As we cross the threshold from the second wave of the internet into the third, every dealer has a website, most have mobile/responsive websites, and email marketing is becoming the norm in the automotive industry.

More sophisticated automotive marketers are segmenting email campaigns, just as they did with direct mail in the past. Targeting is getting better every day, raising response and conversion rates to escape being flagged as ‘spam’. But with the third wave of the internet upon us, automotive marketing is headed for a seismic shift.

Optimally targeting your campaigns, refining your content, and putting the focus on data are paramount to every dealer’s success in 2017, especially with email marketing.

A recent article on DrivingSales from CopyHook founder Steve Shaw pointed out three of the most common errors seen in email marketing, reminding us that “…sending a bad email can be worse than sending no email at all.”

How dealers market to consumers is becoming analytics driven, individualized, automated and dynamic. Online and offline behaviors are merging into one – just ‘behavior’ – and automotive marketers can track all of it to customize sales and marketing accordingly. Data and advanced analytics are helping dealers nationwide deliver relevant information to car buyers before they even know they want it.

Shaw’s article covers the need for clear calls-to-action in email marketing, with engaging subject lines, and concise, tailored content. An effective call-to-action should be dynamically tailored to each individual so it’s a call-to-action they care about, and having a personalized subject line is part of that experience.

Your customers expect you to know them, they expect personalization, which is why it’s alarming that 70% of brands don’t personalize their emails1, especially when personalized subject lines can increase open rates by up to 26%2.

Shaw’s third point about not being long-winded comes down to refining your messaging. The more someone has to scroll, especially if they’re looking on a mobile device, the less likely they are to stay engaged with content further down.

Effective email campaigns should be:

• Automated and dynamic
• Triggered as a result of behavior
• Individually tailored
• Concise and relevant

Don’t get left behind in the second wave of the internet while your competition jumps into the third. Engage consumers with email marketing that works and avoid the common pitfalls that can be easily avoided by making data and personalization your secret weapon. 

1. ”70% of Brands and Marketers Aren’t Doing This…” Zembula. July 15, 2016.
2. “The Rules of Email Marketing.” Campaign Monitor. 2015.