5 Lead Generation Strategies for Car Dealers

While many industries can rely on frequent consumer purchases, the automotive world operates on a different business model. Customers do not buy several cars yearly, so dealers must continuously look for new marketing prospects. 

However, how and where to begin that process is not always straightforward. Dealers must design and follow a game plan for how and where to target would-be customers

This article suggests five lead generation strategies for car dealers to create that game plan, including how to implement them and why they are vital to business growth. 

5 Lead Generation Strategies for Car Dealers 


Dealers should consider the following five strategies for generating more leads and increasing store traffic: 

1. Improve the Website’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 

SEO involves revising website content to make it easier for visitors to find via search engines. It is a continuous process that requires ongoing adjustments and updates. However, dealers can significantly boost traffic and position in search results if successful. 

Many factors impact a website’s search rankings, including: 

  • Meta descriptions 
  • Alt-tags  
  • External links 
  • Internal links 
  • Inbound links (i.e., search engine results pages) 

Search engines hunt for web pages with reliable, pertinent data about the user’s search query. The foundational steps for providing that data are as follows: 

  • Create working links from the website page to other worthwhile articles on your website and relevant external websites. 
  • Make meta descriptions, page names, and on-page content specific to the relevant keywords for ranking. 
  • Verify and claim your business listings. 
  • Investigate company reviews on online directories like Google. 

2. Improve Website Conversion Rates  

A professional-looking, well-designed website promotes credibility with customers. However, those designs should not be at the expense of website functionality or its primary objective – generating leads. 

The website should accomplish the following to entice potential customers into the dealership: 

  • Provide thought leadership. Informative blogs that offer customers valuable insight can help establish dealerships as thought leaders and industry authorities. Customers in any industry are more likely to do business with organizations with experience and expertise. 
  • Express the value proposition. This statement explains how a dealership distinguishes itself from the competition and how it meets customer needs. 
  • Leverage positive online reviews. Testimonials on the home page or related landing pages can support the value proposition. Dealers should ask for endorsements from customers who have expressed satisfaction in their experiences. 
  • Advertise promotions. Dealers should feature promotions in high-traffic spots on the website to attract interested customers. 

3. Leverage Aggregation and Automation Software 

Digital solutions that collect and organize data for monitoring critical key performance indicators (KPIs) and automate as much of the marketing process as possible are vital in maximizing marketing efforts.  

The ad management responsibilities that might require these digital solutions often include: 

  • Budget management: Managing your entire car inventory can make monitoring cost-per-click (CPC) and budget allocations time-consuming. Utilize automation features to direct funding toward what is most important, lowering CPC while raising conversions. 
  • New campaigns: Producing new creative ads for customer inventory might be difficult. By basing creative ad production on dealer inventory inputs, dynamic campaigns can automate a sizable portion of this procedure for you. 
  • Ongoing campaigns: If the inventory management system and ad management platform communicate, the ad management software must pause the appropriate campaigns if stock runs out. 

With the integration of AI and machine learning technology, ad management platforms can now learn from prior successes and use them to guide future selections so dealers can boost inventory turnover. 

4. Build a Social Media Presence 

Consumers conduct most of their vehicle research online in today’s digital landscape. That includes gathering data on social media, where they can read reviews, communicate with current customers, and engage with companies more directly than they can on a standard business website. 

As such, dealers might develop a comprehensive strategy for building a more robust social media presence, which could include the following techniques: 

  • Create business pages. Dealers should consider building company pages on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 
  • Encourage interactions. Salespeople should network on those social media platforms and interact directly with potential customers. 
  • Post captivating images. Text is sometimes less effective than visual content, particularly with busy consumers who have limited time to read articles. Dealers should consider adding behind-the-scenes videos and dealership photos. 
  • Participate in Groups. Sales teams might consider joining groups to share knowledge and generate responses. This strategy might include repurposing website blogs for the group to read. 

5. Develop an Email Marketing Campaign 

Many customers still favor email over all other forms of communication when interacting with businesses, so dealers should consider the following strategies when developing an email campaign: 

  • Create and manage an email list. First, dealers should research potential customers and create a tailored list of prospects. They will need to maintain and edit this over time, adding names as potential customers move into the area and deleting those prospects who submit unsubscribe requests. 
  • Send the consumer the right resources through email. Dealers should include only relevant data in email communications to customers. Irrelevant and generic data make emails feel impersonal and less thoughtful. 
  • Craft clear and concise messages. Consumers typically do not spend considerable time reading emails, so each one should open quickly and be simple to read on all platforms. The messages should be direct, concise, and include minimal images. While visuals are impactful, spam filters frequently target them. 
  • Use automation. Email automation can assist dealers in eliminating many manual procedures, saving workforce hours for other tasks. CRM software can assist in delivering emails automatically to contacts who satisfy specific criteria, such as converting on the website. 

Choose the Proper Lead Generation Software 


A strong pipeline of new potential customers is key to continued automotive growth – and the lead generation strategies for car dealers discussed above are crucial to accomplish this. 

However, those strategies are only as effective as your lead generation software. You need digital solutions that capture the most website traffic and complement your chosen campaign methods. 

Contact us today and learn how Affinitiv’s Anonymous Shopper can enhance your dealership’s lead generation strategies to attract more potential customers and drive more business. 

A great customer experience is everything.

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