Digital Post-Sale Marketing Improves the Customer Experience and Increases Dealership Revenue
Selling a vehicle isn’t the finish line. It’s the beginning of a long-term customer relationship. Building a deeper connection with a customer takes time, thought, and intention. Too many dealerships focus their marketing resources on attracting new buyers and don’t spend enough on retaining the customers they already have. This mistake leaves a considerable amount of money on the table. Read on to learn why digital post-sale marketing is crucial to success for modern dealerships.
The Customer Journey Doesn’t End After Delivery
Once a customer leaves the lot with their new car, they have the responsibility to keep their chosen vehicle in good condition through maintenance, warranty decisions, and repairs. When the time comes, you don’t want drivers to forget that your dealership can provide solutions to their needs instead of taking their business to one of your competitors.
Digital post-sale marketing is a great way to maintain relevance in the minds of customers by delivering timely campaigns at each stage of the ownership cycle that demonstrate the benefits of your dealership rather than when it’s time to buy another vehicle. This builds trust with the audience that makes it more likely that they will come to you for future services.
Personalized Communication Builds Stronger Relationships
Modern marketing is built on personalization. Email blitzes with generic language and campaigns not designed to appeal to any specific demographic are easy to ignore and disengage from. Fortunately, there is enough customer and vehicle data available in a dealership DMS to craft targeted messages that have a greater chance of piquing customer interest. Any of the following data points can be leveraged to create effective post-sale marketing strategies:
- The age of the vehicle and its mileage
- Recommended maintenance schedules
- Renewal dates for vehicle service contracts
- Seasonal service notifications
- Recall notices
- Vehicle trade-in or upgrade opportunities
Digital Marketing Drives More Service Department Traffic
The service department is a prized profit center in many dealerships, but dealerships can’t assume that customers will return there when their cars are in need of upkeep. Post-sale marketing encourages repeat visits to your service center by sending consistent reminders to schedule appointments for:
- Manufacturer-recommended maintenance
- Battery checks
- Oil changes
- Tire rotations
- Brake inspections
- Battery checks
- Seasonal specials
Better Engagement Creates More Revenue Opportunities
Staying in contact with customers gives you ample chances to reaffirm the value of your dealership and generate more revenue from your audience. Digital campaigns that highlight the merits of new coverage plans or ownership products that align with certain customer habits or popular vehicles can educate customers about the benefits of features they may not know about, increasing engagement and conversion rates as a result.
Automation Creates Consistency
Digital post-sale marketing can take advantage of automated tools in a way that analog campaigns can never replicate. Instead of spending hours manually tracking information, dealerships can set up relevant messaging to be delivered out once customers hit important milestones. This frees staff to focus on more intensive duties and ensures that customers are communicated with at appropriate times. Examples of such milestones include:
- Vehicle purchase anniversaries
- Warranty expiration dates
- Missed service visits
- Mileage intervals
- Seasonal maintenance schedules
- Trade-cycle opportunities
An Omnichannel Approach Reaches Customers Where They Are
Every customer has their own preferences on how they want to communicate and receive messages from businesses. Reaching out to audiences through multiple channels keeps them informed without forcing them to search for information or overwhelming them. Dealerships must abide by an omnichannel strategy that uses:
- Emails
- SMS messages
- Social media
- Personalized landing pages
- Digital ads
- Automated CRM communications
- Customer portals
Building Lifetime Customers
It is easier (and more cost-effective) to retain an existing customer than try to convince a new one. Becoming one of the most successful dealerships isn’t simply about selling the most cars. It’s about knowing how to cultivate relationships with customers they have previously done business with by delivering meaningful information at the right time. Digital post-sale marketing accomplishes many goals within one strategy. A well-run campaign improves retention rates, customer satisfaction, and generates opportunities to grow revenue with a trusting audience.
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Digital Post-Sale Marketing Improves the Customer Experience and Increases Dealership Revenue
Dealership, Direct Mail, Marketing, SalesSelling a vehicle isn’t the finish line. It’s the beginning of a long-term customer relationship. Building a deeper connection with a customer takes time, thought, and intention. Too many dealerships focus their marketing resources on attracting new buyers and don’t spend enough on retaining the customers they already have. This mistake leaves a considerable amount of money on the table. Read on to learn why digital post-sale marketing is crucial to success for modern dealerships.