Netsertive has just released their Automotive Digital Marketing Intelligence Report for 2017. After reading through it, I found some very valuable things for dealers that you can start implementing to improve your dealership today.

The 2016 Overview

Reading the 2016 overview gave me some important insights about how the industry is changing, and what we can do to keep up with it.

• Multichannel marketing gets you the best results. Combining Facebook ads with search engine marketing leads to 5% more conversions. Similarly, running digital video ads with search engine marketing lead to 37% more conversions.
• 9 out of 10 website visitors won't convert on the first visit. This means you need to intrigue them enough, that they'll come back again for their second visit, where they're more likely to convert.
• 97% of car shoppers buy local. So you need to have a website that shows them where you are, and why you're the best option, even if you won't sell online.

Changes For 2017

Looking over all the fantastic research Netsertive did pointed me in the direction of changes dealers can make for 2017.

• A fast, flexible, and mobile-friendly web experience can hugely grow your smartphone clicks. Focusing on your mobile site can lead to high rewards.
• Many paid campaigns will drop off in the early evening, so make sure that you are working to have your campaign running past 5 PM. The study also found that the average person spends 54 minutes on social media every day. You never know when that will be, so making sure your campaign is running most of the time is valuable.
• High intent shoppers are caught with search engine marketing. This is the best way to get people who are closer to the buying stage, but needs to be used with mixed marketing efforts.
• The top 2 ad positions captures 85% of customers. That means it's insanely valuable to work on your search ranking, and be willing to bid using paid SEM to increase your placement.
• Working with mixed methods of marketing can help lower your cost per conversion and cost per click. This study shows that working with social media, as well as more traditional marketing such as TV or radio, can all work together to help your online search engine marketing.

What Can You Do Now?

So with all this interesting information, what can your dealership do today to make changes?

• Find the right investment balance of more traditional marketing strategies, and the ever invaluable social media and digital realm.
• Shoppers research nearly 24 websites during their buying process, which gives you a host of opportunities to show reviews and information about your website.
• Know your audience and where they spend their time.
• Google and Facebook are the most popular places for shoppers, invest some time and money in those mediums.
• Run search engine marketing campaigns in conjunction with other mediums.
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