Marketing a used car dealership can be a full-time job unto itself—and as such, it’s not surprising that many dealerships seek outside counsel. Working with a marketing firm can be an effective way to build your brand and boost your bottom line, efficiently and cost-effectively. This is contingent on finding the right dealership marketing team and communicating with them clearly.
Before choosing a marketing partner, do your due diligence; ask some questions to determine whether the agency is a good fit for your dealership. Here are some that we’d recommend.
10 Questions for Your Marketing Partner
- What’s your experience in the automotive sector? Marketing used car dealerships presents its own challenges and opportunities. It’s only natural to want a company with specific expertise in this field.
- Who are some of your other dealership clients? The agency may not be willing to give a comprehensive list of names, and that’s fine—but hopefully they can furnish you with some references and testimonials.
- What will you need from me? Always make sure you have clear expectations about what the marketing team will need from you—what information you need to provide, what involvement you need to have in the process, etc.
- What channels will you use to market my dealership? A good automotive marketing team will mention Facebook Ads and Craigslist, for sure. SEO is another important area of focus, as is website design.
- What technologies do you offer? Hopefully, you’ll find a dealership that can automate the social media and Craigslist posting processes for you, with white label or proprietary technologies.
- How often will we communicate? Again, setting clear expectations is a must. Be upfront about how often you want to check in, and which communication method you prefer.
- How will you help me achieve me goals? A good agency will turn this around on you and ask you what your goals actually are!
- What kind of data/reporting will you offer me? Transparency is crucial, and a trustworthy firm will prove that they are getting results on your behalf, regularly furnishing you with metrics and analytics.
- How much will it cost? This one may be obvious, but it’s still important to ask—and be cautious of an agency that won’t offer you a clear pricing structure.
- What sets you apart? A helpful catch-all question; simply ask why you should choose this marketing team over their competition.
By asking the right questions, you can assure that the marketing team you end up with is a good fit for you and your dealership. Take this due diligence seriously, and if you have further questions about effective dealership marketing, reach out to Get My Auto today.