Used car advertising presents a big opportunity for auto dealers. Use these digital advertising tactics to sell more used and certified pre-owned inventory in 2021.
Digital Advertising for Used & Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles
Year over year, there’s been an +80% increase in search phrases containing ‘best car under.’ With 77% of U.S. consumers viewing commuting via public transportation as risky, it seems like an increased desire for personal transportation is connected to this increase in interest for used cars.
Inventory may be limited, but the used vehicles on your lot are increasingly valuable. Take advantage of this increase in demand and leverage paid search to sell more used and certified pre-owned inventory in 2021.
Best Practices for Used Car Advertising
To create effective digital advertising campaigns for your used car inventory and generate more leads, put these five tips to work:
1. ADVERTISE ON THE RIGHT USED KEYWORDS
Used buyers are often low-funnel shoppers, meaning they have a strong idea of what they want and are closer to purchase when they initially click on an ad. Because they often know the exact make and model they’re looking for, your ads must be specific to the models you have in stock. Run general campaigns with keywords like ‘used cars near me,’ ‘pre-owned Toyota dealership’ and ‘used Toyotas for sale,’ but also build ads around specific inventory queries like ‘used 2018 Toyota Tacoma for sale.’ When paired with dynamic inventory technology, even ads shown for more general searches will feature up-to-date stock and price details, enabling better performance with shoppers at each stage in the buying journey.
Just as important? Negative keywords. Exclude terms like ‘2018 Toyota Tacoma recall’ or ‘used Toyota Tacoma floor mats’ so you never waste ad spend on searches that aren’t relevant to used car sales.
2. RUN ADS FOR SPECIFIC USED INVENTORY
By advertising for specific vehicles on your lot, you’re more likely to attract the right customers who are ready to make a purchase. Leverage ad technology that dynamically syncs with the inventory on your website to target customers with unique, model-specific ads featuring in-stock inventory and up-to-date pricing. The results? Better click-through-rates and more conversions.
3. INCLUDE VEHICLE DETAILS IN EVERY AD
The more specific your ad is, the better. If there are certain specs or price points a shopper is searching for, detailed ads let them know the high-level details at-a-glance, so they’ll only click through if they're really interested. In the ad headline and copy, in addition to the make and model, include the year, price, and quantity in stock.
4. USE GOOGLE AD EXTENSIONS
Extensions are proven to increase both ad performance and CTR. Google offers several features to include on your ads, and it’s important to take advantage of them all to improve click-through-rate and lower cost-per-click. Create extensions for your address and phone number, and include links to relevant pages on your site like directions and contact us.
5. TRACK USED CAR SALES
Measure the success of your used car paid search campaigns by conversions, not just clicks. User-level tracking can help you achieve this by recording lead activity all the way from a customer’s first interaction to the final sale. With the right tools and reporting, you can connect your pipeline and track leads all the way through the buying journey, enabling clear attribution and better results.
Getting Started
Interested in increasing your used car sales through digital advertising? Reach out and we’ll start with a free digital analysis to create a used inventory advertising plan for your dealership.
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