Tips for Successful Dealership Lifecycle Marketing
Dealerships have always run on building personal connections with customers. From greeting a customer at the front door to watching them drive away with a smile, dealerships create rewarding experiences for customers. Even though the automotive industry has shifted to a hybrid approach of online and in-store research and buying, dealerships still can cultivate personal connections and keep customers coming back throughout their lives.
Dealership lifecycle marketing is a way to provide that level of personalization for customers, building connections not just in person but throughout the digital customer experience, and beyond just one sale. Instead of focusing on one sale at a time, dealerships can create relationships that last for years with loyal customers.
What is Lifecycle Marketing? 
Lifecycle marketing is highly personalized content that speaks directly to each customer or potential customer. The lifecycle in question is your customer’s vehicle lifecycle. The average age of vehicles on US roads has reached a record high of 12.6 years in 2024, up from 12.5 years in 2023, according to S&P Global Mobility. This means the customers are keeping their vehicles for the long haul. After the initial vehicle purchase, are they returning for service or F&I products? Are you marketing these to those customers to keep them returning to your dealership? The reality is that if you aren’t, after 12 years those customers are likely to go elsewhere. By cultivating a lifecycle marketing approach, dealerships can foster customer loyalty and generate more revenue until the customer decides to purchase another vehicle.
Targeting Your Customers
The first step to lifecycle marketing is to learn about and understand the customers that you are targeting. This includes things such as:
- What type of vehicle do they prefer
- Milage needs
- Services and maintenance
Luckily, these are all contained within a dealership’s data! Learning about and analyzing these and other factors allows dealerships to target customers accurately.
Make Each Buyer’s Journey Personalized
A buyer journey can be measured in specific stages that repeat when a buyer returns to buy their next vehicle. Personalizing each stage builds the strength of the customer relationship and the length of the lifecycle.
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- Pre-Sale: The pre-sale stage targets customers who are considering buying a vehicle. This marketing stage might include showing customers listings for vehicles they may like online, or sending emails about new vehicle specials.
- During Purchase: Dealerships often try to set appointments with customers, since many customers inquire about vehicles online. After collecting data from leads, dealers can personalize a customer’s on-site and showroom experience. This includes showing customers the models, colors, and features they are most interested in.
- Post-Sale: Dealerships can continue the customer lifecycle by offering after-sales service reminders and F&I follow ups. It’s also a good idea to market vehicle service contracts to customers when their vehicle warranty is close to expiration.
Increase Engagement Across Marketing Channels
It’s important to market to your customers in multiple ways to make sure that messaging sticks. Direct mail, social media, email, and other channels are all important ways to connect with customers. Maintain a positive customer experience across channels, personalizing at every opportunity based on the combination of all previous touchpoints.
Starting Dealership Lifecycle Marketing
Making the move to begin building lasting relationships through hybrid digital and in-person lifecycle marketing can be a challenging one. However, it’s necessary to connect deeper with your customers and forge strong bonds of loyalty for repeat sales and long-term relationships.
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