Three digital advertising strategies you should use during the inventory shortage
Right now, dealerships all have the same problem: low inventory. But you don’t need to let this industry-wide drought hold you back from advertising your website. Our Digital Advertising team has three recommendations for your monthly ad spend and digital copy as we all wait for this rough patch to pass.
1. “Trade your vehicle” — When new inventory became an issue, many dealerships snatched up as many used cars as possible. Reaching out to customers to exchange vehicles is an excellent strategy for your digital advertising. Nowadays, even used inventory is running low.
Focus on ads that drive people to get a value of their trade. Or incorporate trade-in copy within new inventory campaigns and dealer brand campaigns. Add trade-in tools like Guaranteed Trade Tool so your customers can capture their trade-in from home.
2. “Sell us your vehicle” — What better way to build up your inventory than buying directly from consumers by advertising “We buy vehicles”? Many remote workers no longer need their second vehicles for commutes. Instead of wasting money on insurance and letting their cars collect dust in their garage, these consumers are looking to sell.
Some dealerships even offer promotions like an additional $1,000 reimbursement over the vehicle’s market value. Sweetening the deal this way can help you stand out from your competitors. Focus on ads that drive people to look at selling their vehicle, especially as there will not be a lot of competition for people bidding on these specific keywords.
3. “Reserve your vehicle” — The last card up your sleeve is to let customers reserve a car in transit or that has been ordered on its way to the lot. Build a landing page with an embedded form that will serve as the destination once customers click on your “Reserve your vehicle” ad. They’re taken to this page to fill out the form and reserve their units.
Yes, it may take some months for that car to arrive, but there are consumers willing to wait for a particular make and model. Give these folks the right tools to customize their dream car and make sure you’re reaching this unique clientele through your digital ads.
Whether it’s search words, campaign landing pages, or side links, your website and advertising strategy probably need some sprucin’ up to reflect the current industry trends. In the auto industry, a “lemon” usually refers to a faulty vehicle, but these days we’re dealing with another kind of metaphorical lemon: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! That saying couldn’t be more appropriate for the business of selling cars right now. You got to squeeze as much juice as you can with what you’ve got, and these strategies are sure to help you get every last drop.
Have questions about how you can optimize your digital advertising? Contact us to discuss solutions.
Special promotion
From November 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021, we’re offering a digital advertising promotion to all new and existing EDealer clients:
We will match $1 for every $2 net new digital advertising spend. If you’re already signed up for our digital advertising services, consider expanding your reach during the busy winter season, where every advertising dollar counts. If you spend an additional $1,000 with us this month or next, we’ll give you $500 towards your digital advertising budget. Spend an additional $2000, get another $1000 on top. And so on. We’re offering an unlimited maximum spend.
Drive higher-quality traffic to your website, get more eyes on your inventory and show up ahead of your competition in search engines today.