Despite the decrease in public transportation use due to the COVID-19 pandemic, studies have shown that approximately 66% of Americans have no plan on changing their vehicle purchasing intentions, meaning that they don’t see a need to alter their plans for acquiring their next car. With so many people still trying to save money where they can, car sales have seen a 15.5% drop across 2020. So, what does that mean for car sales lead generation? How can dealers and individual car salesman increase their advertising effectively?
How to Get More Customers as a Car Salesman with Digital Marketing
While traditional marketing efforts are still viable, especially for those in the automotive industry, more and more consumers are headed online to do their research and shopping. Even though buying a car used to be a very in-person experience, more options are popping up online to search for cars and purchase them and have them delivered to a consumer’s home.
To keep up with consumer demand for online browsing and purchasing options, you’ll want to make sure you invest in your digital marketing strategy to help you increase your car sales lead generation.
5 Car Sales Lead Generation Tips to Get You More Sales
If you’re looking to increase your car sales lead generation, then you’ll want to make sure you are considering these five lead generation tips:
1. Get on Social Media
More people have been spending their time on their smart devices while at home. One poll found that between March and early May 2020, between 46% and 51% of adults in the U.S. were using social media more frequently than they had been before.
The key to an effective digital marketing strategy is to go where your audience is. That way, you can increase the overall engagement opportunity between you and your ideal audience, which will help you start building trusting relationships with those who may be in the market for a product or service your dealership has to offer.
2. Invest in Content Marketing
Creating and sharing industry expert content will go a long way in helping you not only build a trusting relationship with your audience, but it will also help you develop an authoritative voice.
When it comes to discussing something as pricey as a car or maintaining one, you need to be able to speak with confidence on relevant topics. Not only will it help put your audience at ease knowing you aren’t some sleazy car salesman, but it will increase your chances of building up referral sources as well. Remember, if someone trusts you as an authoritative figure, they are more likely to refer their friends and family to you for advice as well.
3. Focus Your Attention on Boosting Your Local SEO
While social media and online content can help get you noticed by your online audience, you’ll also want to focus much of your attention on boosting your local search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.
Local SEO is an off-page SEO tactic that allows you to build brand recognition within your local community. The most obvious ways to help boost your local SEO include:
- Adding your physical address to your website.
- Claiming your Google My Business listing and updating it with your physical address and contact information.
- Including your physical address and contact information on your various social media profiles.
4. Collect Customer Reviews/Testimonials
Feature customer reviews and testimonials on all your online pages. Remember, consumers are more likely to believe the word of fellow online consumers like they are some of their closest friends and relatives. The better reviews you can share on your website, within your email newsletters, and on your social media pages, the better your brand reputation will be.
5. Invest Your Ad Spend Appropriately
Organically placing high up in the Google SERPs can be quite tricky, especially if you are an independent car salesman competing against significant dealerships. That’s why it could be wise to invest in paid advertising, whether it be on pay-per-click (PPC) ads or social media advertisements.
Research shows that automotive industry digital advertising spending in the United States is expected to increase to approximately $13.29 billion, up from an estimated $10.94 billion in 2020. However, what works for some doesn’t always work for others. So, before you go investing a ton of money in paid advertisements, make sure you take the time to do adequate testing to see what works with your audience and what doesn’t.
Lead Generation in the Automotive Industry with CadenceSEO
Are you struggling with lead generation in your industry? Then the team at CadenceSEO can help! Whether you already have a digital marketing strategy in place or need a complete overhaul, we can help you get on the right track.
Ready to get started? Then contact us today for more information!
