Welcome to FlexDealer’s September Office Hours recap! Each month, we host a virtual fireside chat where we discuss important topics that impact both our clients and the automotive industry as a whole. Our goal is for each call to inspire our clients with relevant information that can help make a difference at their dealerships.
This month, our Campaign Manager led us through the recent changes to Facebook Marketplace Automation and provided insight on how dealers can navigate (and benefit from!) these changes.
Top Takeaways From September Office Hours
Let’s cut to the chase: Facebook Marketplace has killed automation, which means your inventory feeds no longer automatically populate. (Don’t worry, if you need a refresher on how this all works, you can find it here). As a result, our dealer partners experienced mixed messaging from Facebook and an abrupt end to their inventory channels, leading to questions about how best to leverage Marketplace for lead generation and sales.
We came prepped with plenty of creative solutions for our dealer partners - here are a few of our top tips and takeaways from September’s Office Hours event!
The New Method of Manual Posting Allows for Inventory Posts That Are Creative and Unique
Yes, automated inventory postings were easy, but they didn’t always deliver quality posts. With manual methods, you can create postings that are personalized to your dealership and speak directly to your audience.
Postings are not simply being broadcast to a massive market of tire kickers that may or may not be interested in your vehicles, but are hitting the screens of browsers with better intent to buy. These new manual inventory posts can be created directly in Facebook Marketplace. Need help? Contact us to create a catalogue!
“This shift in how we post also shifts the intent of the shopper. It’s the end of endless “is it available” questions from people with no intent to buy. Now, leads are coming with serious intent to browse, giving your team a better opportunity to transform those quality leads into big sales.”
Incrementalism Teaches Us That This Isn’t An Overnight Game
The growth of your platform takes time. Marketplace automation did us a disservice by creating instant gratification when it comes to lead generation. But everything from seasonality to changes in inventory affects dealers over the course of the month, and even the year, and we have an opportunity to now work on targeted campaigns that meet your shoppers when and where they are in the buyer’s journey.
Targeted Ads Give Us New Opportunities to Put Your Dealership First
Campaigns need to exist for brand compliance, of course. But it’s not always enough. Ad campaigns allow us to put your brand, your dealership, and your unique selling proposition first and foremost in the minds of potential leads. This helps set you apart from your competition and brings quality shoppers who want to buy from you into your dealership.
Let's build your campaign! We’ll get you ahead of the curve (and ahead of your competition) with targeted campaigns that generate quality leads.
Facebook Messenger Ads Are Blowing Up The Scene
One of our dealer partners commented on the success of a recent Messenger campaign that resulted in more leads than they could have expected. It brought people into the dealership who were ready to engage with the sales process and took down barriers that had previously hindered these efforts. We are seeing success across the board from Messenger campaigns, and are looking forward to implementing this strategy for more of our clients.
“Facebook is about connecting people, and Messenger campaigns allow for authentic interaction between our dealer partners and potential customers. It opens the door for building relationships that have a high likelihood to result in return customers. Messenger is allowing dealers to expand the area they service and provide an experience that leaves a lasting impression on leads.”
We Can Shift Your Budget
Our job is to anticipate changes in your business and adapt your strategies, and budget, accordingly. No, this doesn’t necessarily mean spending more money - just spending differently. Whether you need a new vehicle catalogue, multiple paid ads, mixed media advertising, or new landing pages for your ads, we can talk about the best way to attack your marketing efforts via multiple lead channels, and how we can best spend your budget accordingly.
“When you limit your spend, you limit your results. Get off the linear path to your marketing efforts and attack your pain points from multiple new angles.”
Join Us Next Month for FlexDealer Office Hours
If you missed September’s Office Hours, keep an eye on your inbox - all FlexDealer clients will be sent a video recording of this month’s call. Have a topic or question that you’d like to see addressed during a future call? Don’t hesitate to drop us a line and share your ideas! We want to know about the most relevant topics for your dealership so we can organize an Office Hours experience that best meets the needs of our clients.
If you’d like to attend a future Office Hours call, simply contact us here at FlexDealer to learn more about our creative marketing services and all that we can offer your business.
