Are you doing everything you should be doing to market your used car dealership? And conversely, are you doing anything that’s not generating real benefits for your business? Consider this dealership marketing checklist—our quick guide to all the essentials. So long as you’re crossing off each of these items, you should be in good shape!
Have an Excellent Website
Your website is your primary presence on the Web—the hub for all your marketing efforts. Make sure you invest in a dealership website that is:
- Designed to be easily accessible from all browsers and device types
- Optimized for conversions, including calls to action and local contact information on every page
- Full of value-adding content that informs buyers and leads them through the sales funnel
- Diverse in its content types, including video and infographics
Additionally, make sure you’ve fully optimized your site for the search algorithms, including some target keywords in your body content, meta descriptions, and title tags.
Run Ads on Craigslist
Craigslist is your secret weapon, and one of the very best ways to generate conversions on the Web. With regard to Craigslist, it’s important to:
- Be judicious in the number of ads you run; you’ll usually not want to advertise more than 80-90 percent of your total inventory.
- Write vibrant descriptions for each vehicle, including specific numbers for the mileage, year, etc.
- Create ads with your buyer personas in mind; make sure you’re really speaking directly to your audience!
- Remember that you’re not just selling cars; you’re selling your dealership, too! Brand for trust and credibility.
Get Active on Facebook
Facebook remains an important channel for used car dealerships—and while organic reach is desirable, it’s even more important to take advantage of Facebook Ads and its advanced targeting options. Make sure you:
- Are targeting your ads properly, using your buyer personas in conjunction with data from your CRM software.
- Budget properly to maximize your value.
- Complement your ads with organic content that educates and informs your buyers, and leads them down the sales funnel.
Other Options for Dealership Marketing
These are the big three—website, Craigslist, and Facebook—but if you’re looking to augment them, we can also recommend these second-tier marketing tools. When used properly, these can bring additional value to your ad campaign:
- Email marketing
- Instagram ads
- Organic reach on Twitter (don’t use Twitter ads, which are generally a waste of time)
If you’re still unsure about what you should or shouldn’t be doing to market your used car dealership on the Web, reach out to Get My Auto today. We’d love nothing more than to help you put together a full marketing strategy. Contact us now to start the process!