Stellantis Omnisocial Ad Strategy: Behind-The-Scenes of South County DCJR Dealership Case Study

Stellantis Omnisocial Ad Strategy: Behind-The-Scenes of South County DCJR Dealership Case Study

Stellantis Omnisocial Ad Strategy: Behind-The-Scenes of South County DCJR Dealership Case Study

In this video, we break down the strategy behind the results of our latest Dealership Case Study for South County Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram and how they used an Omnisocial ad strategy to 10X their results!

Watch the video below or download the PDF here!

💡 Pro tip: You can jump to different sections in the video by using the video tools!

Behind-The-Scenes 🔍 With South County Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram: 

South County DCJR is located in St. Louis, MO, and have been in the same location since 1965. We have had the pleasure of working with our partners Allen Masengil, GM, Mike Chorba, Sales and Finance Manager, and Ashley Etheridge, BDC Director since 2020. 

Collectively, this is a team that believes in innovation, testing new strategies, and the power behind social media — in other words, one of our favorite Dealers United Partners! 

Creating a Full-Funnel, Omnisocial Strategy

South County DCJR wanted to dominate their market and competition, and an Omnisocial strategy was the perfect solution.

Omnisocial, or omnichannel, refers to a multi-platform advertising strategy that works to provide a seamless customer experience; no matter where a shopper is spending time. This approach delivers the next relevant message at the right time in the auto buyer journey, on the platform where they are spending time NOW.

What separates an average Omnisocial campaign from a top-performing one is a full-funnel strategy. Specifically, leveraging different ad types intentionally, with thoughtful messaging that coincide with the mindset and stage of the auto buyer journey.

South County DCJR worked with Dealers United to develop messaging for Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, and TikTok that would diversify as shoppers went through different stages of the buyer journey (awareness, consideration, and conversion).

(👉 Jump to 2:10 in the video to see ads South County DCJR ran at each stage of the funnel!)

Here’s a deeper dive into their results between January 1st, 2023 – March 31st, 2023:

South County Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram: Social Ads Case Study Results

Facebook & Instagram (Meta):

Meta is a staple in South County DCJR’s Omnisocial strategy for every stage of the buyer journey. With a powerhouse of 251M monthly active users in the US, Meta remains the most widely used social platform today, and typically drives the highest KPIs for the lowest costs. One specific strategy South County DCJR runs on Facebook and Instagram is promoting their new 2023 Stellantis model lines.

 

Our Stellantis OEM Program is helping CDJR dealers across the US and Canada move excess inventory fast. Learn more about our Stellantis OEM Program here!

Facebook & Instagram Results (Q1 2023):

  • 1.6M impressions
  • 28,665 clicks
  • 909 leads
  • 71 matched unit sales

Pinterest:

South County DCJR wanted to be sure their new vehicle inventory was getting in front of car shoppers in their area with higher incomes. And Pinterest was the perfect solution! Pinterest has the ability to reach 52% of US adult internet users with incomes over $100K. Plus, it’s a great way to reach moms! 

Pinterest Results (Q1 2023):

  • 1.4M impressions
  • 3,301 clicks
  • 142 leads
  • 13 matched unit sales

TikTok:

With users spending an average of 89 minutes per day on TikTok, the platform is rapidly becoming the new “TV” for all generations. South County DCJR uses this video-first platform to drive awareness and retarget with dynamic vehicle ads.

Want more TikTok Ad Inspiration? Click here to see the top-performing dealership TikTok videos!

TikTok Results (Q1 2023):

  • 978K impressions
  • 6,081 clicks
  • 891K video views
  • 811 landing page views

Snapchat:

Did you know? 40% of Snapchat users don’t use alternative social platforms! With dynamic vehicle inventory ads and 108M monthly active users in the US, South County DCJR is using Snapchat to drive traffic to their vehicles under $25,000. 

Snapchat Results (Q1 2023):

  • 370K impressions
  • 3,160 swipe ups
  • 25K video views
  • 54 leads

It’s All About Partnership

While we covered a lot of South County’s stats and success in this article, don’t just take it from us…

Check out this testimonial from Mike Chorba, Sales and Finance Manager:

“Our goal is to dominate our market in all aspects of the auto industry. With how competitive our DMA is, that can be challenging at times. One area I don’t have to worry about now is our social media presence. The cost per lead and cost per sale is something that most social-ad-based companies could only dream of achieving. We are saving thousands every month over previous providers and seeing 8 to 10 times the results with Dealers United. Now that is dominating in a space!”

— Mike Chorba, Sales and Finance Manager at South County Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram

At Dealers United, our only goal is to help you reach your goals. Want to talk social media ad strategies for YOUR dealership? Schedule a demo with us here.

 

Dominate Social Ads

 

Blog Author - Molly Dennehy

Written By Molly Dennehy
Molly Dennehy is a marketing expert who has evidenced effective digital marketing strategies across six different industries. Now, she brings her diverse experience and creativity to automotive dealers. From audience targeting, campaign set-up, and content creation, Molly is passionate about sharing new and innovative ways to drive results.

What’s New At DU: NADA Data & Powerful Brand Ads

What’s New At DU: NADA Data & Powerful Brand Ads

What’s New At DU: NADA Data & Powerful Brand Ads

New Data  ✅  New Ads  ✅  New Promotions  ✅

 There is a lot of NEW for YOU this month. Check out the video above to hear from Justin Friend, VP & General Manager, and Molly Dennehy, Brand Manager, or skim the highlights listed below.

 💡 Pro tip: You can jump to different sections in the video by using the video navigation tools or by clicking any “(Watch at #)” linked below.

 Agenda:

  • NADA Data 2021: Full Year Report Analysis & Opportunities
  • Powerful Ad Examples: Branding, Custom Order & Pre-Order, Pre-Owned, Vehicle Acquisition, and TradePending 
  • Customer Spotlight – Tynan’s Auto Group  👏
  • Pinterest & Snapchat Special Promotions 🤑
  • Trade Show Discounts – Digital Dealer & DrivingSales

 NADA Data 2021: New Light-Vehicle (Watch at 1:10)

The 2021 NADA Data full year report features the many major milestones achieved by the retail auto industry during the year.

Take a look at the inventory trends for New Light-Vehicles:

 With new inventory still in demand, auto shoppers have less to choose from, which makes where they buy their new vehicle even that much more important. 

 To help put your brand out in front of the competition, dealers should promote ads focused on their brand and “why buys.” Show and tell your local market what makes you special and sets you apart from the dealer down the road.  

 You can also leverage social media platforms to promote your Custom Orders and Pre-Order campaigns. Share how easy you make the process of getting exactly what they want. 

 NADA Data 2021: Used Inventory (Watch at 4:06)

 Pre-Owned vehicles are also in high demand: by consumers and dealers.

 NADA shared these graphs to highlight key stats:

 Used-vehicle sales dipped in 2020 (not surprisingly) but picked up again in 2021. We expect that 2022 will outpace last year due to inventory shortages and high demand. Do you have a plan to source pre-owned vehicles to replenish your lot?

  Try running a buy-back or vehicle acquisition campaign on multiple social platforms for an Omnichannel sourcing strategy.  

  We have also shown success by running campaigns directly to your TradePending page on your website. These ad playbooks are branded to reflect TradePending colors for a seamless user experience.  

 Want to look deeper into your market to enhance your acquisition campaigns? Try the updated Dealers United MarketAnalyzer. This free tool can not only provide audience size and demographics, but also calculate a suggested budget and return on investment. 

Check it out at https://app.dealersunited.com/analyzer#/

 Customer High-Five (Watch at 6:59)

🖐️  Tynan’s Auto Group is absolutely crushing the video game! 

This group consists of a VW, Nissan and Preowned Supercenter, and they are doing a fantastic job at showcasing their dealership, promoting their “why buys”, and presenting the personalities of their team in their online content. (Definitely watch their ads at 7:12)

 We called Markus Kamm, Director of Sales, to ask him about his video strategy.

“Now that the market has changed, we can really focus on our brand as a dealership: what we’re all about, what we stand for, how we do business and who we are – and attract people that way.

Putting our videos on social media has given us the opportunity to really showcase “us”. So in other words, make the deal secondary, and just put out there who you are, what makes you unique and special, why people should come do business with you. Because there are still the same amount of dealership choices and people need a reason to come to you.

So, if you’re not out there branding yourself and showcasing your dealership’s personality through the showcasing of your employee’s personalities, I would say you’re absolutely missing the boat.”

 Pinterest & Snapchat Promotion! (Watch at 9:30)

Interested in adding a new platform to your social strategy, but haven’t made the jump?

We have two amazing promotions for new activations for Pinterest and Snapchat.

Receive a $1000 Ad Credit for Pinterest when you spend $3000!

Earn a $375 Ad Credit for Snapchat when you spend $750!

Reach out to your Performance Manager or Account Executive to take advantage of either (or both!) of these great incentives.

 Trade Show Ticket Discounts (Watch at 10:10)

If you plan on attending Digital Dealer in Tampa, FL, May 9-11, or DrivingSales Presidents Club in Ft Lauderdale, FL, May 15-16, we have some awesome discounts for you!

Use our links to get discount codes for up to $200 off your Digital Dealer ticket and $100 off Driving Sales!

We are also very excited to be apart of both events!

Justin Friend will join Allison McConeghy, Sr Partner Manager from Pinterest, for a breakout session on Tuesday, “How to Sell Where Your Customers Are Shopping With Dealer Inventory On Pinterest”, where they will go over everything you want to know about the platform.

Use this link to RSVP or sign up to get the slides. If you are not going, sign up and we will send the recording! 

And Justin and Molly have a virtual session for Digital Dealer NOW about turning your customers into raving fans by flipping your marketing funnel! If you plan on grabbing a virtual pass, be sure to check it out!

At DrivingSales Presidents Club, Justin will sit on a panel to review and analyze the results of DrivingSales research project regarding current marketing strategies and expenses. There will be a lot of great insights into current trends and strategies that Justin will bring back and share with us.

That’s all folks!

Thanks for checking out what’s new with DU.  Stay tuned for more updates next month!

 Questions? Compliments? Ready to maximize your success? 

 Reach out to us at [email protected] or schedule a 15min consultation.

Blog Author - Molly Dennehy

Written By Molly Dennehy
Molly Dennehy is a marketing expert who has evidenced effective digital marketing strategies across six different industries. Now, she brings her diverse experience and creativity to automotive dealers. From audience targeting, campaign set-up, and content creation, Molly is passionate about sharing new and innovative ways to drive results.

What’s New At DU: Pinterest Check-in & NEW Webinar

What’s New At DU: Pinterest Check-in & NEW Webinar

What’s New At DU: Pinterest Check-in & NEW Webinar

Wrapping up Q1 on a high note 🎶

Welcome back to the new format for Dealers United Partner Updates! Check out this month’s info in two ways: print or video.

💡 Pro tip: You can jump to different sections in the video by using the video navigation tools or by clicking any “(Watch at #)” linked below.

Agenda:

  • NADA Recap
  • NADA Workshop Webinar!
  • Customer Spotlight – Dahl Ford  👏
  • Pinterest Check-in
  • Dealers United Team Updates 😎

NADA Recap (Watch at 0:19)

This year’s NADA Show 2022 was a blast! The event took place March 10th-13th at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It was great to be in person once again to reconnect and celebrate our industry. 

The theme of the show was centered on the future of our industry, with a focus on Electric Vehicles. The show’s content emphasized the importance of educating and informing auto shoppers to help guide them through upcoming industry changes and trends.

NADA Workshop Webinar (Watch at 1:19)

Pete Petersen, CEO of Dealers United, hosted a workshop, “7 Undercover Direct-to-Consumer Platforms You Need In 2022,” on Sunday, March 13th. 🔥

After the session, there were so many questions from the audience that we went overtime (NADA literally had to cut us off). 😅

So, we decided to host this virtual session to answer ALL of your questions about advertising on social media.

Discover the direct-to-consumer channels that will help your store engage, influence and close buyers. 🔑 Three key takeaways:

▶️ Explore 7 social platforms that are helping other dealers reach more auto buyers: Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Snapchat, TikTok & Instagram.

▶️ Understand how to use data to target your ideal audience and in-market auto shoppers, and what sources you can leverage now – including some that you already own!

▶️ Identify the right messages (with examples!) to leapfrog your business ahead of the competition and increase market share.

Can’t make the live event? No worries – register anyway and we’ll send you the recording!

Customer High-Five (Watch at 1:49)

🖐️  Dahl Ford is our Customer Spotlight of the month!

We are excited to celebrate 1 year of working with the team in Davenport, IA, who leverage Facebook + Instagram and Snapchat for a full funnel Omnichannel strategy. 

From February 2021 to February 2022,  their campaigns had an average match rate of 24.8% with 344 sales attributed at a $107.57 CPUS. Their average CPL was $22.12 with 48,550 total landing page views. Absolutely incredible!

Pinterest Check-in (Watch at 3:42)

On Pinterest, positivity is the key to success! Pinners come with a positive mindset and expect the same from your content.

When your brand delivers positive, authentic content, you benefit from higher engagement with your followers.

📌  Three Pin Tips:

  • Create content that supports your audience’s personal style, judgment-free.
  • Encourage your followers’ aspirations by introducing them to new ideas.
  • Help your audience take the next step with actionable suggestions.

Pinterest is a highly personal experience, where individuals come to be inspired, plan their next life event, and discover new ideas. By building a presence on Pinterest, your auto dealership can become a part of their lives and help them find the perfect vehicle for their lifestyle.

Dealers United Updates 😎 (Watch at 6:02)

It has been a BIG month for #TeamDU! At the start of the month, we brought all our crew together in Sarasota, FL for some team building, bonding.

It was an action packed few days filled with games, gratitude and giving back to our community.

We are a fully remote company, and while that has its perks, it was so amazing to bring people from 19 different states together to celebrate each other and nurture our culture.

However, one person who couldn’t join us in Florida was Customer Success Manager Mike Miller, because he was welcoming his son, Lando, into the world!

Congratulations to Mike and his growing family, who officially wins the cutest new Zoom background when baby Lando makes an appearance. 👶

Are we in the right lane? 🚘 (Watch at 7:02)

Hopefully you can tell how proud we are of #TeamDU, and we are just as honored to have this partnership with you. We truly strive to build a relationship with our members so that it feels as if our team is an extension of your team.

Thank you those who have recently written reviews on Facebook or Google or texted us feedback, because it is so valuable. We want to know if we are driving in the right lane with you, and if there is anything we can do to improve or enhance our partnership.

It would mean so much if you could take 30 seconds to leave us a review on Facebook or Google.

Thank you for tuning to this month’s updates! ✌️

 Questions? Compliments? Ready to maximize your success? 

 Reach out to us at [email protected] or schedule a 15min consultation.

Blog Author - Molly Dennehy

Written By Molly Dennehy
Molly Dennehy is a marketing expert who has evidenced effective digital marketing strategies across six different industries. Now, she brings her diverse experience and creativity to automotive dealers. From audience targeting, campaign set-up, and content creation, Molly is passionate about sharing new and innovative ways to drive results.

What’s New At DU: Top Automotive Ad Campaigns & NADA

What’s New At DU: Top Automotive Ad Campaigns & NADA

What’s New At DU: Top Automotive Ad Campaigns & NADA

New Updates Coming In Hot 🔥

Welcome to the new format for Dealers United Partner Updates! We have provided this month’s information in two ways: print or video. 

Prefer to watch? Check out the video above to hear from Justin Friend, VP & General Manager, and Molly Dennehy, Brand Manager, or skim the highlights listed below.

💡 Pro tip: You can jump to different sections in the video by using the video navigation tools or by clicking any “(Watch at #)” linked below.

Agenda:

  • Omnichannel Check-In – Trending Results 📊
  • Suggested Playbooks
  • Customer Spotlight – South County DCJR  👏
  • NADA Show 2022 – RSVP for our D2C workshop!
  • Dealers United Team Updates 😎

Omnichannel Check-in – Trending Results (Watch at 0:54)

The biggest buzzword right now in digital advertising is Omnichannel.

At its core, an Omnichannel strategy puts the customer at the center of everything by serving full-funnel automotive ad campaigns across multiple social media platforms.

To execute this strategy, advertisers leverage user data signals with sophisticated API integrations to present the next logical ad message to the ideal target audience, creating a frictionless online customer journey and optimized ad spend budget.  🤓

In Q3 2021, Dealers United led the way in the automotive industry by providing auto dealers the ability to tap into this powerful strategy, and the trending results of the Omnichannel automotive ad campaigns are amazing!  *chef’s kiss* 🤌💋

Here are the month-over-month KPI results from December ‘21 to January ‘22 for the automotive ad campaigns on Snapchat, Pinterest, Facebook+Instagram, and TikTok:

Snapchat (Watch at 1:57)

  • CPM ⬇️ by 31%
  • CPC ⬇️ by 43%

Pinterest (Watch at 2:55 + Bonus $1000 Media Credit! 🎁✨)

  • CPM ⬇️ by 35%
  • CPC ⬇️ by 39%

Facebook & Instagram (Watch at 3:59

  • CPM ⬇️ by 24%
  • CPC ⬇️ by 21%

TikTok (Watch at 4:44)

  • CPM ⬇️ by 45%
  • CPC ⬇️ by 44%

Blended Omnichannel Metrics (Watch at 5:24)

  • CPM ⬇️ by 32%
  • CPC ⬇️ by 40%

As you can see, the results from Omnichannel automotive ad campaigns are more than just industry buzz, but driving some awesome returns. So…what results can your dealership expect in your market? 

The updated Dealers United MarketAnalyzer can not only provide audience size and demographics, but also calculate a suggested budget and return on investment. 

Check it out at https://app.dealersunited.com/analyzer#/


Yes, we geek out on data and targeting. (I mean, the MarketAnalyzer predicts conversion rate and expected sales!) But, it’s what we do with it that really counts…

Each month, our Ad Operations team analyzes the best-of-the-best performing automotive ad campaigns to create Dealer Ad Playbooks. 💪

Recommended Playbooks (Watch at 6:25)

Playbooks are proven sets of ready-to-deploy ads built to help solve business challenges–  preset with audience targeting, ad creative, copy, AND campaign strategy. They are specially crafted to reach consumers that can take action and drive leads to your CRM.

These playbooks are recommended based on what’s working right now across our network.

Now Available:

  • 2022 Vehicle Acquisition & BuyBack 
  • 2022 Custom Order (OEM specific: CDJR, Ford, Chevrolet)
  • 2022 Tax Season Playbook
  • 2022 Generic Hiring Ads 

New Model Line Playbooks

These playbooks are designed to meet co-op needs and reach your local market with specific model lines. Each model line contains videos, carousels, and images to help promote, inform, educate, and excite consumers on a specific model line.

We recommend these playbooks go to Model Line SRP pages or landing pages specific to the promoted model.

Just Released:

  • 2022 Dodge Durango
  • 2022 Dodge Challenger
  • 2022 VW ID.4
  • 2021 Jeep Renegade
  • 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5
  • 2022 Hyundai Elantra
  • 2022 Ford F-150
  • 2022 Ford Escape
  • 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  • 2022 Chevrolet Blazer
  • 2022 Subaru Crosstrek

Dealers United Partners can browse all available playbooks & ad creative by logging in to the dashboard and navigating to “Playbooks.”

Are we missing a playbook? Let us know and we’ll add it shortly!

Customer High-Five (Watch at 10:35)

🖐️  South County DCJR is leveraging Pinterest, Facebook + Instagram, and Snapchat ads going full funnel Omnichannel, resulting in 511 leads with a CPC of $0.90 and CPL of $13.98.

We’re hosting a workshop at NADA 2022! (Watch at 12:10)

Heading to Las Vegas in March? Pete Petersen, CEO of Dealers United, is hosting a workshop, “7 Undercover Direct-to-Consumer Platforms You Need In 2022,” on Sunday, March 13th at 10:30am. 🔥

Pete says, “As a dealer, you have a HUGE competitive advantage over the national providers. They need to reach and engage shoppers in over 40,000 zip codes… you only need to master your Primary Area of Responsibility.

 You now have the ability to reach and direct ALL automotive shoppers to your dealership’s website during their path to purchase.”

 Register for the slides and RSVP for the session at: bit.ly/NADA2022

Welcome to #TeamDU (Watch at 12:34)

We are excited to welcome three new Customer Support Managers to the team! Please say hello to Aleena Bowman, MJ Belada, and Mitch Lucky! Happy to have you on board!  🥳  

All-Hands Company Retreat!

Dealers United is investing in bringing our entire team, from across the country, together to celebrate, connect and align on Wednesday, March 2nd, and Thursday, March 3rd, in sunny Sarasota, FL. 🌴☀️

Our teams will have all partners’ March templates built out and ready to deploy, but please let our team know of any early content or rebudgeting needs as soon as possible.

 That’s all folks!

Thanks for checking out what’s new with DU. Did you like this new format? Ready for Justin & Molly’s blooper reel? (Oh yea, best believe we have got that on deck.) 😜✌️

 Questions? Compliments? Ready to maximize your success? 

 Reach out to us at [email protected] or schedule a 15min consultation.

Blog Author - Molly Dennehy

Written By Molly Dennehy
Molly Dennehy is a marketing expert who has evidenced effective digital marketing strategies across six different industries. Now, she brings her diverse experience and creativity to automotive dealers. From audience targeting, campaign set-up, and content creation, Molly is passionate about sharing new and innovative ways to drive results.

Everything Your Dealership Needs To Know About Snapchat

Everything Your Dealership Needs To Know About Snapchat

Everything Your Dealership Needs To Know About Snapchat

Every dealer knows that a key to success in this industry is getting your dealership in front of the right shopper at the right time. 

But dealerships are now being faced with a new challenge of reaching the next emerging auto buyers – Generation Z. 

More frugal and well informed than their Millennial counterparts, Generation Z knows what they want, and you better be where they want to shop. 

And with Gen Z entering adulthood with around $3 trillion in purchasing power, it’s high time that we start to focus on how to reach tomorrow’s auto buyers. 

But don’t underestimate the other generations’ usage of Snapchat.

What Is Snapchat?

Founded in 2011, Snapchat gives users a way to express themselves via images without having to worry about a ton of people seeing their content.

You can take a photo or video and send it to one or many people and after a set amount of time, poof, the media would disappear.

Snapchat was also the original way users could easily apply filters, add unique location tags, text, and even draw on their content. Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have since “borrowed” this concept for their platforms.

Snapchat has evolved immensely since its inception, but never lost its fun creativity, and now that the majority of its users are entering the career field, dealerships are seeing an opportunity to capitalize.  

Why Snapchat?

Where does Snapchat fall in the realm of social giants? Great question.

When it comes to the kings of social, Facebook has always been on top. Back in 2012, Instagram presented a threat to their throne, but Facebook bought them out before they could take it.

In 2013, Facebook also tried to purchase Snapchat for a booku bucks type deal, but Snapchat’s owners respectfully declined.

Snapchat may never take over Facebook and Instagram as social media’s top dog, but the platform is now reaching an astonishing 75% of Millennials and Generation Z.

Instead of simply being present on multiple platforms like traditional “multichannel” advertising, Omnichannel is customer driven and aims to hit the right customer, at the right time, with the right message, where they are shopping, every time.

Image Source: Snapchat

The platform lays claim to an impressive 93 million US users per day and over 60% of those users are actively “snapping” on a daily basis.

What’s almost more impressive is that Snapchat is increasing their user base by 22% year-over-year.

Over 80% of Snapchat users also share their location with the app, providing a great opportunity to target local auto shoppers to build awareness of your dealership and any current offers or events.

With usage stats like that, it stands as no surprise that advertisers are ready to capitalize on this rising opportunity.

Advertising On Snapchat

Luckily for Snapchat, Facebook has really blazed a trail for social advertising.

So if you know how to advertise on Facebook, Snapchat is a simple next step.

Very much like the Facebook Pixel, Snapchat also uses a “Snap Pixel,” installed on your site so they can create audiences and retarget shoppers from your site on Snapchat.

You can create lookalike audiences (audiences similar to your customers or website visitors), audiences from your CRM lists, retargeting audiences, and engagers of your Snapchat content.

Dealerships can also target in-market Snapchatters using Datalogix auto shopper segments, Edmunds custom audiences, and Placed dealership visitors.

Advertisers can create catalogs to display as inventory ads, which is a BIG win for auto dealerships.


 

And dealerships can start getting their message and inventory in front of these audiences for as little as $5 a day!

Ready to learn everything about setting up and running successful dealership ads on Snapchat? Click here to download Snapchat’s Auto Dealers Playbook.

Download the Snapchat Auto Dealers Playbook!

Click Here

Which platform is right for me?

Dealers United is on a mission to create a complete marketing system that focuses on the individual, instead of the channel.

We’re calling this new approach “Omnichannel,” and by having your marketing efforts work in unison instead of in competition, we are reshaping the way the dealerships reach their customers.

Instead of simply being present on multiple platforms like traditional “multichannel” advertising, Omnichannel is customer driven and aims to hit the right customer, at the right time, with the right message, where they are shopping, every time.

Picture this; a Facebook user clicks on one of your ads and looks at your inventory, but then doesn’t log back in for days.

So is this where their journey ends?

With Omnichannel marketing, we can start reaching that shopper with your live inventory on the other platforms where they are spending their time – including Snapchat, Tik Tok, Pinterest, Facebook, Bing, MSN Autos, and Google.

Using customer driven data, long gone are the days of having different ad agencies randomly toss your inventory up on different channels so you have a check in the box.

Interested in learning more about Omnichannel?

Click here!

Blog Author - Drew Detweiler

Written By Drew Detweiler
Drew manages inbound and outbound marketing for Dealers United. When he’s not at work, he’s probably enjoying the outdoors, fishing, or eating.

John’s Auto Buyer Journey: The Ultimate Ad Placement Strategy

John’s Auto Buyer Journey: The Ultimate Ad Placement Strategy

John’s Auto Buyer Journey: The Ultimate Ad Placement Strategy

In today’s digitally dominated world, it is more important than ever to meet potential auto shoppers where they are online.

And it is no shocking secret that today’s savvy consumers (as well as their mom, coworkers, and best friends) invest their time on social media.

In fact, the average person scrolls through about 300 feet of mobile content on Facebook and Instagram… daily. That’s equivalent to the size of the Statue of Liberty!

So with every swipe of their thumb, dealers have the opportunity to get their brand and promotional content on valuable visual real estate.

Sure, with so many resources and the handy-dandy “Boost” button, Facebook has made it easier than ever to run ads on social platforms. But what separates the average from the best converting ad campaigns is strategy.

Specifically, leveraging different ad types intentionally with thoughtful messaging throughout the auto buyer journey.

The Auto Buyer Journey

According to Cox Automotive, auto shoppers are only in-market for just over 3 months.

This means that your dealership must strategically take an auto shopper from awareness to consideration to conversion in a limited amount of time — or just hope you get lucky. 

Most advertisers are only meeting the shopper with 1-3 messages and hoping it’s at the right time and the right message. 

And while this method can work, there is a far better, more reliable way. 

Introducing “The Auto Buyer’s Journey,” where dealers are NAILING the right audience, right message, right time, every time. 

We’re going to follow an example auto shopper avatar, “John,” as he goes from initial vehicle research to ultimately converting at your dealership. 

Keep in mind: John’s example journey is very specific based on John’s unique interests, behaviors, and stage in the buyer journey. As you walk through the experience with John, imagine other types of prospects that could fall into each stage, and how you would message them. This is truly where the magic happens… entire Monthly Ad Spend turned into Leads.

 VIDEO: How Dealers Can Reach Shoppers Throughout The Auto Buyer Journey

Identifying Your Shopper

Meet “John.” 

John is a 36 year old male who is interested in an F-150. John is in your addressable market but has never been to your dealership, isn’t in your CRM, and has never visited your website. 

He just started doing research on 3rd party sites like Edmund’s and Autotrader. After a little investigating, John decides that he wants a new, white or gray F-150 between $40,000-$50,000.

Bringing Awareness To Your Dealership

Using Facebook and 3rd party data, we now know that John is an in-market shopper in your PMA who is browsing for a new F-150. 

We certainly could send John ads with your F-150 inventory at this point. 

But if you immediately start showing “Sales-y” ads to John, before you even have had a chance to introduce your dealership, it’s kind of like asking someone to marry you before you even know their name. And that’s just… wrong.

Next time John hops on Facebook or Instagram, you first want to capture his attention by deploying engaging ads that introduce John to your dealership.

These ads should include “Why Buy” messaging about features that make John want to purchase from you, instead of your competition. 

Winning the “Consideration” Stage

John is now aware of your dealership and has been engaging with your Awareness ads through Likes, Comments, and Video Watches.

In this next stage, you want to accomplish 3 things: 1) Encourage John’s interest in the F-150, 2) Inform him about current specials on the F-150, and 3) Show your live, on-the-ground F-150 inventory.

With these ads, John will click through to your SRPs, which will trigger a View Content event back to Facebook.

Now we’re going to start showing him all relevant live inventory that your dealership has on the lot.

Once he engages with your ads and either lands on your website VDP or an on-Facebook VDP, we know once and for all that John is ready to buy.

But if John leaves your VDPs without converting, it’s crucial that we retarget him to keep your store top-of-mind until he makes a decision.

Bringing John Back With Retargeting

1. Continue enforcing what sets your store apart from other dealerships.

While “sales-y” ads are a priority at this stage, don’t forget to continue messaging John about what sets your store apart.

Customer testimonials, awards and accolades, and your involvement with your community are sure-fire ways to build trust with John.

2. Stay relevant and ask for a lead conversion (at the right time).

If John is looking at neutral color F-150s between $40-50k, you certainly don’t want to retarget him with a bright blue F-150 that is out of his price range.

Instead, retarget John with the exact VIN that he viewed, and all similar inventory you have in stock.

Then, when John is at the peak of his shopper journey, ask him to submit a lead directly on Facebook to Apply For Financing, Schedule a Test Drive, or Schedule a VIP Appointment!

With On-Facebook Lead Ads, you can provide John a frictionless experience without slow page load times, pop-ups, or other friction. (Want to learn more about reducing auto shopper friction? Watch: Reduce Auto Shopper Friction with Facebook’s Newest Solution for Dealers)

Did you know? Many dealerships and agencies run Lead Ads either too early, or for too long, which can waste your ad dollars. With Facebook’s custom retargeting windows, you can maximize your spend by ONLY asking John for a lead conversion when he is at the peak of his journey: 3-7 days after he left your VDP.

Once John raises his hand and submits his information, your team will see his information dropped immediately into the CRM as a lead so you’re one step closer to the sale.

Attributing The Sale

Say John never submitted a lead form on Facebook, but still came in and bought that new truck.

How can we attribute that unit sale to your Facebook campaigns?

Using Facebook’s Offline Conversion tool, dealers don’t have to guess anymore.

Simply upload your sales report into Facebook (or via our our awesome new dashboard), and you will be able to see the amount of shoppers who viewed or clicked a Facebook ad before they bought.

Learn more about how Facebook Matchbacks work here.

This will give you immediate insight into your return on ad spend and cost per unit sold, so you can stop guessing and start making better decisions with your advertising dollars.
But John’s journey with your dealership isn’t done yet!

Customers For Life

Now that John is in your CRM as a successful sale, you can run service and promotion campaigns to him and the rest of your established customer base.

Keeping your dealership in John’s timeline, we can continue to drive fixed ops revenue and ultimately start reenaging him with trade in incentives to get him back into your store to buy again.

Want to see how your dealership can engage your customer base to start getting back much needed inventory back on your lot? Click here to download the 2021 Buy Back Ad Playbook.

Now that John’s journey has come full circle (and he’s a raving fan of your dealership), grab a testimonial and turn it into an ad for future shoppers who you meet during their auto shopper journey.

Nothing builds trust like word of mouth referrals, so it’s so important to continue to nurture these relationships even after the sale. You never know the connections one person can bring!

The Journey Never Ends…

By now, you understand the full spectrum of interactions in the auto buyer journey.

There are so many opportunities to optimize each touch point to drive a potential buyer (and everyone they know!) into becoming a raving fan.

Facebook and Instagram are a digital marketers playground: internet users spend an average of 144 minutes per day on social media. Moreover, 63% of car buyers are discovering new vehicles online and 86% of shoppers want to engage with brands post-purchase.

From prospecting and retargeting, to nurturing the relationship (and revenue) post-sale, these strategies will help your business build local awareness, enhance engagement, garner qualified leads, and get the most out of your advertising budget.

If your business isn’t leveraging digital marketing across the marketing funnel, your local audience is one click away from giving their business to your competitor.

Ready to learn more with real world examples? Check out this video to see the auto buying journey in action.

 VIDEO: How Dealers Can Reach Shoppers Throughout The Auto Buyer Journey

Blog Author - Drew Detweiler

Written By Drew Detweiler
Drew manages inbound and outbound marketing for Dealers United. When he’s not at work, he’s probably enjoying the outdoors, fishing, or eating.

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