Are your auto ads not doing a very good job of attracting new leads? I have bad news for you: you are doing your automotive advertising completely wrong. But don’t take it personally. Most car dealerships all have the same problems with ads.
These are a few of the common mistakes that we see on a regular basis with automotive advertising for car dealerships:
You’re Still Relying on Old-School Car Dealership Advertising
Are you still relying on “traditional,” old-school advertising methods for your dealership? That’s your first mistake. Just like everything else these days, car buyers are in one place: online. They are doing their research online, they are checking out dealerships and prices online, and they are talking to their friends online about what kind of car they want to buy. So, where should you be advertising? The answer is: online. Not in the newspaper, not on TV and certainly not on billboards.
Here’s another reason why you need to advertise your dealership online: if someone sees your ads in those places, they have to take a whole additional step to contact you, like pick up the phone and call you, which we already know most people are not going to do in the year 2022. But when you advertise online, all the interested lead has to do is click a button to automatically fill out a form and they’re done.
Car Dealership Misrepresentation
A whopping 87% of American consumers dislike something about the process of buying a vehicle at a traditional car dealership, and a big reason behind that is the stereotype that car dealers are untrustworthy or slimy.
A common mistake with automotive advertising is placing misleading ads in order to entice leads into coming into the dealership. However, these misleading ads create distrust among clients and ultimately won’t get you a sale. Plus, customers are savvy these days and most likely will realize that if something seems too good to be true, then it probably is. That is why it’s important to never lie about prices or deals simply to get customers in the dealership.
Too Much Targeting
It’s important not to get too bogged down with targeting. Cast a wide net in your geographic area with your ads. Why? Targeting is a waste of time and a waste of possible leads. At a minimum, without targeting, you can help build brand awareness for your dealership on Facebook and Instagram. Worry about placing your leads in the right place in the sales funnel later on.
Worrying About Clicks, Impressions and Engagement
I have a hot take for you: the clicks and impressions you get on your Facebook ads don’t really matter. The amount of clicks you get doesn’t really affect how many cars you sell. Focus on the KPIs that really matter: how many leads you are getting, how many appointments you are setting, how many of those appointments actually show up and how many of those appointments turn into sold cars for your dealership.
