Social media has changed the way businesses connect with their audiences. And the automotive industry is no exception. The platform itself also matters in the quality of the ads you run. For instance, Facebook acts as a robust advertising platform with general and industry-specific features.
The secret is to have the right marketing strategies so that you can advertise your dealership on Facebook (and other platforms) in a way that results in more visibility, engagement, and sales.
In this article, we’ll explore three effective automotive social media marketing strategies you can implement right away to upgrade your automotive business.
Why social media marketing is essential for the automotive industry
Potential car buyers are more and more turning to social media to research cars, compare their features, and even make purchasing decisions.
This presents a golden opportunity for automotive businesses. With potential customers on the lookout, they can easily engage with them, showcase their inventory, and build a loyal following.
Practical automotive social media marketing can help you:
- Reach a larger audience
- Engage with potential automotive customers
- Drive traffic to your website
- Increase sales and leads
Now, let’s talk about automotive marketing strategies (industry-specific) for social media.
Benefits of social media marketing for automotive
Social media marketing works well for the automotive industry. It’s a unique way of connecting with potential customers for car dealerships and auto brands.
Not convinced yet? Here’s why it’s such a big deal:
It lets you reach more customers
Platforms like Instagram and Facebook allow dealerships to reach a wide range of potential buyers who may never have heard of them otherwise. It’s a great (and budget-friendly) way for you to put up your cars in front of millions of people without them ever stepping foot in the showroom!
Social media marketing helps build trust
Social media lets you create a more personal and approachable image. Instead of feeling like they’re being “sold” something, customers feel like they’re getting to know the people behind the brand.
It’s great for driving traffic to your website
Given that you share enough posts, you can direct more people to your website. Your posts can be text, images and videos of new car models, promotions, and customer success stories. If you are consistent, you can definitely count on increasing your chances of making a sale.
It can create real-time engagement
Whether it’s responding to customer inquiries or comments on a post, social media lets you connect with potential buyers in real-time. And that quick interaction can be the difference between someone choosing your dealership or moving on to the next.
It offers tools that help target the right audience
With tools like Facebook ads, you can target specific demographics (like age, location, or interests). This allows you to make sure your message reaches the people who are most likely to be interested in, or even in need of, your cars.
Keep in mind that managing social media advertising tools like Facebook ads are somewhat complex. So, having a solution in place that automates your data management workflows can make your efforts a whole lot more straightforward and more effective.
This can be done through automated integrations, such as:
Running Facebook ads for automotive
Facebook works wonders for automotive social media marketing. It offers advanced targeting options you can use to reach your potential customers. This can be based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and even specific life events, like buying a car.
How to get started? Here’s a rough outline:
Step 1: Create your campaign
Start designing your lead ads campaign on Meta Ads Manager. Make sure to have a clear copy that highlights key features, special offers, and customer testimonials. Also, use high-quality images and videos of your cars.
Anyone can create a campaign. Lots of marketers can also generate automotive leads. However, only a fraction of them actually have the right approach to their lead data. For instance, only 27% of marketers use advanced tools like social selling to improve their lead data management, which shows a gap in the use of data-driven marketing techniques.
Creating an interconnected automotive lead data management system allows you to nurture and follow up on your leads as they come in.
Step 2: Target your audience
Targeting can get better as you go. When you collect lots of data, you can use them to improve the accuracy of your existing and new campaigns.
For example, custom audiences help you reach specific groups, like people who have recently searched for cars or visited automotive websites. In other words, it helps you find your current audience among people using Meta’s platforms.
Or, use lookalike audiences to show your ads to new people who are likely to be interested in your business because they have traits similar to those of your current customers.
Segmenting your leads on Facebook effectively requires connecting the platform directly to your off-platform database:
Besides audience segments, you can use the Conversion leads performance goal to improve your targeting precision. This only works for ad campaigns using the feature while creating the ad.
However, you’ll have to integrate your conversion data in your automotive CRM with Facebook to create highly targeted campaigns through data bridges.
Step 3: Retarget your audience
Running retargeting campaigns is another highly beneficial automotive social media marketing technique. It lets you reach people who have interacted with your dealership before. This keeps your brand top-of-mind and encourages them to come back and make a purchase.
Start by installing a Meta Pixel on your website to track visitor actions and retarget them with specific ads based on a specific behavior. Using this in combination with the Meta Conversions API can help you access even more insights.
Dynamic ads automatically show the right products to the right people. For example, if someone viewed a specific product on your website, these ads display that particular product along with other recommended items.
A/B testing is a strategy where you try out different versions of your ads to see which one works best. Changing things like the text, images, and buttons in your ads helps you figure out what gets the most clicks and sales. This makes your targeting and retargeting campaigns as effective as they can be.
Learn more about automotive digital advertising strategies here.
Adding automation in social media marketing for automotive
Streamlining your marketing efforts guarantees you are reaching your audience with the right message at the right time. LeadsBridge offers powerful integrations that can help you automate your automotive marketing processes.
Here are the top integrations any automotive business needs:
1. VinSolutions
- Features: Data syncing, lead follow-up, pipeline tracking, remarketing campaigns, and secure storage of sensitive information like driver’s licenses.
- Integration: Works with tools like Facebook lead ads and JotForm for seamless data transfer.
2. elead
- Features: Marketing, sales, communication tools, follow-up scheduling, and task assignment.
- Interface: Though slightly dated, it covers primary dealership needs and integrates with platforms like Facebook ads.
3. DealerSocket
- Features: Inventory management, CRM, marketing, digital retail, and data mining for high-quality leads.
- Customization: Configure to specific dealership needs with secure data storage and streamlined workflows.
You might also want to consider ADF/XML integrations for sharing lead information across tools. This is essential for compliance with regulations like the FTC Safeguards Rule.
In addition to these, LeadsBridge offers integrations for major auto dealer tools. Once you set up your automated data technology stack, you’ll get real-time lead syncing and data updates across multiple platforms.
Instagram social media marketing for automotive
Instagram is a visual platform. It allows you to showcase your vehicles and dealerships in a captivating way. Given that your content is attractive enough, you can draw in potential buyers while building a strong online presence.
Here are some tips for having a successful Instagram presence:
High-quality visuals are a must
Post high-resolution photos and videos of your inventory. Use Instagram Stories and Reels to show behind-the-scenes footage, customer testimonials, and special promotions.
Here are our top picks of evergreen events you can use for your dealership all year long.
Be hands-on when engaging with your audience
Respond to comments and messages as soon as you can. And use polls, Q&A sessions, and interactive stickers to engage with your followers.
Use hashtags strategically
Incorporate popular automotive hashtags to increase the visibility of your posts. Research and use a mix of broad and niche-specific hashtags. Some examples include:
#CARSOFINSTAGRAM – 110M+ posts
#CARS – 89M+ posts
#CARPORN – 41M+ posts
Leverage Instagram’s advertising features
Instagram is more than just a platform for gaining organic traction. Use Instagram Story ads with engaging videos to attract leads and sales for your car dealership. Showcase your stock or highlight your best vehicles to grab attention.
Also, create Instagram feed ads with eye-catching images and vibrant text to make users stop scrolling and engage, boosting leads and sales for your dealership.
Takeaways
Implementing these three automotive social media marketing strategies can significantly enhance your automotive business’s online presence and drive more sales. By using Meta’s extensive advertising features and automating your processes with LeadsBridge, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your marketing goals.
