Automotive Marketing is very different from just about any other type of marketing on the planet. Because there are so many factors involved in the sale of an automobile, there have to be an equal amount of methods used to target people who have the intent to buy and at different points in the sales funnel. We all know there are people who glance at an ad in a newspaper and briefly think about how nice it would be to buy a new car, if only for a moment…and there are those who are jotting down features and price shopping automotive dealerships with the intent of buying a car that weekend. And the good thing for dealerships, is that there are many points within that sales cycle that potential customers can be advanced to the next phase of the sales funnel and will be receptive to marketing initiatives, if they are done tactfully and executed properly. Blasting someone in the face with a remarketing ad everywhere on the internet because they clicked on a banner ad somewhere one time is likely to prove frustrating for both parties. The customer is likely to be turned off long before they contact the dealership about a vehicle, and the dealership is likely to spend a fair amount of money on display ads with little in the way of return. An automotive marketing vendor management company can help alleviate this common problem faced by almost all dealerships.
But an equally important factor is, who is making these decisions?
It’s likely to be your vendors who are in charge of different portions of your dealership’s marketing efforts. Most times, a dealership gives a vendor an overall budget, which typically covers the management fee as well as the adspend itself. There’s usually some brief discussions about what deals to promote, what specials to push and some approvals thrown around for creatives and taglines, but many times it doesn’t go much further than that. The vendor is left to spend the budget and simply report on results. And many times, these ‘reports’ are either confusing, shady…or just plain misleading.
When you’re running a dealership…who has time to sift through reports and determine if your adspend is providing you with the proper return?
Your job is to sell cars. And it’s unfortunate that more often than not, the vendors job is first: to sell their product, and second: to provide the service.
That leaves you writing checks each month for a service that may not be delivered with the same fervor it was sold.
So, what do you do?
Hiring a company that provides automotive marketing vendor management may be just the solution. The concept is simple: It’s a set of eyes that looks out for your best interests, ensuring that the vendors you are entrusting with your hard-earned dealership dollars are making good on the services you hired to do, and that you’re squeezing every last ounce of ROI out of the money you’re spending with these vendors.
It’s like having an inside man making sure everyone is doing the right thing. After all, you’re certainly willing to spend the money for marketing, especially if you know that it’s being done properly and providing you a return so that you can sell more cars each month!
What is Automotive Marketing Vendor Management?
Simple. It’s complete management of the vendors you already have working for you on a day-to-day basis, without having to hire any internal employees. The cost can almost always be justified by the increased ROI that can be squeezed out of your vendors, just by making them accountable to produce real results! Results that you can actually wrap your head around. Not just pretty spreadsheets with all kinds of numbers and pie charts showing all the improvements they’ve made.
We’re talking about an increase in the amount of cars leaving your lot, every month.
In the automotive marketing world, most vendors require dealerships to sign contracts. And who do these contracts typically favor? The vendors. Many times, it means that they’ve roped you into a service contract that basically makes it difficult to fire them.
Imagine hiring an employee who made you sign a contract that you had to retain their services for 6 months or a year!!!
You just wouldn’t do it. If they don’t perform, you simply fire them. Unfortunately, vendors forcing contracts have the upper hand. The least you can do is make sure they are doing what they are paid to do, and that’s helping you SELL MORE CARS! Hiring an automotive marketing vendor management company should not feel like being shackled, and should not require a long term contract. It’s a voluntary additional service to make sure you’re getting the most out of your marketing money.
The process is simple. As automotive marketers, we already know what goes into your marketing efforts. We understand that the vendors you have selected are managing your PPC marketing, your social media, your banner ads, creatives…and your traditional efforts including newspaper, magazines as print, as well as TV & radio spots. With so much of your online presence in the hands of your vendors, wouldn’t it be reassuring if someone on your team was looking over their shoulder and making sure that they’re not snowballing you?
That’s where an Automotive Marketing Vendor Management company comes in. We dive into the numbers, find room for improvement, dissect reports and give you the real story. We work on your behalf to make sure your vendors aren’t pulling the wool over your eyes. We have seen first hand cases of dealerships literally WASTING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS EACH AND EVERY MONTH. Money that is wasted, and never coming back.
For a fraction of that, you can have the peace of mind knowing your vendors are working hard, delivering results and producing an ROI.
There’s a lot of great automotive marketing vendors out there. Many do a stellar job. Some don’t. Make sure the ones you have working for you are delivering.
We can help.
Call the pros at Green Arrow Marketing today to learn more about this service. We can work with your current vendors to sift through the data, look at the actual numbers, find room for improvement, increase conversions & appointments, help boost sales and grow your dealership’s bottom line. We can be reached anytime at 561-246-4551 or through our Contact page.
We look forward to working with your team to take your automotive dealership to the next level and jump to the front of the pack!
