The reign of social media is undeniable. Today, a staggering 72% of Americans actively participate in social media. This shows that a multitude of potential car buyers are merely a scroll away, presenting a golden opportunity for you to get online. Doing so has the potential to significantly bolster your business’s sales performance.
Having an automotive social media marketing strategy can help you engage with buyers and amplify your digital footprint. By harnessing the influence and potency of social media, you can draw attention to your car dealership, increase online sales, and showcase your online inventory.
In this blog article, we’ll give you insights and tips to help you create and implement an automotive social media marketing strategy for your car dealership. Let’s get started.
Automotive Social Media — Why It’s Important
Social media has quickly become a vital stop in a car buyer’s journey. Google research has shown that one person looking to buy a car searched for more than 900 things before they finally bought a car. This shows how much individual people search around on the internet before getting a new car.
Another set of data from Meta concludes that 78% of people look to social media to help them buy a car. It also appears that 86% of people want to connect with a brand on social media after buying a vehicle.
These stats show people leaning toward social media when looking for information. Instead of relying on traditional marketing channels alone, it’s time to get your dealership online. With social media, you can talk to potential buyers. You can also gather information and data that helps you target certain groups of people with your social media marketing strategy.
Top Social Media Strategies That Work
You may be new to automotive social media, or maybe you’re refreshing your marketing strategy. Either way, the below tactics are worth taking a look at. With social media marketing, there are many different options to choose from, and knowing the basics can help you position your business online.
Target Consumers on Facebook
Many of us are guilty of hopping on social media and scrolling for a while. Statistics show that of the 5.27 billion people who use mobile phones, 85% of them are on social media regularly.
Facebook is one of the biggest platforms today, with almost 3 billion users. The automotive world can take advantage of this. Facebook understands what people like and do everywhere, and they use that info to help them keep people online for longer by showing them exactly what they want to see.
Because of this, the automotive industry can leverage Facebook for strategic social media advertising. This transformative approach, with its unparalleled reach and granular targeting options, offers automotive businesses an avenue to engage with their target audience in new ways. From showcasing their newest vehicle models to highlighting eco-friendly innovations, automakers can craft compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences.
The platform’s robust analytics empower industry players to refine their campaigns in real-time, optimizing ad placements, content strategies, and audience segments. As automotive enthusiasts and potential buyers scroll through their feeds, captivating visuals and informative videos capture their attention. This drives not only brand awareness but also measurable leads and conversions.
In this age of connectivity, harnessing Facebook for social media ads enables the automotive sector to navigate the digital roadways with precision and finesse, establishing lasting connections with their buyers.
Use Twitter for Sales Growth
Twitter is another great social media platform favored by individuals in the automotive world. The concise nature of short tweets holds a certain appeal for users. At first, Twitter was words. But now, it’s got pictures and videos. This is perfect for car dealerships marketing their automobiles. It’s all about these quick bits of content. Share short thoughts, or add a link to a video or longer material to get more people interested.
How often you post matters, too. Experts recommend posting 2-3 times per day on Twitter. Figure out when your audience is online and try to post during that timeframe to get the most out of your posts.
Twitter also has tools for your business. You can create ads, plan and pick who sees them, and see how well things work. With Twitter business, you can show off tweets and videos or just highlight your account to make more people aware of your brand.
Target Your Ideal Audience on Instagram
Get ready for this! Millennials are now the biggest group of people buying cars in the U.S. It’s estimated that within the next few years, 75% of cars will be bought by Millennials and Gen-Z. And guess where they like to hang out? According to the stats: Instagram!
But Instagram isn’t just for the younger crowd. With the platform being a gold mine to share pics with friends and family, you’ll find all ages connecting on here. This means this is the perfect place to highlight the features of your cars and trucks and get your audience excited about buying their next vehicle.
The old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” rings true on this platform. Instagram ads are an excellent way to use photos of your automotive business to draw attention and create a connection with your customers. Showcase your vehicles, parts, and dealerships. Get into their feed by sharing photos of your company. And keep it light-hearted. Talk to the group on this platform as if they are a friend, not a potential customer.
Our Content writing service can help leverage your social media marketing efforts by providing engaging and compelling content that captures the attention of your target audience. Here’s what we offer:
- Skilled writers: Our team will hand-pick a talented writer specifically for your projects. They will be briefed on your requirements to deliver high-quality content.
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Use YouTube: A Strategic Approach to Video Marketing
YouTube videos are another fantastic way to catch people’s attention, and it is extremely popular with all ages.
For any kind of business, YouTube is an amazing place to put ads. People there really pay attention, and the platform has made ads work really well.
When you put ads on YouTube, they show up in different ways. Some are videos, and others are simple words that pop up. Catchy motion graphics are an excellent way to draw attention and bring potential buyers to your business.
You decide who sees your ads on YouTube by creating profiles of your typical customers. These profiles include age, what they like, and other demographics. Using a profile helps your ads work better, and you can change your profiles — and your ads — as you learn more about what works.
You can use different models, prices, unique safety features, and more to stand out with your ads. Your automotive social media marketing strategy should help nudge a customer as they’re deciding which car to choose. Beyond ads, you can create your own videos and put them on your website or YouTube.
Consider Pinterest for Your Social Media Marketing Strategy
At first, Pinterest was all about the home and recipes, but now it covers a wider spectrum, including businesses. It’s a unique place on the internet since it’s not used to “connect” like other social media platforms. Most people on the platform visit it for inspiration, so it could be the perfect place for your automotive business. Use your Pinterest ads to inspire your audience to build the car of their dreams or buy that ideal car they’ve been thinking about.
Showcase pictures of your cars, highlight blog posts, and share special pages that will be of interest to the crowd, specifically on this social media site. Not only will you get people talking about your brand, you may inspire the next big thing.
Businesses tend to shy away from Pinterest, so not many ads are on the platform yet. It’s a great chance for you to get noticed and add something extra to your automotive social media marketing plan. Get ahead of the curve on this one, and you will capture the attention of a different crowd.
Engage with Social Media Storytelling
Today, just putting something on social media isn’t enough. You need to make people feel like your brand is exactly what they are looking for. A great way to do this is by telling stories. When you share employee experiences or company ideals, you make your brand feel human. It feels less like marketing and more like sharing a human interest story. This helps you build strong connections and loyalty with your audience.
Remember, on the other side of your ad, there’s a person with their own thoughts and likes. Use exceptional graphics to draw them in and get their attention.
Our Graphic Design services create captivating designs tailored for social media, helping your business stand out, convey your brand message effectively, and drive engagement and conversions. Elevate your social media presence with eye-catching visuals that make a lasting impression on clients. Here’s what you get:
- Professional designers: Get matched with a seasoned designer based on your creative brief.
- Original work: All designs are made from scratch and you have full legal ownership.
- Scalability and flexibility: Easily scale up or down your services, with the flexibility to pause or cancel anytime.
- Team collaboration: Invite team members and clients to help you request and manage designs.
Connecting in a real way is a big part of social media marketing, and it helps bring in new buyers and makes potential customers want to share your brand story.
Publish Social Reviews
When you’re done helping your customers, ask them to write about their experience with your business online. Have them fill out a review on your website, Google Reviews, Yelp, or another review site. Information shared by your customers can help other people determine if they want to do business with you.
A company’s reputation is super important, especially when people can easily see information about you online. Good reviews show potential customers how you’ll interact with them and give them a good feeling about your business.
If you receive a poor review, consider leaving it out there. You can respond to it so people see what you’ve done to address the situation. Most people understand that mistakes will be made, and they put a huge emphasis on what the brand did to make it right.
Bonus Tip: Create Contests and Promotions for Social Media
Who doesn’t like to win free items? And car dealerships are excellent at giving away free things. Post it on social media. Have a contest or a special promotion. Reward people for following you. Social media marketing gifts do not have to be expensive. A $20 gift card to a favorite coffee shop will garner tons of attention.
Your automotive brand will become known for excellence quickly as more and more people start to follow you. Those who show up for the contests will start to respond to other posts, building a relationship with your brand. Then, when it comes time to buy a car, your name will stick in the back of your mind.
Drive Your Success with Automotive Social Media Marketing
In today’s world, social media should be at the center of every marketing strategy. It can help you connect with buyers and engage with car enthusiasts. With so many people on a variety of platforms, it makes sense to use social media to reach out to them. Each platform is unique from the others, and your strategy should include a mix of them. This helps you find where your customers will respond and interact the most and keeps your brand in mind the next time they are ready to purchase a car.
Be authentic with your audience so they learn to like and trust your brand. By using these social media marketing strategies, your business can create loyalty, increase sales, and encourage repeat business. Commit to doing them regularly. Stay true to your brand, and your car dealership will soon see success in the world of digital marketing.
Sep 05, 2023
Rebecca
A copywriter with hundreds of projects under her (figurative) belt, Beka enjoys the challenge of crafting unique content. She loves writing just as some people love trolling online message boards :) — in an unabashedly enthusiastic and slightly concerning way.