Facebook is an invaluable tool for connecting your car dealership with buyers—but it requires real skill and strategy to use it correctly. Developing a judicious, organic content strategy is challenging in and of itself—but finding success with the Facebook Ads platform is more complicated still.
Complicated though it may be, it’s very much worth doing. When done right, Facebook advertising can be a peerless tool for targeting the right buyers and drawing their attention to your dealership, and to your dealership website.
Entire books have been written to address proper Facebook Ads strategy, and we certainly won’t get into all the nitty gritty here—but we can offer a quick overview of what a successful Facebook Ads campaign looks like.
An Outline for Your Facebook Ads Strategy
Establish Your Dealership Facebook Page
This one probably goes without saying, but the first step is to actually build a Facebook page for your dealership. Optimize it with appealing photo and cover images, plus a completely filled-in profile.
Create Buyer Personas
One of the great assets of Facebook Ads is that it allows you to target your ads directly to your desired buyers—but the first step is to know who those buyers are. A complete buyer persona, with full demographic information, is a good foundation for your Facebook Ads campaign.
Create Ad Copy
Familiarize yourself with the Facebook Ads Manager, which will allow you to select both an image and some succinct ad copy for your ad. The image should speak for itself, while the ad copy should include a powerful call to action.
Target Your Audience
Explore all the different targeting options you’re given. Targeting by geography is a must, but we’d also recommend using the Behavior > Automotive option to pinpoint buyers who are in the market for a new vehicle. Your buyer persona can suggest some additional targeting options for you to consider.
Try Custom Audiences
The Custom Audiences function will allow you to target your ads to people who have previously visited your dealership website, or to names currently on your email list.
Bid!
Remember that the amount of money you bid is not the actual amount that you’ll pay, but the maximum you are willing to pay for each display or conversion.
Don’t Forget Content Marketing
While Facebook Ads is a powerful platform in its own right, it’s not the only thing your dealership should be doing on the social giant. A content marketing strategy, designed to get organic reach, is the perfect complement to your Facebook Ads campaign. Make sure you’re posting informative content updates regularly!
Get Started with Facebook Ads
If your dealership is looking to make an impact through Facebook Ads, we invite you to contact the Get My Auto team today. We’d love to walk you through the different options, and to show you what makes Facebook Ads work. Reach out to us today for a Facebook Ads consultation.