Consumers are more sophisticated than ever before. Most have done hours of research before going into a dealership to look at new cars or scheduling service on their current one. They are confident about what they know and will get turned off by pushy sales tactics. Today’s dealership needs to recognize this and take advantage of advances in marketing automation to communicate better and in a way that allows the customer to feel like they are more in control.
Customer Marketing: Before and After The Visit
There’s a distinct difference between actively shopping versus “dreaming” about a new car. Dealerships have focused on the small percentage of people actively visiting the dealership while missing their biggest opportunity in the “dreamers.” These people are thinking about a new car, but it might not be the right time for them to get one. They are the perfect audience for offering service on their current vehicle.
Reaching out to potential customers needs to be on their terms. They’re wary of deceptive advertising and want transparency, such as upfront pricing and service without surprises.
Today’s automated marketing tools can manage their expectations while enticing them to take advantage of an offer or promotion. Dealerships can take advantage of new technology to build customer engagement before and after a visit.
Text Alerts and Email
More than 93% of millennials own a smartphone, yet have an aversion to phone calls. Being digital natives, they use text messaging and email as their preferred forms of communication. Marketing automation can schedule campaigns to send alerts on a range of topics. Interestingly, people want to see stories about:
- The personal side of sales and service staff
- Community involvement
- Updates on the latest tech and engineering
- New models
- Latest recalls
They don’t want to be bombarded by offers or sales. There has to be a good mix of everything because it needs to keep their attention, or else they will unsubscribe.
Dealerships also need to stay in touch with their customers after a visit. Typically, this is when surveys are sent out, but there needs to be more that leads to a feeling of brand identity and a special community.
Keywords
Building a customer list can be a challenge. Adding new customers to a list needs to be really easy—no more than a couple of steps. Then, the dealership needs permission to place them on the mailing list. A shortcode phone number and keyword combination make this easier than ever. All of the actions are automated, and the customer feels like they are in control of what they want to see.
iPad Kiosks
People are drawn to tablet kiosks. It’s an iPad on a stylish, custom-made stand where customers can enter their information to receive an offer or get on the dealership mailing list. Almost everyone is familiar with the technology, and they know how to operate it. These are perfect for introducing them to the store, offering directions, and subscribing to text or email messages.
Keep In Touch After the Visit
Like our other car dealership marketing ideas, text and email are great ways to keep customers from feeling like they’ve been abandoned or forgotten. After their visit, it’s the perfect time to send surveys and let them know how much they are valued.
Automated marketing is a no-pressure tool that engages with customers and encourages loyalty. It meets them on their terms and keeps the dealership top-of-mind when they start looking for a vehicle or need service.