great and easy way to get your followers to interact with your posts. You can require they share or tag friends to win a cash card, free oil change, or all-weather mats, for example. This also is a way to get a customer back into your dealership if they win.
  • Employee features: dedicating posts to an employee every so often with a short bio will give a more personable feel to your page and shows what friendly faces are working at your dealership.
  • Dealership events & news: did your dealership recently just donate to charity, hold an event at the dealership, or anything along those lines? Sharing dealership news also makes your page more personable and shows that your dealership is a friendly environment.
  • Happy customer photos: make sure your sales team is taking photos of the customers when they’re about to take home their new ride! The customer is likely to see the post and share it to their personal page, which is free advertising for your dealership to their family and friends.

As we always recommend, your social media posts should be following the 80/20 rule, which means 80% of your posts should be non-sales related posts (such as the content ideas listed above), and the other 20% are sales focused posts. On social media, you can take out the formality aspect in what you are posting. These posts are supposed to be fun and engaging, after all! Using humor and emojis are more likely to catch someone’s attention. You also have the ability to go back and see how many people interacted with your posts on Instagram and Facebook. This way, you will have a better picture of what your followers like to see vs. what they don’t care for as much. If you’re unsure of where to start, or don’t have the time to tackle the project (because we know how busy you are), talk to your automotive digital marketing agency. They should be able to provide the service for you or supplement what you’re doing. We have a great partnership with our social media clients to supplement on site posts and even come to the dealership to take photos and videos!

It’s no secret here that we are all on our phones, and social media, now more than ever. It is an easy way to engage your current and potential customers. If your social media pages could use some TLC, contact us today by sending us an email at info@digital2dealer.com.

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Working From Home

3 min read

We’ve written many blogs here about the impact COVID-19 has had on the automotive business including advertising and inventory. However, there’s one big change that many dealerships were not prepared for and that’s working from home. When the initial shutdown happened almost a year ago (how is THAT possible?), many BDC reps and managers were sent to work from home (WFH) for the first time ever.

If your BDC team spent at least part of the past year working from home for the first time, you probably know what I’m talking about. Dealership sales has historically been a very hands-on, very tangible job. COVID-19 forced most of the workforce home and that meant dealership staff as well.

Here are some ways we have seen lasting effects of the new work from home mentality of car dealerships.

Longer hours – Just when you thought it wasn’t possible, your workday has gotten even longer. This is true of so many working from home right now. You sign on earlier, you don’t take lunch because there’s really nowhere to go, and you stay on later. The same is true for those in dealerships. You’re working deals non-stop because there is no “punching in” or “punching out.” It’s just a non-stop workflow!

Longer weeks – Typically dealership staff has off on Sundays and one day during the week, but the never ending WFH job has many dealership staff working on their days off as well. The interesting thing is that a lot of people don’t seem to mind the extra work because at least they can “be home” within seconds of finishing.

It’s not so bad – While a lot of dealerships and employers in general have struggled with letting employees WFH the past, a lot of managers saw that the work can actually be done from home. As long as you have good employees who are dedicated to the company and their positions, there is minimal disruption, if any, to the work that needs to be done.

WFH could stick around – As we mentioned, and you might have experienced, this has forced some management to permit WFH for sales and other management personnel. Another thing we are seeing is that as dealerships see what can be accomplished from home, many are becoming more open to it when staff need to be home for a family event/emergency or issue.

While so many have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 and all that it has brought to us whether it be our health, our distance, or economically, there have been positive outcomes as well. The ability to work from home has given many people more time at home with loved ones (even when they don’t want it!), less time in stressful traffic, and more schedule flexibility to tend to home life. Employees are working more hours and proving that it all can be done.

At D2D, we started our WFH schedules back in March, and we have now been cranking at home for almost a year! While we miss our clients so much, it’s been pretty common that automotive advertising agencies perform virtual meetings and reviews, so it’s been a smooth transition.

If this is something your dealership has experienced, let us know! Don’t forget to show your appreciation for those employees putting in extra hours and extra days for your company. This is when we come together most and many employees have shown their dedication, and now is the time to also make sure they know how much you appreciate it. Try giving an extra PTO day to employees, sending out a little bonus if possible, or sending a gift as a token of your appreciation.

We are here to help virtually! If you need to ramp up your digital advertising efforts, contact us today. We are on top of the industry every step of the way throughout this process, and we know what you’re going through!

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How To Choose Content For Your Auto Dealership

3 min read

Do you struggle with coming up with relevant content to create or share with your customers that isn’t all about sales? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there! Content marketing is an effective way for your dealership to create and share content across platforms, engage with existing customers, and encourage potential customers to connect with your without bombarding them with constant sales messages. Even for the most creative minds, developing content can be difficult, so we’ve put together some ideas to help your dealership get started!

Feature Emails

Does your manufacturer have a new vehicle releasing? Do you have an overstock of a particular vehicle? Feature emails are a great way to do just that, feature a particular vehicle, and everything that comes with it! Not only is this a great way to call attention to the vehicle itself but you’re providing them with some insider knowledge while still putting your dealership out there for customers to see. These emails still include links back to your website along with inventory CTAs, which is beneficial if the customer is in the market for a new or used vehicle.  

Setting Yourself Apart

While manufactures usually dictate what your dealership can offer, developing ways to set yourself apart from other dealerships can be an efficient way to develop content. Can you put together a unique offer for new or used vehicles? Are there any special service offers you can provide for the season? Once you develop your offer you can use this content across multiple advertising platforms and drive traffic to your website and social media platforms.

Community Involvement

What better content for a dealership, and your social media, than giving back to the community. Chances are your dealership is already involved in the community one way or another. Do an event or fundraising recap to let the community know what your dealership has done, if it was something they missed, it may help get their attention for the next time your dealership has something going on. It’s also a great way to engage those who attended or were a part of the event making them feel involved and connected to your dealership. The next time someone is thinking of purchasing a vehicle they will probably have your dealership at the top of their mind.

Connect with Your Local Audience

Understanding your audience and connecting with them is a big part of content marketing. Providing solutions and addressing possible apprehensions when it comes to car buying will help build trust in your potential customer. Analyzing and developing topics that will address these apprehensions could be great content for your social media pages or website. Topics can include;

    • Tips on vehicle maintenance
    • Customer/vehicle photos
    • Feature vehicle tour videos
    • Employee spotlight posts
    • Customer testimonials
    • Car trivia
    • Facility tours
    • Car buying tips

 

Content Marketing and SEO

The more content your dealership posts the better chance of your website appearing high in the search engine rankings, and the higher the rankings, the better the likelihood that people will contact your dealership over another. Content should always be high-quality and relevant – not nonsense just to include keywords.

These tips should get you well on your way to some quality content for your website, social media, customer newsletters, etc. However, we know that finding the time can be a completely different obstacle for some dealerships. By working with and experienced automotive digital marketing agency, like Digital to Dealer Direct, you’ll be able to get some of this content created and optimize every aspect of your website and other content avenues to stay ahead of the game! If you’re looking for more help, contact us today!

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Automotive Advertising Creative

4 min read

A few seconds – that’s all it takes to catch someone’s attention and keep it. Does your automotive advertising make those few seconds count? When designing automotive advertising you have to think about fonts, colors, and photography to create emotion and interaction with your target audience while creating overall cohesion. Each part plays an integral role into making an overall picture that is worth remembering. As a trusted automotive marketing agency, we have some simple design tips for your dealership.

 Fonts and Colors

Fonts and colors go hand in hand to make the overall message legible. Slapping on some bold and bright colors and large text isn’t always the way to go, unless the design warrants it. Fonts that are used may need to follow manufacturer guidelines, therefore they are required to be worked into the design to follow the “look” that the manufacturers follow. However, if there are no limitations on fonts, you have to stop and think what manufacturer and theme you are designing for.

Alongside font choices, colors are the next major decision. Once again, if the manufacturer has rules that apply to what text has to be certain colors, such as the manufacturers name itself, you have to follow it. The rest of the colors should match the theme of the advertisement, so the ideas follow through the whole design. Simple ideas for colors it to grab color swatches from the photography, car colors and backgrounds to keep it an overall tone. If you want something to pop out against the other colors, use the same palette but make it more saturated or brighter.

Keep in mind the size of your design and where it is going to be seen. Your automotive digital marketing agency should consider each tactic when laying out creative. When the designs are small you want to have colors that can stand out and be legible. If you can see the text clearly when the design is small, like a retargeting banner, the text will also be legible when it is blown up, like a showroom poster. Try and choose fonts that are sans serif as they are the cleanest to read. Serif fonts are okay to use as well, but keep them to a limited use, like a headline followed by sans serif fonts. This creates a break and an easier reading experience when a viewer is reading the information.

Photography

Aside from fonts and colors, another visual decision is what imagery is going to be within the design. Car cutouts, jellybeans, are supplied by the manufacturer to be used within automotive advertising. These are a great way to show different models and trim options with the available incentives and offers. Since jellybeans is just an image of the vehicle itself with a transparent background, they are easy to manipulate within a space as they can be moved wherever in the design space.

Another imagery option is to have “background” images. These images are also provided by the manufacturer and it’s a photograph of a vehicle(s) within a scene as you would see like any other photograph. These are great to show motion, inside and outside a vehicle. However, using background photos creates some challenges. Depending on the text you need to add alongside the photograph and the space around the vehicle in the photograph may create limitations within the dimensions of the design. Therefore, using that image in various sizes and shapes of digital and print advertisements may run into difficulties. 

Emotion

When photography is combined with fonts and colors is should spark emotions within a person. Is it excitement, urgency, holiday spirit, or refined? Bright colors and fun fonts create visual excitement often used within holiday themes. Whereas if you take bold bright red and yellow with high contrast visuals create an idea of urgency, however, if overdone it can look cartoon-like and childish. On the other side of the spectrum if the design is kept to black, white, grey and touches of muted colors this creates the overall feeling of a refined and clean look. Color can still be used within a refined look to draw attention and make certain text pop out against the rest, however by having the colors more muted they don’t look so jarring.

Space

Photography and text need to respect one another and create a visual breather. If you plaster a ton of text over an image, clearly, a customer can’t see what the image is and vice versa they can’t read what the text says. When space is used around text it is referred to as “white space” and often gives the overall design breathing room. This ensures that the text can be clearly read, and the overall space in the design is not overly crowded. White space is not only applied to text but can also be applied to photography. When you have a large focal image or jellybean your eye gets drawn to the image and then follows into the text. When applicable always try and face the vehicle in a photograph or jellybean towards the text – this naturally leads the viewers eyes towards the text that supplies the information.

Each manufacturer has a certain “look” they carry, and when that look carries over into your advertising it creates a connection and a familiarity to the customer. Taking certain steps within your design to focus on text placement, colors and imagery will help balance an overall eye pleasing design. If done right, your advertisement will catch the customers attention, show a visual to back up what is being advertised, and then be legible to read the information – all in a couple of seconds.

D2D has managed everything from websites, digital marketing, video production and placement. If you need assistance making sure your advertisements are eye-catching and stand out to customers, contact us today. Our in-house design team are automotive specialists ready to help your dealership!  

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New Vehicle Launches

3 min read

People love the latest and greatest in every aspect in their lives, so why not bring that concept into your dealership? Use a new vehicle launch or a re-designed vehicle to your benefit! A new vehicle concept or launch is a perfect time to draw attention to your dealership and breaks up a dealership’s typical content. Sending out emails, talking about it on social media, showing pictures will generate excitement and anticipation. New vehicles also draw in new customers from different generations and keep your customers up to date on the vehicle while also increasing awareness of your brand and your inventory.

Build Anticipation

Building anticipation is the foundation to gaining sales once the vehicle is released. Giving people sneak peaks, information and pictures all work together to build eagerness to see what else the new vehicle has to offer. Photography will draw the customer in initially with a stunning visual, however by adding text with the image it will give them details behind the vehicle and all that it has to offer. Be sure to add as much information and visuals to your website as possible, but make sure it’s organized and easy to navigate.

Sending out emails to customers will raise awareness that there is new vehicle launch on the horizon. Emails are a prime spot to showcase photos of the exterior and interior of the vehicle so buyers can get a sense of the entire vehicle. This is especially important if the vehicle is an all-new redesign due to the fact that people want to see what changes were made in the design from the previous model. Emails are also a perfect opportunity to highlight key features and bring people to your website to see more about the vehicle.

Along with emails your dealership should utilize social media to showcase photos, videos and information of the vehicle. When a viewer sees an eye-catching photo or video in your dealerships feed, they will be drawn in to see if you have posted any more about the new vehicle. Videos are a great way to generate engagement on social media. With Covid-19 many people are online on social media frequently throughout the day, use this to your advantage to get the word out!

Work with your automotive digital marketing agency to figure out the best way to incorporate the launch into your other digital marketing strategies. Adding copy to your paid search campaigns, adding the model to any display you are running are all simple and effective ways to generate more awareness digitally.

Pre-Order

Once customers are drawn in from your emails or social media, they will be able to see everything about the vehicle along with stock photos. If pre-ordering is an available option, customers will be able to feel the rush that they are going to get their hands on the latest and greatest once the vehicle is officially released. This creates a sense of urgency and the clock is winding down until the release! Pre-ordering also is a great tool and will be an opportunity for your dealership know an estimated inventory for future buyers.

Launch Party

A completely new vehicle or a drastic redesign might warrant a launch party. These parties are a great way to draw attention to your dealership, generate awareness of the new model, and also build your CRM list. You’ll want to make sure you work with your automotive marketing agency to get the word out, draw traffic to your website for the event, and put together a well organized party. During the event, it’s a great idea to do giveaways, test drives, and collect the information of those in attendance to build your CRM.

New Customers

New vehicle launches and vehicle re-designs are also a perfect opportunity to gain new customers. If a vehicle is returning to the market, it can target older generations who can recognize the vehicle and get a sense of nostalgia. However, younger clients may not know this vehicle ever existed therefore they see it as a brand-new vehicle! This brings an opportunity to broaden your customer range which can lead to more sales.

New vehicle launches break the trends and routine of the typical vehicles that come from the manufacturer – use it to your advantage. If there’s an opportunity to draw in more business from a launch, why not utilize it? Don’t let opportunities pass you by! Create excitement, entice new customers, and educate people what’s great about the new vehicle to help bring in new opportunities. D2D has managed everything from websites, digital marketing, and new vehicle launch parties. If you need assistance making sure your new vehicle makes a splash, contact us today.

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Online Car Buying

3 min read

Online car buying was on the top of everyone’s mind when the COVID lockdowns began.  When news came that face to face transactions were no longer possible factories sprang into action mandating that dealers have their online buying capabilities up and functional to keep business moving during the pandemic. As lockdowns are lifting in many areas now and people are eager to get out of their homes, many dealers have understandably pivoted back towards in person sales.  But with winter quickly approaching, it’s vitally important for dealers to be on top of their online sales capabilities to make sure they can close the year out strong no matter what the winter brings.

 

Software

The first step in making sure you’re prepared is making sure your software is up to par and integrated properly. As the old saying goes, necessity is definitely the mother of invention. In recent months many online retailing providers have made serious advancements and refined their approach and software to accommodate market changes in real time. Many have developed improved customer retention features that guide car buyers through the process or have refined their financial integrations and smoothed out the loan process. 

When was the last time you looked at other online retailing providers? Are you sure your provider is the best fit for your dealership? Now is the perfect time to audit your software provider to make sure your future needs are being met and that you’re taking advantage of all of the features available to you.

Website

Once you’ve determined which software is the right fit for you and your customers, it’s time to make sure it’s integrated seamlessly into your website.  Your goal is to make sure that your customers are consistently guided through the online purchase process without leading to dead ends or drop off points.

Start by going through the process yourself as if you were a customer and note any points of confusion on your end.  As the dealer, you’re likely the person who visits your website the most frequently out of anyone. If you get confused halfway through or have difficulty discerning how to buy a particular car, then the odds are high that your customers will feel the same.  If you have no issues getting through the process, ask friends and family who are not in the automotive business to take a quick walk through and see if they have any suggestions.  Outside opinions can be very helpful in getting in the mind-set of a customer.

After your process is ironed out, the biggest hurdle to online car buying success is getting customers to successfully start the process. In order to do that consistently, your website should exhibit prominent calls to action for your online buying feature on your VDP pages, at the top of your SRP pages, and clear, concise information on the buying process throughout the site.  Dealer websites are littered with all sorts of calls to action, most in similar fonts and button layouts. This can cause them to blend together in the customer’s eye.  Having a different look and feeling call to action for your online buying process is a great way to break that mold and attract people to start the process.

Advertising

The final step to having a successful online buying operation is to let people know that it exists through advertising. Sit down with your automotive digital marketing agency and determine what steps you need to take if you haven’t already. If you’re not telling people that they can buy a car online, you’re relying solely on them finding that out on their own.  At the very least, you should be shoehorning online buying messaging into your existing advertising channels.  Some ideas include sitelink extensions on your Google Ads linking to your process overview page, and display ads touting online buying or free home delivery are great places to start that won’t cost you any more than you are currently spending. 

If you want to go above and beyond, some dealers we work with have designed entire campaigns around their online buying capabilities. Some guarantee a short overall process time. Others have gone after online retailers like Carvana and CarMax with specific ad campaigns and targeting customers with campaigns like search retargeting. With the right creative vision and budget you can position yourself as the premier online retailer in your area.

 

According to Mike Jackson, CEO of AutoNation, there is no turning back from where this pandemic has brought the car business in terms of digital. As we head into the first winter season in the COVID era, making sure your online buying process is running smoothly is vital to making sure your dealership is prepared for whatever lies ahead. Whether it’s renewed lockdowns, or people naturally migrating inside as the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, with the proper tools in place you can keep your sales up with a cohesive online retailing program.  If you have any questions or need some help getting your plan together, reach out and our digital experts will be glad to help you.

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Tips for Getting Inventory in a COVID-19 World

3 min read

When the world shut down almost six months ago, so much of the way we live was impacted. These changes trickle down to the very cars on your lot… or, I should say NOT on your lot. As manufacturers across the world shut down, inventory development came to a screeching halt. Now, as we approach the busiest time of the year for car sales we wonder if the inventory will arrive in time and, if so, when. As you know, a successful marketing plan cannot survive without the inventory to sell. So, here are a few tips for getting inventory in COVID-19 world.

Share with your Sister Stores

Most dealerships with multiple points already do this. So, this should be an easy one. However, if you have multiple rooftops, and you aren’t doing this, it’s time to start! Preowned inventory is hot right now for many reasons. If you don’t share a used car inventory feed on all of your websites, go ahead and do this. We don’t always recommend this as it can depend on your website set up and also how far away your locations are. When sharing inventory across different stores, make sure your marketing team is keeping a close eye on how it populates on the websites. You don’t want it to be confusing or misleading, and you have make sure there is an easy to navigate filter for narrowing down users choices by make and model. You’ll also want to do your best to have a vehicle ready at the dealership the customers plans to visit. Make sure they know where the vehicle is located or bring it to the store closest to them if your points are spread out. It might seem like a lot of work, but it will go a long way with a car buyer!

Expand your Horizons

It sounds cliché, but those exist for a reason! Now is the time to expand your inventory horizons. If you typically only attend a certain auction to buy vehicles, now might be the time to check out different auctions whether online or in person. Maybe there’s one a little further away that you don’t typically have the time to get to. That time could very well be useful now. The right cars are driving off the lots very quickly, so a long day at an auction could mean 5 or more additional sales within the next two weeks. Your automotive digital marketing agency might have some data insight into what cars are selling in your market to help you make your purchasing decisions.

Give Customers a Reason to Sell

One way to boost preowned inventory is to incentivize customers to sell their vehicle to your dealership. Try offering extra money for the trade, a gift card for every vehicle traded in, a donation to a charity for every vehicle traded in, or complimentary service on any car purchased with a trade-in. These are all little ways you can try to entice people to trade-in their vehicles. Make sure your sales team and used car managers are ready to handle the possible influx of trade-ins and do their best to get the vehicle when the person comes in. You will also want to make sure you are getting the word out there! Be sure to add this to any email correspondences, social media campaigns and posts, and put your offer on multiple spots on your website.

Swap, Swap, Swap!

This is probably going to be most difficult one since most dealerships are in the same boat with inventory, but if you can, try to swap for that vehicle you need. You never know what other dealerships might be looking for, and sometimes customers want something specific that another dealer can’t move. Chances are slim here, but it’s certainly worth a shot if you get that vehicle!

Digital to Dealer Direct has been working tirelessly to help our dealerships navigate this ever changing COVID environment. For more information on our services, or for assistance marketing your trade-in offers, contact us today!

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How to Help Boost & Promote Your Dealership Organically

3 min read

While we know paid marketing efforts increase sales, such as Search Engine Marketing, Facebook Lead Ads and Conquest Email Blasts (just to name a few), the organic side of marketing is often neglected – and usually more affordable! “Organic” is a term that describes the process of getting people to visit your website gradually, over time – rather than using paid marketing strategies, such as the ones listed above. We compiled some of the top performing examples of organic marketing tactics that your dealership can take advantage of.

 

1. Invest in Your Website with SEO

Most dealerships spend on average anywhere between $600 and $1,000 per month just for their website. That isn’t including any extra bells or whistles. If you notice in the higher priced packages your website company offers, it usually will include something along the lines of “Advanced SEO”. SEO is a great way to increase the quality of traffic to your website. This is done by adding relevant content to your website that customers would typically be searching for on a search engine. Certain keywords are highly ranked organically.

In order to achieve more traffic to your site, we recommend having landing pages set up for the popular models that are available at your dealership. You can take it another step further by having similar pages built out for the lease/purchase specials you’re offering. This way, the lease or purchase offer information is all on the same page as the specs of the vehicle. Having the vehicle’s full information broken out by trim level will make the car buying experience for your customer even easier. This also gives the customer a specific place to fill out a form fill, if interested.

The more visits to these pages from a search engine, the higher it will be ranked in the search results. Thus, will continue to drive your website traffic up.

 

2. Social Media Postings

The best part about social media is that it can be free. And not to mention, it is one of the most popularly used marketing tools out there. People of all ages are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter…you name it. And people are sometimes on social media for hours each day, which why it is imperative to take advantage of these apps. It is one of the easiest ways to help boost your dealership and drive traffic to your website.

We recommend posting 4-5 times per week. While the amount of times you post is important, the content is what is going to engage previous and potential customers. Even if someone may not be in the market for a new car, they still need to stay up to date on recommended maintenance or be interested in other car related topics. When posting on social media, we try to follow the 80/20 rule. This means 80% of your postings should be informative, entertaining posts and the remaining 20% can be ones that directly promote your business, like lease or service offers you’re currently advertising.

After a few weeks of posting consistently, you can get a feel of what your followers like to see and maybe don’t want to see and re-evaluate your content from there.

 

3. Promote Your Review Websites

 Online reviews are the digital version of “word of mouth. Just like with word of mouth, your dealership’s reviews can be the deciding factor on if someone visits your dealership. A lot of dealerships underestimate the impact reviews have. Like previously discussed in our blog, Reputation Management, potential shoppers are looking at the experience other consumers had at your dealership. Let’s say someone is searching your dealership on Google – your business page will show right next to that search. If your Google reviews are poor, so is your Google review rating. This goes for any review site a potential customer can stumble upon.

You can promote your review sites within your own website, on your database email creative, or you can even hand out “Let’s Get Social” cards in your showroom. You can even have your sales reps ask the customers they directly worked with to leave them a review. If you promote your review sites to happy customers, this will help your reputation rating go up. If you do unfortunately have some negative reviews, we recommend responding to them as soon as possible – so if they are seen, the customer is also seeing you care enough to respond to the situation.

Whether your dealership takes the SEO approach to help drive traffic to your site or decides to go the route of a branding campaign like social media postings and reputation management, they both will help keep customers engaged and all around will create more interactions. If you are interested in learning more about what SEO package is right for your dealership, Organic Social Media Postings or Reputation Management, please call us at 877-958-4524 or contact us today.

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Coming Back from COVID-19

4 min read

COVID-19 has changed the way the world works on a fundamental level more than any other event in our lifetimes. It changed the way we shop, the way we socialize, the way we view our jobs, our friends, our loved ones and more. As business resumes from the pandemic that changed the world, is your dealership ready to execute your comeback? Here are three main areas to focus on to ensure that you’re ready to succeed in a post lock down world.

 

1. Pay Close Attention to Your Inventory

Dealers across the country are experiencing inventory shortages as pent up market demand collides with months-long factory closures or limited output operations. Strategic inventory management is more key than ever right now, and that means thinking about your inventory in ways you rarely, if ever, had to consider.

First and foremost, it’s more crucial than ever to coordinate your advertising with your automotive digital marketing agency to make sure you’re spending your ad dollars on vehicles that you have to sell. If you sell out of a particular model (and don’t see any coming down the pipeline any time soon), your first move should be reaching out to your advertising coordinators to reallocate any funds being spent on that model to other vehicles. The more open your lines of communication are, the better you’ll be able to adapt to this rapidly evolving situation, and the more return you’ll get on your advertising investment.

While you wait for your new vehicle shipments to ramp back up, it might be time to consider bulking up your inventory of certified or later model year used vehicles. As new vehicle inventories get slimmer, customers are going to look at used vehicles to fill in the gaps. We’re already seeing this trend start in the digital sphere. A properly stocked used inventory will keep your sales operations going through the shortages and keep your customer base loyal for when production recovers in the future.

If you do decide to expand your used inventory, it’s time to consider advertising avenues beyond what you were doing before to promote your used vehicles. This could mean beefing up your used vehicle programs you have in place, coming up with more used vehicle specials to advertise, trying something new like dynamic retargeting or dabbling in the hyper competitive used car SEM sphere. Talk to your automotive digital marketing agency about strategies to implement for used car promotion, and establish your dealership as the used vehicle destination in your area.

 

2. Bring Back your BDC Department ASAP

As dealers re-open, deciding which staff to bring back first is a major challenge. Do you fill out your sales staff first to handle the influx of lot wanderers anxious to get out of the house? Bring back your full management team to oversee the reopening? While those are all important, we highly suggest you start with your BDC department.

One thing that COVID-19 hasn’t changed: your BDC is still the cornerstone of your entire operation. They’re often your customer’s first contact with your dealership, and responsible for getting them in the door. They’re the air traffic controllers, guiding all of the planes in the sky in for a landing and your salesmen are the pilots who physically land the plane. Even though your pilots have the skillset necessary to complete the sale and bring the plane in for a landing, if nobody is directing them there’s bound to be a crash.

We’re noticing a serious uptick in traffic, leads and general interaction at our clients’ dealerships as economies reopen. In order to take advantage of this and reclaim your market share, your BDC department has to be in at full force and on their game to start the process to convert these leads into sales.

 

3. Put Customer and Employee Safety First

Your first priority as a dealer in a post-pandemic world should be your customers’ and your employees’ safety. Customers will ultimately shop where and when they feel it’s safe to shop. If you want their business, it’s your responsibility as a business owner to cultivate that safe atmosphere for them.

In a recent Quinnipiac poll, 49% of Americans believe it’s unsafe to go shopping for clothes, 62% say it’s unsafe to go to a restaurant, and 50% say it’s unsafe to go to the barbershop. While automotive dealerships weren’t directly asked about in the poll, it’s a good read on what the American populous is thinking about right now, and how they regard business interactions in the present moment.

As reopening happens, people may become more comfortable and more lax about COVID avoidance measures as citizens, but that doesn’t mean your business has a green light to do so. Abiding by CDC business guidelines, making sure employees are following masking and sanitization policies at all times, and respecting social distancing in the showroom and on the lot are all great first steps to making customers feel safe. You can take it a step further by continuing to offer at home test drives, service pickup and drop off, guiding customers through the online purchase process and minimizing direct contact in the pickup or drop off process.

Going the extra mile to make people feel safe and comfortable as society resumes is what will separate your dealership from the rest, keep your frontline employees healthy and safe, and help you carve out your market share in a post pandemic world.

These are just 3 of a multitude of points to consider as you navigate your way through this new era in car sales. Staying on top of these areas is an important first step in re-establishing your dealership as a sales, safety, and thought leader in your area. If you need any help restarting, you’ve gotten off the ground and aren’t sure of what to do next, or just want someone to bounce some ideas off of, please feel free to give us a call at 877-958-4524 or contact us and one of our experts will be glad to help you navigate these uncharted waters.

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