The holidays are fast approaching!
Is your marketing strategy primed for the upcoming shopping season?
This holiday shopping season is expected to increase 3.2% from last year (Mastercard Economics Institute). Be sure your digital marketing strategy is ready to entice and inspire your customers to make their purchases with your dealership. And don’t forget about your website – read our article here about updating your website for the holidays.
Holiday marketing doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some creative ways to market your dealership during the holiday season:
Social Media
With 77% of users making purchases of items found on social media (Forbes), marketing your inventory on social media is a strategy that can’t be ignored. Try some of these tips to boost online visibility, drive traffic to your site and increase website leads:
Festive Content Creation
- Holiday-Themed Posts: Create appealing posts featuring your brand or units in festive settings
- Gift Guides: Develop a gift guide highlighting the season’s best sellers that showcase related accessories and parts
Promotions and Special Offers
- Holiday Discounts: Announce special holiday promotions, discounts, or package deals exclusively available through social media
- Countdown Sales: Use countdowns to create urgency, offering a different deal or product each day leading up to a major holiday
Targeted Advertising
- Social Media Ads: Invest in targeted ads on platforms like Facebook and Instagram to reach potential customers who are interested in your industry
- Retargeting Campaigns: Use retargeting ads to reach users who have previously engaged with your website or social media pages
Email Marketing
Utilize targeted email newsletters to highlight special offers, gift guides, and upcoming events. Personalizing emails based on past purchases or interests can significantly increase engagement.
- Targeted Emails: Send out festive newsletters highlighting special offers, gift guides, and upcoming events
- Personalization: Personalize emails with recommendations based on past purchases or interests
Automated Email Marketing makes personalized emails easy. Use emails like inventory alerts, cart reminders, and upcoming promotions to target your customers with their precise interest for more quality leads.
Community Events
Getting involved in local community events is a great way to market your dealership and keep your brand name relevant. You can join existing events like food drives, festivals, parades – or you can host events at your dealership as well. Maybe Santa is making a stop at your dealership for a family event! Tie in a special promotion to entice attendance as well.
Getting involved in your local community is a sure way to become a recognizable brand and grow your customer base.
Charitable Giving
A particularly effective and generous way to connect with your community is through charitable giving. Food banks, animal shelters and housing centers are always looking for support from local businesses, especially around the holidays. Local causes are also something many of your customers care deeply about ー 45% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from a brand that gives back to charitable causes (YouGov).
Gift Cards
If you have someone in your gift-giving circle who already seems to have everything, you’re familiar with the convenience of gift cards. Even if gift cards seem like a non-traditional offering at your dealership, you would be surprised how popular they are among consumers, especially if they are shopping for someone who is enthusiastic about your industry. For example, someone who isn’t familiar with motorcycles but needs a gift for the biker in their life would appreciate giving a gift card so that their biker can pick out just the right accessory, part, or put it towards a larger purchase. Even better news for your dealership, 68% of consumers spend more than their gift card value (PaymentsJournal).
Bonus tip: Gift cards are especially helpful if the ongoing supply chain disruptions have impacted your inventory levels. Gift cards ensure you get paid now and then consumers can collect the units when your lot is full again.
Customer Database
Store and website traffic often increase significantly during the holidays, and every visit (online or offline) is an opportunity to collect customer data that can be used beyond the holiday season. Encourage customers to provide their email address, either in person or through an online lead form, to receive updates on future sales and inventory releases.
For customers, the appeal of receiving emails from a business is knowing that they are among the first to experience exclusive content. For you, it means staying in front of your customers year-round and driving more shopper engagement.
Personalized Holiday Cards
Show existing customers you appreciate their business and that you value their relationship with your brand. Your message could include a thank-you and a congratulations on their last purchase. In particular, a New Year’s card can look forward to the sales or events coming up in 2025.
As we welcome the holidays, remember that many shoppers like to stay local and support businesses within their community. Local businesses like yours make up the heart of a community, and it only takes some creative marketing to get the word out about your dealership and create evergreen customer relationships.
As with any digital marketing strategy, it’s best to take a multi-faceted approach. Choose the strategies that work best for your team, budget, and customer preferences.
Happy holidays to all!