3 Ways To Use Contests On Social Media To Help You Sell More Cars

If you’ve got a good social media following, it might be time to move to the next level in social media marketing. Here are some ways to use contests to jumpstart your sales.

Car buyers have many options and much to think about, and you want to make sure yours is the dealership they choose.

The right marketing will bring more customers your way, but the wrong marketing will leave some great models sitting unsold in your lot. Don’t make these four mistakes.

Having No Strategy

You have a certain budget for marketing, and the best way to waste it is to spend it on random ads and content schemes without a clear strategy in mind. Consider whether you’ll be doing the marketing yourself or hiring a company.

Think about the sales goals you’re trying to achieve and make sure you communicate well with everyone working on the marketing. It doesn’t have to be a large operation. Even if you’re a small dealership, the right plan will give your marketing purpose and drive results.

Lacking a Target Audience

Your marketing depends on your audience. You wouldn’t try to sell a Corvette to a low-income family. Don’t make the mistake of marketing with such broad brush strokes that you don’t take into account your customers’ lifestyles and desires. Got a great new SUV on the lot?

Think about who buys your SUVs, and find creative ways to highlight that SUV’s features that will appeal to them. Narrow your net a little so you grab more attention from the people most likely to buy.

Failing to See the Customer Point of View

You have many points you want to hammer home about your dealership, and you want your product lineup to be front-and-center on your website and blog. But customers aren’t only visiting you to find out how much it is to lease their next car.

They have questions and concerns, and part of how they trust you is your way of answering those questions and concerns.

Do you have some feedback forum in which they can reach out and receive an answer? Customers don’t have the industry knowledge you do, and buying a car can be an overwhelming process. Being there when they have a question is a great way to gain trust and keep someone coming back.

Releasing Uninformative Content

Your content has a lot to do with whether your customers are finding what they’re looking for when they visit your website and social media. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t advertise your sales and the newest models on your lot. But intersperse that advertising with content marketing.

Make sure your blog, newsletter, and Facebook are all updated regularly with content the customer will find valuable. Give tips about DIY car maintenance, make lists of common car concerns and when cars need maintenance, or create videos answering common customer questions.

You might even want to make a video or an infographic about how to do simple maintenance tasks like changing windshield wiper blades. Reach your target audience with the right marketing to make them confident that their questions will be answered. A small marketing budget used the right way is better than a big one focusing on the wrong stuff.