Driving Results: Tips for Engaging Social Media Content for Car Dealers

Build different customer personas

This is the first step to any car dealership marketing strategy, especially for car dealers. Customer personas represent different target markets: the first-time driver who is shopping for the first car and is probably interested in good value for money, parents looking for a safe and sturdy family car, the car aficionado that will ask about engine power and other technical specs.

Identify those personas, and think about their needs, motivations, and the kind of questions that they will probably ask. Use that as a starting point for planning content. Here are some good social media topics to jumpstart the brainstorming process.

First-car buyers

Parents

These topics can be made into infographics, short video clips, or tip posts. Car dealerships can also boost social posts and select a target audience in the ad settings.

Make high quality inventory posts

Inventory posts showcase specific car models, and target people who are searching for a specific make, model or year. To make these posts very engaging, don’t just publish a quick photo and a list of its specs.

Car dealerships can also have “Featured Car of the Week” or “Brand of the Week” posts that focus primarily on sharing detailed information about a particular vehicle.

Introduce employees

Some customers are intimated by the buying process and feel overwhelmed when they step into the showroom.

Posting about employees - their name, photo, and some friendly details about them—can help build rapport and trust and give potential buyers a familiar face to look for.

Car dealerships can even create short videos about the employees where they introduce themselves and give a “tour” of the showroom or the available cars. This can help capture their personality and highlight the company’s friendly customer service.

Do car comparisons

Customers who buy cars will always compare several models. Make social media posts that help them through that process. Select a topic (such as best cars for XXX price range, or best cars for city driving) and then compile your choices. Be sure to include:

Car lingo, explained

Not everyone who looks for a car can understand the technical specs listed in the brochures. Make social media posts that explain terminology. This is especially important for premium vehicles that have superior features that customers need to understand in order to appreciate.

Deals, promos and events

Post about the month’s or week’s promos, such as a sale on used vehicles or a discount on oil changes. Use a design tool like Canva to make these announcements visually appealing. Remember, the quality of the posts also affect the customer’s perception of the reputation of the company.

Also share news like upcoming car events in the area, especially if the vehicle dealership is a sponsor or partner. Ideally, plan events throughout the year to create buzz or interest—even if the event is in-house. For example:

Post and share “My New Car” photos

Most customers will proudly post pictures of their new car on their social media. Ask them to tag the car dealership’s official social media pages, and then share.

If possible, take pictures of the customers with their new car during the sale. Ask for permission to share the post on social media. To encourage them to take pics, create an area in the showroom that’s “photo-friendly” or “Insta-perfect” and has some branding elements.

Get customer testimonials

Customer testimonials and positive reviews are the most powerful way of building trust and reputation. As long as they’re happy with the service, most people are willing to give testimonials if it is easy, convenient and personally rewarding. For example:

Another way to secure customer testimonials is to send them a thank you email, which includes a link to a form that they can fill, or to the social media page.

Car trivia

Not all social media content needs to be a hard-sell. It’s also important to post interesting facts about cars, such as photos of classic or vintage cars, or famous or iconic cars featured in movies and TV shows.

These type of social media posts can also be turned into interactive content. For example, ask “What kind of car did Austin Powers drive?” then post a pic and ask viewers to name the model and make. Reveal the answer in the next post.

Engaging social media drives results

Social media is a powerful and cost-effective way for car dealerships to reach potential customers. However, effective social media needs quality content that engages, informs, entertains, and earns trust.