Page 46 - GIADA Aug2017Digital

3 STEPS

to Fuel Summer Sales Success with a

Tailored Advertising Strategy

BY JESSICA LUNAU, ADVERTISING & MANAGED SERVICES PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER,
DEALER.COM

Summer and car shopping go together like may make more sense to boost paid search Partner with an advertising provider who
the Fourth of July and fireworks. It’s practi- budgets to capture in-market shoppers that has the ability to assist with your invento-
cally tradition. are further along their path to vehicle pur- ry evaluation and can provide additional
chase. insight regarding the current demand for
Our data shows that over the past three inventory in your market area.
years, shopper visits to our network of Let’s take a look at some of the top consid-
dealer websites between May-August have erations every dealer should make before 3. Make data-driven decisions using past
increased on average 14 percent compared increasing advertising budgets this sum- advertising performance, supplemented
to the months between January-April. In mer. by other data.
2014, there was a 36 percent shopper vis- Consider past campaign performance.
it increase during those summer months 1. Align advertising strategy with your What combination of channels has provid-
alone. manufacturer’s vehicle marketing efforts. ed you with the most combined ROI? Are
Stay in close contact with your OEM busi- you allocating funds that allow you to reach
In other words, people are shopping for cars ness centers and representatives to under- shoppers at all of the key micro-moments
more in the summer than they are during stand what promotional efforts they’ll pur- during their automotive purchase journey?
any other season of the year. sue. Ensure your digital advertising partner Examining what has worked in the past and
is strategically aligned with your OEM as what opportunities were left on the table
There are a variety of reasons for the bump well. A complete mix comprising Tier I can help you create a more informed strat-
in interest during the summer: attractive messaging and local-level advertising en- egy this summer.
deals from summer holiday sales events sures shoppers are receiving consistent in-
that feature model-year crossovers or year- formation wherever they’re exposed to ads. Also, consider partnering with an advertis-
end clearances; and, great weather, which ing provider who has access to data beyond
gets people taking time off from work for 2. Evaluate your inventory mix and its de- your own. Anonymize data and evaluate
vacation and leads to more vehicle selling mand in your local market. dealerships and dealer groups with similar
activity, particularly in the used market. Before increasing your budget or making characteristics to your own to determine
changes to your advertising strategy, take a strategies with proven performance.
Typically, dealers inspect their advertising good look at your cars and trucks. By ana-
budgets and look to increase spend full lyzing inventory count and average time on As both temperatures and automotive
scale to capitalize on this increased de- lot at the model and body style level as well search volume rise this summer, make the
mand,. as other key facets of your inventory mix most of your invested digital advertising
you can identify focus models to incorpo- funds. While budget increases are typical
But are blanket spend increases really the rate into your advertising strategy. for this period of the year – increases that
best summer ad strategy? Maybe not. It all are lockstep with greater shopper volume
depends on what makes the most sense for This allows you to tailor your strategy to – your digital advertising performance
your particular dealership. If you’re looking spend primarily on your focus models and largely depends on how informed your
to generate demand, then you might con- provides the added boost needed to gen- strategy is. Adhere to the three tips listed
sider a targeted display advertising spend erate and capture more demand for mod- above, and get ready for a scorcher of a
increase. If the demand is already there, it els you may have a tougher time moving. summer. n
44 | GIADA Independent Auto Dealer AUGUST 2017