The way consumers in all different markets decide to purchase products has changed drastically over the years. No longer are customers relying solely on brand names or word-of-mouth reviews. Nowadays, most people research online for the products they intend to buy. The same holds true for the automobile industry.
When deciding on a car to buy, 56% of users reported reading reviews online to help make their decision. Not only are users reading online reviews, but many also watch Youtube reviews. Anyone can buy youtube shares to boost their opinion vlog of a car. Since these vloggers are not backed up by a corporation; it is perceived that they are everyday people with personal opinions. The online reputation of automobile companies is also an important factor that consumers consider before their purchase.
Car Trends in Social Media
Besides the highly popular reviews of insanely expensive supercars that are circulated online, many other trends have emerged on social media lately. Social media platforms have been used by major brands to increase their brand awareness and market the newest automobile models. However, Facebook remains the preferred platform for car dealerships and automobile brands for their marketing purposes.
It can be hypothesized that this is due to the older age demographic that uses Facebook regularly – which are the target audience of many automobile brands. Youtube has many user reviews of cars from all different price ranges, as well as promotional content created by automobile companies themselves. A recent unexpected trend between car dealerships is the adaptation of online sales – whereby a vehicle can be purchased without ever having to visit a dealership.
As social media use accounts for a major portion of internet traffic, it provides a target audience for marketing purposes. There are various strategies that automobile companies employ to make use of social media as a part of their marketing campaign. These are the most important:
Increasing Brand Awareness
The budget required for this strategy is almost negligible. Given that the number of social media users is steadily increasing, the expected reach of social media campaigns is very wide. For best results, brands will post on various social media platforms for a longer time – perhaps a year. This keeps users aware of the brand if they are looking to purchase a vehicle, potentially leading to a sale.
Engaging the Customer
Everyone wants to hear from the average Joe a report from Wyzowl shows that 37% of people believe video testimonials, owing to their authenticity. Asking for online video reviews by your owners of vehicles from your brand is an effective method to get more people to go ahead with their purchase. In this strategy businesses need to respond to the customer, sharing their videos and actively engaging with them and their audience.
ncreasing customer engagement on social media platforms is paramount for automobile companies seeking to build strong brand loyalty and trust. One effective method to accomplish this is by actively interacting with customers through various means, including sharing their video testimonials and responding to their inquiries. Another essential aspect of customer engagement is the consistent presence of the brand on social media channels. To ensure regular and timely interaction with the audience, automobile companies often employ strategies such as scheduling social media posts. By scheduling posts in advance, companies can maintain a consistent online presence, promptly address customer inquiries, and strategically release promotional content, thereby fostering meaningful connections with their audience and enhancing brand perception.
Appealing to the Emotions
By using social media platforms not only as an advertising tool but also as a means of creating a more refined brand by appealing to consumers’ emotions. For example, posting employee-related content, or charity related campaigns that your business participates in. Users will be able to subconsciously sympathize with your brand, elevating their view of your automobile company.
Promotional Content
Automobile companies often create social media-specific promotional campaigns. Discounts or promotions are available exclusively to social media users that are following or engaging with the company’s social media accounts. The benefit of this strategy is two-fold, as it increases sales and boosts social media growth. In turn, social media growth is a factor in boosting sales as well.
Mobile-Friendly Websites
Although users may first engage with social media on their journey towards a purchase, they will probably eventually use your company’s website for further research.
More than 50% of users are accessing the internet through smartphones. Therefore, any website related to your company must be optimized for view on smartphones as well as traditional computer screens. All information should be available on the mobile version of your website to avoid consumers from getting frustrated.
Consumers will continue to look online for automobile-related advice, and social media is a logical start for the millions of users that log onto their platforms daily. The above strategies are applicable in the automotive industry and other businesses as well. The budget for most social media marketing strategies is not very high, but the revenue generated from such campaigns is significant. Naturally, this makes a social media presence a must for automobile companies in 2021 – whether they are car dealers, automobile manufacturers, or even automobile repair centers.
