Used Cars & Digital Marketing: A Perfect Match

With 9 in 10 car shoppers using the internet as a source of information while researching, it’s no surprise that the auto industry has also moved to a more digital approach to selling. Dealerships ask themselves daily, “How can we make better use of our marketing dollars and ultimately sell more cars?” The answer? Used auto advertising. 

DIGITAL ADVERTISING FOR USED VEHICLES

People spend more time researching cars than shopping on the lot, and 75% of that research time is spent online. Most of these avid researchers aim to spend 3 hours or less at the dealership, making it crucial to win over shoppers long before they visit the dealership. Buyers want to see available inventory without having to visit a dealership. Proper digital advertising makes this happen.

Used vs. New Car Buying Behavior

An IHS Automotive study from 2016 compared the research and shopping habits for new and used vehicle buyers. The following key takeaways emphasize the importance of reaching used car buyers online through targeted ads:

• 1/3 of total buyers know the exact vehicle they want to purchase
• Used buyers spend 21% more time researching cars online than new buyers
• Used car buyers do 92% of their research online

Better Margins for Dealerships

Digital advertising is a great method by which to promote and sell used vehicles quickly improving your used inventory turns. Plus, used vehicles typically present higher margins for dealers than new vehicles. These used buyers are also more often low-funnel shoppers, meaning they have a strong idea of what they want and are closer to purchase when they click on an ad.

With a shorter sales cycle, dealerships can enjoy better Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) and require less time from their sales teams.

BEST PRACTICES FOR USED AUTO ADVERTISING

By delivering on the promises in your ads, you can build trust with your customers. This is especially important for the low-funnel shoppers who already have a good idea of the make and model they want to buy.

To create proper and effective digital advertising campaigns for your used car inventory, get the most from your budget, and generate more leads, do the following:

Create Vehicle Specific Ads

Because so many new and used car buyers know the exact make and model they want to purchase, your ads must reflect the specific models you have in stock. For example, rather than telling customers that you have “Jeeps for Sale,” advertise your inventory of “Used 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokees.”

By advertising the vehicles on your lot, you’re more likely to attract the right customers who are ready to make a purchase. With vehicle-specific ads in place, provide as much detail as possible and match ads to your current inventory to set a strong foundation for customer relationships.

Include Vehicle Details in Every Ad

The more specific your ad is, the better. You can make it easy on buyers by forming a picture of the used vehicles you have in stock. Detailed ads are more credible to your prospective customers, enticing them to click. Create ads that include the unique details of each individual vehicle you want to sell, such as:

• Year
• Color
• Quantity in stock
• Price

Keep Your Ads Synced with Your Inventory

Your used auto ad must match your inventory at the dealership. If it doesn’t, you’ll be wasting both clicks and dollars on advertising for a car that’s not in stock or has already been sold. If used buyers find that the information on an ad is wrong, or worse, that the car has already been sold, you risk losing both a sale and a relationship with that customer. Your ads should be updated daily to stay synchronized with your inventory to avoid wasted money and disappointed shoppers.

Use Google Ad Extensions

Google offers several features to include on your ads, so it’s important to take advantage of them all to improve click-through-rate and lower cost-per-click. Create extensions for address, phone number, and other key dealership information and include links to relevant pages on your site, like directions and service.

GETTING STARTED WITH USED DIGITAL ADVERTISING

Our team of marketing nerds understands that used car advertising is a great opportunity, but requires a lot of ongoing support to get right. That’s why we built Foursale for auto dealerships.

Refined over eight years of digital advertising work for the auto industry, this innovative used advertising tool is designed to better reach those low-funnel sales prospects. The system consistently updates the campaigns so your ads directly reflect the actual used inventory your dealership has in stock. It creates vehicle-specific ads loaded with relevant details and ad extensions, and delivers them to the right shoppers at the right time.

Interested in increasing your used auto sales through digital advertising? Contact us today to discuss a used auto advertising plan for your dealership.