What Consumers Expect from Your Dealership Marketing

There’s a common saying in business: “The customer is always right.”

There’s a lot of gray area to this saying, of course, since it doesn’t give customers the green light to make demands and decide how you operate. Instead, this saying is mostly about expectations — when your customer is satisfied, you’ve done your job well.

That’s why every moving part of your dealership, including your marketing, should be viewed through the eyes of the customer. From the marketing aspect, you want to highlight the qualities and advantages that matter to your customers. Your messaging should focus on what your customers value.

When marketing misses the mark of consumer expectation, you risk losing their attention and not meeting their needs. So, what do consumers expect from your dealership marketing? Here’s how to give them what they want (and make you look good in the process):

Personalize Your Marketing Based On Engagement.

Consumers want to feel like individuals, not part of a homogenous group whose names you don’t know. Marketing is no longer the one-size-fits-all it used to be. Companies that get personalization right can expect to not only win over customers but also get a leg up on their competitors who are still choosing a marketing-to-the-masses approach. To personalize your marketing in a dealership, you first need to know how your customers are using your products and services.

For example, do they still have the same car you sold to them five years ago? If not, do you know the name of the car’s new owner or how to reach them? When was the last time they serviced their vehicle? Are they in a position to upgrade their vehicle? Did they decline a service offered to them? These insights are unique to the industry and require more than the average marketing system. Customers notice when you send irrelevant offers and messages, which is why getting personalization right is critical to your strategy.

Make it Easy to See the Value.

No one wants to spend time wading through messages trying to decide if it means something to them. They expect the companies they do business with to get straight to the point. Make it obvious what you’re offering and the value it provides. Don’t make the customer guess what you’re trying to say. Be clear and upfront about your messaging and offers, and make it easy for the customer to take advantage of them.

Give Them Options.

Customers want to do business their way, plain and simple. We’re in an interesting era of on-demand everything and instant gratification, and those expectations spill into just about every aspect of consumer life. Dealerships that can create tailored customer experiences are more likely to do better than their competitors.

For example, you might let the customer select from three different rewards, discounts, or offers to increase redemption rates. This enables the customer to take control of their experience based on their current needs. Plus, you can learn more about your customers’ preferences and use this to personalize your marketing in the future.

Great dealership marketing is always two-sided: when your customers feel valued, understood, and important, you win, too! To learn how ActivatorDS creates customer-centric marketing, schedule a test drive today.