Syncing 10,000 leads/mo? GET A DEMO

How to use TikTok for car dealerships in 2024

TikTok for car dealerships

We all know the many benefits of Facebook and Instagram. But what about TikTok? 

TikTok’s advertising platform is relatively less populated by advertisers compared to other social networks. That means if you run ads for your car dealerships on TikTok, you’ll have less competition for user attention. This also potentially lowers ad costs while still reaching a vast audience.

Speaking of the audience, TikTok has a potential ad reach of 1.218 billion users aged 18 and above_ technically all the people that can drive.

So, if you combine creative content on your TikTok for car dealerships with targeted advertising, chances are you can generate leads. 

However, if you add the power of marketing automation to your campaigns, your car dealerships can effectively generate leads, nurture customer relationships, and ultimately drive sales.

Benefits of using TikTok for car dealers

Still need a few more reasons to create your own car dealer TikTok account? 

Here are the top benefits of TikTok car dealership advertising you might want to consider.

TikTok makes it easy to engage with your target audience

Over 60% of TikTok users are between 18 and 34 years old. So, as a car dealership, you’ll have direct access to a prime demographic of your current and future car buyers. This age group is active on social media and ready to enter (or is already in) the car-buying market. Your TikTok content can build a name for your brand amongst potential customers who are starting to make major purchasing decisions.

TikTok promotes visibility

TikTok’s algorithm helps good content go viral despite the number of followers your account might have. Even if your car dealership is a small, locally owned one, you can still reach hundreds of thousands of viewers. The only catch is that your content should resonate with users and be aligned with TikTok’s advertising guidelines. This kind of visibility can be much more challenging to achieve through traditional media channels.

It helps make your brand personable

TikTok promotes authenticity as well as personable content. This can help car dealerships overcome the industry stereotype of being impersonal and salesy. You can use fun TikTok ideas for car dealerships to show your staff, customer testimonials, and behind-the-scenes looks. Besides, this creates a more relatable and trustworthy image for your brand.

TikTok is also about providing educational content

Car buying is a complicated matter. People often feel unsure or overwhelmed about what they choose, how they maintain it, what their money can buy them, and more. You can use TikTok to create informative content that makes car buying a more peaceful experience. 

Some other car dealership TikTok ideas can be about maintenance tips and car-specific driving advice. This is also a sure way to position yourself as a helpful expert rather than just a seller.

TikTok lets you create content that’s versatile

The platform supports a variety of content types. Anything from short-form videos to showcase your vehicles and their features to trending challenges and hashtag campaigns like #TikTokmademebuyit or #carsoftiktok. These are great strategies for you to promote special offers, new stock, or share your customer experiences.

Finally, TikTok helps you sell

74% of users have taken action after seeing an automotive advertisement or content on TikTok. This shows a substantial return on investment for dealerships that can harness the platform’s advertising and organic content features.

Car dealership TikTok ideas 

Besides the massive and ready-to-buy audiences, what really makes TikTok stand out for car dealers is its cost-free options. It’s free for you to create content. On the other hand, it offers paid options to boost engagement through paid or sponsored content. 

Targeted ads help you tailor your content exactly for specific audiences. If you are aiming for conversions, this is an effective strategy. It involves connecting with the precise group of potential buyers you’re targeting for by setting your preferred audience criteria.

Creating car dealer TikTok content can be a great chance for car dealerships to connect with potential customers. This is especially true when content is combined with strategic advertising and integration with marketing automation tools. 

Here are several ideas for your TikTok car dealership content, as well as a few must-have advertising strategies and tools_ All that you need to build a surefire TikTok presence.

  1. Showcase your vehicles in series: Start a periodic video series to show different vehicles in your inventory. You can focus on unique selling points for each car, or offer new arrivals and special deals.
  2. Use TikTok’s popular POV to offer behind-the-wheel experiences: You can record and share point-of-view test drive videos. These can be performance videos on open roads or car feature demonstrations in real-world scenarios.
  3. Focus on showing car features: Create bite-sized clips that focus on specific vehicle features. This can be safety technology, infotainment systems, or eco-friendly markers.

Here’s an example of a feature-related TikTok car dealership idea.

Car dealership TikTok ideas 

@zeiglerhyundaiofracine – Show off inventory!

  1. Offer maintenance tips: Post helpful tutorials on car maintenance that every car owner would need to know. Anything from simple DIY checks to cleaning hacks.
  2. Post your customer testimonials: Feature stories or reviews from your happy customers who have recently purchased a car from your dealership. However, make sure you always get their permission beforehand.
  3. Use the a-day-in-the-life-of trend: What’s a day in the life of a car dealership owner like? Show the daily operations of your dealership. You can introduce various team members or departments in order to build a personal connection with your audience.

Here’s an example.

Car dealership TikTok ideas 

@zeiglersubaru_kenosha – Meet the team humor with filters

  1. Move with the dance and trend challenges: TikTokers love those dance videos. Create content around popular TikTok trends and challenges to feature your staff (and yourself)’s fun and human side.

Check out this fun trend content idea for car dealership TikTok. 

Car dealership TikTok ideas 

@huntfordchrysler – Follow the trends

Looking for more TikTok post inspiration? Check out these automotive lead generation ideas.

Car dealership advertising strategies on TikTok

Keep lead generation at the forefront of your campaigns

Using TikTok’s Lead Generation Ads, you can directly collect lead data from interested users. The platform has a plethora of ad features to help you create engaging ads. 

It may be prompting sign-ups for test drives, getting more information about your leads, or sending out special promotions. Users can engage with TikTok’s Lead Generation Ads, all while staying within the app.

In case you are wondering, here’s how to master TikTok Lead generation.

Run optimized vehicle ads to run highly targeted campaigns

TikTok’s ad targeting options let you show your vehicles to users based on their interests, behaviors, and demographics. Precise audience targeting allows your ads to reach users who are more likely to be interested in your inventory.

Use hashtag challenges in your advertising

Have you ever wondered where social media trends or challenges start? You can start a branded hashtag challenge to encourage user-generated content. Besides presenting yourself as an in-the-now brand, this strategy spreads awareness about your dealership.

Automate your workflows to stay ahead of competition

Car dealerships that make a break are those that equip their team with the necessary tools to complete their tasks. Implementing automated workflows helps upgrade a data-heavy operation such as running TikTok car dealership advertising. 

With the right integration, you can even boost your business’s overall productivity and revenue. For instance, data management automation frees the time of your sales personnel and allows them to devote more time to interacting with customers.

Automate TikTok Lead Generation

As an official TikTok partner, LeadsBridge lets you connect TikTok Lead Generation and TikTok Conversions with the rest of your marketing stack. This integration helps you focus on monitoring outcomes and improving the effectiveness of your campaigns.

Here’s how you can use automated data bridges for your car dealer-TikTok ad strategy:

Manage your lead data efficiently

Sync your TikTok Lead Generation campaigns with LeadsBridge to automate your workflows. For instance, to send leads into your CRM or email marketing software. This seamless integration allows for immediate follow-up, ensuring that hot leads are engaged promptly.

Set up automated follow-ups

Set up an automated response to new leads generated from TikTok campaigns. This could be a personalized message, a scheduled test drive, or further information about a vehicle they showed interest in.

Learn more about automotive lead management here.

Run retargeting campaigns

Use retargeting ads through LeadsBridge to reach users who have engaged with your content but haven’t converted. Retargeting can keep your dealership top-of-mind of your audience and encourage them to take the next step.

Sync your audience segments

LeadsBridge helps to create audience segments on TikTok based on your existing customer data. This will help you find new users similar to your best customers. Need more inspiration? Check out these target audience examples for your campaigns.

TikTok’s Conversions API lets you track what happens after people see your ads, like buying something. These insights help you understand if your ads are working and allow you to spend your ad money smarter. Overall, using this tool gives you a clearer picture of your ads’ impact.

Here’s everything you need to know about TikTok Conversion API.

Final thoughts

TikTok is a favorite among younger audiences for its fun content. And now, it has become a favorite among brands like car dealerships for the same reason. They use it to showcase inventory, build brand identity, and draw in potential customers. 

If you comply with regulations that imply the use of TikTok for car dealerships, reduce costs, and boost your team’s productivity you must get your data management in order. This means less manual data handling and more automated workflows. LeadsBridge offers automotive-specific integrations to optimize dealer lead management campaigns and makes sure you send out timely outreach to your potential buyers.

Discover all the available TikTok integrations via LeadsBridge to change your marketing game today.

Elena Mazaheri

Try LeadsBridge now!