5+ Marketing Tips to Boost Your Dealership Sales All Year [SEO, Emails, and More!]
How do you keep customers flocking to your dealership, not just when the grass starts to grow or the leaves begin to fall, but every day in between?
Relying solely on foot traffic and local chatter just doesn’t cut it anymore. The answer lies in mixing up your marketing strategy with online and digital marketing strategies to keep your customers engaged all year long.
From social media hacks to email marketing campaigns, this blog will guide you through a range of marketing tactics to help you reach your customers where they spend a lot of their time: online.
Click to Jump Ahead
- How to Master Local SEO for Your OPE Dealership to Boost Sales
- How to Craft Emails & Texts That Get Noticed
- Do Your Social Media Posts Spark Joy or Just Spark Plugs?
- Why Customer Loyalty Programs Are Like Bacon for Your Business
- How to Bring Your Online Audience to Your In-Store Events
How to Master Local SEO for Your OPE Dealership to Boost Sales
Your dealership’s online presence is just as important as your physical showroom. That’s where Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes into play. Local SEO is the process of optimizing your online content to attract more business from relevant local searches.
When a potential customer in your area searches for outdoor power equipment, your business shows up front and center.
The Importance of Local SEO for Dealerships
First, it puts your dealership on the map—literally. By optimizing for local searches, your business appears in local search results and on Google Maps, making it easier for customers to find you.
Second, it targets customers at the moment they’re ready to buy or visit. A well-optimized listing can be the difference between them choosing you or a competitor.
How to Incorporate Local Keywords into Your Dealership’s Website
Local keywords are phrases that potential customers in your area are likely to use when searching for OPE dealerships. Including these keywords in your website’s content helps improve your visibility in local search results. Here’s how to do it:
1. Identify Your Keywords: Start by identifying keywords relevant to your business and location, such as “lawnmowers for sale in [City]” or “best OPE dealership in [Area].”
2. Optimize Your Content: Incorporate these keywords naturally into your website’s content, including product descriptions, blog posts, and your homepage.
3. Create Local Content: Writing blog posts or creating pages on your site that are relevant to your local area can also boost local SEO. For example, “Top 5 Landscaping Tips for [City] Residents” can attract local visitors to your site.
Nail your Local SEO, and you’re that lucky shop they stumble upon first.
Mess it up, and you might as well be invisible.
How to Craft Emails & Texts That Get Noticed
Think of email marketing as a Swiss Army Knife — versatile, reliable, and indispensable. It’s also a direct line to both past and potential customers, allowing for personalized engagement that can boost dealership sales, enhance customer loyalty, and increase brand awareness.
Ideas for Creating Engaging Content
Keeping your audience engaged over time requires a mix of promotional content, valuable information, and personal touches. Consider incorporating the following into your email marketing strategy:
Promotional Emails: Announce new products, special sales, or exclusive offers. Use urgency and scarcity (e.g., limited-time offer) to encourage quick action.
Newsletters: Share company news and industry trends or feature customer stories and testimonials. This can help build a sense of community around your brand.
Maintenance Tips and Tricks: Seasonal maintenance tips or how-to guides for equipment care add value to your customers’ lives and can help establish your dealership as a trusted expert in the field.
Incorporating a robust tool like TargetCRM can significantly amplify the effectiveness of your communications strategy, making it easier to send targeted promotions that resonate with your audience and drive sales.
The Deals and Tasks tools within TargetCRM enable you to track and manage the customer journey more effectively. By understanding where each customer is in their journey, you can send timely, relevant emails that nurture their engagement and loyalty, whether it’s a follow-up on a recent purchase or a reminder about an upcoming maintenance service.
Read Next: How to Increase Sales at Your Dealership with Text Messages
TargetCRM’s Customer Manager tools also transform every customer interaction into an opportunity. By tracking every touchpoint, you can identify patterns in customer behavior, preferences, and needs.
This insight allows you to segment your email list more effectively, sending personalized emails that resonate with each segment, ultimately boosting customer lifetime value and fostering business growth.
Tips for Segmenting Email Lists
Segmentation is the process of dividing your email list into smaller groups based on specific criteria, such as purchase history, equipment interests, or geographical location. This enables you to tailor your messaging to meet the specific needs and interests of each segment, leading to higher engagement rates. Here are some tips for effective segmentation:
Start with Basic Segmentation: Separate your customers based on simple criteria like new customers, repeat customers, and prospects.
Analyze Customer Behavior: Use purchase history and engagement data to refine your segments further. For example, customers who frequently purchase landscaping equipment may benefit from specific product recommendations and care tips.
Geographical Location: Segmenting by location can help tailor content to local weather conditions or regional equipment needs, making your emails more relevant and useful.
Do Your Social Media Posts Spark Joy or Just Spark Plugs?
Ah, social media—the realm where everyone from your teenage neighbor to your grandma shares their life, one post at a time. Social media isn’t just a young person’s game. It’s for anyone with a story to tell, a product to sell, or a meme to share.
And let’s face it, who doesn’t love a good meme?
Social media allows dealerships to interact directly with their audience, offering personalized responses to questions, comments, and concerns. This level of interaction not only enhances customer satisfaction but also builds trust and loyalty.
Moreover, by consistently sharing valuable content, dealerships can increase their visibility, establishing themselves as authoritative and trustworthy sources in the outdoor power equipment industry.
Examples of Engaging Post Ideas
To truly engage your audience and stand out on social media, your content needs to be varied, valuable, and visually appealing. Here are some ideas to get you started and help boost dealership sales:
Product Highlights: Showcase new arrivals, best-sellers, or seasonal equipment with high-quality photos or videos. Include a brief description of the features and benefits to spark interest.
Customer Testimonials: Share stories and reviews from satisfied customers. Video testimonials are particularly impactful, offering a genuine insight into the customer’s experience.
Behind-the-Scenes Looks: Give your audience a peek behind the curtain with posts about your dealership operations, staff introductions, or how you prepare for the busy season. This humanizes your brand and builds a stronger connection with your audience.
Live Q&A Sessions: Host live sessions on platforms like Facebook or Instagram to answer customer questions in real-time. This can be a great way to engage with your audience and provide valuable information about your products and services.
DIY Maintenance Tips: Share useful maintenance tips or troubleshooting advice for common equipment issues. This not only provides value to your customers but also positions your dealership as a go-to resource for helpful information.
Picking Your Platforms Like You Pick Your Power Equipment
Not all social platforms are created equal, much like how a chainsaw and a hedge trimmer serve very different purposes. Here’s where you should be planting your digital flags:
Facebook: The tried and true, where everyone from teenagers to great-grandparents gathers. It’s the perfect spot for long-form posts, albums of your latest models, and those not-to-be-missed live Q&A sessions. Remember, the folks here appreciate a good story, especially one that ends with a beautifully manicured lawn.
Instagram: Ah, the land of aesthetics. This is where your equipment can shine in all its glory, captured in action shots that make mowing the lawn look as epic as a Hollywood blockbuster. And don’t forget those Stories and Reels—quick snippets that show the lighter side of outdoor power equipment.
YouTube: Ever heard of “How to” videos? Of course, you have. This platform is a goldmine for showing off the prowess of your products, offering maintenance tips, and maybe even throwing in a blooper reel. Who doesn’t love seeing someone accidentally start a leaf blower on the first try?
How to Use Targeted Ads on Social Media & Google
What are targeted ads?
Targeted ads are a form of online advertising specifically designed to reach certain audiences based on various criteria such as demographics, behavior, interests, and more.
Platforms like social media sites (such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) and Google can help you pinpoint your ideal customers. These platforms gather extensive data about users, including their online behaviors, search histories, content preferences, and interactions, making it possible to show ads to very specific groups of people.
Social Media Targeting
Facebook ads allow you to target users based on their interests, activities, job titles, and even life events, such as recently moving to a new home or getting married. This is particularly useful if you’re trying to promote products like lawnmowers or snow blowers to people who have just bought a house and might need these tools.
Google Ads Targeting
Google offers several targeting options through Google Ads. You can target potential customers based on what they are searching for (keywords), their previous interactions with your website (remarketing), their demographic information, and even based on their likelihood to complete certain actions on your website, like making a purchase.
For example, if someone searches for “best price on electric snow blowers,” you could target them with an ad for your latest snow blower sale.
You might also use targeted ads to reach homeowners within a specific age range and geographical location who have shown interest in gardening or home improvement.
Both types of platforms also allow for geographic targeting, which is ideal for local businesses. You can set your ads to only appear to users within a certain distance from your store, ensuring you’re reaching local customers who can actually visit your shop.
Why Customer Loyalty Programs Are Like Bacon for Your Business
Imagine this: your customers, not just returning for more gear but practically becoming part of the furniture. That’s the dream, right? It’s also a great way to boost dealership sales.
Think of loyalty programs as bacon. Just like everything gets better with bacon, customer relationships get juicier with a sprinkle of rewards. These programs are your way of giving a high-five to your customers, saying, “Hey, thanks for sticking around. Here’s a little something to show we love you.”
It’s about making them feel like VIPs in a world of endless choices. And who doesn’t like to feel special?
Successful Loyalty Program Structures
Points Systems: This is the classic. Customers earn points for buying stuff, kind of like getting a gold star in kindergarten, but better because now they get discounts, freebies, or even that shiny new chainsaw on display. And it’s not just about purchases. Get creative – points for joining your newsletter, tagging you in a sweaty, post-yard-work selfie, or even writing a review (hopefully a good one).
Tiered Programs: Here’s where it gets fancy. Tiered programs are like video game levels, where customers unlock new perks as they level up their spending or engagement. Start them off with something sweet, like a free tune-up, and then lead up to the grand prize, like an all-access pass to your newest equipment line. It’s like dangling a carrot, but the carrot is a top-of-the-line leaf blower.
Member-Exclusive Discounts: Offering special discounts to members of your loyalty program is a straightforward but effective reward. These could include a percentage off on all purchases, special pricing on select items, or access to members-only sales events.
Loyalty programs are your way of saying, “We see you, we appreciate you, and yes, we want to keep seeing you.” So, slap on that metaphorical bacon and make your customers feel special.
Read Next: 3 Ways to Use Text Message Marketing to Win Repeat Customers at Your Dealership
How to Bring Your Online Audience to Your In-Store Events
Using online tools to drive foot traffic to your open houses or in-store events can transform a typical promotional event into a bustling sales opportunity. Here’s how to get folks off their screens and through your doors.
Create Excitement with Teasers
Start building anticipation online weeks before your event. Use your website, email newsletters, and social media platforms to drop hints about exclusive deals, special guest appearances, or exciting new product demonstrations only available at the event. Sneak peeks of products or special offers can also generate buzz.
Utilize Social Media Events
Create an event page on platforms like Facebook where you can continuously update followers about event details, tease content, or offer a countdown to big reveals. Encourage RSVPs and shares by offering a special incentive for those who show they’re attending online and then make it in person.
Offer Exclusive Online-to-Offline Promotions
Encourage online visitors to come in-store by offering special promotions that can only be redeemed in person at the event. This could be a discount, a free product with purchase, or an entry into a grand prize drawing. Ensure these offers are tempting enough to justify a trip to your store.
Engage with Live Pre-Event Streams
Host a live video on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube to talk about what customers can expect at the event. Show off some of the products that will be featured, or give a behind-the-scenes look at the preparation. This can make potential customers feel involved and excited about attending in person.
Follow Up with Reminders
In the days leading up to the event, send out reminder emails and post on social media to keep the excitement alive. Highlight different aspects of the event each time, such as the “deal of the day” or a scheduled workshop time, to capture interest from various angles.
Don’t Be a Stranger
Finally, the event’s over, but your marketing doesn’t stop there.
Reach out and touch base with everyone who stopped by your dealership. Hit them up with a friendly email or a shout-out on social media. It’s like saying, “Hey, remember that awesome time we had talking about grass lengths? Let’s keep that conversation going.”
This follow-up is your chance to transform that initial spark of interest into a roaring fire of customer loyalty (or at least a steady simmer of sales).
Wrapping Up Your Year-Long Marketing Fiesta
Remember, folks, this isn’t just about throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks.
It’s about mixing the right ingredients to create that perfect marketing gumbo that keeps customers coming back for more.
By wielding the mighty power of the internet, the allure of email, and the undeniable charm of social media, you can create a year-long parade of customers coming to your dealership.
And if there’s one thing to take away, it’s that keeping your dealership in the limelight requires a bit of creativity, a dash of elbow grease, and a willingness to engage with your customers where they live, laugh, and occasionally, landscape.
Got more marketing questions? Check out this FAQ!
What is marketing?
Why is marketing important for my dealership?
Competitive Advantage: Distinguishes your dealership from competitors, highlighting your unique strengths.
Customer Engagement: Builds relationships with customers, fostering loyalty and repeat business.
Sales Growth: Attracts more potential buyers, leading to increased sales and profitability.
What are some key marketing terms I should know?
Brand: The identity of your dealership, including the name, logo, and overall image that people associate with your business.
Content Marketing: Creating and sharing valuable content (like blog posts, videos, and social media posts) to attract and engage your audience.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Optimizing your online content so it's more likely to be found by people using search engines like Google or Bing.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click): An advertising model where you pay each time someone clicks on your online ads.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management): A tool or system for managing your dealership's interactions with current and potential customers.
What are some dealership marketing tools I should use?
Text Messaging: IDEAL’s TargetCRM connects directly with your customer information so you can communicate with customers via text messaging.
Social Media Schedulers: Tools such as Hootsuite, Buffer, or Later enable you to plan and schedule your social media posts in advance, saving time and ensuring consistent online presence.
Email Marketing Software: Platforms like Mailchimp or Constant Contact offer user-friendly ways to send newsletters, promotions, and updates to your email list.
Google Analytics: A free tool to track website performance, understand your online audience, and gauge the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
How do I implement a marketing plan?
2. Know Your Audience: Research your target customer’s preferences, behaviors, and needs to tailor your marketing messages effectively.
3. Create a Brand Message: Define what makes your dealership unique and ensure this message is consistent across all marketing materials.
4. Start with One Platform: Choose one social media platform (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) or marketing channel (email, website, paid search ads, etc.) to focus on initially. As you become more comfortable, you can expand to others.
5. Use Marketing Tools: Leverage beginner-friendly tools mentioned above to streamline your marketing efforts and measure results.
6. Measure and Adjust: Regularly review the performance of your marketing activities using tools like Google Analytics and adjust your strategies as needed.
