Automotive Lead Generation in Today’s Digital Age

The modern age of lead generation in car sales has arrived, and old-school tactics alone are no longer enough to ensure buyers keep walking through your dealership’s doors. In order to thrive on the showroom floor, being able to get your own customers and create opportunities is crucial. So, car sales professionals need to stay up-to-date with the automotive lead generation techniques needed to increase leads in a digital world.

Digital marketing, especially on social media, has become one of the hottest ways to get more leads. Not to mention, one of the easiest ways for individual car sales professionals to generate new leads. Buyers spend more time online than ever, and with the right tips, techniques, and insights, you will be able to create numerous amounts of leads. By doing this, you can skyrocket your car sales numbers and become a top-seller every single month. This blog will cover everything you need to know to get started prospecting car sales customers and selling more vehicles!

Lead Generation: Social Media and Car Sales

Social media as a whole is an amazing resource for lead generation in car sales. This includes platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and more. We've found that sales professionals who post the most on social media, generate more leads. Product demonstration videos, walkarounds, and new inventory are great examples of engaging content. Post these across your social media channels, as well as in local groups, and use them to generate your own leads.

Furthermore, aim to build an online following and receive likes, comments, and shares to help to increase your reach. An effective way to grab attention and increase lead generation in car sales are with referral posts. For example, offering $100 to anyone who sends a referral that leads to a closed car deal. This is a great way to engage your followers and funnel serious customers your way. 

Another effective method is to have social media contests. Get creative with it and you will be able to reach new car sales prospects! For instance, you can play a “guess the mileage” game with your followers, where individuals look at a picture of a car and guess the mileage. The best guess can win a free lunch, a gift card, or a cash prize. Something like this intrigues buyers and encourages comments, which means your post will also reach your follower's friends and family.

Lead Generation: Facebook Marketplace and Car Sales

Facebook Marketplace is a great, yet currently underutilized, resource to be more successful at lead generation in car sales. So great in fact, that it deserves its own section. An unfortunate drawback to Marketplace is that you cannot list new vehicles. However, this is an amazing source for you to list used vehicles and generate leads in car sales.

Nowadays, consumers spend more time looking at cars online than they ever spend in a dealership. By using Facebook Marketplace, you can directly engage with local consumers looking to buy a used car for free! It also allows car buyers to find your vehicles with a default range of 40 miles from your listed area, meaning that you have quite a lot of reach.

You can also generate car deals by engaging with those who are listing cars for sale on Marketplace. When you find nice vehicles for sale, message listers to share your interest in purchasing their car and offer a free appraisal of their vehicle. Dealerships are always looking to buy quality used vehicles, so you can add inventory to your lot, but also gain the opportunity to turn this into a car deal. When someone is selling a vehicle, they are also likely looking to buy a new vehicle as well. So, by getting them down to the dealership for an appraisal, there’s a lot of opportunity to sell them a car as well! A similar method can be used with other sites, such as Craigslist. These sites, especially Facebook Marketplace, offer a lot of opportunity for lead generation in car sales!

Use What You Already Have

Lead generation in car sales doesn’t have to only be entirely new customers. Your dealership likely has a CRM with hundreds, if not thousands, of potential customers. When it feels like there is nothing to do, remember, there’s always someone to follow up with! The more follow up a salesperson makes, the more cars they will sell!

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Email Blasts

Similarly, by utilizing contacts you have in your CRM, you can send out an email blast to generate leads in car sales. An email blast is a singular email that you send out to a large number of customers. Send an email with attractive, newer vehicles to engage buyers. Then, sprinkle in the old inventory and make it a special, which will create a lot more opportunity! Email blasts are a great way to generate interest on vehicles and stay in front of buyers.