Lately, I’ve seen clients and prospects alike that are starting to get it. Digital media strategies aren’t new anymore, but they seem to be in a fledgling state for most car dealerships, and that’s even more exaggerated for the fixed operations departments. I’ve seen YouTube videos that are produced pretty well, but they aren’t creating value for the dealership. Thus, the dealer drops video off their radar.

One major Chevy dealer I know, for example, has used their staff to advertise winter tires. He’s personable, relatable, and does a great job communicating helpful information to the viewer. The video is half-decent in its production. But after a full week it has eight views. Yes. Single-digit viewership.

There’s no way to convince management that video is an effective strategy when a good video performs so poorly. I think this example resonates with many dealers, but the video itself is just a piece of the puzzle.

Pairing With Video

I won’t compare a service, parts, or accessories video to a fine wine. However, video on its own has extremely low chances of succeeding. Seldom do good videos – even great videos – go viral or get thousands of views. That’s not what you want anyway. All you want are for your customers to see the video and discover a reason to reach out to you.

For that reason, you can’t depend on a YouTube clip to find your customers. You absolutely MUST put it in front of their eyes. It’s a component of a marketing campaign but it needs a vehicle to deliver it.

Marketing Parts and Service

Imagine sending your customers a YouTube link via email, and that’s all. 9 out of 10 will send it straight to the trash folder. The others might watch a couple seconds before they click the next cat video instead. They aren’t engaged yet.

Now picture an email that arrives for winter tires. “4 for the price of 3 on BFGoodrich winter tires” is the title. The body of the email contains engaging content about why winter tires are important, the sale information, plus your video embedded near the top. Sent during late fall, customers now have a reason to read the email and watch the video.

A video needs to be surrounded by other content. Well-written information and sales copy will help drive the reader to respond whether it’s to click the video or to pick up the phone. A video on its own is extremely unlikely to have the same effect.  

Website Service Info

I’ve mentioned it before, but your service descriptions online can be used more effectively than a bullet-point list. Hyperlink your services to another page that goes in-depth describing their benefits. It’s a good opportunity to build value with your customer, plus you can increase your website authority if keywords are used effectively on the service pages.

In-Dealership Info

Every dealership has TVs in the customer lounge. Why not put your dealership’s staff on display for explainer videos on those screens? You have a captive audience and you can rest assured that every once in a while, a customer will approach their service advisor and ask, “Do I need this?”

Video is fantastic at establishing authority on a subject as well as being much more personal than other types of content. On its own, though, you’ll see low viewership. Pair it with another part of your strategy to drive its effectiveness way up.