Many big companies like Google and Microsoft are already using AI to help improve their services. Its transformative impact extends to industries far and wide, including the automotive sector.

This article provides a glimpse into the transformative role of AI in automotive marketing, exploring its applications and the tools that marketers can explore to put it to use.

Personalized Customer Engagement

First on this list is chatbots. These intelligent assistants provide instant responses, streamline inquiries, and offer personalized assistance, enhancing the overall customer experience. They can handle regular questions, provide product information, set up service appointments, and even assist in car troubleshooting, all in real-time. This level of engagement ensures prompt and relevant interactions, making customers happy.

AI-Powered Chatbot Builders

TARS: TARS is a cutting-edge platform that offers a versatile chatbot solution with significant potential for automotive marketing. With TARS, businesses can easily make chatbots powered by AI without knowing much about coding. Its easy-to-use interface lets you create conversational flows, so you can have personalized conversations based on the current company data you have.

Chatfuel: This platform provides pre-built blocks that can be customized to create conversational paths, making the development process efficient. Chatfuel allows seamless integration with popular messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger and Telegram.

Predictive Analytics

AI’s role in predictive analytics is not just about understanding the past; it’s about foreseeing the future. This technology processes historical data, identifies patterns, and uses these patterns to make accurate predictions. This translates to understanding which vehicle models are likely to gain traction, what features consumers value the most, and even predicting when maintenance might be needed.

AI-Powered Tools for Predictive Analytics

DataRobot: DataRobot’s automated feature discovery generates diverse and relevant features for improved predictions, leveraging complex relationships within the data. Its AI-powered predictions provide insights into buyer preferences and help optimize marketing efforts, ensuring relevant and effective promotions are delivered to potential customers.

Alteryx: Alteryx offers a comprehensive suite of predictive analytics tools, making it a powerful asset for automotive marketing. These tools include advanced spatial, predictive, time series, and optimization analysis capabilities.

Automated Marketing Campaigns

Marketing automation tools allow automotive companies to schedule and execute repetitive tasks automatically, freeing up marketing teams so they can focus on strategic planning and creative aspects of campaigns. Automated marketing campaigns can include email and social media in addition to traditional print. For example, an automated tool can schedule posts showcasing new features or special offers for upcoming car models.

AI-Powered Tools for Automated Marketing Campaigns

AutoRaptor: AutoRaptor is a premiere CRM for automotive dealerships and comes with a marketing automation platform that enables dealerships to manage marketing campaigns efficiently. AutoRaptor’s automation features include personalized email marketing, text (SMS) marketing, and versatile action plans.

Zapier: Through Zapier, automotive marketing can be optimized by connecting marketing automation tools to various other tools the team uses. This integration ensures smoother workflows, scalability, and enhanced communication across systems. For instance, automotive companies can automate lead generation by connecting their website forms to CRM systems, triggering personalized follow-up emails, and scheduling test drive appointments.

Optimized Content Creation

Leveraging AI to create content such as blogs and videos for automotive marketing offers a range of compelling advantages. Firstly, AI-driven content creation accelerates the process of producing high-quality content at a faster pace than manual methods. Automotive marketers can use it to create a steady stream of content that addresses the growing demand for relevant, up-to-date information.

AI-Powered Tools to Create Content

VEED: Automotive marketers can utilize VEED to create dynamic promotional videos showcasing vehicle features, benefits, and visual aesthetics. VEED offers tools like video translator, video converter, Instagram Reels downloader, and avatar generator.

Bard: Bard is an AI chatbot developed by Google, renowned for its unique features that facilitate content creation and engagement. It can answer questions, provide information, generate text, and seamlessly integrate with various Google apps and services.

Enhanced Customer Insights

With artificial intelligence, companies can delve into customer sentiments and perceptions at a level of granularity that traditional methods might overlook. This allows marketers to comprehend customer touchpoints, leading to a more precise understanding of customer preferences. For example, Tesla uses artificial intelligence to learn about its customers and determine which touchpoints influence purchasing decisions. They then use this insight to inform how they prioritize content creation, distribution channels, and budget allocation.

AI-Powered Tools to Gather Insights and Feedback

Chattermill: Chattermill is a customer feedback analytics platform that helps companies gather insights from customer feedback through AI-backed sentiment tracking and text analytics software. It focuses on providing actionable intelligence to deliver retention-driving customer experiences.

MonkeyLearn: MonkeyLearn, on the other hand, is a text analysis platform with unique tools for collecting and analyzing customer comments, which can help automotive marketers learn valuable insights. Their advanced natural language processing (NLP) lets companies get useful information from unstructured text data like customer reviews and comments on social media.

Take Aways

AI is a powerful tool, and if used correctly, there’s no question that it can help automotive brands reach new levels of success. It can help you create engaging content, optimize your campaign strategy, and boost ROI. But it’s also important to note that AI isn’t a magic wand. You must understand how to use it properly to get the most out of it.

In this post, we’ve covered some AI marketing tools. This list is by no means exhaustive; there are plenty more tools out there that can be used for growth. Some are free, and others are paid. The best advice is to know what you need, how much money you’re willing to spend, and what your goal is. Once you’ve figured that out, it’s time to get started!

The post AI-Powered Tools You Can Use To Boost Your Automotive Marketing appeared first on AutoRaptor CRM.

Like most auto salespeople, you probably put a lot of time and effort into every single sale. You develop a relationship with each customer and help her feel comfortable about the major purchase she is about to make. It’s your job — and you’re good at it.

But what happens when the customer signs on the dotted line, you hand her the keys to her new ride, and she drives off your lot with a wave and a honk? Do you pat yourself on the back for a job well done and move on to the next customer?

If so, you are likely forgetting one critical step in the sales process: sending car sales thank you cards.

Thank you cards? Like the short notes your mom used to make you write to relatives every time they sent you checks for your birthday? How can thank you cards help?

Your customer could have gone to any number of dealerships to buy a new car — but she chose you. And although you were chosen, it’s not a guarantee that the customer will ever come back to your dealership or recommend you to others. You need to tie that sale up with a nice bow and do something special to thank your customer, show her you appreciate her business, and let her know you’re always available to help.

Get personal with your car sales thank you cards

Plenty of dealerships send out “thank you” e-mails after a customer buys a car. They are better than nothing, but if you want to stand out from your competitors, you need to take it one step further with handwritten, personalized notes that you actually mail to your customers. In today’s modern world of e-mails, texts, and social media, handwritten notes are rare — so rare that your customer will certainly stop, smile, and feel amazed by how much effort you went to say thank you. It conveys true appreciation.

“They take minutes (or hours) to draft, each word carefully chosen with no ‘undo’ or ‘autocorrect’ to fall back on. Drafting one involves selecting stationery, paying for stamps, and visiting a mailbox,” says Harvard Business Review. “They indicate investment, and that very costliness indicates value.”

Isn’t that exactly what you want your customer to think, too?

The simple act of sending a handwritten thank you note could result in positive online reviews, enthusiastic word-of-mouth referrals, and an ever-growing group of loyal customers.

What you should write in car sales thank you cards

If you’re not the best with words, don’t worry — your car sales thank you cards don’t need to be the next great American novel. They should be short and sweet, but professional and personalized as well. It only takes a few sentences to make a big impact.

Here’s an example template that you can tweak to suit your needs:

Dear [customer name],

Thank you for trusting me to help you with your recent car purchase. You were such a pleasure to work with and I hope you have been enjoying your [make/model of vehicle they purchased].

[Make this sentence about some personal fact that you learned about the customer during the sales process, for example, “What did your twins think about the new car when you brought it home? Did they love the screens on the back of the seats like you thought they would?”]

I appreciate your business — thank you for making my job so easy and for being such a great customer. If I can help you with anything else, or you’d like to have me set up your first maintenance appointment, please let me know.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

[Your phone number]
[Your e-mail address]

No matter what you write, your thank you note needs to convey appreciation, show the customer you were truly listening to her when she shared details about her life, and let her know you are always available to help her. Car sales thank you cards are small gestures that make a big impact — add them to your follow-up process, and you’ll probably notice an impressive uptick in positive sentiment and customer loyalty.

Interested in an Affordable, Full-Featured Auto Dealer CRM?

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Coming up with fresh, effective auto sales promotions can be a pain. You know the promotions will bring eager customers into your dealership, but thinking up creative ideas may not be your strong suit.

One of the easiest ways to brainstorm promotion ideas is to pull out a calendar. Going month by month, write down a list of holidays and other important activities people are celebrating or excited about each and every month. This will give you insight into the customer mindset throughout the year and help you tailor promotions to timely events. Don’t forget to keep track of all your customer insights within an automotive CRM software like AutoRaptor.

Still at a bit of a loss for ideas? Here are 12 auto sales promotions you can use to boost your revenue every single month of the year.

Ideas for auto sales promotions at your dealership

1. Free car wash

A surefire way to bring customers into your service department is to offer a free car wash with each service. Spring is a great time to offer this promotion because drivers that live in colder climates like to spruce their vehicles up after a long winter. Not only does this help customers spruce up their vehicles after the harsh effects of winter, but it also serves as a token of your dealership’s appreciation. This simple, cost-effective promotion can result in greater customer satisfaction and increased customer loyalty. It can also provide an opportunity to cross-sell other services your dealership might offer.

Adding to the appeal, consider offering a full interior detailing package at a discounted rate to go along with the free car wash. This could be particularly successful during pollen season when both exteriors and interiors need extra attention. A sparkling, fresh-smelling car can make customers feel as if their vehicle is brand new again.

2. Test drive incentive

To ensure more prospective customers take a test drive, consider offering an attractive incentive. Each month, create a raffle where those who schedule and complete a test drive have their names entered for a chance to win. This could be anything from a discount on their vehicle purchase to a free accessory or service. This strategy not only encourages test drives but also creates a sense of excitement around your dealership.

You could add to the excitement by revealing the attractive prize at the start of the month, prompting customers to book test drives early. Consider partnering with local businesses for the prizes. This could include a spa day, dinner at a high-end restaurant, or even a weekend getaway.

3. Celebrate the cars’ “anniversary”

Every year on the anniversary of a car’s purchase, send the customer an anniversary card to commemorate the occasion. Include a coupon for a free oil change inside as a present.This not only commemorates the occasion but also incentivizes them to return to your service department. It’s a great way to improve customer retention and show appreciation.

This can be coupled with an invitation for a complimentary vehicle inspection. While this acts as an added incentive for the customer to visit, it also enables you to ensure their vehicle is in top condition, potentially opening up opportunities for additional services.

4. Offer a lowest-price guarantee

Set yourself apart from the competition by offering a lowest-price guarantee. Specify a period after the purchase, and promise to pay the difference if the customer finds the same car with similar specifications for a lower price at another dealership. This promotion builds trust and confidence among your customers and might encourage more sales, knowing they are getting the best possible deal.

To take this promotion a step further, consider extending this guarantee for a full month after purchase. This can offer customers peace of mind, knowing that they’re getting the best deal possible. It can also make your dealership seem more trustworthy and customer-centric.

5. Incentives for referrals

Referrals are one of the most effective ways to attract new customers. Announce that if someone refers a person to your dealership and they purchase a car, the referrer will be rewarded. This could be anything from discount vouchers to tickets for local sporting events. This way, you not only acknowledge your existing customers’ loyalty but also attract potential buyers.

To maximize effectiveness, you might consider offering the referrer a choice of rewards. This could range from free car detailing, discounted services, or even cash back. By offering options, you’re more likely to appeal to a broader range of customers, making the referral program more successful.

6. Host a community cookout

Engage with the local community by hosting a free cookout at your dealership. Inviting local residents to a no-strings-attached meal can foster trust and increase your dealership’s visibility in the community. This could help strengthen relationships with existing customers and attract potential ones, leading to increased sales over time.

Consider adding entertainment like a live local band or fun activities for kids to enhance the community feel of the event. Collaborating with local food vendors can add variety to the cookout, and holding a charity raffle could further entice guests to attend.

7. Hold a car seat safety clinic

Many parents are uninformed when it comes to properly installing car seats in their vehicles. Ask an expert from your area (your fire department or police department will likely help) to come to your dealership and teach parents the basics of car seat safety. Make sure the expert uses one of your top family-friendly vehicles to show the parents about installation.

Adding in a promotion where attendees get a discount on family-friendly vehicles or free child safety accessories could further boost attendance. This can also be an opportunity to showcase the family-oriented features and safety measures of your vehicle inventory.

8. Have a pickup/drop off promotion

To increase business in your service department and create goodwill, offer a promotion where you will pick up someone’s car for a service, bring it to the dealership, fix the vehicle, and drop it back off to them. If your town is small, you may want to offer this to the whole area — if it’s larger, choose a big business or hospital to focus your efforts on.

Additionally, offering a quick cleanup or a discount on the next service for those who use this promotion could increase its appeal. This small gesture can make customers feel appreciated and further encourage them to use your services.

9. “Free Gas Fridays”

One dealership in Oregon started a “Free Gas Fridays” promotion, and it has become popular with other dealerships as well now. Let your customers know that every Friday, you will be out in town looking for a vehicle that has a license plate frame or tire cover with your dealership’s name on it. When you find someone, give them a $50 gas card and take a picture (or quick video) to post on your website and social media accounts.

In addition to the gas card, consider giving out branded merchandise like t-shirts or mugs to winners. This will not only make them feel valued but also work as a marketing tool, giving your dealership more visibility every time they’re used.

10. Create and share a fun video

In your next sales meeting, have your team come up with ideas for a short video (get creative and use your sense of humor!). Post it on Facebook and announce that everyone who shares the video will be entered into a raffle for a great prize.

Encourage your customers to participate by creating a video challenge, where customers submit videos of themselves and their cars, sharing what they love about your dealership. The best video could win a grand prize, fostering more engagement and content creation.

11. Have a present contest during the holidays

Nicely wrap a bunch of empty boxes, and in one, put a paper that says “WINNER!” Number all of the presents and put them out in your showroom. Every time someone buys a car from you, let them choose a present number and write it down (once a number is picked, it cannot be chosen again). On December 31, the person who chose the “WINNER!” box number can be awarded free oil changes for a year.

In addition to the present contest, you could offer small incentives to every customer who participates, like dealership-branded ornaments or accessories. This can add to the festive atmosphere and ensure every participant goes home feeling like a winner.

12. Make Saturdays “Express Saturdays” in your service department

Many customers work Monday through Friday and finding time to schedule routine maintenance can be difficult. Guarantee service within a (small) window of time to encourage those people to visit you on Saturdays and show them that you value their precious time off.

Enhance this promotion by offering a discount or additional services like a car wash or interior vacuuming. This not only provides more value to customers but also makes their weekend visit to your service department more rewarding.

How to come up with more dealership auto sales promotions

You don’t have to create promotions all on your own — get your entire team in on brainstorming sessions. Encourage them to come up with new and interesting ideas to bring in more customers. You could even offer an internal promotion that rewards the person who had the most successful idea during a quarter.

Consider adding a ‘customer feedback box’ in your dealership where customers can submit their own promotion ideas. You could also conduct surveys on your social media platforms to understand what types of promotions your customers would most appreciate. This can help ensure your promotions are customer-focused and likely to be successful. Figure out what works for your dealership and use your imagination!

Interested in an Affordable, Full-Featured Auto Dealer CRM?

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Your dealership did it: You made another successful sale. The customer seemed elated as she pulled off your lot, and you congratulated your team on a job well done.

Aside from the fact that you sold a car, do you truly know if the transaction was successful from start to finish?

A customer who was pleased with her actual purchase (the car itself) may not have been quite as thrilled with the way her salesperson talked down to her. Or, maybe she felt pressured into purchasing an extended warranty she wasn’t sure she wanted. It may have even been your website’s functionality that wasn’t too impressive.

To base the success of an entire sale on a smile, a handshake, and an enthusiastic “thank you!” is not smart. It’s essential that you dig a little deeper — after the customer has driven their new vehicle home.

A car dealership customer satisfaction survey is an excellent way to reach out to new customers and get their true opinions about your dealership, staff, and inventory. While you probably like to think a customer would openly share their thoughts in person, that is rarely the reality of the situation. Most customers will either just bottle up their feelings (and later share them with friends, family, and the online community) or say things they may or may not mean in a moment of frustration or excitement.

A dealer satisfaction survey, however, gives the customer some time to sit, think, and provide thoughtful, honest answers in the comfort of their own home. The type of feedback you receive from these surveys can be critical to the success and future of your dealership.

Put effort into creating high-quality dealer customer satisfaction survey questions

As you create your auto dealer satisfaction survey, put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Think about the major purchase they just made and how they feel. Consider basic human nature as well and realize that most people don’t want to answer a long, boring survey. You need to make a list of questions, and then edit, edit, edit. Get your final list of questions down to 10-15, tops.

Not sure what to include? Here are a few tips:

Ask open-ended questions

If possible, make most auto dealer satisfaction survey questions an open-text field where customers can freely express themselves. Allowing customers to explain themselves in their own words helps clarify feelings. Numeric rating scales (“rate our dealership on a scale from 1-10”) can sometimes be confusing to customers, and everyone feels differently about certain numbers.

For example, a customer may rate his or her overall experience as an 8 because it went well, but he or she simply believes “no one is perfect” and a 10 is not realistic. Meanwhile, you see 8 on the survey results and wonder where your team went wrong to get less than a 10 (even if the customer can’t name anything specific and was perfectly happy).

Keep survey questions free of bias

You are sending out a dealer satisfaction survey because you want real, honest answers from customers. That means your questions should not be asked in a leading way, or in any manner that could affect the outcome. This would be an example of a leading question: “Were you happy with the service you received from our award-winning sales team?” This type of wording may influence someone to give you a better review than they were initially planning to. A better way to phrase the question would be, “What did you think of the salesperson who handled your purchase?”

Consider all areas of the dealership the customer may have dealt with

By asking about every aspect of the buying experience — from your website, to the inventory, the receptionist, and even the cleanliness of the bathrooms — you should eventually begin to get a better picture of where things are (and aren’t) going right for customers. They may point out small issues you would never have noticed without their help. Here are some sample questions to get started:

1. Who was your primary sales associate?
2. How did you find out about our dealership?
3. How did you initially reach out to our dealership?
4. Did we respond quickly to your initial query, and was it to your satisfaction?
5. How could our digital or phone correspondence with you have gone smoother?
6. How did our team make you feel welcome and comfortable when you came into our dealership?
7. Did you feel pressured or uncomfortable at all during your shopping experience?
8. Did you feel like your questions were answered thoughtfully and thoroughly?
9. Did your sales person demonstrate expert knowledge of each car you wanted to see?
10. What was it, beyond the car, that helped you decide to purchase a vehicle with us?

Once you create the auto dealer satisfaction survey, you need to determine guidelines for sending it out. Some dealerships have their salespeople take responsibility for sending out surveys, while others put the responsibility on their Internet marketing department.

Either way, you should ensure these individuals understand your desired timeline for sending out the survey after a purchase has been made. You want customers to answer while their memory of the experience is still fresh, so a good time to send a survey out is the next morning — the day after the sale. This gives them a chance to get home and sleep on it before you ask for their opinion.

Remember, customers are doing you a big favor by filling out your survey, so at the very least, be sure to say thank you! Of course, a coupon for a discount in your service department isn’t such a bad idea either.

The post How to Create the Best Car Dealership Customer Satisfaction Survey appeared first on AutoRaptor CRM.

Are you a great salesperson when you’re dealing with customers face-to-face but struggling to find the right words in sales emails? Don’t worry—this is a common problem for many people who work in auto sales.

The good news is that there’s a way you can stop trying so hard to craft an effective email: automation. If you can sit down and write car sales email templates for a few common messages you regularly send and put them in your dealership CRM, they’ll always be ready for you when you need them.

Not sure where to begin? Here are five car sales email templates that you can copy, paste, and personalize.

Car sales email templates for 5 types of messages

1. Type of email: Intro

• When to send: A web visitor fills out a form on your website requesting more information
• Do: Keep it short and sweet
• Don’t: Be too intense

Hi, [name].

I heard that you’re interested in receiving more information about the [make/model] we have at [dealership name] right now. You have great taste—it’s one of my favorite cars.

Do you have any specific questions about the [make/model] that I may be able to answer for you?

I’m here to help, so feel free to respond to this email, or give me a call directly at [phone number].

I look forward to hearing from you!

[Sales rep name]
[email signature]

2. Type of email: Follow up after sale

• When to send: After someone buys a car from you
• Do: Express your gratitude and ask how they like their vehicle; remind them of service department
• Don’t: Try to get them to buy more stuff—they just spent a ton of money

Dear [name],

Congratulations on the purchase of your new [make/model]! It was a real pleasure to help you find your perfect vehicle. How many people have you showed it off to so far?

Our team is grateful that you chose to buy from our dealership and we hope that the experience exceeded your expectations. If you think we could be doing anything differently—or want us to keep something up—please let me know.

As a reminder, your first oil change with our in-house service department is complimentary, so I hope we’ll see you walk through the door in about 3,000 more miles.

Thank you again, and enjoy your new [make/model]!

Sincerely,

[Sales rep name]
[email signature]

3. Type of email: Happy Birthday

• When to send: This may sound surprising, but you’ll send this on your customer’s birthday.
• Do: Make it about them
• Don’t: Make it about you

Happy birthday, [name]!

The team at [dealership name] is incredibly thankful for your business, so we just wanted to let you know that we’re thinking about you on your special day!

You only deserve the best on your birthday, so if you visit our service department any time within the next month, show them this email to redeem your free premium oil change.

Roll your [make/model] windows down, crank up the sound system, and have a fantastic birthday!

[Sales rep name]
[email signature]

4. Type of email: Check-in email after a year

• When to send: If you haven’t heard from a customer at all during the year
• Do: Keep everything very low pressure
• Don’t: Make a sales pitch. You’re just trying to keep your dealership top-of-mind.

Hey, [name].

We haven’t talked in a while, so I wanted to touch base to say hi. How have you been doing? Are you happy with your [make/model purchased]?

If you’re ever in the neighborhood or at the dealership servicing your car, drop by my desk! I’d love to catch up. Also, if you aren’t following us on Facebook yet, make sure to check out our page, so you’ll always know when we have any big events or deals.

Let me know how you like your [make/model] whenever you have a free moment. I’ve heard a lot of great feedback from other folks who own that vehicle, so I’m interested to hear if your experience is similar.

Thanks,

[Sales rep name]
[email signature]

5. Type of email: Follow up on a click

• When to send: A contact clicks an email link about an incentive or event
• Do: Be subtle and helpful
• Don’t: Be creepy and tell them you noticed they clicked a link.

Hey, [name].

We’ve got some exciting things going on this month at [dealership name], and I thought you might be interested. I’d like to invite you in for a visit—is there a day or time that would work best for you?

You can respond to this email to let me know, or feel free to just give me a call directly at [phone number].

I look forward to hearing from you!

[Sales rep name]
[email signature]

Tweak your car sales email templates as you go

The car sales email templates above are meant to serve as starting points to help you find the words you’re looking for. Your emails should always be personalized, but keep an eye on how customers respond. Do you find certain calls to action work better than others? Are you getting better responses when you take a more casual tone of voice?

Any insights you can gain are gold; use them to edit your templates. Learn from your mistakes, keep your car sales email templates fresh, and you may just find your colleagues begging you to share your secrets.

The post 5 Copy & Paste Car Sales Email Templates appeared first on AutoRaptor CRM.

Starting as far back as the 1880’s car dealerships pushed for innovations in selling and increasing profits. Customers today can hop online and look at their options from their beds; naturally, this means physical dealerships must make themselves more attractive to their customers. A car dealership can do that by paying attention to new technology and trends. Dealerships must engage with trends because those who don’t risk a huge loss of profits to their online competitors. Below are 7 car dealership trends that dealers must follow in 2023.

7 Lastest Car Dealership Trends

1. AR/VR Experience Availability

Now is the time if you’ve not hopped onto the virtual reality (VR) bus. For the uninitiated, VR allows people to have digital experiences without leaving their homes. They can explore models in a virtual showroom, and many of these experiences also offer VR driving simulations. When Audi implemented their VR experience in 2015, they saw a dramatic bump in car sales—between 60-70%. Traditional car dealerships should, in due course, consider implementing VR opportunities for their prospective customers.

2. Enhance Online Presence

Selling experiences now begin before the customer ever enters the lot; even Mom-and-Pop shops need to think about their online presence. Above-average experiences make for more profit, beginning with the dealership website. Ensuring your website delivers a friendly user interface and adaptable device assets are bottom-of-the-barrel expectations. Online shoppers are also looking for secure eCommerce portals and site-wide security measures. The best of these websites also promotes rich content covering multiple industry topics ranging from information about fender benders to the latest car reviews and trends, informing their customers and delivering an end-to-end holistic experience.

3. Focus on Sustainable Vehicles

The future of vehicles is renewable energy, made of extruded, recycled material, and driven with high-tech safety features. In 2021 alone, there were 15.5 million vehicles sold in the United States—only a fraction of which are directly renewable. Car dealerships looking to have a lasting company model must seriously consider the cars they offer to the public. The average person looking to buy a car is looking for something that fits their needs and doesn’t actively damage the local environment. Not only that—looking into sustainable cars means cars with longer life spans, too.

4. Keep Up with New Regulations

In the last year, there have been a lot of federal regulatory changes for the automotive industry; these changes have affected finance, insurance, and lending practices for all automotive sales options. Dealers must stay updated on local and national regulations. Otherwise, they may run into legal battles. All owners should be well versed in the legal aspects of their business; it sets them up for being on the right side of the law. Staying up to date also puts the owner in a better position to promote and prove transparency to their customers.

5. High Tech Showroom

Originally, showrooms were meant to showcase the newest or best-featured cars for some time; nowadays, it takes more than bright balloons and wacky figures to get people to walk inside a dealership. A high-tech showroom can help entice prospective customers into making a purchase. Physical showrooms must aim for their accessibility and technology to rival dealerships with VR showrooms; the way to do this is by leaning on market and design professionals.

6. Multi-channel Marketing

Marketing and design professionals have other tricks they can use to assist a dealership too. For example, by implementing a multi-channel marketing approach, dealers can entice many more customers than they would otherwise. Less than 15% of online brands run coordinated multi-channel marketing; the rest run omnichannel marketing, focusing on one or two social media markets. Apart from omnichannel marketing drastically limiting the potential customers for a dealership—Omni also lowers the “status” of the dealership. Much like how a poorly run website lowers prospective profit, so does a limited marketing campaign.

7. Data-Driven Salespeople

Utilizing data to navigate logistics, measure standards, and ensure high performance are just some aspects to consider. Highly knowledgeable employees are priceless here, as in a moment, they can report analytics or problems; they can also save a customer’s information for easy and fast transactions (and further marketing) later. Then on the manager’s side, data shows projections and potential for new growth. No matter what area of the dealership the employee works in, keep them up to date with the industry’s newest tech. It will assist them in closing the sale and increasing profit.

Keep Up-to-Date with the Latest Car Dealership Trends

More than half of those looking to buy a car complete the process online; subsequently, physical, old-school car dealerships must consider taking steps to draw in and result in more customers. Buying cars from home is ideal for many—it’s on the dealership to provide more than a car for cash.

About the Author: Patrick Peterson is a content manager at GoodCar. Born and raised in the automotive world. He’s an enthusiastic expert who writes exquisite content pieces about everything regarding cars and bikes.

The post 7 Latest Car Dealership Trends to Follow in 2023 appeared first on AutoRaptor CRM.

One of the great things about social media marketing, including a car dealership TikTok strategy, is that you can potentially reach a large number of people without spending a dime. Yes, it does take time, but you don’t need any special equipment or training. You don’t need a massive marketing budget. All you need is your personality and some guidelines and inspiration.

First, though, what is TikTok? If you’re over a certain age, TikTok may not be on your radar. It is, however, one of the most popular social media platforms, with the majority of users under the age of 24. TikTok users upload short videos, usually between 30 and 60 seconds. Some of the most popular videos are either humorous or instructional, both of which could give you some headway for a car dealership TikTok channel.

Like other social media platforms, TikTok makes use of hashtags and algorithms to share videos. In other words, you may
have some stiff competition. However, you can share these videos on your other social media channels, so you do get a good bang for your buck. Now then, how do you grow your following?

Know if we’re the right fit within 10 minutes

Rev up your marketing motor with these car dealership TikTok tips

1. Use hashtags. There’s no downside to using hashtags on your car dealership TikTok videos. They can extend your reach, increase the chance that people will find you, and you can localize your feed by using local hashtags, such as your city or geographic region.

2. Be authentic. TikTok users don’t want to watch your focus-group-approved commercials. They want the real you – the candid moments, the silliness, the unvarnished peek behind the curtain.

3. Be consistent. Just like any social media platform, if you’re only posting content now and then, it’s going to be hard to gain much traction. So how much should you post? That’s up to you, but a few times a week isn’t unreasonable.

4. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly. While this isn’t specific to growing your audience, it is essential in your ultimate goal for having a car dealership TikTok – to sell vehicles. As a mobile-first site, there’s a good chance that any TikTok users who visit your site will do so from a mobile platform. If your site isn’t user-friendly, they’ll move on.

5. Take viewers behind the scenes. There’s a lot that goes on in your dealership. Take your audience into the garage where they can see a tune-up. Ride along to the DMV, where your audience can wait in line with you (edited, of course) while your team registers vehicles.

6. Give ’em the old how-to. How-to videos are always good marketing, and as an auto dealership, you have a lot to offer. Post videos about topics like how to get a better offer on your trade-in or how to change a flat tire. Information like this is always helpful and could significantly expand your reach.

7. Remember that you are a car dealership. TikTok is a good platform for humor and personality, but it’s also a great way to take your audience on virtual test drives or show them the features of a vehicle. You can give your audience a complete tour of the vehicle inside and out. You are trying to sell cars, after all.

Plenty of people will tell you that a car dealership TikTok is a waste of time. They’ll let you know it’s just for kids or it doesn’t belong in a professional environment. Certainly, if you put in the effort and find it isn’t working, feel free to take a break. But find out for yourself if it’s the right channel for you. If you’re having fun and growing an audience, especially without spending money, then that seems like a winning situation, no matter what anyone says.

The post 7 Car Dealership TikTok Tips to Grow Your Following appeared first on AutoRaptor CRM.

Times have changed. An auto dealership marketing plan looks a lot different from how it did even just a few years ago. Most notable among the differences in customer behavior is the switch from the in-person consumer experience to online shopping. Especially in the wake of the pandemic, some people go through the entire car-buying process without ever setting foot in a dealership, which means that marketing plans need to adapt.

But where to begin? Which aspects of your auto dealership marketing plan need to be adjusted to meet this new kind of buying behavior? If you’re keeping up with the times, hopefully, you won’t need to make too many changes. Still, if you’re just getting started with an auto dealership marketing plan or if you’re in the process of making updates, there’s a lot to learn–especially about digital marketing.

While an auto dealership marketing plan could include a number of things, we’ve narrowed it down to some of the essentials. You can always add on if you need to.

7 Points of focus for your auto dealership marketing plan

1. Dealership website

With so many people shopping online now, your dealership website absolutely must be up to date and functional. Your customers expect a sleek, stylish website that’s easy to navigate and shows your entire inventory. For that matter, include as many pictures of each vehicle as you can, showcasing them from all angles, and perhaps even a virtual tour of each vehicle so customers can see the features both inside and out.

A critical component to this part of your auto dealership marketing plan is to ensure that the website works well on mobile devices. A large percentage of people use their phones for all sorts of things, including buying cars. While that may seem unusual to anyone who’s been in the business a long time, it’s the way things are going, and you’ll want to adapt so you don’t get left behind.

2. Platform to display inventory

Developing a website from scratch to showcase your inventory can be expensive and difficult to maintain. Don’t put yourself through that. Instead, use platforms like AutoRaptor to show off your goods. These platforms are already designed to meet the industry’s ever-changing needs, and most of them integrate seamlessly with your base website. This means you won’t need to worry about updating software or code, nor will you need to spend thousands of dollars on a developer to do it for you. Inventory platforms are run by third parties who handle all of the updates and changes you need to stay current.

3. Social media presence

If you’re not using social media to connect with your customers, you’re missing a big opportunity to reach people. People spend a lot of time on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, browsing content and leaving comments. This is a perfect opportunity to engage with people on a personal level. It’s not enough to just be on these platforms, you’ll want to be active, responding to comments, questions, and concerns, updating your content with current inventory and other offerings, and providing content that adds value to the customer experience.

4. Online reviews

In addition to social media, people love to leave online reviews of a shopping experience, whether good or bad. No matter which way the reviews go, it’s helpful to stay on top of responding to these reviews. Not only can your responses help customers better understand your business, but it also shows others that you care about your customers’ experiences and want to engage with them personally.

5. Blog content

Using search engine optimized (SEO) blog content can help drive traffic to your website, which will hopefully translate into more customers. There are plenty of third-party vendors who specialize in this area, once more saving you time and money on expertise that may not come naturally to anyone at your dealership. By providing valuable content, you enhance your auto dealership marketing plan significantly simply by giving people meaningful information that matters to them.

6. Text messaging

For better or worse, texting has become perhaps the most popular form of communication, including business transactions. People like to receive texts because they have time to process information and respond on their own time rather than having to assimilate data and answer on the spot. If you think texts will annoy people, think again. Most would much rather get a text than a phone call these days.

7. Community involvement

Finally, if you’re a small, independent retailer, community involvement can make up a large part of your auto dealership marketing plan. Doing so adds a personal touch that larger dealerships can’t provide, and it brings about customer loyalty and satisfaction in ways that impersonal, distant interactions cannot.

The post 7 Things Your Auto Dealership Marketing Plan Should Include appeared first on AutoRaptor CRM.

2020 was a heck of a year, but the future is looking optimistic. Vaccines have made it to the public faster than ever, there is promise in the job market, and a disastrous world economy taught us more than a few lessons about preparing for the next wave of whatever bad news may come our way. Amazingly, many dealerships found paths to successful automotive lead generation, even with a decline in the new car market. 

Of course, the dealers that thrived have done so, in part, thanks to the pre-owned market, where consumers have increasingly looked so they could move away from public transit.

Even so, dealerships still need to be diligent, particularly when it comes to automotive lead generation, since so much of the industry has gone digital, which is a real game-changer for anyone in sales—especially car sales, which was traditionally almost exclusively in person.

So what can you do to ensure your lead generation remains effective and competitive as we emerge from our pandemic isolation and move into a changed world? Here are a few tips to help guide you.

4 Tips to keep your automotive lead generation in high gear

Adapt to the new normal

Even though changes were already underway, the pandemic added some turbo to the way people shop for and purchase cars. Yes, customers will flock back to dealerships when it’s safe to do so, but perhaps not as soon as they’re ready to buy a car. Anticipate that many customers will start the process online and go from there.

That means that your online presence needs to be buttoned up and competitive. If you’ve got an older website that might not be the most user-friendly, invest in making it shine just as you would a car on your showroom floor. Websites should be easy to navigate, display up-to-date information, and make it simple for a customer to get in touch, whether through online automation or a good old fashioned phone number or email address.

To that same end, social media is now more critical than ever for automotive lead generation. With so many people online, one of your best bets for engaging customers directly is to remain active and responsive on your social accounts. Use Instagram to show people your newest inventories and Twitter and Facebook to open dialogue with people who might just be browsing to start. 

Know your local market, learn your distant markets

One of the things that’s happened with the pandemic is that some dealerships expanded their reach beyond their local territories to draw in more customers. With online shopping, contactless sales and delivery, and other pandemic pivots to keep business going, you no longer have to cater just to people nearby. Dig into markets in other parts of your state or region. Remember, even though the market is rebounding, inventories are still touch-and-go. You might have what someone 100 miles away is looking for. Do all you can to make sure they stumble upon you in their searches.

At the same time, stay familiar with your local market. How much are people out and about in your area? What types of cars are people buying in a time like this? Is money still moving through your locale, or are you in an area where unemployment and underemployment have increased significantly? Knowing these things will help you better target your consumers, making for much more effective automotive lead generation.

Don’t discount previously-warm leads

No doubt you had some hot leads before the pandemic hit, which then seemed to go ice cold. For a time, that might be true, but that’s got mostly to do with money, not need. If someone was interested in a vehicle before, but then ran aground financially, they’ll likely be back on the market as soon as they’re back on their feet. Take note of such leads in your automotive CRM and set reminders to check in with them. It may be a while yet before they’re able to invest in a vehicle, but you want them to contact you first when that time finally arrives.

Get virtual

Finally, the virtual world has exploded for all kinds of business interactions. While your automotive lead generation strategies before may have included trade shows and other in-person events, look for online gatherings that can serve a similar purpose. These virtual conferences and events won’t entirely replace the in-person stuff. Still, they’re crucial to staying in touch with people, meeting new people, and ultimately driving lead generation. 

Sure, a lot of this can take some effort, especially if online activity wasn’t your specialty in the first place, but keeping your name out there with a smile on your face will help build confidence in folks still shaky about making a big purchase. You might even consider hosting your own live virtual event to connect with previous and potential customers. It’s likely that you’ll find some good leads that way.

The post How to Navigate Automotive Lead Generation Throughout the Pandemic appeared first on AutoRaptor CRM.

There are more ways to increase car sales than developing new leads, and reconnecting with existing customers is a great place to start.

If you’re like most salespeople, you probably spend a lot of time building relationships with new prospects. While that’s a great and necessary strategy, remember that there are other ways to increase car sales that may be easier than forging new connections. Digging into your auto dealer CRM and reaching out to existing customers can be a great way to improve your sales volume.

Of course, it’s not that simple. After all, if they’re previous customers, they may not be in the market for a new vehicle just yet. Regardless, you might pique someone’s interest if you get creative enough. Here are some interesting ways to increase car sales with people who’ve already had a positive experience with you.

Discover 6 easy and inventive ways to increase car sales

1. Stay in touch with everyone

Enticing past customers starts the moment they drive off from their first purchase. Just because you’ve made the sale doesn’t mean you should disappear. Instead, check in once in a while. Doing so shows that you continue to care about their experience and potential needs, and it also helps them to remember you so the next time they’re looking for a car, you’ll be the first person they get in touch with. A simple email every two or three months can do the trick. If that sounds like a daunting task, automate the process with software like AutoRaptor, remembering not to make your emails too generic, so the customer doesn’t just feel like they’re on a mailing list.

2. Offer incentives

Incentives are one of the best ways to increase car sales, especially with people who may not be actively looking to buy. Discounts are probably the most obvious option, but there are plenty of other unique options to sweeten the deal. You can offer extended service packages, a small supply of free wiper blades, a year or two of tire rotations, general gift certificates—the list goes on. Even if someone isn’t planning to buy right now, they might change their mind if the offer is appealing enough.

3. Acknowledge special occasions

In addition to staying in touch with people, celebrating important dates with past customers nurtures the personal connection, which is one of the most effective ways to increase car sales with people you’ve already done business with. Set your CRM to notify you when it’s someone’s birthday or on the anniversary of their last purchase, then send a personalized card or text message. We suggest skipping email communications for this simply because regular mail and texts tend to be seen as more personal ways of interacting. If you decide to send an email, we’d suggest taking the time to write one out rather than automating it to make sure the customers recognize that you’re thinking about them specifically.

4. Charitable donations

Incentives don’t necessarily have to benefit the customer. If you have particularly altruistic customers, offer to give a portion of the proceeds from their purchase to a charity of their choice. You might even donate in the customer’s name so they’ll feel more connected to the gesture. When they learn that their purchase will go to support a cause that’s important to them, they’ll feel even better about buying, especially if they hadn’t initially planned for such an expense in their budget.

5. Random test drives

One of our favorite ways to increase car sales with existing customers is to contact them for random test drives. When a model comes in that seems like it would appeal to an already happy customer, invite them to the dealership to test drive it, no strings attached. It’s a fun way to stay connected, plus it shows that you’ve kept them and their interests in mind.

6. Host a customer appreciation event

Finally, customer appreciation events are excellent ways to increase car sales with past buyers. Host a summer cookout or a cocktail party to get people in the mood to buy. If all goes well, customers will share their success stories with each other, and you’ll have the opportunity to get a little face time with people who will surely need to buy another car again someday, if not today. It doesn’t have to be a blowout, either. Even inviting past customers to the dealership for some refreshments and light entertainment can go a long way. Who knows? Maybe a dealership party will even lead to a sale on the spot.

Remember that of all the ways to increase car sales, the most important is your connection with them. Use these tips and any others you can think of to keep those relationships alive.

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