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Your Automotive Marketing Specialists

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

Tag Archives: digital marketing

4 Tips to Perfect Your Call to Action

4 min read

The term “CTA” is nothing new to the marketing world. In fact, it’s probably one of the oldest marketing terms out there. The whole point of marketing is to get consumers to purchase your product or use your service — a strong call to action (CTA) will help do just that. According to ConstantContent.com, more than 90% of visitors who read your headline will also read your CTA, so you better make it a good one.

What exactly is a call to action?

So, there’s no point of automotive digital marketing if you aren’t going to make any sales, right? Your advertising – whether it’s an ad in the local paper or a Google display banner — should have a clear and concise direction for your viewer to take now that they’ve laid eyes on your ad. The rise of digital media has made it so simple for the consumer to take an action just with the click of a button. So, you want that button to be seen!

Let’s dive right in and take a look at four tips to perfect your Call To Action:

1. Establish your End Game

The #1 pain point we hear when entering a new dealership is “we’re not getting enough leads.” The dealer’s answer to this usually is to sign on with as many third-party lead generators that walk through their dealership door. While this can certainly help generate leads, it’s going to cost you. As a true Automotive Digital Advertising partner, we like to have you take a step back, evaluate what you currently have in place, and make recommendations based on your current efforts. Most of the time, small tweaks can be made to help generate leads, which in-turn, will help generate sales. Take a peak at your website to start, do your SRPs (Search Results Page) and VDPs (Vehicle Description Page) have clear CTAs for the customer to learn more about a specific vehicle? Do they have the option right on those pages to calculate a payment? As important a CTA is in an ad or an email, your website is your biggest advertisement. Customers came there for a reason, so it’s your job to give them what they came for.

Once you have your end game goal set, put yourself in your customer’s shoes and go through each ad as if you were in search of a new vehicle or service shop. The easier you make it for the customer to reach their goal, the easier it will be for you.

2. Keep it short

It’s not groundbreaking news that people don’t want to read through a paragraph of text to find what they’re looking for, and the same thing goes for your CTA. You want to make it as simple as possible for your customer to convert so you want your CTA to be short and sweet. “View Inventory, Learn More, Shop Now, Get Quote, Join Us” are all great examples of CTAs that say exactly what you want your customers to know in just seconds. You’ve already spent the time and money getting your ad in front of them, so let’s be sure they have no reason to leave without taking a deeper dive into what you have to offer.

3. Catch your customer’s eye

There’s no point of a CTA unless your customer can see it, right? Your ad might have the catchiest headline and most beautiful creative, but if your CTA is isn’t in the forefront your customer might not even know it exists. That means no conversion, and, in turn, no lead.

As digital marketers, it’s our job to take the consumer’s eye throughout the ad, bringing them to that CTA. You want it to be bright, and eye-catching, without being offensive. Moving from traditional to (mostly) digital advertising has been great for the CTA. We now have the ability to make the CTA an actual button. Not only can we make it look like a button (which we used to do a lot anyways) but now you can actually click on that button. If a customer sees something they like, they no longer need to rustle through the ad looking for your contact info, all they’re looking for can be found right at their fingertips – literally!

4. Create urgency

FOMO – we all know it, we all experience it: the “Fear of Missing Out.” We use this A TON in marketing. Thinking about those emails you get that lead with subject lines like “HURRY IN” or “LAST CHANCE TO SAVE.” Phrases that create urgency can tip someone over the purchasing edge. Automotive marketing isn’t any different, and in many cases, a dealership actually means it when they say it. As an owner or manager, you’re challenged with hitting (usually sky high) sales goals and will do what needs to be done to hit those numbers. You might as well make it known to the public. All advertising should relay the same urgent message to try and strike a cord with that customer who’s still up in the air.

Strong CTAs should be a part of your overall automotive marketing strategy. Keeping these four tips in mind when building your marketing campaigns will make your end goal a bit more attainable and a little less daunting. CTAs aren’t earth-shattering news to the marketing world but they’re one of the core fundamentals that will be the difference between you and your competition. For tips on incorporating CTAs into traditional marketing, download our guide on Bridging the Gap Between Traditional and Digital Advertising.

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Search Retargeting vs Site Retargeting

3 min read

Retargeting has become a mainstay in digital advertising, and for many a blanket term to refer to all digital display advertising. The premise of retargeting is simple: take a prospect who has engaged in a qualifying activity, and “retarget” them with advertisements as they browse the internet. Most commonly, retargeting is associated with website visitors. In this scenario, a visitor comes to your site, browses around, and when they leave, they’re followed by your advertisements to bring them back. But what about the people shopping your competitors? That’s where Search Retargeting comes in.

Search Retargeting is a distinct and crucial medium for reaching the customers who haven’t made it to your website yet and may be shopping your competitors. According to a Salesforce study, as of 2018, 87% of shoppers now start their product search online when considering a new purchase. That’s nearly 9 out of 10 purchase interactions starting out with a simple search. Unlike Site Retargeting, Search Retargeting taps into that research phase and draws people in the various stages of the purchase funnel into your website without them ever having to visit it before.

Search Retargeting works based on a variety of targeting strategies in Google Ads. What started as keyword or topic-based targeting has expanded to fully automated AI audience building and targeting. In the most recent updates, Google has fleshed out their Custom Affinity and Custom Intent Audience segments to home in on what prospective buyers are in the market for and allow advertisers to target buyers sooner and more effectively.

Both Custom Intent and Custom Affinity audiences play a crucial role in a Search Retargeting strategy and are applicable for different types of campaigns.

Custom Intent audiences focus on people who are moving to make a purchase soon. These prospective customers are actively researching a major purchase and are getting ready to commit. An example of a customer falling into a Custom Intent audience would be someone searching “Chevy Tahoe Lease”, reading Chevy Tahoe vs Ford Expedition comparisons, watching YouTube test drives and reviews of Tahoes, or calculating the cost of ownership for a Tahoe. If you’re a Chevy dealer, serving them advertisements for your latest Tahoe special is a great way to steer them towards your dealership when the moment of purchase arrives. Conversely, if you’re a Ford dealer, showing them advertisements comparing the new Expedition to the Tahoe could help draw them towards a Ford as their next vehicle, and away from Chevy.

Custom Affinity audiences don’t necessarily point to immediate future purchases but tap into the audience’s likes and interests to capture a glimpse of their personality. This could include people participating in forums for a specific vehicle they already own, searching and reading information about different hobbies they have, sports teams they follow, researching life changing events such as weddings or children, and so on. This can be tapped into by dealers and advertisers of all industries to tailor their ad content to specific demographics. For example, if someone is restoring an old Chevelle, you’d want to create a Custom Affinity audience based on vintage Chevy forums and car restoration to serve them ads for original parts to complete their project. If someone is into hiking, nature, environmentally conscious and participates in outdoor activities, an ad for your Subaru dealership touting Subaru’s off-road capabilities and environmentally friendly PZEV vehicles.

In addition to pulling in fresh prospects based on their search history and interests, Search Retargeting can also be used as a low-cost supplement to an SEM campaign. This is especially true for SEM campaigns with high costs associate with them. In a modern automotive marketplace, especially one around a major metropolitan area, desirable keywords are getting more expensive by the day. While it can’t completely replace an SEM campaign, Search Retargeting is an economical way to reach the same people searching for those desirable keywords, often for less than $1 per click.

Though they often get lumped together under “Retargeting”, Search Retargeting and Site Retargeting are two distinct facets to any well-rounded display advertising strategy and automotive digital marketing campaign. When analyzing Google Analytics goals, we see a high volume of on-site conversions for these campaigns. So, if you think display is strictly branding, think again! If you’d like to learn more about Search Retargeting and how it can bolster your advertising portfolio, reach out to us and set up a free consultative meeting with our digital experts.

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Automotive Database Marketing

4 min read

It seems as though auto dealers, as I’m sure many other retail segment managers and owners, are always looking for a magic pill to make their dealership more successful over their competitors. Whether that means leads, sales, web traffic, etc., the thought of “more” is the key component when choosing a new vendor or product. What if I were to tell you, one of your biggest marketing tools is right under your nose and there’s a good probability you aren’t utilizing it effectively?

A Customer Relationship Management system, aka “CRM,” helps you keep track of each of your customers and their shopping cycle. As automotive marketers, we find that getting the right message to our dealership’s current customers is just as important, if not more so, than getting a message in front of a conquest customer. You already have their information and are familiar with their buying habits, so why not use this to your advantage? There are four key items we like to keep in mind when guiding a client on effectively targeting their database: entering data, segmentation, messaging, and nurturing the lead.

 

1.     Data Entry

OK, I know what you’re thinking, “this is a given, right?” Wrong! This is where we see the most flaws when reviewing a dealership’s database marketing process. How can you effectively target customers if the information entered is inaccurate? It’s important to instill your GM or GSM with the habit of holding salespeople accountable for this process. This helps the sales team distinguish where each prospect is in the buying process. This also supports your marketing efforts when sending a targeted message to them down the line (I’ll get to that later on!). While the BDC follows the lead as it comes in, both your salespeople and BDC need to keep the system updated with the lead’s advancement. Outdated data can result in multiple people touching base with a prospect or sending them marketing materials that doesn’t apply to your customer – both in-turn will end up pissing them off, which could deter them from ever making it in your door. You want the data entered in a timely manner and to be extremely detailed.

2.     Segmentation

Now that your customer data is entered in an organized manner, you can start the segmentation process. Think about the messages you want to relay to your database and then break out buckets of people you’d like to target. For customers who purchased a car from you but have never been in for service, send them an email with service incentives – complimentary oil changes are always a hot ticket item to get people through the door. You can take all customers who purchased three or four years ago and send them an email with your lease specials since they’re already in the market or will be in the market soon for another vehicle. You can keep the messages higher level to send to a large list or segment them into smaller, more targeted lists with a more targeted message.

3.     Message

That brings me to the meat and potatoes of database marketing…the message. What’s the point of going through all the trouble to input your data and segment it appropriately if what you have to say isn’t worth it? Your message should be relevant to your audience with appropriate calls to action so your recipients do just that…take action. If it’s a sales email, include a CTA on each vehicle offer that will bring them right into your inventory so they can see all vehicles associated with that special. If it’s a service email, include a CTA on each coupon that links directly to your service appointment page so your customer has no reason not to take advantage of the offer that peaked their interest. Keeping your message relevant and fresh are going to keep your customers intrigued and engaged with your communications. 

4. Nurturing the Life of the Lead

At D2D, we know there is no “setting and forgetting” on campaigns and especially when it comes to automotive database marketing. We pride ourselves on being a constant watchdog on all campaigns we run for our clients, and the same mentality should be used at the dealership level. The dealership’s sales, service and BDC staff should be aware of the marketing campaign schedule and all offers being advertised. When a customer is triggered to take action on something that grabbed their attention, it’s important the staff member is familiar with the special offer. Gaining trust with consumers is a huge factor of the buying process and a consistent message in your marketing, as well as at the dealership level, will help solidify this trust. Nurturing the lead after the initial contact is crucial in the buying cycle. Ideal response time to a lead is just minutes so the longer that lead doesn’t hear from your dealership, you’re at risk for your competitors to swoop in and capture their attention, and most likely their business.

Automotive digital marketing isn’t just about capturing conquest customers. While, of course, conquest customers are important, your bread and butter is your current customer database. Automotive database marketing will help make sure these are the people who keep coming back, keep referring friends and family, and feel comfortable buying from you. Before signing up with the next vendor promising XX sales for XX dollars, take a look at what you have right in front of you. Are you really maximizing the potential of this database? Use these four points as a guide when taking a deeper dive into your database marketing.

If you don’t have the bandwidth at your dealership to take this one the right way, or want professional creative done to make the best impression on those in your list, we can help. For more information on service specific CRM campaigns, pop over to our blog “Getting the Most Our of Your Service Department’s CRM.”

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How to Optimize SEM Campaigns

4 min read

An SEM campaign is an essential part of all modern dealership marketing plans and has become a staple in any marketing conversation. Dealerships jockey for top position on all the hot queries daily and spend considerable amounts of money for each click.  SEM can be an extremely fertile ground for leads, but it can also be an inefficient use of funds if not optimized properly. As SEM budgets climb and competition gets fiercer, how can you be sure your campaign is working for you? This blog will examine 5 key aspects to consider when optimizing SEM campaigns.

1.     Geography and Understanding Your Market

Every dealership knows their PMA and which areas they serve, but have you ever plotted on a map where you’re selling cars? It seems simple, but a map of your sales will give you great perspective into your dealership’s reach and effectiveness.  Try plotting your new, used and service sales on a map at least once per year. You may be surprised where your sales come from and where you’re falling short.

After you have this plotted, try overlaying different metrics from your SEM campaigns by zip code. You can overlay spend, cost per click, click thru rate, impression share and more.  By understanding which regions yield the most fruitful returns, you can fine tune your campaign targeting and promote greater budget efficiency.  This can mean showing more often to the right people in the areas where you have the most success or picking up the slack and conquesting in areas where you’re short of your goals.

2.     Up to Date Copy

Ad copy plays a crucial role in your overall SEM campaign on multiple fronts. First, relevant and well written ad copy is a major component of your Quality Score. Quality Score is how Google ranks ads and decides on their placement in the search results.  Well written ad copy will boost your quality score, and consequently you’ll pay less for the same clicks your competition is competing for.

Aside from the Quality Score aspect of it, well written ad copy creates a seamless experience for prospective buyers when they click your ads.   The closer your ad copy lines up with your landing page content the more likely a conversion is to happen.  It is crucial that your site and SEM campaigns remain in lock step with each other and are telling the same story across the board.

If you’re like many other dealers out there, you update your advertised special prices throughout the month to stay ahead of the competition.  Having a procedure in place to communicate those changes through the chain of command and have them implemented as quickly as possible will keep you a step ahead of the competition and your customers informed.

3.     Enabling Ad Extensions

Ad Extensions have been around for a long time now, but many SEM campaigns don’t take full advantage of them. Extensions are a way to not only further increase your Quality Score and take up more real estate on the Google results page, but also enable your customers to interact with your ad and you.

One extension that is widely underused by auto dealers is the message extension. The Message Extension enables your customers to text a message to you directly from your advertisement. If you’ve already incorporated text messaging into your BDC plan, this is a great way to bring that full circle and keep your BDC representatives interacting with new customers. Before implementing this extension, make sure everyone is on the same page and able to adequately respond to customers’ messages in a timely manner. Dayparting this extension to show only during business hours is also highly recommended. For more information on how to set up this feature and other Google features, head over to our how to blog on Google Features.

 

4.     Conversion Tracking End to End.

In order to properly monitor your SEM campaign, you should have end to end conversion tracking set up and integrated with your Google Ads account. This can be done in a variety of ways, and is most often achieved through integrating Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager and Google Ads. 

The first step is working with your agency to identify which conversions mean the most to you. Once identified, work with your agency and web provider to get tracking pixels placed to trigger when the goal is completed. Some web providers are resistant to this but keep escalating your request and it should get fulfilled. A full picture of your campaign is absolutely worth the time spent on the phone with your website provider. As an automotive digital marketing agency, we report on conversions every month. Many dealerships do not have this set up, and we can’t emphasize enough just how important it is!

 

5.     Automated Bidding Strategies and Machine Learning

Having conversions implemented and properly firing enables your SEM provider to tap into Google’s automated bidding strategies more effectively. A good example of this is a Target Cost per Acquisition bidding strategy. 

Let’s say you crunch the numbers and conclude that for every $100 spent on SEM you generate 1 lead on average with a traditional Cost per Click based strategy. Google’s Cost Per Acquisition strategy can work to get that number lower. Let’s say we input $90 as our target CPA, and let the algorithm go to work. Google’s machine learning will identify which keywords and people are the most likely to convert based on past conversion data and show your ads as often as possible for those queries and to those people and work towards a $90 or lower CPA. 

Dropping your Cost per Acquisition can increase lead volume and quality, but as with any AI fueled bidding strategy, this needs to be closely monitored by your SEM provider.  Talk with your SEM provider to find out which bidding strategies they use for your campaigns and why.

 

Building and maintaining great SEM campaigns requires intense attention to detail, and near constant monitoring and updating. If you keep these facets and more in mind when formulating your own SEM strategy, you’ll consistently have more successful campaigns and get the most return on investment. The biggest key to SEM success is to be adaptable to the changing marketplace, and don’t be afraid to try new angles and approaches. Here at D2D, we take a very hands on approach to our automotive SEM campaigns.

If you would like some help dialing your own strategy in or have questions about a new campaign feel free to drop us a line here.

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Importance of Dealership Signage

4 min read

Window signs. Desk Signs. Posters. It is often an overlooked piece of advertising. They all have a purpose in your dealership and we’re here to give you some ideas of how they can help you!

Advertising In Your Dealership

Imagine you walk into a store with no posters. No signs. NO information at all. How would you feel? Lost? Confused? Would you feel comfortable making a purchase? When making a purchase as big as a car, customers want to be informed.

Posters throughout your dealership can help make them aware of what your dealership is offering. These signs can help provide clarity. The more a customer knows about the product, the more comfortable they feel about buying it.

According to ZenMerchandiser.com, point of sale signage can influence up to 85% of purchases. They liken store signage to an actual additional sales rep!

Would you rather watch the tips in the blog? Head over to the video for a quick visual explanation on dealership signage.

Consistency Is Key

If your dealership is spending money in advertising, chances are that you include incentives and special offers in your advertising, to really grab customers’ attention. Once you have their attention and they arrive to your dealership, you want them to have a sense of familiarity. Like they have seen that message before, came to your dealership because of it, and when they arrive they see it again and they know they are in the right place.

What Makes a Good Showroom Sign?

You may be asking, “what should I include in these signs?” and that’s a great question! Anytime our automotive design team creates a poster we find that following a similar format makes for a clean but easy to understand poster.

Beginning at the top we start with a headline, usually your campaign for the month, but can also include a sale or event you are having like “Holiday Cash Card” or an event “giveaway”. Including your campaign for the month, or a similar look, will help tie your poster in with the rest of your advertising.

The body section would include your main message. This is where you would include incentives, an offer or more details about your giveaway. Depending on how much information you need to include in this area you can also include a lineup of vehicles or a picture of what you will be giving away. Make it visual and interesting to get customer’s attention!

The bottom of your poster is left for disclaimers or information on where a customer can learn more information about what is included in this poster, along with a manufacturer or dealership logo. Although they are seeing this in your dealership, it’s always good to reinforce the brand.

If you or someone at your dealership does not have the ability to design a poster for you, you can ask your automotive advertising agency to provide you with creative, and even ask them to have it printed for you. We provide design, printing, and delivery to our clients.

Where Should the Signage be Placed?

Now that you’ve designed and ordered your poster another key factor is where to put them. Signs should be large enough that customers can read them. We often recommend a 24 x 36 inch poster. This is large enough that you can read from a distance but not too large that it will take away from your showroom. These can be placed on an easel or in a frame.

We recommend placing at least two signs (depending on your dealership size) in the showroom. The first should go near an entrance. This enforces the consistent messaging throughout your advertising and helps the customers feel at ease knowing they are in the right dealership. If your dealership is large enough that there are multiple entrances customers can use, place another one by the other entrance. If you only have one entrance, you can place the other one by one of the vehicles. For instance, if you are advertising a Chevy Equinox, place the sign by an Equinox. This way you know those who are looking at the Equinox will be interested in the incentive you have on that vehicle.

Another place we often put signs is in the service waiting room. Chances are you are communicating with service customers who are ready to trade up or who have equity in their current vehicle. This is a great way to plant the seed and let them know if you have a special going on or what incentives are available that month.

Each manufacturer has their dealerships set up a little differently, so you will know where the best places are for your signs. Just make sure they are in high traffic areas and are easy to be seen. It’s also important to note that some manufacturers do not let dealerships place signs in the showroom, so it’s best to check beforehand if you aren’t sure. Most do, so if you feel you want to add this to your overall strategy, you’re ready to get started!

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What Should you Budget for a Digital Marketing Spend?

4 min read

Every dealership in 2019 is participating in digital advertising to some extent. Factories mandate programs, agencies offer all kinds of digital programs and packages, and vendors are always pitching you the next big thing to sell more cars. Digital Advertising is taken as a given at this point, but not all advertising plans are created equally. Have you ever stopped to think about what a good digital advertising plan looks like? In this blog we’ll examine the characteristics of a good advertising plan, how to budget for that, and the impact on the big picture of your advertising efforts.

Clear and Attainable Goals

I know you want to know all about cost, but this is the absolute first step to the formulation of any advertising plan, and a step that can be easily overlooked. With each advertising investment you should have a clear and attainable goal defined and frame your approach with that goal in mind.

Now you might be thinking “Of course we have a goal, to sell more cars!” While that is a good overall goal for a dealership, advertising goals should be much more granular, or you risk having a broad, unfocused campaign. Unfocused campaigns aren’t the most efficient use of dollars and that’s the last thing you want to do.  

 You can start narrowing this goal down by asking yourself some questions. Who do I want to sell more cars to? Where do I want to sell more cars? Which cars do I want to sell more of? How many more cars can I sell? Who is currently taking the sales that I want? Once you have the answers to those questions, you’re ready to make a clear and attainable goal for your campaign to be drive by.

Accurately Targeted

Now that you’ve established your goals, it’s time to decide how to target your ads. Digital Advertising can reach the right people at the right time like never before. A properly targeted campaign will have excellent engagement and put your ad right in front of the people who matter on a consistent basis. To arrive at this targeting, consult with your agency about your market area, the people you’re trying to reach, and when you’re trying to reach them. At Digital to Dealer Direct, we look at overall sales by zip code both within the PMA and outside the PMA. We look at who’s currently taking sales from you, and who you’re currently taking sales from. Our team also dives in to the marketing in general to see what cars are selling best in your area. This helps us define very clear targets with our dealerships. Develop an initial targeting strategy, monitor campaigns for success relevant to your goal and adjust as needed along the way.

Fund your Goals

Here’s the big question – What Should you Budget for Digital Marketing Spends? If you wanted to win the Indy 500, you wouldn’t pull up to the starting line in a 4-cylinder subcompact. Under funding is one of the biggest reasons for campaign failure. It is extremely important to fund your efforts adequately to achieve your goals. Every market is different, every dealers’ goals are different, and every dealers’ budget needs are going to be different. According to Google, 95% of vehicle buyers use digital as a source of information for purchasing. That’s a big audience, and you need to capture it.

The best way to determine the budget needed is to develop a trusting relationship with a transparent automotive marketing agency partner when strategizing your campaigns. A good agency will be open and honest about budget requirements, and back their recommendations up with data and market research. If sticker shock is a factor, it might be time to re-evaluate your campaign goals and narrow the scope of the campaign or see if you can achieve your goals with another partner at a more budget friendly price point. Going the route of cutting proposed budgets and expecting the same results is a recipe for disappointment.

The market has some bench marks you can consider before you get started. According to an article from Automotive News, in the past five years, digital advertising spend has grown from 25 to 53%. This number is expected to grow to 60% in the next two years. If you use this industry average as a guideline, you can determine a rough estimate of what you should spend. If your total marketing budget is $25,000 per month, allocating between $13,000 and $15,000 per month would be average.

Diversity is Key

The best advertising campaigns come from all sides and dominate the space. While it may be tempting to put most of your budget behind campaigns driving the most direct conversions, a diversified campaign incorporating a wide array of mediums will be much more effective for your long term goals.

Someone who was searching for a vehicle you offer may have seen your display ad triggered by a keyword search, then heard your radio ad, which prompted them to search you on Google, click your CPC ad and convert on your website. While the conversion is directly attributed to the Google CPC advertisement, there were multiple touches along the way that helped drive that conversion.

Ideally, the mediums involved in an advertising campaign should feed each other and boost the results across mediums. It’s a team effort to get customers through the door, and if your campaigns aren’t diversified it’s like playing shorthanded. To learn more about how to build a more cohesive digital and traditional advertising plan, download our guide on Bridging the Gap Between Traditional and Digital Advertising.

Digital Advertising has come over the automotive industry like a whirlwind, and it can feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once. If you keep these steps in mind when formulating your campaigns, you’ll find that it’s much less stressful to manage them. Your expectations and goals will be clear, your campaigns will be competitive and well rounded, and you’ll know if you’re hitting your goals or not in clear and distinct terms.

2019 Automotive Sales Projections How to Advertise in Today’s Climate

3 min read

If you had the opportunity to attend the 2019 NY AutoForum on April 16, you know there was a lot of discussion about the climate of the auto industry in the first quarter of 2019, and the predictions for the remainder of the year and 2020. If you weren’t able to make it to the forum, D2D was there and has the scoop for you! 

While some financial analysts report that Q1 of 2019 actually saw a small increase in auto sales, the economic experts and Thomas King, Senior Vice President of Data and Analytics at J.D. Power, are cautiously predicting a potential decline in auto sales starting in 2020 and possibly the end of 2019. There is a lot of good news tucked in here, though.

Where the Sales are Actually Up

Low-end vehicle sales are slightly down while high-end vehicle sales are up. This provides an opportunity for dealerships to sell vehicles with a higher price point. Do you think I’m crazy yet? Well, the jury is still out, but the data doesn’t lie. Premium car and premium SUV with a price tag higher than $40,000 are selling! Maybe it’s because of all the added value these premium vehicles have. Features are a hot topic these days and blind spot awareness, lane departure detection, collision avoidance, smartphone capabilities, and heated steering wheels are where it’s at. Keep the driver safe and comfortable, and you’ve got a deal (most likely).

Of course, as we all know, it comes down to payment so often. Which is where used cars come in. Used car sales are up 5.1% in 2019 according to J.D. Power, and that doesn’t look like it’s going to change any time soon. At Digital to Dealer Direct, we handle many used car advertising campaigns specifically. We also know that the dealership must be set up for success when it comes to pre-owned. Do you have a dedicated pre-owned sales manager? Are you constantly seeking new inventory? Is your automotive advertising partner helping you determine what cars are selling in your market? Used car sales look to be rising and will continue to rise for the remainder of 2019.

Too Many Cars, Too Little Time

Next on the horizon is some bad news mixed in with some good news. If you’re anything like me, this is the kind of news you like. It’s the “what can I do about it?” news. I’m sure you’re well aware that most dealers have a lot of inventory on the lot. As King said yesterday, a lot of inventory plus low sales equals a lot of pressure on dealers. There is a lot coming over the horizon. With 4.1 million units on the ground right now, experts predict that holidays like Memorial Day, and “Summer Sell Down” events will help to clear some of the surplus of inventory dealers are currently facing. Don’t typically do holiday sales events? Here at Digital to Dealer Direct, we help dealers all over the area develop timely, classy campaigns. After all, the whacky arm inflatable tube man only gets you so far!

That’s What it’s all About!

So, some say it’s up and some say it’s down. It all depends on what you’re looking at and how you’re looking at it. There are some things we can all agree on, though. Shoppers want those features the manufacturers have worked hard to develop. Never underestimate the value of these features when selling. Pre-owned is on the rise. Get your dealership ready and make sure you have a used car marketing campaign. Lastly, special events will be important! Summer is coming, and that means plenty of opportunity with Memorial Day, summer sales and Independence Day. Make sure you have an automotive advertising partner who can help you do it the right way.

For more information on what we heard at the NY AutoForum, or if you’d like to “borrow my notes”, please feel free to reach out to me at csmith@digital2dealer.com. You can also reach out for more information on how Digital to Dealer Direct can help guide you through the rest of 2019.

How to Use Google Features for Your Business

3 min read

If you’re looking for ways to maximize your presence on Google when users are searching for vehicles or your dealership itself, you’re in the right place! Below are some great ways that you can get your dealership ready to use all the features that Google has to offer for a business.

 

Google Banners

There are about 34 billion searches done every month in the U.S. on Google. That’s a lot of people to influence. You will want to have your best shot in front those looking for your business. One way to do that is by using Google Banners. The Google Banner post allows you to feature a small incentive such as a monthly payment, 0% down, or a financing special. When users in your area search for a certain vehicle or a dealership near them, your Google My Business account can appear not only with your website, phone number, and hours and directions, but also with a visual incentive to attract users to click your dealership’s listing rather than the other five or 20 in the listing!

 

Google Message Extension

The Message Extension feature is a relatively new one, and one that is not used by many dealerships yet. Here is your chance to stand out! This feature allows you to interact directly and instantly with users who are searching for your make, a used car you might have in stock, or just a dealership close to them to come browse or get service.

Once you’ve set this up in your Google user account, users will now have an option on your listing to text the business. You can connect this function to a cell phone in the BDC or a sales manager’s cell phone. Whatever phone you use, it’s important to make sure the employee has the phone on them at all times and can answer quickly. 18.7 billion searches on Google per month are from a mobile device. That means these potential customers aren’t going to stay on for long. It’s a quick swipe of the screen and they’re out. So, you’ll want to get back to them as soon as you can.

 

Need Help?

These features can be a great tool for you to capture the relevant searches in your market. However, if you’re not sure your dealership is set up properly on Google, that could be a problem. Maybe you’re not sure who set it up or what the password is. Has someone claimed the dealership listing? If you need a little more help getting started, you can use our blog on Getting your Dealership Ready for the Next Level of Google. This will help you get through those beginning stages and then you can set up your features as outlined in this blog!

Of course, there is still the task of making sure your sales staff, management and BDC department are prepared and equipped to handle incoming messages and potentially an influx of calls and website visits from setting up your Google My Business listing.

If you have an automotive digital marketing partner, they might be able to help you get this process started. At Digital to Dealer, we help set up our client’s pages all the time and keep them up to date which is very important as well! You would be surprised how quickly service hours can change or tracking phone numbers get switched and your Google listing is left in the dust with outdated info. We also upload different Google Banners every month so that our clients are serving the most relevant and attractive banner for potential customers.

 

You’re on a Roll!

There are so many ways to leverage the power of Google for automotive digital advertising and reputation management. Don’t forget to check back for part three of this blog series to learn more about Google and your dealership!

If you need more help with Google, you can come watch my session at the Digital Dealer Conference in August in Las Vegas. We will be speaking on all the ways Google can help you! You can also email me at csmith@digital2dealer.com.