Start your engines: we're going to take a ride with targeted automotive email marketing. Email is an efficient, trusted and engaging way to send information to automotive customers interested in purchasing a vehicle. Email is useful for customers because it can include images and links, and the length of email messages is not limited. With automation software, it is now possible to send targeted email campaigns to your customers which will engage their interest further and cater to their unique needs.

Once the customer opens that first targeted email, however, how can you know how they react to it? Should you send more emails? Are they interested in a particular feature of the vehicle? In order to optimize future messages to each customer, you need to know how they reacted to the initial email message. A customer's behavior gives you insights into their preferences and also their unasked questions.

Targeted emails consistently outperform emails where the same messages are sent to everyone. More customers open, click and eventually purchase due to targeted emails.

It is now possible to see exactly how customers are interacting with the email messages you have sent. Automation software allows you to not only track email opens and link clicks, but also to have additional email messages sent based on these specific customer actions.

It sounds complicated, so what does it really mean? Let's say three separate customers sign up through your website to receive a basic information package about Brand X's newest minivan. You have told your automated solution in advance how to proceed based on certain customer actions.

• Customer 1 does not open the email containing the information about the minivan. No further messages are sent to this customer, although their contact information is retained in case you wish to reach out to them.
   
• Customer 2 opens the email and clicks on a link relating to the minivan's safety ranking. This action (clicking that specific link) triggers a follow-up email with additional information about the vehicle's safety features, as well as a comparison chart showing how the minivan's safety ranking compares to other minivans.
   
• Customer 3 opens the email and clicks the safety ranking link (and receives the follow-up safety-related email), and they also click a link that allows them to view other similar vehicles that they may be interested in. From these vehicles, the customer clicks on Brand X's SUV. This click triggers an email to be sent to the customer with an information package about the SUV.

By being able to see exactly what the customer does when they receive the initial email, you can engage their individual interests and send them messages that will engage them and show them only information that is relevant to them. The customer receives the information they are looking for and you have a better chance of connecting with them.

You should analyze your automotive email data frequently. Then once you see that a customer is very interested in a specific vehicle (has opened the emails and clicked on several of the links for a particular vehicle) the salesperson can take over and send a personal email message enticing the customer to learn more. “Hi Sam, we have some great deals on SUVs happening throughout November at the dealership. With this special email offer, you can receive 50% off a new set of winter tires with your purchase of any of our SUVs. If you would like to test drive an SUV or learn more, please visit our dealership or reply to this email.”

Automation software allows a salesperson to connect individually with each online lead, and spot a hot online lead so they can take the initiative to connect with that lead. It allows you to offer the customer special promotions based on their unique interests, so they know that their customer satisfaction is of the highest importance.

Reaching out to customers in a highly targeted way with messages that cater to their individual needs increases the level of personal service you are able to provide to each of your customers. Their overall customer experience is improved, yet much of the process is automated, so your workload is not increased. All you need to do is set up the messages and decide how the automated solution should send them, based on actions taken by customers, such as which link they click.

Want to offer a personalized customer experience to each online lead right from the beginning? Consider automation software as a way to provide more to your customers. Think of adding automation software to your dealership like getting an oil change: it helps to make it run that much smoother and provides you with an optimized experience.