It has become clear through recent studies that shoppers in the car market rank social networks as more important than the car dealer’s own website when choosing a dealership. Review systems found on social media websites offer a superior way for the public to determine whether a certain car brand is worth their time and money. Facebook ads are receiving a much higher click-through rate, doubling from 33% to 66% in 2014.
With this in mind, we can confidently say that an effective and successful social media marketing campaign is essential to a car brand or dealership’s success. The automotive industry tends to be much slower in adopting modern concepts and car dealerships, in particular, tend to rely on more traditional methods to sell their stock.
But the statistics don’t lie, so it’s time that car brands took social media more seriously and better integrated it into their marketing campaign, as the rewards will pay off. Here are some great strategies to consider.
Marketing to Instagram’s Young Demographic
While most adults still browse Facebook, their millennial children have turned their attention to Instagram, which is now under Facebook ownership. This means the app has undergone a serious overhaul, making it the perfect marketing opportunity.
From sponsored posts to custom business accounts that allow you to share any amount of text, images, and videos with the world, Instagram is the perfect hub for car brands to advertise their products.
American car manufacturer Chrysler, for example, has taken this opportunity to showcase their vehicles. The increased business from their social media presence has opened up more job opportunities as a result of the expansion, allowing those with the right expertise to fill out a Chrysler job application and further their career.
Utilizing The Power Of YouTube
Advertising on television costs thousands, if not millions of dollars, and can only reach a certain number of viewers. With the world moving away from cable and onto the internet, video streaming websites such as YouTube have become the ultimate medium through which car brands can advertise their vehicles.
A study done by Force Marketing showed that 84% of prospective car buyers watched videos on the vehicle they desired to purchase. The best strategy would be to upload videos that detail information such as technical specs, comparisons safety features, and performance. Not only could you reach millions of viewers, but you can do it relatively cheaply and videos can be uploaded for free.
Add Pinterest Users To Your Audience
If you’ve ever Googled, well, anything, it’s likely that Pinterest has shown up in the search results. It tends to eventually appear for almost any keyword due to the way it indexes and tags the images it hosts. This makes for a great marketing opportunity, as a large part of the Pinterest user base is people who want to look at cars. It’s also great for creating social signals to drive more traffic to your site.
Conclusion
By utilizing the power of some of the world’s biggest websites, your car brand’s internet presence can go through the roof and with it, your sales. Where do you go to advertise your brand? Let us know in the comments below.
