Car dealership advertising - These measures will take you further

Individual car dealership advertising, is that really necessary? While one person regularly goes creative, many other car dealerships find it difficult. And yet, year after year, you are faced with the challenge of deciding which advertising channels you want to use and how the usually tight budget should be distributed particularly efficiently. And with all this, the question arises again and again: Is it really worth it with car dealership advertising?

Car dealership advertising is for your car dealership what the paint is for a car - you can drive without it, but who wants to buy it and how quickly will it start to rust? According to the Central Association of the German Motor Trade, 36,600 car dealerships were counted in 2020.

It is therefore important that you give your potential new customer a good reason why he should buy his new car from you. And this is where car dealership advertising comes in!

That is why car dealership advertising is also important for your company

In recent years, car dealerships have faced numerous challenges. The "diesel scandal" caused a crisis of confidence in the German automotive industry, digitization is bringing platforms such as Autoscout or Mobile into play and your competitor from the next county is suddenly only a mouse click away.

Between decreasing returns and higher operating costs, the marketing budget is getting smaller and in the jungle of different advertising channels it is getting harder and harder to judge where your money is wisely invested. This is because one of the most important tasks of car dealership advertising is

• A clear-cut positioning: What distinguishes you from the competition? What can you do better? Why should the customer buy the car from you?
• Winning new customers: A Google study proved that 41% of car buyers bought their car from a dealer they did not know before. That could be you!
• Retain existing customers: Those who have already bought from you will buy from you again and recommend you if they were satisfied. Make use of this!

We have taken a closer look at which advertising supports car dealerships and dealerships best and which communication channels are worthwhile for your company.

The diversity of communication channels in automotive marketing

In automotive marketing, around 2.2% of the sales price of a vehicle is invested in advertising. Numerous communication channels are available to manufacturers and car dealerships. A general distinction is made between analogue or classic and digital advertising channels. These options are available for car dealership advertising:

Car dealership advertising in classic advertising channels

• Advertisement car: Print advertising in regional and national newspapers
• Spots: TV, cinema and radio reach many people, but can also be expensive
• Outdoor advertising: posters in your region, car dealer advertising on car or bus
• Point-of-sale: Design of your salesrooms, promotions and events
• Direct mailings: Increasingly popular in times of "digital overload
• Promotional items: Useful give-aways make customers happy and remind them

Digital advertising channels in car dealership advertising

• website: Your digital showroom and the basis for your car dealership advertising online
• online platforms: Car dealership advertising also takes place at Autoscout, Mobile and Co
• Search engine marketing: Become visible on Google and Co
• Newsletter: Keep your customers up to date by e-mail
• Social media: Meet your customers where they are
• Online advertisement: Display Ads, Native Ads and Co instead of regional newspaper

What are the best measures for car dealership advertising?

For successful car dealership advertising the following applies: The right marketing mix makes the difference! Your customers read an advertisement and then research your company on their smartphones. Therefore it is not enough to rely on a single advertising channel. Instead, you should divide your budget between classic and digital measures and interlink them seamlessly and creatively.

Regular advertisements and flyers are already part of the standard repertoire of many car dealerships, but there is still a lot of catching up to do in many places, especially when it comes to digital car dealership advertising and social media. One way to bring more structure into your car dealership advertising is to hire an advertising agency.

But especially for independent and smaller car dealerships, this represents a financial burden that they are often barely able to cope with. That's why we have put together marketing tips that will help you to creatively target the advertising for your car dealership to your target group.

Advertising in car dealerships - 6 best-practice marketing tips for car dealers

With a cost-intensive acquisition such as a car, the Customer Journey begins with a research phase many months before the actual purchase. As a study by Autoscout24 shows, the Internet and the local dealer are the most important sources of information.

According to a Google study, 47% of customers can imagine buying a car online, but the car dealership often remains the last resort before the purchase. Over a period of several months, your potential customers make various small decisions that may ultimately lead to the purchase of the car at your dealership.

The more closely and consistently your car dealership advertising accompanies your customer in this purchase decision process, the higher the probability that the purchase decision will be made in your favour. These concrete and demonstrably efficient multi-channel ideas for your car dealership advertising will help you to achieve this:

1. combination car dealership and digital showroom

Buying a car begins for more and more consumers on the Internet! A meaningful website inspires potential customers and becomes your digital showroom. Your additional presence on online platforms such as Autoscout and Mobile attracts the attention of your customers and motivates them to visit your car dealership.

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Our tip: With a car dealership software like the AUTOMANAGER from pixelconcept you can cover many topics already in one tool. The smart program combines a simple tool for creating a professional website with a software for your vehicle management and interfaces to all important online dealers.

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2. combination direct mailing and e-mail newsletter

Printed car dealership advertising as a personal letter in the mailbox is popular with many people and the touch of the paper is said to strengthen our memory of what we have read. Why not combine the direct mailing with an e-mail newsletter, which you can anteaser on your website! This is a cost-effective way to increase your contact frequency.

3. combination radio, poster and online car dealership advertising

You know what that is? You listen to an interesting spot on the radio or see a poster, pull out your smartphone and google the advertised content directly. That's the same for your customers! With a regional car dealership advertisement on the radio you can reach up to 79% of the total population, poster advertising attracts 80% of the people. Already a car dealership advertisement on your car makes your company visible.

If your customers can then find your website and digital showroom online, you are one step closer to successful sales.

4. combination YouTube video and on-site appointment

Since YouTube, your customers love videos and especially in the field of new cars, the form of car dealership advertising is particularly interesting for 57% of consumers. According to a Google study, 74% of customers have taken another action after watching the video. Use the momentum and invite your potential new customers for a test drive, which can be booked online on your website.

5. combination search engine marketing and word-of-mouth recommendation

Personal recommendations are worth their weight in gold in car dealership advertising! Surely you too have some customers who have come to you on the advice of friends and relatives. In the digital age, recommendation marketing experiences a real boost through online reviews, which 82% of potential customers read before making a purchase decision!

Use a smart contact management system, such as the AUTOMANAGER, to keep your satisfied customers engaged in after-sales. Motivate satisfied customers to enrich your Google My Business entry or your Facebook page with online reviews.

6. combination of actions in the car dealership and social media

Seasonal promotions are not only fun for you and your customers, they are also an effective car dealership advertisement to attract potential buyers to your salesroom! Whether it's a spring festival, a road safety day at the beginning of school, an advent concert or a carnival parade - multiply the reach of your campaigns by announcing the event in the social media and inviting your fan community.

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Our tip: Particularly in the social media, a presentation of your vehicles through professional image material is the be-all and end-all! With the picdesigner we at pixelconcept have developed an intuitively usable photo app, with which you can shoot pictures like a professional even without Photoshop knowledge and studio area. Learn more about the topic "car editing program" in our blog article.

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The most important goals of your car dealership advertising are to position yourself in relation to the competition, to win new customers and to retain regular customers. The best measures for car dealership advertising are therefore focused on these three goals and pick up your customers at as many contact points of your customer journey as possible. To achieve this, it is advisable to combine classic and digital communication.

With a good website as the starting point for your digital car dealership advertising, you can create efficient, creative and engaging campaigns that will delight your customers and increase your sales without the need for an expensive advertising agency.

If you would like to find out more about how innovative software solutions can support you in this process, please feel free to arrange a non-binding strategy meeting by phone at +49- 561-789845-0 or online.