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You’ll likely be looking at new and innovative ways to drive footfall into your dealership and want to know how best to engage with the right customers when they’re looking for a new vehicle. And lastly, there’s the importance of getting in front of those customers when you know they’re close to your dealership.
We take a closer look at geolocation technology. By bringing both geotargeting and geo fencing into your digital advertising strategy you can cater to all of these requirements. Crucially, you’ll also be able to get in front of the competition on a local level.
Your approach to geotargeting
Geotargeting gives you the opportunity to target audiences, through display advertising, that you know occupy a certain geographic area based on criteria including address, zip code or in line with a specific landmark. You can put a radius around each.
Your spend only goes towards targeting people in that area. Think of it as adding location into your demographic targeting.
Here’s what you should be thinking about for the context of your ads:
Consider how the location will affect your customer’s behaviour
Once you know this, you can provide compelling or individualised offers in your digital display ads. For example, for those customers that are based close to your dealership, serve them with ads promising same day pick-up for new vehicles or offers that are specific to that day. For someone living a little further away, they’re more likely to respond to offers that run for a few weeks as it gives them more time to plan to come in and see you.
Understand what else is relevant to your users in that location at that time
What is the weather doing? Is it about to start snowing? Is summer finally on the way? If you know that certain factors such as the weather may force customers to consider a new car, whether a hard-wearing SUV or a drop top sports car, then use this information to tailor your ads to ensure that they’re as relevant as possible. Combining geotargeting with dynamic ads can be a very powerful thing.
Your approach to geo fencing
This is all about engaging with potential customers on the go. It can be extremely useful when you consider the capability to target them through their mobile devices. But first some stats:
Geo fencing enables you to take advantage of this. Think of it as retargeting in a physical space. You get to define your own location by drawing a digital “fence” around it. Once users pass through your fence in real-time you can place a digital marker on them and re-market to them, reaching them on whatever device they’re using.
Here’s how you can use it to your advantage:
1. Catching customers close to your business
By drawing a fence around your business, you have the opportunity to engage with potential customers when they are near your location, by providing them with a tailored and relevant offer. Get it right and they’ll soon be in your showroom.
2.Catching customers heading to your competitors
Just because someone is in close proximity to your car dealership, doesn’t mean that they’re necessarily in market to buy a new car. However, if they’ve already visited one of your competitors, you’ll have a good idea about their intent. By drawing a fence around your competitor you can engage with potential customers in the exact moment that they’re considering a new car purchase. Serve them with a better deal in your ad and you’ll likely get their business.
3.Letting customers know you have what they need
You know the most important thing is the customer experience. It starts as soon as they set foot in the door. If you can provide them with that high quality experience and cater to their needs, the more chance you have of making that all-important sale.
But this customer experience begins before they get to you. It’s no surprise that 82% of businesses see quality information as the most important component of a customer’s experience.
You just simply have to let them know you have what they need before they arrive in your dealership. Consider serving customers of the local car mechanics with ads on the great deals you have on new car finance? They could spend exactly what they’re spending now and drive off in a new car.
Key considerations
Use the technology to better understand your customers – The information that you receive from geolocation technology can help you to determine where a customer is looking, which in turn enables you to better tailor your promotions, events and services to those consumer interests moving forward.
Get your strategy right – As is the case with any type of targeting, too many ads that aren’t relevant to the needs of the users can become frustrating for those users. It’s essential to develop the right strategy that drives customers into your dealerships, rather than away.
Implement the technology in the best way – Geotargeting is quick and simple to implement, while there is much more involved to correctly use geofencing to your advantage. If you do get it right however, the potential payoff for your business can be great. To ensure you do get it right, it’s essential to work with an ad-tech provider that provides access to the technology and ensures each element of your campaign is set up correctly.
Please get in touch to see how Fluid Ads enables you to enhance your local advertising strategies.