It’s fascinating that while 95% of car purchases happen at dealerships, search is the first place people go their buying process. Most automotive marketers understand that online advertising is crucial for attracting potential customers. However, this approach presents its own set of difficulties and expenses.

A major hurdle for automotive marketers is building trust with potential customers. Their role is to guide these leads to the dealership, providing the sales team with potential buyers. However, in a fiercely competitive market where consumers face a significant financial choice impacting their daily lives, automotive marketers face an uphill battle.

How can automotive marketers overcome these obstacles? The answer lies in a smarter approach to online advertising. 97% of people their exploration online, whether it’s for a new purchase, repairs, or customization.

9 Powerful Automotive Marketing Strategies

Despite the challenges of advertising in the auto industry, proven methods exist to achieve lasting success. Here are nine automotive marketing strategies to boost your sales this year.

1. Foster Trust through Customer Reviews

I vividly recall leasing my first car. I opted for the dependable, budget-friendly, and aesthetically pleasing (in my view) Honda Accord, but the decision filled me with anxiety. Months were spent researching, contacting local dealerships, and weighing the pros and cons of leasing versus buying a used car. Ultimately, customer reviews on Yelp and Google determined which dealerships I visited.

The takeaway? Reviews are arguably the most potent automotive marketing tool available. Automotive marketers need to go beyond simply having positive reviews; they must ensure these glowing testimonials are highly visible across platforms like Yelp, Google, social media, and their own website, leaving no stone unturned! Taking it further, consider crafting customer success stories and videos featuring satisfied clients to leverage on platforms like paid social media ads, your website, or newsletters.

In automotive marketing, nothing builds trust quite like letting your customers do the talking!

P.S.: Verify that your business information is accurate on review sites! Use this free business listings grader to double-check.

2. Dominate the Google Search Results Page

Remember my initial move when searching for a new car? Google, of course! And I’m not alone. A study by Kenshoo found that 70% of car shoppers begin their search on search engines.

Given Google’s prominence, securing a top spot on the search results page is paramount, especially since people rarely scroll to the bottom. The top few listings consistently garner the most clicks, making a strong Google Ads strategy non-negotiable for automotive marketing success. The key is to achieve this without breaking the bank. Fortunately, Google favors certain strategies that can boost your ranking without increasing spending. Implement these tips:

• Organize your Google Ads account effectively with focused ad groups (ideally 15-20 keywords per group).
• Maintain a strong connection between your keywords and ad copy, and incorporate 2-3 ads per ad group/keyword list.
• Utilize ad extensions! Google loves them, and they expand your ad’s visibility and chances of engagement.
• Add negative keywords to filter out irrelevant searches (and diligently monitor your search query report).
• Allocate your budget strategically across campaigns. Identify your best-selling models and your target audience’s most common searches, and allocate higher bids to these areas.

Don’t forget about other search engines like Bing!

Though Bing might seem like Google’s less popular counterpart, it captures a segment of the search market often dominated by an older demographic, potentially more financially stable and ready to invest in pricier vehicles.

3. Outmaneuver the Competition: Bid on Competitor Keywords

Speaking of search engine marketing, don’t limit yourself to bidding on obvious keywords like “new Honda Accord.” Challenge your competitors head-on with a dedicated automotive marketing campaign.

In the fiercely competitive automotive marketing arena, it’s crucial to match your rivals’ every move with compelling ad copy. While I wouldn’t advise negativity or directly naming competitors in your ads (Google might disapprove!), bidding on your top competitors’ brand names is a smart tactic. Craft highly persuasive ads that entice potential customers to visit your website instead of your competitors'.

This ad from Toyota perfectly illustrates my point:

While I can’t be sure if they’re bidding on competitor keywords, their direct appeal to a specific demographic, highlighting value right in the headline, is brilliant.

4. Stay Sharp: Actively Manage Your Negative Keyword List

Are you aware that your ads might be appearing for searches unrelated to your business? And each click, relevant or not, incurs a cost. Bidding on broad or phrase match keywords opens the door to irrelevant searches.

Sticking to exact match keywords might seem appealing, but it significantly limits your reach. Therefore, identifying negative keywords is crucial for your automotive marketing strategy. It might feel tedious, but regularly reviewing your search query report is essential, especially in the automotive industry. When your ads appear for unrelated searches, your business’s credibility takes a hit. Being proactive about setting up negative keywords to avoid irrelevant queries not only saves face but also your budget.

Imagine bidding on “affordable cars” and your ad popping up for “toy cars.” A busy parent might accidentally click, wasting their time and your money!

Managing your negative keyword list becomes a breeze with tools like the 20-Minute Work Week, which filters out irrelevant searches, and our search query report, which helps you identify and configure your negative keyword lists.

5. Ride the Wave: Align Your Campaign Budgets with Car-Buying Trends

Is Black Friday the ultimate car-buying day? What about Memorial Day Weekend? Unofficial “car-buying holidays” abound. According to a TrueCar.com and U.S. News & World Report analysis, strategic timing can save you 7.5% to 8% off MSRP. Your research-savvy audience is likely aware of these automotive deal periods. Refer to the report here to learn more about the optimal days of the week and times of year when bargain hunters are on the lookout for their next vehicle.

Identify peak, steady, and slow periods and adjust your online advertising budget accordingly. Ensure your windows aren’t too narrow. This often requires some foresight, but platforms like Google make it relatively easy to tweak your budget on the fly. Just make sure you’re actually doing it!

Leveraging ad scheduling is another smart move. When do customers typically visit your store? Weekends? Weekday evenings after work? Analyze your data to pinpoint these peak times and set an ad schedule that allocates a higher budget right before these periods, reminding potential customers to drop by.

6. Hit the Bullseye: Target the Right Audience with Your Automotive Campaigns

What type of automotive business are you marketing? Who is your typical customer? A luxury Porsche and BMW dealership requires a different automotive marketing strategy compared to a used car lot or a dealership specializing in more affordable brands like Honda and Toyota. The concerns, questions, desires, and needs of prospective customers vary drastically when it comes to investing in a new car. Your Mercedes customer might prioritize heated seats and leather interiors, while your Honda buyer is likely more concerned with fuel efficiency and durability. However, there are always exceptions…

Julia Manoukian suggests that “luxury car buyers are more likely driven by social status and material possessions, while buyers of practical cars are driven by necessity.”

Segmenting and targeting different automotive marketing audiences separately is crucial. Understanding your audience’s priorities is key to delivering the right message to the right person, increasing conversion rates.

Splitting your audiences into two, three, or even four distinct campaigns might be necessary to ensure message-to-prospect alignment. Fortunately, platforms like Facebook offer sophisticated targeting options, simplifying this task. Invest the time to define your audiences precisely, enabling you to deliver the right message to the right person at the right time.

7. Sweeten the Deal: Entice Shoppers with Unique Offers

Why choose your dealership over the one down the street, especially if the latter is more conveniently located or offers better prices? A key element of your automotive marketing strategy is convincing prospects to choose you over the competition.

If you don’t have obvious advantages like the lowest prices or stellar reviews, brainstorm unique incentives and offers. For instance, consider offering a 5% discount to new car buyers or free oil changes for the first two years. Incentives create a sense of urgency, encouraging customers to act quickly before missing out on a limited-time offer.

Take a look at this deal offering $1,000 off for college graduates. It’s a fantastic incentive to attract new car buyers, especially those likely searching for their post-graduation vehicle.

8. Answer the Call: Utilize All Call Features Available

Call-only campaigns, call extensions, mobile bid adjustments, and call tracking—these Google Ads features should be top priorities for automotive marketers. Phone calls are commonplace and crucial in the automotive industry, and phone leads convert to sales more readily.

Here’s a rundown of the various options for boosting your call volume:

• Call-only campaigns: Focus your bidding and budget on generating calls instead of website visits. Tailor your strategy for these campaigns, as they differ from regular search campaigns. Consult this post for valuable tips on optimizing call-only campaigns.
• Call extensions: Call extensions offer more flexibility than call-only campaigns. While maintaining the option to visit your website, you can include an extension for phone calls. Conveniently schedule these to appear solely during business hours when someone is available to answer.
• Mobile bid-adjustments: What device are people most likely to call from? Their mobile phones, of course! Fortunately, Google allows you to adjust your mobile bids, letting you bid higher on mobile traffic to increase those incoming calls.
• Call tracking: Finally, tracking your calls is essential for understanding your ROI. For more insights into call tracking, refer to this post.

While optimizing your automotive marketing campaigns for phone calls might seem like a hefty task, the payoff is well worth it when your phones start ringing nonstop.

9. Don’t Let Them Forget You: Remarket!

Remarketing is a cornerstone of automotive marketing. Given the prevalence of comparison shopping and the crucial role of the sales process in car buying, it’s vital to avoid losing leads during the marketing stage. Regularly reminding potential customers of your presence through engaging remarketing ads effectively prevents them from falling through the cracks.

Remarketing helps lower your abandonment rate and close more deals by displaying enticing Display ads to recent website visitors, reminding them you’re there and guiding them through the process. Consider showcasing a deal to encourage a visit to your dealership, connecting them with your exceptional sales team.

Set up remarketing campaigns through Google Ads and social media platforms like Facebook.

By implementing these automotive marketing strategies, your campaigns should gain rapid momentum. You’ll be delivering a steady stream of new leads to your sales team in no time!