The car market has a longer sale cycle compared to other industries. When people buy a car, they keep it for at least 5 years or even longer if they look after it properly. For car dealers, this is means lots of work to find new customers, knowing that those you’ve already sold to will come back years later (if they do).
The good news is that the millennials (people between 21 and 35 years old) are more mobile than the Baby Boomer generation. They are very likely to change city or even country if they see a good career opportunity, and they love to travel a lot. Therefore, they definitely need a car. Once they get married and have children, they may trade the compact sedan for a large family van or keep two cars, so that each spouse is independent from the other in commuting.
This means that there is a thriving market for car sales. The only issue is finding customers and getting them to walk into your car dealership.
Reach Out to Potential Clients on Facebook™
Facebook™ has become the online version of the global village. Everyone can meet everyone else here. Family members living in different parts of the world keep in touch, relationships form (and break), babies are introduced to family and friends and businesses keep in touch with their customers.
For some years now, Facebook™ ads have become the most popular and efficient digital marketing tool for all kinds of businesses, large and small, from a wide range of industries. The reason for this choice?
Facebook™ ads are:
Effective – these ads have a high engagement rate;
Finely targeted – you get the best and most detailed audience selection criteria;
Affordable – you have great flexibility in setting the budget and can make changes to it while the campaign is running.
Here are a few useful tips that will help you get clients for your car dealership with Facebook™ ads:
1. Target Website Visitors with Dynamic Retargeting Ads
To take advantage of this option, you need to install the Facebook™ Pixel on your website. Once it is active, you can create ad campaigns targeting people who visited a specific page (for example, a certain car model, financing options) on your website. The ad must provide an extra reason for the web visitor to take further action.
For example, someone who looked at a car model should be targeted with an ad inviting them to book a test drive. For those looking for financing details, create an ad that prompts them to give you a call or visit your offices to discuss your financing plans.
2. Understand the Power of Demographic and Behavioural Targeting
Facebook™ ads are different from other ads in the sense that you have the right tools to select your ideal audience. Instead of se
and less willing to waste time and fill in forms. Plus, they are reluctant to leave the social media platform and go to your website to book a test drive. Lead ads provide a solution to both issues: the prospect only has to tap or click twice and they’ve booked the test drive, all within the Facebook™ platform.
3. Retarget Customers with Service and Annual MOT Reminders
nding out a generic message, you can send very specific messages to people who are at a very specific point in the journey to buying a car.
For example, if your dealership sells luxury car models (BMW, Mercedes, Audi), you can limit your ad audience to people with an income of at least $100,000 per year. On the contrary, if you sell used cars, you can target young people looking to buy their first car out of the money they made on a part-time job.
4. Use Facebook™ Lead Ads to Book Test Drives
A lead ad is a very convenient ad format for Facebook™ users. Once they click on the ad, their contact data is automatically filled in by Facebook™. This is the simplest and easiest way to bring more people to your dealership for a test drive.
People are less Facebook™ ads can have other objectives than closing a car sale. For instance, those who have already purchased a car cannot be retargeted with another car deal. It doesn’t mean that you should forget about them or let them forget about your business.
As a car dealership you probably have agreements with authorized car repair shops for annual MOT test or maintenance service. Thus, you can target existing clients with special deals and reminders about the MOT test and preventive maintenance for their car.
5. Take Advantage of Upselling Opportunities
Cars usually need various accessories and upgrades along their useful life: winter tyres, a new stereo system, heated seats, the latest version of the specific software for the on-board computer, etc.
Do not let your customers look around and find your competitors’ offers. Constantly remind them through Facebook™ ads that they can make their car better and safer and you have all the products and services they need.