Branding Advertising For Car Dealers| Social Media Advertising

It’s no secret…

that inventory has been an issue across the automotive industry, and will continue to be for the next few months. Some dealers’ immediate reaction to this inventory shortage is to go dark on their social media advertising because they know they don’t have the cars to sell.

As a seasoned Social Media Specialist in the Automotive space, I am here to preach from the mountain tops (and through your computer screen) that a small business (yes, car dealerships are small businesses) should never go dark on social media, paid or organically.

Why You Should Never Go Dark:

When a dealer goes dark on social media, they give their competition direct access to their in-market shoppers. Just because you’re dark, doesn’t mean your competition is. Losing that impression share within your market is a huge downfall.

You’ll also want to think about collecting data. When going dark, you’re losing valuable first-party data coming through into your Facebook Pixel. Losing this first-party data will put your Social Vendor in a position to use your first-party data from the last time your ads were live (so, if you went dark in May and decided to turn on ads in July, your Facebook Pixel only has data from May).

Do this instead of going completely dark:

dealers should really increase their brand presence during this time. If inventory is an issue for your dealership, consider running top-funnel Brand Awareness campaigns. This approach will allow you to stay relevant in the market, not lose impression share, and still reach potential customers. 

These branding campaigns can be as specific or generic as you’d like, but the important thing to remember is they need to be running.

In addition, just because there is an inventory shortage does not mean you should decrease the amount you’re posting organically. Your Facebook Business Page should be treated as a microsite where potential shoppers can learn more about you and everything that makes your dealership unique.

No inventory to post about?

This is a great opportunity to introduce your sales team, create walk-through videos of your service center, and address the elephant in the room (yes, I mean the inventory shortage)!

As we navigate this industry-wide shortage, it’s important to remember one thing – Do Not Go Dark On Paid or Organic Social Media! It will only hurt you in the long run.

Sarah Ciociola
Sarah Ciociola
Sarah is the Paid Media Director and the Audit Coordinator. What she loves most about her job is the creativity and collaboration that goes into her work every day. When Sarah isn’t working you can find her at the beach, trying out new restaurants, spending time with her friends and family, or going to find the best iced-coffee she can get her hands on.
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