Three Marketing Strategies Dealerships Should Use

To stay ahead in the automotive industry, dealerships must adopt innovative marketing strategies. You need to attract in-market shoppers and engage them.

We asked Alex Woodward, a Darwill Account Executive with 13 years of automotive experience, for his advice on automotive marketing strategies. Woodward recommends automated trigger marketing and remarketing with reverse IP append. He also suggests using voice optimization for search engine optimization (SEO).

Automated Trigger Marketing for Acquisition and Retention

Trigger marketing helps your dealership maximize the power of timing. This effective strategy delivers the right message to the right person at the right time. Dealerships can leverage automated trigger marketing by identifying specific events or behaviors. Triggers could include a shopper’s interest in a new vehicle or service for an existing customer. 

Trigger Event Examples

• New Mover Acquisition. Target prospects who have recently moved into the neighborhood. We recommend targeting within a 20-mile radius of your dealership.
• Service Conquest Acquisition. This trigger targets individuals owning the same manufacturer vehicle. They have never purchased or have had service done from your dealership. 
• First Service Reminder. After they buy a new vehicle, send a service reminder after a pre-determined amount of time.
• Lost Customer Recovery. This event aims to win back a customer after a certain amount of time has passed. Focus on a timeframe after they bought or last serviced the vehicle. Defected Customers. Target customers who purchased but never serviced their vehicle at your dealership.

How Dealerships Can Use Trigger Marketing

1. Data Analysis. Using AI, Darwill segments your dealership’s database to identify trigger events. These events could include their birthday, service reminders, or end-of-vehicle lease. 
2. Personalized Messaging. Once we have identified triggers, Darwill crafts personalized and targeted messages for each event. We do this through direct mail, email, social, and display ads. For example, sending a “Happy Birthday” email with a special discount on service or a new vehicle.
3. Automation. Darwill’s marketing automation technology delivers messages when trigger events occur. This minimizes manual effort on your team and maximizes efficiency.

Trigger marketing can boost customer engagement and loyalty. It incentivizes prospects to stop by for service. This can lead to increased sales and higher customer satisfaction. 

Remarketing Website Visitors with Reverse IP Append

Understanding your website visitors is crucial for converting web traffic. Reverse IP append is an effective marketing strategy for dealerships. It uncovers the identity of anonymous website visitors based on their IP addresses.

By matching IP addresses with Darwill’s national consumer files, we help dealerships uncover the names and contact information of individuals who visit their websites. You can use this information to follow up with in-market shoppers.

We recommend applying pixels across your website. This can help to determine which anonymous web visitors are worth appending. You should not append all website visitors. Pixels will show us the path that each web visitor took. We can see who made it to the contact page and who looked around at vehicle models and pricing. In this example, you would not want to waste marketing dollars on a lead that already filled out a contact form. Instead, append web visitors who did not engage with your contact information. Target these leads to push them to the next step in the buying journey.

Voice Optimization for SEO

Your dealership can stay ahead by optimizing your website for voice search. Voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant are on the rise. Optimizing for voice search is essential for dealerships to stay visible to prospects. 

How to Incorporate Voice Optimization in Your SEO Strategy

1. Natural Language Keywords. People tend to use more conversational and long-tail keywords in voice searches. Dealerships should research and incorporate these phrases into their content and website structure. Doing so will help your website and landing pages rank higher for voice search queries.
2. Mobile Optimization. Many voice searches occur on mobile devices. Ensuring a mobile-responsive website with quick load times is vital.
3. Local SEO. Optimize your dealership’s online presence for local search queries. This includes claiming your Google My Business listing and encouraging customer reviews.

By embracing voice optimization, dealerships can increase their visibility in voice search results. This enhances their online presence and attracts more prospects.

Get a Competitive Edge with Darwill’s Auto Marketing Experts

In today’s competitive automotive industry, dealerships must evolve their marketing. Woodward says, “Our goal is to make sure your dealerships are speaking to the right customer at the right time. Automated triggers, reverse IP append, and voice optimization for SEO are cutting-edge strategies. They will help dealerships stay ahead of their competition and boost sales. 

“Implementing automated triggers is crucial for timely and personalized communication with in-market shoppers. It ensures that you nurture leads throughout the buyer's journey. Remarketing with reverse IP append adds another layer of precision. It identifies website visitors; you can tailor marketing efforts based on their behavior. You re-engage interested parties and increase the likelihood of conversion. Voice optimization for SEO is also critical in the era of voice-activated search. It enables dealerships to enhance their online visibility and reach a broader audience. 

“By combining these strategies, dealerships can create a comprehensive and targeted marketing plan. They can improve efficiency, engage customers at various touchpoints, and increase sales.”

Gain a competitive edge in the market with Darwill's automotive marketing experts.