Since the introduction of mobile devices, mobile has made a huge impact on the way people shop for vehicles online.
Mobile devices let consumers research product information from any location, even while they’re at the dealership. According to a study by Dealer Advantage, 63 percent of auto shoppers researched and shopped online while at a dealership. Additionally, 51 percent of auto shoppers used their mobile devices to compare prices.
If your dealership is yet to implement a mobile marketing strategy, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to build relationships with your valued customers. Here are four mobile marketing tips that will take your dealership’s reputation to the next level.
1. Create a mobile website.
First and foremost, customers want to compare prices and do research from their smartphones. In fact, the Mobile Path to Purchase study found 42 percent of consumers rely on their mobile devices to research a product and make a purchasing decision.
When creating a mobile website, the most important element is to make sure the website is responsive and that it’s easy to navigate. This means your website should be accessible from any mobile device, regardless of its size or shape. Additionally, your website should contain the information your customers are looking for. Be very clear about prices, information about your vehicles, and include contact information so customers can set up an appointment to visit your dealership.
2. Implement an SMS messaging strategy.
If you truly want to improve the customer experience, consider implementing an SMS messaging strategy. SMS messaging is a great way to boost leader generation and improve the customer service for your dealership.
There are a number of ways you can use SMS messaging to interact with your customers. For example, you can text customers when their car is ready to be picked up or notify them when it’s time for an oil change. You can also use SMS messaging to keep customers informed about upcoming sales and promotions, and remind them about their car payments.
3. Create social advertisements.
When it comes to reaching your customers on the go, it’s essential to use social media. According to Dealer Advantage, it was discovered 33 percent of online consumers were lured into a dealership by an online ad. Social media advertising is a great way to use real-time marketing to interact with your customers and encourage them to visit your dealership.
There are several benefits to creating social media ads. First, you’re able to create top-of-mind awareness for your customers who live within a specific radius of your dealership. Second, it’s a great way to engage with your customers in real-time. For example, Toyota implemented a Google +Post Ad campaign that was targeted towards first-time buyers. Toyota used +Post Ads to advertise their video content and boost interaction with their customers. After implementing this campaign, Toyota experienced a 50 percent increase in engagement through +Post Ads.
4. Build brand awareness using social media.
In addition to using social media ads, use social media to create awareness of your dealership and build a reputation for your brand. As more people continue to trust social media for reliable information about products and reviews, you’ll want to make sure your dealership is putting its best foot forward.
There are a number of ways you can use social media to create awareness for your dealership. For example, create an account on Pinterest to share photos of your cars, places to travel, and information about buying vehicles. You could also create an Instagram account to highlight new products and share short video clips. As long as you think about how your customers are using social media to research vehicles, you’ll able to create an effective social media strategy.
Mobile marketing is becoming the future of auto dealerships. People no longer rely solely on a TV commercial to learn about your product; auto customers want to build a relationship with a dealership prior to visiting your location and do as much research as possible from their mobile device. By following these mobile marketing tips, you’ll create a mobile marketing strategy that makes your dealership stand out from the competition.
Ivan Serrano is a guest contributor to Tier10lab.
