9:00 am, February 23, 2025
Over the years, I’ve spoken with hundreds of dealers about their marketing, and I’ve noticed a few common themes.
Many rely solely on Auto Trader, some do very little and question whether it even works, and others try one thing, don’t see instant results, and call it a day.
But marketing isn’t about quick wins, in my opinion: it’s about consistency and one of the easiest and cheapest ways for dealers to generate new business is by re-engaging their existing customers.
Yet, I see this being overlooked all the time. So much focus goes into bringing in new customers that past buyers, who are already warm leads, are forgotten.
If they had a good experience with you before, why wouldn’t they come back?
Now is the perfect time to plan ahead and think about creative ways to get back in touch with past customers. A simple campaign can be incredibly
effective.
Imagine if you’d sent a message, via post, email, SMS, or WhatsApp for Valentine’s Day, asking, ‘Fallen out of love with your old car?’. It’s a lighthearted, engaging way to encourage customers to consider buying a newer one from you.
And the best part? You don’t have to spend a fortune to make it work!
Last month, I capitalised on Valentine’s Day with a marketing campaign titled ‘Got a Proposal for Us?’. It was playful, a little cheesy, and most
importantly, it worked.
I sent a few hundred of Valentine’s cards to a selection of our dealers, which included a QR code linking to our dealer portal and our phone number – two really easy ways to measure effectiveness.
The response was fantastic, and it reinforced something I’ve always believed: Marketing people in a fun, unexpected way can make a real impact.
And while this campaign was built around Valentine’s Day, the concept applies all-year-round. Whether it’s a seasonal message, a ‘happy anniversary’ note reminding customers how long they’ve had their car, or a friendly checkin, regular engagement builds relationships and keeps your dealership front and centre when the customer is ready to buy again.
When I’ve done campaigns like this, the return has been consistently strong – usually around five times the initial investment. That’s a return most would take any day.
So, here’s my challenge to dealers: Don’t just sit back and wait for customers to come to you or rely on old and tired marketing. Stay in touch, be creative, and find ways to re-engage your audience.
If you would like to find out more about working with us, check out our dealer site.
This column originally appeared in issue 204 of Car Dealer Magazine. You can read the full edition here.
