Whitepapers

12-Point Checklist for Modern Dealership Marketing As post-COVID-19 sales that surged in the first half of the year start to slow and ongoing inventory shortages drag on, now is the time for dealers to reassess their marketing strategy. Amid increasing competition, it's critical that dealers maximize their portfolio by reaching prospective buyers earlier in their buying journey with a personalized offer that accounts for their available and incoming inventory. For proactive dealerships, success starts with checking off important boxes for modern dealership marketing, ranging from early information gathering all the way to bottom-line reporting: Understanding what your dealership brings to the table is an important first step to any successful marketing plan. Start by tapping into readily available opportunities by surveying your team to discover what additional skills your sales and BDC staff may need. Meanwhile, take a data-driven approach to your planning process: ̆ Tools & Platforms Ensure your team is set up for success with access to data-driven marketing tools that integrate with your dealership's CRM and DMS. ̆ Set Targeting Utilizing these tools, task your sales and marketing teams to identify proactive opportunities to meet customers where they are in the buying cycle – preferably before they've started shopping around. ̆ Strategy Ensure your entire team is well-informed on your sales and marketing strategy, including both their roles and responsibilities and any potential incentives to inspire dealership-wide support Planning After plotting your approach and communicating your plan dealership-wide, it's time to put your plan into action via data-driven marketing campaigns. As buyers increasingly look for personalized buying experiences, your team must tailor the dealership customer experience from the very first touch point. Personalize your approach in three key areas: ̆ Messaging Craft unique, personalized messaging for each customer, including a strong F&I component and an actionable offer based on household financial data and other factors. ̆ Timing Using your advanced marketing technology tools, deliver unique messages to the customers preparing to re-enter the market before they begin shopping around, such as those approaching the end of their lease or warranty. ̆ Format Leveraging customer insights and high-quality third-party data, deliver your messaging in the prospective buyer's preferred format, whether that's via direct mail, email, SMS or likely a combined approach. Launch

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