Automotive Internet Media

Automotive Marketing Strategy

How to Navigate Inventory Issues Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic

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The impact that coronavirus is having on businesses unfortunately comes as no surprise. Auto dealers are seeing the negative impact of this pandemic even though they are considered essential businesses. The current environment is especially affecting independent dealers.

One issue that has arisen is a lack of vehicle inventory. Since many OEMs converted their manufacturing plants to produce ventilators, they are now trying to make up for lost time and dealers are asking how can I sell cars I don’t have? 

USA Today is reporting what many dealers are feeling, popular pickup trucks are getting hard to find. Big truck brands like Ford, Chevy, GMC and Ram dealers are the most seriously impacted. And with these models being typically higher priced inventory, it is hurting dealers’ bottom lines even more.

So how can your dealership navigate through inventory issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic?

Try Out New Strategies

One way your dealership can get past inventory issues is to strategically promote the inventory you do have. Focus on cars that have been on your lot for a long time. AIM’s CarClicks Inventory Marketing can connect auto shoppers to your oldest inventory to help increase turn.

Another strategy is to pivot and get creative with your marketing of the models that you do have. Since pickup trucks are scarce right now, shift your advertising efforts to vehicles that are not. Try out eye-catching yet cost effective marketing. Promote smaller sized models to millennials using video promoted on connected devices.

Having trouble driving sales to your dealership because of the pandemic? Today more than ever, it is especially important to have a strong online presence. When shoppers don’t want to come to the dealership themselves, you have to be able to get your vehicles in front of their eyes. 

Expanding your online retailing can help you win more customers, making it easier for auto shoppers to browse your inventory online. Setting up video appointments and dropping off the vehicle to their driveway are all steps in the right direction for conquering the negative impact of COVID-19 on your dealership’s business. 

Ready to combat COVID-19 related inventory issues? Talk to us at (312) 473-0024 today.

 

How to Increase your Dealership’s Online Presence

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Absolutely every dealership has some kind of Internet presence -they can be part of a large automotive group, single point location or independent used car lot – they all want the same thing: to reach the largest number of people while investing the smallest amount of money and getting the largest amount of sales possible.

There’s a very efficient method for achieving all of this while getting all your potential customers to know your dealership and inventory: CarClicks Inventory Marketing.

Unlike traditional advertising, CarClicks advertising is increasingly more accessible for every dealership and enables you to quickly, easily, efficiently and affordably reach serious, highly-engaged auto shoppers. That’s why CarClicks is gaining more ground among those dealerships that want to increase their online presence.

Having a website is fundamental, having a presence on social networks is indispensable and having a marketing strategy is necessary. The reality is that CarClicks Inventory Marketing is also essential and is becoming a more habitual and necessary practice by some of the best automotive operators in the industry.

What’s the biggest benefit to CarClicks Inventory Marketing?

Imagine that you have an attractive dealership on one of the best streets in town, open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This is what happens when you invest in CarClicks: you automatically become visible to thousands of people who have been in the market for a vehicle but didn’t even know you existed!

A CarClicks strategy creates an integrated and cohesive approach to inventory marketing. We seamlessly promote your inventory to auto shoppers across multiple channels, while factoring in the different devices that auto shoppers are using to shop for your inventory. It’s all about driving the auto shopper to your website!

CarClicks is very important marketing tactic for both large and small dealerships alike, since with just a few bucks you’ll be able to get better visibility, which will certainly translate into an increase in website traffic and a boost in vehicle sales.

CarClicks Inventory Marketing campaigns are designed and well executed. Our campaigns will dramatically increase brand awareness and drive more auto shoppers to your dealership website.  

Increase your dealership’s online presence by contacting us at Automotive Internet Media at: sales@aimyes.com

Did Your Dealership Pause Your Ad Campaigns?

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Dealership Must Seize the Marketplace Opportunity

Dealership Must Seize the Marketplace Opportunity

As many dealerships scale back, it’s time for aggressive dealerships to seize the opportunity.

For those of you in retail automotive marketing, you have likely seen ad budgets paused or dramatically reduced. Having been on every side of the automotive industry, these moves don’t surprise me.

For savvy dealerships it’s time to quickly act in order to take advantage of dealers in your market that may not be as visible online in the current state of affairs. It reminds me of one of my favorite sayings in advertising.

“A man who stops advertising to save money, is like a man who stops the clock to save time.”  Henry Ford

I’m painfully aware that when things get tight for dealerships, one of the first things the management is tempted to cut is the advertising. It’s like a survival tactic that kicks in and all they want to do is shore up resources to make it to the other side. I understand, but it’s important not make the mistake of sabotaging your short- and long-term success.

When dealerships advertise, in addition to generating immediate sales, they bolster consumer confidence in the future of their business. Consumer confidence builds market share. Market share leads to profit. Those that continue to advertise in tougher or slower times will actually gain a bigger piece of the pie when business starts back on the upswing…leaving their competitors (who cut way back on their advertising efforts) cleaning up the crumbs at the bottom of the pie tin.

Adjust Your Marketing Strategy

Perhaps the most powerful way to keep generating sales is to rethink your marketing strategy. Maybe it’s time to stop spending on expensive ads and rethink where you’re putting your marketing efforts.

It’s time to move to CarClicks Inventory Marketing to drive high quality traffic to your website while lowering your overall advertising costs. The CarClicks platform is easy to use and an excellent way to promote your inventory to shoppers that are most likely to purchase them. It’s time to reboot and restart the momentum to seize the sales opportunity in your market.