The winter months can be a tricky time for many dealerships, especially after the holiday season leaves shoppers with slimmer budgets. As the days lengthen and the temperatures warm, you’ll often find your showroom traffic improving—by anticipating the changes that spring brings, you can optimize your marketing goals for this quarter to help revive your numbers after leaner months.

If your current spring marketing initiatives aren’t garnering the results you expect, now’s the ideal time to assess and adjust your marketing campaigns to drive business through spring and into summer. Here are seven marketing strategies you can implement for stronger growth this season and the next.

7 Strategies to Surpass Your Spring Marketing Goals

1. Spring Clean Your Inventory and Pricing

Details from last spring can help you determine what may have helped or hindered your business, including weather and community events in addition to your marketing campaigns, channels, and coupons used. As you analyze past sales data and current market trends, ensure your inventory caters to spring desires. Stock up on fuel-efficient cars, SUVs, convertibles, and consider summer essentials like sunshades and coolers.

2. Pivot Your Marketing Plan for Changing Weather

Spring and summer often see a shift in consumer behavior, and the marketing strategy that worked in winter or the beginning of spring may not be as effective as summer approaches. Re-evaluate your marketing objectives and consider increasing spend on digital ads and social media campaigns highlighting more outdoor activities and road trips.

3. Host and Sponsor Community Events

Spring is packed with community events, festivals, and charity drives. Partner with local organizers for sponsorships or host your own event at your dealership. Think family-friendly barbecues, animal adoption events, car shows, or test-drive competitions to attract potential buyers in a casual setting while establishing positive brand awareness. Utilizing print mail invites in your marketing campaign for these events can add a personalized touch that customers will appreciate.

4. Connect With Your Target Customers

Beyond basic demographics, you can also cater to customer lifestyles and collect more information on seasonal preferences or past interests. Segment your email list and create targeted, personalized marketing campaigns promoting spring-themed offers. And highlight fuel-efficient options for tax refunds, graduation specials for young adults, or SUV deals for families planning road trips.

5. Re-Evaluate Spring-Themed Promotions and Giveaways

If you aren’t already, create a buzz with spring-themed promotions to capitalize on the best of the season. Offer trade-in bonuses, run a “Spring Fling” giveaway for a weekend getaway in a new car, or highlight features perfect for warmer weather adventures. You can also boost service lane business with springtime specials that might include tire sales, air filter refreshes, HVAC recharges, or pre-road trip multi-point inspections.

6. Refresh Your Social Media

Utilize your social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to showcase the beauty of spring alongside your vehicles. Feature scenic road trips, family outings in your spacious models, or convertible adventures to target the desire for seasonal exploration. And drive engagement by holding photo contests with spring-themed prompts or running interactive polls to gauge customer preferences for upcoming car models.

7. Leverage Video Marketing

If your current marketing plan doesn’t include video, you could be leaving business behind. Use the power of video content to showcase the spring capabilities of your vehicles. You can capture test-drives on scenic routes, highlight features like sunroofs and cargo space, or educate customers about seasonal car maintenance tips or road trip readiness.

Exceed Your Spring Marketing Goals

With the right marketing strategies in place, you can keep your spring marketing objectives growing into summer. Affinitiv Essentials is designed to help your dealership engage current and prospective customers with agency-caliber creative on multiple channels to help drive sales and service business. Plus, our experts are here to help you optimize your marketing plan for each new season using a built-in marketing calendar, in-depth analytics, and proven list-build recommendations.

To learn more about Essentials or get started on your next marketing campaign, contact us today.