When it comes to marketing in the 21^st century, it’s a whole new world. Customers are savvy buyers, smartphones are in nearly every pocket, and people are tired of interruptive marketing jutting into their lives. So when it comes to developing your automotive marketing strategies, what should you be doing?

The good news is there are many tried, tested, and true methods that can be used to ensure continued growth and profitability in the modern age.

Here are three tried-and-true automotive marketing strategies to use today.

1. Mine Your Data

Data is the king of all strategies; you should be mining your data at every opportunity in order to create better strategies, plans, and campaigns.

Nowadays, with Google Analytics and a host of other technology to track customer habits, there’s no reason not to collect data, interpret it, and then use it to improve your marketing.

Data can help you pinpoint better target demographics with content that is suited to their tastes and needs. Data can tell you when people are more likely to visit your site, and when they’re likely to do so with a real interest to buy. Mining your data for habits and trends will better inform your strategies.

Creating effective custom segments, i.e., specific audiences to target, means you’re going to create more impact with your content and marketing materials. It may seem counter-intuitive—“Reach out to fewer people to get more sales”—but it’s true! By focusing on interested buyers revealed through data, your efforts and resources are better spent supporting a client likely to make a purchase.

2. Integrated Inbound Strategy

Inbound marketing is the new norm when it comes to marketing. An important aspect of inbound is content marketing. Your website needs a blog. This will enable you to share informative content that can establish you as a trusted leader in the field. A bog can also improve your search results in Google, which is definitely not something to be overlooked.

You also need to be on social media, in inboxes, on forums, and more. Inbound marketing enables you to be where you need to be to attract leads, at the exact right moment.

But to really make it all work, you need an integrated inbound strategy so that every piece is working towards a singular goal. Do you want more potential customers to visit your lot? Then every piece should be guiding buyers to that end goal. Maybe you’re embracing selling online. If so, then your strategy should inform, teach, and preach the value of doing so.

By making your digital efforts work together, your automotive marketing strategies are in a position to succeed.

3. Relationship Building

Networking is still one of the most important aspects of selling, and that’s very true for vehicles. This is a big-ticket purchase, so customers want to be able to trust who they are buying from. Leveraging sophisticated networks goes a long way to establishing this trust while simultaneously getting your business’ name out there.

But networking isn’t just in person; you need to develop your online presence through your blog, social media accounts, and email. It’s not just about being there, either. You need to be there with value so people will want to listen to what you have to say. Keep your communication channels open and people will engage with you. Then, when it comes time to make a purchase, where do you think they’ll go to buy?

These are three examples of classic marketing strategies with the 21^st-century flare. Learn to use them effectively, and your lot will be the hottest in the neighbourhood.