Used-Car Marketing: Four Modern Strategies

The used-car marketing side of the auto business is changing fast, and you can’t rely on old strategies.

If you’re going to thrive, step it up and enter the new era of digital marketing. Here are four ways to do that.

First, your used-car operation needs a blog. The marketing value of a good blog is undeniable. It gets you traction on social media, builds trust, shows readers your knowledge and much more.

To get the most out of blogging, integrate content and social-media strategies.

Okay, so what does that mean in practice? It means you develop pages and profiles for your business on relevant social-media platforms, and then actively cross-promote them with your blog.

It’s a symbiotic relationship that helps develop a powerful digital presence. That ultimately provides more value to consumers.

Second, in the Internet age, creative marketing strategies can multiply relevant traffic to your site, and ultimately your lot, by a factor of two to three when done right.

But as more and more companies are jumping on the search engine optimization and content-marketing bandwagon, it’s important to stand out.

Set yourself apart, whether it’s with TV commercials, outdoor ads or viral online content. Get creative, innovative and even strange in promoting your business.

Third, give out some neat promotional stuff, considering customer needs. What could really benefit someone looking to buy a used car? Maybe something to make the process more practical, like an e-book about the used-car buying process or a payment calculator. Or maybe just something to make it more fun, like a list of used-car jokes.

Fourth, use available marketing tools. There are several out there that can make an enormous difference in your online efforts.

These tools can help you find critical keywords to target with your blog and on-page content. They allow you to see what’s working and what’s not. These kinds of analytic tools are critical for any digital-marketing strategy.

Whatever marketing strategies you pursue, take creative risks and provide real value. When done right, you can’t go wrong.

What kind of innovative used-car marketing strategies have you implemented recently? What’s been working well? Let us know in the comments.

Eric Weisbrot is marketing manager for JW Surety Bonds, one of the largest, family-owned surety bond agencies in the U.S.