The weeks between Thanksgiving and the New Year have become a critical sales period for auto dealers. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on inventories still lingers in the form of supply chain breakdowns and chip shortages, sales prices and profits are still strong.
Analysts expect that trend to continue, and designing effective holiday marketing campaigns for dealerships is vital to finding and converting leads as we approach the year’s end.
Article 1 of this two-part series offered tips for preparing ahead of time for the seasonal rush, and this second article discusses strategies for executing the campaign.
Holiday Marketing Campaigns for Dealerships: Tips 6-10
6. Set up an Online Sales Team
Dealers must adequately staff their internet sales teams as more consumers begin their car buying experience online—which might require hiring more staff around the holidays to handle the increased volume. Potential customers are more likely to shop elsewhere the longer they wait for a response from a given dealership.
7. Create a Festive Atmosphere
Make the show floor and parking lot cheery, inviting, and festive to show the dealership’s holiday spirit. Customers are receptive to bright, colorful decorations during this season, which might include:
- Hanging lights and fresh garlands from light poles
- Wrapping large bows around showroom cars
- Setting up a tree outside the showroom entrance decorated with tinsel, lights, and ornaments
- Offering complimentary hot chocolate on the show floor
A festive environment typically attracts more customers, even those who did not plan to visit the dealership but noticed the decorations while driving by.
8. Plan a Social Media Contest
Article 1 discussed bolstering the dealership’s social media presence to leverage more communication channels. Next, dealers might consider using that platform to offer contests with sales and service discounts or even a door prize raffle.
However, encouraging potential customers to engage may require some creativity, such as asking them to mention which cars pique their interest via:
- Videos posted on the dealership’s Facebook page
- Tweets with a dealership-related hashtag
- Pictures on Instagram
Lastly, dealers should create a landing page on the website or a Facebook event that outlines the contest’s specifics.
9. Promote Winter Service Packages
Dealers should encourage holiday travelers to visit the service lane for region-specific service packages. These might include:
- Tire rotation
- Oil change
- Special services for winter conditions
Advertise these specials by emphasizing how a well-kept vehicle safely gets them to their holiday destinations. To draw customers before they become too preoccupied with holiday planning and celebrations, dealers should send out advertisements at the beginning of November.
Additionally, each service team member should receive a printed copy of the campaign to ensure they can communicate and market these holiday promotions over the phone and in the showroom.
10. Review and Revise the Strategy
Lastly, dealers should watch the holiday campaign closely once the initial action plan is in place. Consider analyzing the differences between this season’s performance and last year’s to identify any changes in strategy that positively or negatively affected consumers.
Dealers should also allocate a sizeable portion of the marketing budget to higher-performing activities daily. They should also remember that Cyber Week II, the last week of December, is a significant window of opportunity.
Execute Your Campaign Using the Right Digital Tools
Come Thanksgiving, you will have prepared your dealership’s holiday marketing campaign, and now it’s time to act. You can use these strategies and the right marketing solutions to maximize your reach to consumers, attract them to your showroom, and close more sales.
Contact us today and learn how Affinitiv’s proprietary marketing technologies can help you execute a holiday marketing campaign for dealerships that drives more sales and caps off a successful 2022.
