Slow and Steady or Fast and Furious

5 Important Elements When Switching to Digital Marketing

Though the transition happened many years ago, now and then, we find a dealership that hasn't made the jump to using digital marketing. Older, these dealerships still use traditional marketing campaigns of print, television, and radio, but with the advent of the internet and digital marketing, they are starting to falter, losing market share to competition that didn't even exist when they opened their business.

 It isn't too late, however.

 In fact, for an agency like Digital Dealership Solutions, dealerships like these offer unique fresh slates. In fact, because these dealerships are so new to digital, they are faced with an interesting prospect that can cause significant stress on a dealer principal. Do they push hard into digital marketing or just test the waters?

As an agency looking to provide more value, we are excited to just get it done, bringing these dealerships into the digital age. So why do it all at once instead of testing the waters? Why establish a full digital marketing footprint rather than placing one piece in at a time?

All or Nothing

1. Levels The Playing Field

 It's definitely a case where everyone else is doing it so you should too. Your competition could be miles away, but with digital marketing, car buyers are able to see inventory at their fingertips at any time of day. They don't have to wait for the newspaper, assuming you still have one delivered. 

2. Digital Marketing is Traceable

 A dealership can learn from digital marketing feedback. With digital, you can tell where your audience comes from and sometimes even how long they consume your content. This way, you can periodically adjust your plan. You have nothing to adjust if you're only dipping your toes in the water.

3. DigitalMarketing is Interactive

Selling cars is and has always been about building relationships. Digital marketing extends that reach so you can establish that connection even before you meet and then continue to connect long after they've made a purchase. Having a full digital suite of options allows you to connect on a deeper level such as social media or email marketing.

4. Digital Marketing Caters to The New Market

Did you know that 70% of people in Canada carry a Smartphone? 25.5 million. That's a lot of eyes ready to look at your digital ads, especially when fewer people are consuming traditional television and newspapers are closing from reduced readership. Furthermore, you sell technologically advanced vehicles and your audience may just drive on down the road if they see you uncomfortable with digital connectivity.

5. Digital Marketing Earns Peoples Trust

 Speaking to your neighbour over the fence is one of the strongest forms of building trust. It offers a personal recommendation to use the same dealership as you did. Digital marketing is a souped up version of that concept. It isn't one person giving a recommendation, but potentially thousands. The more digital channels you use, the more trust you're building with your audience.

Fast and Furious 

It's certainly possible for you to start small to see how digital marketing works, but in today's technologically connected world, if you aren't going all in, you're doing your dealership a disservice. That's not to say there isn't a place for traditional marketing. It depends entirely on the demographics of your audience and the feedback you solicit when you sell a vehicle. Digital marketing however will not only put you in the right mindset to start tracking that information, but will give you the tools to do most of it automatically.