Using Social Media to Drive Dealer and F&I Business

Traditional TV spots and billboards still have their place in a marketing campaign, but there are limits to their reach in the modern age. Consumers spend an increasing amount of time online and use social media as a one-stop destination for news, deals, and connections. Automotive brands must develop strategies that resonate with their audience on the platforms where they reside. This reality requires a new marketing approach for dealers who want to push vehicles and F&I products.

Meeting Consumers Where They Are

The purchase of a new car is not something most people do impulsively. Research shows that the average shopper spends over 13 hours evaluating their options, and most research is done online. Customers look for photos, videos, reviews, and price comparisons well before stepping onto the lot. Creating content that markets the benefits of your products on social media is key. It could be as simple as a video showing how a protective coating looks on a car, or someone discussing the benefits of one model versus another.

Building Trust Through Authentic Content

Social media is a culturally dominant force, and many believe that these platforms lead creators to be truer to their authentic selves. To that end, ads that work on Instagram, TikTok, and other spaces present as much more relatable than a bland spokesperson telling you why you need to buy their product. The human touch goes a long way. Dealerships can display the personality of their staff with unscripted social content such as:

Walkaround videos from the dealership
Behind the scenes clips following the work routine of service technicians
Spotlights on high-performing employees
Videos talking about the benefits of F&I products such as vehicle service contracts, GAP, and tire and paint protection

Transparency encourages social media users to learn more about your dealership and its offerings. If you can portray your dealership as having a genuine culture, then you have an advantage over your competition.

Turning Social Media Engagement into Leads

Strong engagement rates are promising, but unless you can convert user views, likes, and comments into paying customers, you are not earning revenue. Thankfully, social media is built to increase lead generation for businesses. Click-to-call and click-to-text buttons, automated messaging funnels, retargeting ads, and marketplace listing are a few of the tools that can guide shoppers to make purchases with just a couple of clicks. Even better, ad repetition means that a user who gets busy has other changes to interact with your marketing.

Social media is now a fundamental driver of business and part of marketing in the automotive industry. Producing authentic content that brings people in and meets customers where they are is the first step to crafting meaningful relationships that grow revenue and leave customers satisfied.

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