Share It!
Cox Automotive forecasts 39.5 million used-car sales this year. National Automobile Dealers Association senior economist said the average monthly payment gap between new and used vehicles continues to increase, which will likely result in more consumers shifting to the used-car market. Is your dealership equipped with the right technology to successfully compete in used car sales this year?
83% of people who buy used cars are active Facebook users and 60% have seen or heard a social media advertisement that led them to take action in the last 12 months. Dominate your competition in used-car sales this year by reaching active used-car shoppers where they are already spending their time – on Facebook. We’ve compiled three steps that your dealership can take on Facebook today to supercharge used vehicle sales in 2019.
1) Upload Your Used Inventory to Facebook Marketplace
66% of car buyers said they would purchase a vehicle on Facebook Marketplace, according to Digital Air Strike’s Seventh Annual Automotive Social Media and Online Trends Study. Your dealership has options when it comes to getting your inventory in front of these car buyers! You can either manually upload specific used vehicles you want to move off the lot or promote your entire used inventory feed by partnering with a Facebook-approved vendor who can upload your whole feed to the site.
Publishing your inventory to Facebook will allow your dealership to reach local car buyers on a site where they’re already likely to be shopping. 61% of sales customers ages 18-54 have made a purchase on Facebook Marketplace. It doesn’t make sense to not put your products in front of this ready-to-buy audience in 2019.
2) Monitor and Respond to Facebook Marketplace Messages
93% of customers have classified their experience with Facebook Marketplace as positive due to the ease of use and fast responses. If you’re going to publish your inventory to Facebook Marketplace, make sure you are monitoring and responding to every lead that comes in through Facebook Messenger! Car buyers will have the option to message your dealership from VDPs on Facebook Marketplace.
Facebook Messenger is used by 1.2 billion people every month and is becoming the preferred channel for customer service. Make sure your dealership has the technology or staff to respond to interested car buyers messaging your dealership on Facebook. You can then ask shoppers qualifying questions to determine their interest level and route leads to the right team member from there. Keep in mind that up to 40% of leads come in after hours – have a plan in place to follow up with those leads quickly, too!
3) Capture VIN-Specific Leads and Route Them to Your CRM for Fast Follow Up
When you do respond, make sure you give your customers options! Only 15% of dealerships provide new car options when a customer inquires about a used car, according to Digital Air Strike’s breakthrough Mystery Shop Study of 1,500+ dealerships.
This means 85% of dealerships are missing the opportunity to give customers options that may be better suited to the car buyers’ personal preferences. The best way to get around the “pre-owned only” rule of Facebook Marketplace is by integrating your new inventory with Facebook Messenger so your dealership can give car buyers new and used options!
To do this, you will want to partner with a company that integrates your inventory with Facebook Messenger so your dealership can start capturing VIN-specific leads that are routed directly to your CRM for fast and efficient follow up.
There you have it! A quick, three-step guide to dominating your competition in used car sales this year. Find out how Digital Air Strike can automate these steps for you. Just take a 10-minute demo today.
Curious to see how your dealership looks online? Use the “Get Intel” button at the top of your screen to request a free custom analysis of your online presence.
Sources:
AudienceSCAN, 2018
Digital Air Strike’s Mystery Shop Study
Digital Air Strike’s Seventh Annual Automotive Social Media and Online Trends Study
