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Currently, the automotive industry is at an all time high for vehicles sold.  Yet, as the old saying goes, what goes up must come down.  Our team is confident not only in ourselves, but our clients as well. We are watching the stock market closely in anticipation of a curveball headed our way.

In 2008 the Stock Market and economy took a large hit, which, was felt across the states. It was also, in relative terms, a quick hit. The fall took place over the course of 18 months, and, dropped more than 50%. As opposed to the hit during The Great Depression, which took about three years and dropped almost 90%.*

The Stock Market has been showing signs of wavering the past couple of weeks, which has business owners and employees on edge, for the most part. We are always watching the market, not only for our business, but for our clients as well. By doing so we are able to better strategize; what is working well and what needs improving. If a client is in a market proven to do well selling Hybrid vehicles, we would not need to focus as much on that part of their inventory, instead we would put more focus on other parts of their inventory.

With this in mind we have more than a few tricks up our sleeves to help you through any situation we may find ourselves in. If this is not something your provider is thinking about, contact us today so that we may strategize with you!

Email Marketing is an important strategy, which when performed properly and effectively, it will set you above the rest of the competition. Our team has outlined their Best Practices, which formulate and structure our Email Marketing.

BUILD ACCURATE & TARGETED LISTS

This is the most important rule when sending emails for any occasion. Like any other marketing avenue, targeting is the key to increasing efficiency and reducing waste. Start by segmenting your lists. If you send sales and service email blasts, at the very least, you need two separate lists. Optimistically, you should have a list for both new and used sales prospects. Then you can decide if you would like to narrow that list down even further. For service leads, you should have a list of regulars, and a list of prospects. You may also want to segment based on in-market vs. out of market prospects for the more advanced campaigns.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

When it comes to sending your emails at a given time of day or day of the week. Generally, for automotive marketing, you will want to aim for an email to go out between Tuesday and Thursday before lunch. Unfortunately, every market is different and timing is difficult to measure without past data. What you will want to do is run some tests. Send emails at different time intervals throughout a given week/month to see what your customers respond best to. Then when you have the results from your tests, you’ll be able to determine what days your customers engage most with your emails. 

USE BOTH GRAPHIC/VIDEO & TEXT BASED EMAILS

Text based emails give more of a personal touch, and can appear more urgent than graphic/video based emails depending on the subject matter. You can expect to see more email responses as well as phone calls with text-based emails. However, a well-designed graphic/video based email can trigger immediate clicks through to the site if it is visually pleasing, customers will typically click on a graphic/video email, rather than calling or replying via email. 

WITHOUT A GOOD SUBJECT LINE, YOUR EMAIL IS USELESS

That’s right, no amount of design skills or clever wording will matter if you don’t get the customer to open your email. Avoid generic subject lines, as these will not stand out and will be lost amongst the hundreds of other emails a customer will receive in just one week. Use personalization when appropriate, first names for example, can draw a customer’s attention. Strong subject lines are those that also demonstrate urgency. For example, “You need to see this,” might spark curiosity for the customer. Experiment with different subject lines by splitting your lists and A/B testing the results.

EMAIL IS ALWAYS CHANGING

No single rule of thumb will increase email effectiveness. You may find that subject lines or creative you’ve used in the past just don’t seem to work anymore. To be truly effective you will need to constantly evaluate your results, determine what works best and what doesn’t in your market area.

If our Best Practices, or, Marketing Strategies are of interest, please contact us today!

          Google has said they are testing their self-driving car prototype this summer on the streets of California. Are we, as humans, ready to give up control of driving ourselves?

            If you were to visit Google’s page endorsing their self-driving prototype you will be greeted with some staggering statistics. The likes of which include “94% of accidents in the U.S. involve human error.” Their claim is that if building a car loaded with sensors, lasers, and cameras to detect movement in all direction it will greatly reduce the possibility of an accident. The prototype also has a rounded shape, which, will help maximize the sensor’s field of view.

            I will agree with the fact that these cars will give independence to those who normally would not be able to drive themselves. Even business professionals who spend much of their time on the road, it will allow them to travel and work at the same time. These cars will allow the passenger to program their desired destination. Which would allow the car to bring a friend home, then, return back to you without anyone riding inside. What about those of us who remain independent and want to feel the rumble of an engine, not the soft hum of a battery?

            For years now cars such as the Mustang, Camaro, and Subaru WRX have garnered a following of loyal fans, which created a cult affect. Their owners are very proud owners, some adorning their wardrobe with hats or shirts, which proudly display the logo. They want you to know; I’m a fan, this is my car, I’m a proud owner. Also meaning, I love driving this car. While there are perks for the self-driving car, I don’t feel as if it will eliminate the vehicles we operate, at least, not for a long while.

            What does this mean for us? Once the self-driving cars are released for public purchase, it means coming up with new and unique strategies for advertising and pushing your product.

If you are interested in discussing this, or, any form of advertising please contact us today!