When our auto dealership clients first come to Stratosphere Studio for their digital marketing needs, they are sometimes concerned about how online marketing compares to older, more familiar methods, like TV, radio, or print advertising. Even some of the biggest auto dealerships in the country are very careful with their marketing budgets, which is understandable. Of course you want to know that you’re putting your money towards a media outlet that will be successful. So, what should your auto dealership choose? As an agency that specializes in marketing tactics for the automotive industry, we’ve conducted extensive research and found that digital marketing has remarkable advantages over other types of advertising for auto dealerships.
If you are trying to decide between online marketing and television advertising for your car dealership, here are the biggest reasons why we recommend going digital:
· Digital marketing can last longer than television advertising. I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but once you put something online, it’s there practically forever. Therefore, any content that you put online to attract customers will have a long-term presence. A TV spot, however, comes and goes and isn’t readily available for viewing again (unless you post it online, of course!).
· Online marketing offers unlimited potential. The sky really is the limit if you decide to try online marketing. For example, you could focus on a social networking contest or several months of strategic content marketing. You could put your energy into banner ads, Google ads, or even online video ads. You could put money into re-designing your website and optimizing it for search engines and mobile platforms. With TV, the only real variety comes in the length of your spots and the stations you might advertise on.
· Online marketing is more cost-effective than TV. To produce a TV spot, it might cost you at least $1,000 and then you will need to pay a hefty fee to run the ad (usually around $10,000 for one month, depending on the market and type of buy). Online marketing has a much more varied pricing structure, since you have so many options to choose from. You could embark on a full digital marketing campaign and spend several thousand dollars or you could invest in singular strategies, like blogging, search engine optimization, ads on Google, and more for much less money. One of the greatest advantages of online marketing is that it is adaptable to any auto dealership marketing budget. And because it allows for precise tracking and great longevity, it offers much more bang for your buck than TV.
· Digital marketing is mobile. Online marketing blows away its competition because of its availability on multiple platforms. Your content can be seen anywhere, on-the-go, and on every screen size available. With a TV ad, you are relegated to just a television screen. And these days more and more people are finding ways around commercials when they watch TV, using platforms like Netflix, Apple TV, and DVRs. This makes it very easy for TV ads to be overlooked.
Are you looking for help with your auto dealership marketing?
If you’re looking for a digital marketing agency to help you bring more business into your car dealership, then give Stratosphere Studio a call. We specialize in online marketing for dealerships, body shops, and auto repair shops, and have an excellent track record for bringing our clients more business. Our clients span the U.S. and are some of the most successful shops in their respective cities. We would love to help you next!
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