Your car dealership must advertise to gain attention and be the first choice for customers looking for new or used cars. Where should your ads appear?

In a world where consumers pay for streaming services without commercials, record shows to bypass advertising, and use more online tools than ever before, traditional advertising is a thing of the past. Forget the loud television ads and focus more on utilizing online tools to advertise your dealership. Radio, billboards, and mailers are still relatively effective, but a strong social media presence makes a huge difference in customer engagement and promotion.

Social Media is a Must

More than 59% of the world’s population uses social media on a daily basis. This means engaging with posts, articles, and videos through various social media platforms. It’s important to take advantage of the social media tools available to businesses to promote your dealership. The most popular and effective platforms are still Facebook and Twitter, but YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are all gaining popularity and impact in the marketing world. Ensure your social media posts include links that send users to your inventory pages for the next step.

Email Marketing and Text Marketing Can be Fruitful

Email marketing might be a bit antiquated, but its still one of the most effective ways for your dealership to advertise to a large audience. Using your segmented email list, you can send messages regarding service needs, upcoming sales, and industry information. Text marketing is also becoming extremely popular but is more effective once a potential customer is a lead and not as a cold-call style of texting. Response rates for text marketing is typically 209% higher than phone, email, or Facebook.

Your Website Is Your Foundation

Is your website optimized for all search types? Does every page load quickly, making it easy for users to take advantage of the information provided? Advertising on various platforms is only one aspect of what you need to do to bring customers into your dealership family. If your website isn’t optimized for every search platform and has slow-loading pages, many users will close the tab and won’t visit your dealership website. Check every aspect of your website and test its usefulness to ensure its operating properly.

Are You Focused on Local SEO?

Although SEO isn’t a place where you can advertise your dealership, local SEO is extremely important for car dealers. The localized nature of this business means a strong focus on the city and community are important aspects of your content. Whether you need to boost your blog with more local content or find that its important to ensure your advertising hits home with customers in your local area, it’s important to ensure your SEO strategies offer a local approach.

Video Advertising Is More Important Than Ever Before

YouTube is huge and has become one of the sites where more users turn for information and suggestions. Whether you offer a series of “how-to” videos from your service department, some tips, and tricks on buying cars, or offer vehicle revies on YouTube, your presence on this platform is important. YouTube can be a two-pronged benefit for your dealership with videos that can easily be shared to your social media sites and added to your blogs as desired. Your dealership YouTube channel could become a driving force for leads and sales.

Direct Mailers Still Work but Need Value

How are your mailers standing out from the other junk mail that customers receive every week? Do you offer a discount on services, which requires the mailer to be brought to your service team? Your direct mailer can advertise car sales and specials while also offering value for your customer base with discounted oil changes, tire rotations, or other services that your recipients can take advantage of the next time they stop by your service department.

Use Google Reviews to Your Advantage

More car shoppers than ever before begin their search online. This search includes checking the company for the average review ratings. Many consumers won’t consider companies with low review numbers or ratings. An important part of your dealership advertising is to ensure your Google reviews are part of your Business profile and offer the results consumers are looking for. Showcase your positive reviews as part of your listing to give future customers more confidence in your team and what you offer.

When you want to know where to advertise your dealership, there’s more to it than a location, whether physical or digital. Use these locations and tips to help boost your dealership advertising.