A trend is developing in the used car industry: prices on used cars are up 30% since 2008 and they could go even higher. It’s not uncommon to see a 1999 Toyota Corolla on the road and it won’t be sputtering along covered in rust spots, either. Simply put, cars are being built better to last longer. If a car buyer can’t afford a new vehicle, they know they can put faith in a used car to last them longer than just the drive off the lot. With demand (and prices) on used vehicles growing higher every year, do you have the right stock of pre-owned vehicles? What’s your plan to get these on your lot?

Gas prices are at a similar high, so car buyers are looking at more fuel efficient options, like the Toyota Prius or Chevrolet Malibu. Car auctions may have been your go-to for a used Prius or Malibu in the past, but every other dealer will be there as well.

So how can you get the best deals? Your customers. Use your database to specifically target which pre-owned vehicles you’d like to stock up on and set into motion a buy back campaign. If you already know all of the individuals who bought a Toyota Camry from your dealership in the last four years, it will be easy to target these cars specifically to buy back. You don’t need to go to an auction, where the prices will go up and up as dealers try to outbid one another; just look at the cars you’ve already sold.

Get your salesman involved, too. If they see a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu drive on the lot, offer an incentive for every appraisal they can get for a potential buy back from the car’s owner. Who knows – your stock of pre-owned vehicles could literally drive themselves onto your lot.

As long as this trend in used cars keeps up, the demand amongst dealers to bolster their pre-owned inventory will be high. So where will you be getting yours from?

A trend is developing in the used car industry: prices on used cars are up 30% since 2008 and they could go even higher. It’s not uncommon to see a 1999 Toyota Corolla on the road and it won’t be sputtering along covered in rust spots, either. Simply put, cars are being built better to last longer. If a car buyer can’t afford a new vehicle, they know they can put faith in a used car to last them longer than just the drive off the lot. With demand (and prices) on used vehicles growing higher every year, do you have the right stock of pre-owned vehicles? What’s your plan to get these on your lot?

Gas prices are at a similar high, so car buyers are looking at more fuel efficient options, like the Toyota Prius or Chevrolet Malibu. Car auctions may have been your go-to for a used Prius or Malibu in the past, but every other dealer will be there as well.

So how can you get the best deals? Your customers. Use your database to specifically target which pre-owned vehicles you’d like to stock up on and set into motion a buy back campaign. If you already know all of the individuals who bought a Toyota Camry from your dealership in the last four years, it will be easy to target these cars specifically to buy back. You don’t need to go to an auction, where the prices will go up and up as dealers try to outbid one another; just look at the cars you’ve already sold.

Get your salesman involved, too. If they see a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu drive on the lot, offer an incentive for every appraisal they can get for a potential buy back from the car’s owner. Who knows – your stock of pre-owned vehicles could literally drive themselves onto your lot.

As long as this trend in used cars keeps up, the demand amongst dealers to bolster their pre-owned inventory will be high. So where will you be getting yours from?

With gas prices well above their average this time last year, we can’t expect the summer to bring any relief at the pump. Drivers are changing their habits to cope – driving less often, carpooling, walking, or even buying more fuel efficient vehicles. But do you have the right inventory for this response?

As a car dealership, are you prepared for this shift in demand to more fuel efficient vehicles? Did you buy these higher MPG models three months ago to have in your inventory for today? It is difficult to predict gas prices, so your fleet of fuel-efficient or hybrid vehicles may be lower than public demand. If this is the case, do you then have enough pre-owned high MPG vehicles instead?

Another solution to cope with the low stock of high MPG vehicles is to offer gas incentives. All dealerships have the same rebates to offer, but not all are offering a gas incentive. If you don’t have the 40 MPG model to offer, offer a gas promotion instead. With the purchase of a new vehicle, you could give a $500 gas card. Such automotive marketing techniques can offset the slight difference in MPGs if you are lacking inventory in more fuel efficient vehicles.

Lastly, are your sales people trained to talk about the benefits of purchasing a more fuel-efficient vehicle? With gas prices potentially verging on $5 a gallon, a car with higher MPG could pay for itself when considering the gas savings it will produce. The true cost of driving includes more than just the monthly payment on a car – it includes the cost for service, oil changes, new tires, gas, and all the other miscellaneous work that goes into a car‘s upkeep. In the end, the fuel-efficient hybrid could be the cheaper option when we look at the true cost of driving

With gas prices well above their average this time last year, we can’t expect the summer to bring any relief at the pump. Drivers are changing their habits to cope – driving less often, carpooling, walking, or even buying more fuel efficient vehicles. But do you have the right inventory for this response?

As a car dealership, are you prepared for this shift in demand to more fuel efficient vehicles? Did you buy these higher MPG models three months ago to have in your inventory for today? It is difficult to predict gas prices, so your fleet of fuel-efficient or hybrid vehicles may be lower than public demand. If this is the case, do you then have enough pre-owned high MPG vehicles instead?

Another solution to cope with the low stock of high MPG vehicles is to offer gas incentives. All dealerships have the same rebates to offer, but not all are offering a gas incentive. If you don’t have the 40 MPG model to offer, offer a gas promotion instead. With the purchase of a new vehicle, you could give a $500 gas card. Such automotive marketing techniques can offset the slight difference in MPGs if you are lacking inventory in more fuel efficient vehicles.

Lastly, are your sales people trained to talk about the benefits of purchasing a more fuel-efficient vehicle? With gas prices potentially verging on $5 a gallon, a car with higher MPG could pay for itself when considering the gas savings it will produce. The true cost of driving includes more than just the monthly payment on a car – it includes the cost for service, oil changes, new tires, gas, and all the other miscellaneous work that goes into a car‘s upkeep. In the end, the fuel-efficient hybrid could be the cheaper option when we look at the true cost of driving

When the earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit Japan on March 11, 2011, it was a disaster that took its toll not only on the physical landscape and people of the small country, but also drastically affected a number of global industries.  One of the biggest industries affected by the destruction was the automotive industry.  According to Automotive News, the tsunami wiped out over 2,000 Nissan and Infiniti vehicles that were destined for showrooms in both Japan and the United States.  It was also reported that Toyota, who held the top spot as the world’s largest carmaker, would lose its rank (which it has held since 2008) due to the tsunami’s impact on their production.  Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, other carmakers…including American carmakers that merely rely on parts from Japan…are feeling the effects.

While the immediate destruction of the tsunami has passed, automakers that suffered drastic losses and/or disruptions in production report that the summer months will see a big impact in terms of available inventory.

Do you have a strategy to overcome tight supply over the months ahead?  Do you have enough cars to get you through the summer…the hottest selling months of the year?

Here are a few automotive marketing tips to help you with your inventory concerns:

1. Get aggressive on trade-ins!
2. Implement a Vehicle Buy Back Program.
3. Using your database, identify customers who have the car you want and CALL THEM!
4. Don’t advertise the lowest price.  Instead, consider:

• “More for Your Trade!”
• “Free Gas For A Year”
• “Best Selection”

1. If you own a multi-franchise store, stock up on the other automakers’ vehicles.
2. Hit the auctions and buy late models of your best selling vehicles.

One other thing to consider is spending smarter with your marketing and advertising dollars.  During the upcoming months, it may be a good business decision to cut back on your television and print advertising and reallocate to digital based and direct marketing campaigns where there is a low cost to high ROI ratio.

What is your dealership doing to get inventory for the upcoming busy selling months?

~ Missy Jensen, Social Media Manager at DMEautomotive

Bio:
Missy designs, deploys and maintains the social media initiatives for DMEautomotive in an effort to increase brand awareness, distribute company and industry news, provide updates on products and services and promote consumer engagement. Missy enjoys the process of learning; researching and watching projects come to fruition!

Prior to her transformation into a web specialist and work with DMEautomotive, she has 10 years of experience in the marketing and communications industry. Missy served as the Director, Handicapping & Communications for a regional golf association and helped successfully launch and maintain a cutting edge technology-based ticket resale program on behalf of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Missy attended St. Lawrence University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Psychology. She also holds a Master’s Degree from Miami University in Oxford, OH. She can be reached at missy.jensen@dmeautomotive.com and check her out on LinkedIn.

When the earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit Japan on March 11, 2011, it was a disaster that took its toll not only on the physical landscape and people of the small country, but also drastically affected a number of global industries.  One of the biggest industries affected by the destruction was the automotive industry.  According to Automotive News, the tsunami wiped out over 2,000 Nissan and Infiniti vehicles that were destined for showrooms in both Japan and the United States.  It was also reported that Toyota, who held the top spot as the world’s largest carmaker, would lose its rank (which it has held since 2008) due to the tsunami’s impact on their production.  Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, other carmakers…including American carmakers that merely rely on parts from Japan…are feeling the effects.

While the immediate destruction of the tsunami has passed, automakers that suffered drastic losses and/or disruptions in production report that the summer months will see a big impact in terms of available inventory.

Do you have a strategy to overcome tight supply over the months ahead?  Do you have enough cars to get you through the summer…the hottest selling months of the year?

Here are a few automotive marketing tips to help you with your inventory concerns:

1. Get aggressive on trade-ins!
2. Implement a Vehicle Buy Back Program.
3. Using your database, identify customers who have the car you want and CALL THEM!
4. Don’t advertise the lowest price.  Instead, consider:

• “More for Your Trade!”
• “Free Gas For A Year”
• “Best Selection”

1. If you own a multi-franchise store, stock up on the other automakers’ vehicles.
2. Hit the auctions and buy late models of your best selling vehicles.

One other thing to consider is spending smarter with your marketing and advertising dollars.  During the upcoming months, it may be a good business decision to cut back on your television and print advertising and reallocate to digital based and direct marketing campaigns where there is a low cost to high ROI ratio.

What is your dealership doing to get inventory for the upcoming busy selling months?

~ Missy Jensen, Social Media Manager at DMEautomotive

Bio:
Missy designs, deploys and maintains the social media initiatives for DMEautomotive in an effort to increase brand awareness, distribute company and industry news, provide updates on products and services and promote consumer engagement. Missy enjoys the process of learning; researching and watching projects come to fruition!

Prior to her transformation into a web specialist and work with DMEautomotive, she has 10 years of experience in the marketing and communications industry. Missy served as the Director, Handicapping & Communications for a regional golf association and helped successfully launch and maintain a cutting edge technology-based ticket resale program on behalf of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Missy attended St. Lawrence University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Psychology. She also holds a Master’s Degree from Miami University in Oxford, OH. She can be reached at missy.jensen@dmeautomotive.com and check her out on LinkedIn.

Let’s face it, pre-owned vehicles are hard to find and it’s even harder to pay the price that you, Mr. Dealer, want to pay.  Pre-owned vehicles are a competitive market because every dealer wants a lot full of vehicles at $10k and under and the prices at auction continue to increase.

Let’s face it, pre-owned vehicles are hard to find and it’s even harder to pay the price that you, Mr. Dealer, want to pay.  Pre-owned vehicles are a competitive market because every dealer wants a lot full of vehicles at $10k and under and the prices at auction continue to increase.

According to a recent cell phone study by Pew Internet, “85% of Americans ages 18 and older own a cell phone, making it by far the most popular device among adults” and a great opportunity for car dealerships to utilize for automotive mobile marketing purposes.  Not too surprisingly, the study also found that a great deal of time spent on a mobile phone has nothing to do with talking!  A large majority of people use their mobile phones to text, as well as visit social networks, surf the Internet and take/share photos.  This type of behavior qualifies for a great opportunity to engage your target market in automotive sms marketing services for your dealership.

Since it is clearly evident that Americans have rapidly embraced mobile phones – and their various functionalities – dealerships should consider how to utilize mobile technology to improve automotive mobile marketing efforts.  Here are a few recommended automotive text messaging solutions your dealership should strongly consider implementing:

1.  Automotive Text Messaging Solutions:  By nature, text messaging is meant to be short (160 characters) and to the point.  It is well suited for sending relevant, timely and brief messages that are speaking directly to a customer’s need and/or interest.  Of course, like other modes of communication, unwanted, irrelevant and unnecessary text messages will damage your relationship with customers.  Therefore, some good ways to use text messaging in your automotive mobile marketing efforts – without becoming an annoyance – is to send texts related to:

• Service: service reminders, appointment reminders, missed appointment notifications, additional service recommendations, arrival of a special parts order, and thank you.
• Sales: notification of approaching lease termination, birthday, anniversary, and thank you.

It’s a good idea to get started with text messaging as a form of communication for your dealership because your current young target audience members are texting fanatics. Young adults (ages 18-24) exchange on average 1,630 messages monthly, according to Nielsen.  Note: You definitely want to get your customers to opt-in to receive text messages.  This can be done at the dealership or by implementing an opt-in submission form on your website.  Either way, your dealership must gain consent before sending texts to customers and have an opt-out option available should they no longer wish to receive texts from your dealership.

2. QR Codes: If you don’t know what QR codes are, they are the 2-dimensional barcodes that store information that can be read by a mobile phone or device.  You’ve likely seen everywhere lately: magazine advertisements, promotional pieces and emails, for example.  They are easily scannable barcodes that, when you point your smartphone camera at them, they provide a message, open a website or produce other branded content.  The use of QR Codes is a step toward fully taking advantage of mobile marketing for the automotive industry.

While many OEMs are implementing QR codes in their automotive mobile marketing efforts, car dealerships at the local level can also use them to engage customers in various ways.  One way is to interact with those who peruse their lots during off hours.  A QR code for each used vehicle can be created through a free QR-generator site (such as Kaywa), printed (whether on paper or in sticker form) and posted on the vehicle.  When customers scan the code, they are brought to a page on your dealership’s website regarding that specific vehicle to obtain any additional information and even specials on pricing/financing. QR codes can also be included in your print advertising, whether it be your newspaper ads or direct mail pieces…again, leading traffic to your website.  Lastly, your dealership can place a QR code on service department receipts to lead customers to an online customer service survey.

Though QR codes are fairly new, they are definitely growing in popularity and serve as a great tool to bridge the real and digital world.

3.  Automotive Mobile Apps – Smart phone applications are all the rage.  How many times have you heard “There’s an app for that!”?  Well, even car dealerships are intrigued by the possibility of developing a customized app.

AutoNation has developed a customized app that allows you to explore their new and used car inventory from the comfort of your Smart Phone.  Additionally, it allows you to estimate the Kelley Blue Book value of your current car.

Similar to QR codes above, Mobile Apps allow your dealership to maintain an additional touch point with your customers, providing critical information about vehicles and your dealership (such as directions and contact information) in a very user friendly way. If your current website isn’t mobile optimized, then a mobile app is the best way to share your critical web content to people surfing on a smartphone.

We’ve listed a few ways above for dealerships to include mobile as part of their overall automotive mobile marketing efforts.  Has your dealership implemented any mobile efforts?  What has your experience been thus far?

~ Missy Jensen, Social Media Manager at DMEautomotive

Bio:
Missy designs, deploys and maintains the social media initiatives for DMEautomotive in an effort to increase brand awareness, distribute company and industry news, provide updates on products and services and promote consumer engagement. Missy enjoys the process of learning; researching and watching projects come to fruition!

Prior to her transformation into a web specialist and work with DMEautomotive, she has 10 years of experience in the marketing and communications industry. Missy served as the Director, Handicapping & Communications for a regional golf association and helped successfully launch and maintain a cutting edge technology-based ticket resale program on behalf of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Missy attended St. Lawrence University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Psychology. She also holds a Master’s Degree from Miami University in Oxford, OH. She can be reached at missy.jensen@dmeautomotive.com and check her out on LinkedIn.

According to a recent cell phone study by Pew Internet, “85% of Americans ages 18 and older own a cell phone, making it by far the most popular device among adults” and a great opportunity for car dealerships to utilize for automotive mobile marketing purposes.  Not too surprisingly, the study also found that a great deal of time spent on a mobile phone has nothing to do with talking!  A large majority of people use their mobile phones to text, as well as visit social networks, surf the Internet and take/share photos.  This type of behavior qualifies for a great opportunity to engage your target market in automotive sms marketing services for your dealership.

Since it is clearly evident that Americans have rapidly embraced mobile phones – and their various functionalities – dealerships should consider how to utilize mobile technology to improve automotive mobile marketing efforts.  Here are a few recommended automotive text messaging solutions your dealership should strongly consider implementing:

1.  Automotive Text Messaging Solutions:  By nature, text messaging is meant to be short (160 characters) and to the point.  It is well suited for sending relevant, timely and brief messages that are speaking directly to a customer’s need and/or interest.  Of course, like other modes of communication, unwanted, irrelevant and unnecessary text messages will damage your relationship with customers.  Therefore, some good ways to use text messaging in your automotive mobile marketing efforts – without becoming an annoyance – is to send texts related to:

• Service: service reminders, appointment reminders, missed appointment notifications, additional service recommendations, arrival of a special parts order, and thank you.
• Sales: notification of approaching lease termination, birthday, anniversary, and thank you.

It’s a good idea to get started with text messaging as a form of communication for your dealership because your current young target audience members are texting fanatics. Young adults (ages 18-24) exchange on average 1,630 messages monthly, according to Nielsen.  Note: You definitely want to get your customers to opt-in to receive text messages.  This can be done at the dealership or by implementing an opt-in submission form on your website.  Either way, your dealership must gain consent before sending texts to customers and have an opt-out option available should they no longer wish to receive texts from your dealership.

2. QR Codes: If you don’t know what QR codes are, they are the 2-dimensional barcodes that store information that can be read by a mobile phone or device.  You’ve likely seen everywhere lately: magazine advertisements, promotional pieces and emails, for example.  They are easily scannable barcodes that, when you point your smartphone camera at them, they provide a message, open a website or produce other branded content.  The use of QR Codes is a step toward fully taking advantage of mobile marketing for the automotive industry.

While many OEMs are implementing QR codes in their automotive mobile marketing efforts, car dealerships at the local level can also use them to engage customers in various ways.  One way is to interact with those who peruse their lots during off hours.  A QR code for each used vehicle can be created through a free QR-generator site (such as Kaywa), printed (whether on paper or in sticker form) and posted on the vehicle.  When customers scan the code, they are brought to a page on your dealership’s website regarding that specific vehicle to obtain any additional information and even specials on pricing/financing. QR codes can also be included in your print advertising, whether it be your newspaper ads or direct mail pieces…again, leading traffic to your website.  Lastly, your dealership can place a QR code on service department receipts to lead customers to an online customer service survey.

Though QR codes are fairly new, they are definitely growing in popularity and serve as a great tool to bridge the real and digital world.

3.  Automotive Mobile Apps – Smart phone applications are all the rage.  How many times have you heard “There’s an app for that!”?  Well, even car dealerships are intrigued by the possibility of developing a customized app.

AutoNation has developed a customized app that allows you to explore their new and used car inventory from the comfort of your Smart Phone.  Additionally, it allows you to estimate the Kelley Blue Book value of your current car.

Similar to QR codes above, Mobile Apps allow your dealership to maintain an additional touch point with your customers, providing critical information about vehicles and your dealership (such as directions and contact information) in a very user friendly way. If your current website isn’t mobile optimized, then a mobile app is the best way to share your critical web content to people surfing on a smartphone.

We’ve listed a few ways above for dealerships to include mobile as part of their overall automotive mobile marketing efforts.  Has your dealership implemented any mobile efforts?  What has your experience been thus far?

~ Missy Jensen, Social Media Manager at DMEautomotive

Bio:
Missy designs, deploys and maintains the social media initiatives for DMEautomotive in an effort to increase brand awareness, distribute company and industry news, provide updates on products and services and promote consumer engagement. Missy enjoys the process of learning; researching and watching projects come to fruition!

Prior to her transformation into a web specialist and work with DMEautomotive, she has 10 years of experience in the marketing and communications industry. Missy served as the Director, Handicapping & Communications for a regional golf association and helped successfully launch and maintain a cutting edge technology-based ticket resale program on behalf of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Missy attended St. Lawrence University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Psychology. She also holds a Master’s Degree from Miami University in Oxford, OH. She can be reached at missy.jensen@dmeautomotive.com and check her out on LinkedIn.