A Definitive Guide to Text Message Marketing for Car Dealerships

Automakers make up 3% of the US economy. That’s $643.2 billion every year. And they are responsible for more American jobs than any other manufacturing sector. Then is it any wonder that car dealerships are a staple in American life?

American automakers, though, stand on the shoulders of car dealerships and the subsequent sales they make. So, what is the best way to sell cars? Marketing, of course!

Marketing plays a pivotal role in the bottom line for car dealerships. And therefore, it is wise for car dealerships to look for the best marketing methods. One of the best marketing tools is text message marketing.

Car dealership text marketing

As opposed to other, more traditional, forms of marketing, text marketing for auto dealers has the advantage of versatility. Car dealerships can simply and seamlessly insert text marketing into their existing marketing campaigns. Not only does text message marketing tighten your sales funnel, but closes the gap between online and offline marketing.

Plus, you can convert potential car buyers into leads with text marketing. Car buyers get the car information they’re looking for while you get their contact information. Text message marketing is great for all types of car buyers: lot walkers, past customers, even online leads.

Text marketing tools for auto dealers

Simplicity is the name of the game with text marketing. It’s engaging customers via their phone to purchase a new or used vehicle. There are four great text marketing tools that help car dealerships increase their sales and, subsequently, their bottom line.

The first is text message keywords, then mass text messaging broadcasts, and finally, text message drip campaigns. In addition, car dealership text marketing is relevant not only to external audiences such as customers, but to internal audiences such as dealership departments, employees, and company stakeholders, like investors.

Text message keywords

With text message keywords, potential customers text a keyword to your TextSanity phone number. Then, set responses with requested information generate automatically while you collect contact information.

Keywords are easy to put in your existing advertising. For example, car dealerships often put information about a vehicle in a car’s window for lot walkers, or other customers’ convenience. So, add a text message marketing for car dealerships text message keyword for potential customers to text as they look at vehicle information.

That way, whether you’re there or not, you collect their information. Follow up with customers using this information and make the sale you would otherwise miss out on.

Mass text messaging broadcasts

Mass text message broadcasts are perfect for inventory updates and sales announcements. Send and schedule mass texts in seconds to any segment of your contacts. Segment your contacts with tags and then text the right audience about deals and specials your dealership is offering.

For example, if your dealership offers a deal on SUV’s every year, segment potential customers by type of vehicle they’re interested in. Then, when the SUV deal comes online that year, text the interested customers. This targeted marketing approach works wonders to increase your sales funnel conversion.

Scheduling messages in advance is easy with TextSanity! Send mass messages or just a single message just at the right moment. Ideal for staff reminders or sales updates. Plus, use it to keep potential and returning customers engaged with your dealership.

Text message drip campaigns

These work just like typical marketing drip campaigns, except text message is the method. You put potential customers on a list that allows a preset series of text messages to be sent that are triggered when a campaign is engaged.

Each message has a specific number of days until the next message is sent. Typically a message is sent on day 1 after initial contact, day 3, day 5, and so on. For car dealership text marketing, you can tighten your sales funnel using this method.

When a lot walker initially engages a text message keyword, but doesn’t return to the dealership to purchase a car, put them on a text message drip campaign. This allows you to send specific text messages on a recurring basis about the vehicle they looked at.

This is a great way to keep customers coming back by reminding them what you have to offer. You can even customize messages to potential customers by using the customers name, and the specific vehicle they are looking to purchase.

Text marketing webform sign up’s

One of the more interesting tools that TextSanity offers to car dealers is text marketing webforms. Text marketing for auto dealers is more doable when using webforms to get more opt-in’s.

What you may or may not already know is that just like email marketing, text marketing requires consent. Basically what this means is that customers must give their acknowledgement that you can market to them using text message.

An easy way to do this is with webforms. These are completely customizable and can be placed anywhere online such as your homepage, your social media accounts, and online ads. Once the link is placed, customers sign themselves up to your text marketing lists. It’s that simple!

Text message marketing for car dealerships final considerations

Text marketing for auto dealers is an easy way to convert customers and build your customer leads list. And the great thing is that TextSanity has all the text marketing tools you need to make your efforts worth it.

We offer 24/7 support services, an intuitive crm system, simple how-to videos, and affordable pricing for any budget, your text marketing efforts are sure to succeed. Try TextSanity today!