As you advertise to the customers who are in the market to buy an electric car, do you know how effective your dealership marketing strategies for this customer base are? To become an EV matchmaker in your area, your EV ads must include heart-stopping creative tailored specifically for the right customer segment—those who are most likely to purchase an EV.

To ensure you reach the right audience and drive EV intenders further down the funnel, here are some marketing strategies to help you choose the marketing segmentation that empowers your store to capture the ideal customers and sell more EVs.

Are You Targeting the Right Customer Segment with Your EV Ad?

Finding the One: Your EV Car Buyer Persona

Simplify your search for the customers who are interested in buying an EV by developing and utilizing a clearly defined EV car buyer persona. Gather data on your current customers, especially those who’ve shown interest in EVs, reviewing demographics, purchase history, and online behavior. Consider the type of vehicle they currently own as well: according to our 2022 EV Study, EV shoppers are loyal to their vehicle type and most likely to purchase a vehicle of the same build. Once you have all the necessary data on your current customers, research EV market trends to stay in-the-know, and analyze how your competitors target EV buyers, too.

With this data, build your customer segments using:

• Demographics: Age, income, and family size.
  
  
• Current Vehicle: SUV, mid-size sedan, full-size sedan, compact sedan, coupe, pickup truck, CUV, van, or mini-van.
  
  
• Lifestyle: Environmental consciousness, commuter habits, and hobbies.
  
  
• Technology Adoption: Are they tech-savvy or hesitant to adopt new tech?
  
  
• Motivations: Do they want cost savings, better performance, or simplified service needs?

These customer segments can help you define your EV car buyer personas, which include not only their demographics and motivations but also the model they’re most likely interested in, as well as their pain points and preferred communication channels. A few example customers your store might encounter:

• Eco-Conscious Commuter: Young professional, environmentally conscious, drives short distances daily in their compact/mid-size sedan or CUV, values practicality and efficiency.
  
  
• Tech-Savvy Luxury Seeker: High-income tech enthusiast, early adopter, drives a coupe or SUV, desires performance and cutting-edge technology, values brand prestige.
  
  
• Cost-Conscious Family: Practical family with budget constraints, relies on the spacious and affordable aspects of their SUV or van/mini-van, concerned about charging infrastructure.

Win the EV Customer Segment with Smart Marketing

You want to make the most out of every dealership marketing dollar, so it’s important to have your marketing segmentation set to target the right customers. Your EV car buyer personas will help ensure your messaging reaches them.

Use your customer segments to create EV ads tailored to the unique lifestyles, budget constraints, most-interested model type(s), or desired vehicle features of these customers. If you have a selection of EV SUVs on your lot, create targeted ads, website content, and social media campaigns that resonate with current SUV owners, such as families, outdoors enthusiasts, and owners of internal combustion engine (ICE) SUVs.

In addition to a smart marketing strategy, be sure to equip your EV sales team with insights into each persona’s motivations and concerns, allowing them to personalize their sales approach. When potential customers contact your store to buy an electric car, your staff will be able to provide them with an exceptional experience to close the deal.

Supercharge EV Sales with Our Dealership Marketing Solutions

If you’re looking for solutions to help your store stay ahead in the electric vehicle movement, we’re here to help. Our marketing solution Affinitiv Essentials, powered by Voltage for EVs, goes beyond multi-channel campaigns that feature engaging designs—Essentials is backed by real-time reporting and industry experts to help guide you every step of the way. Contact us today for your live demo.

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