As the name implies, social media database marketing involves uploading a database of customers onto a platform, enabling the segmentation of customers to generate targeted, individualised adverts accordingly. For Dealerships, this could apply to customers with a finance contract ending within 3 months, or with a service booked in the coming weeks.

Social media platforms will then use this information to run tailored advertisements for these clients, promoting deals such as a potential upgrade model for customers at the end of their finance contract, or specific upgrade accessories for those customers booked in for a service.

‘Lookalike marketing’ leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence to segment potential customers based on their social media activity. The key difference here is that potential customers are categorised and targeted based on what they engage with and like, not their database profile.

First, conduct some research and identify a customer profile you want to target – an example could be a 25–30-year-old who lives in your PMA and loves leisure travel. Social media platforms are then able to use their complex algorithm to run advertisements for a certain vehicle or accessory that will show only in the newsfeeds of these ‘lookalike’ customers.

While the Industry was slow out of the blocks when it came to influencer marketing, we have seen a number of larger capital city Dealerships tap into this strategy over the past year.

Influencer marketing involves collaborating with a social media influencer – most commonly on Instagram – who has a dedicated and engaged following with whom they have built up a large amount of trust.

While it can be an expensive approach depending on the size and reach of their following, collaborating with an Influencer to post photos and endorse your dealership can provide a very attractive ROI on your marketing spend.

How have you found marketing via social media? We would love to hear about the success you’ve had, or if there are any aspects of social media marketing, such as developing a marketing strategy or consumer profile study, that we could help you with, to boost your Dealership’s social media presence.