Many dealerships can't see the value in blogging.
They find it difficult to see how something as simple as a blog can contribute to a sale.
Of course, without the proper strategy, blogs might appear as measly old journal entries that you hope will draw an audience.
But blogs CAN be much more powerful than that...
Car dealers that embrace blogging the right way realize how strategic a role they play; especially when it comes to helping vehicle shoppers learn about them, their brand, and their area of expertise.
Plainly said, blogs can help vehicle shoppers make decisions faster.
How?
You need to speak to the right audience at the right phase of the buyers journey.
It's not enough to just post articles on your site if you don't know what phase of the buying journey they are meant to target.
In the retail auto industry, most of the marketing effort is directed at lower funnel (closer to decision) shoppers. That means dealers are missing a huge opportunity to strategically place content that brings a continuous crop of fresh eyeballs.
Once you know what the purpose of each blog is, you can more effectively assemble the content that helps nurture them through the decision making process.
For that, we thought it would be useful to kickstart your idea and creative content process by providing a list of 24 highly effective car dealer blog post ideas.
1. FAQs post
Answering questions is a very popular way to write blogs because questions are what bring most consumers online. Think about your last Google search. What was it if not an implied question? To figure out what questions you could be answering, visit each department within your store and ask what common questions are that they get asked. You can also use services like Answer The Public or Also Asked to compile a list of search queries that real people are searching for.
2. Community Events post
Many dealerships play an integral part in giving back to the community. Whether it's through sports, sponsorships, or giveaways, highlighting how your dealership gives back makes for great shareworthy content. Avoid sounding boastful or using it as a pedastal to hide a sales pitch. These posts are typically time sensitive but can generate a high amount of local traffic to your site. After the event is over, you can write a follow-up review post of the event. Consider taking photos of others from your community who participated in the event or helped volunteer and include them in your post. This will make the content that much more shareworthy!
3. Response posts
Rather than sitting at your computer staring a blinking writing prompt, why not leverage content that others have already created? Visit sites that post regular content about your niche, and reference what they've said in your very own response. This is an age old practice that was very popular in the newspaper with "letters to the editor."
4. Comparisons post
Like I said earlier, it's important to create content that helps buyers through the purchase journey. Those in the engagement phase of the customer value journey respond well to comparison data. They are considering which product or service would be a better fit in their life. That's the purpose behind comparison posts. What's the difference between car A and car B? You already know that people are online searching for this exact question. Why not answer it through a blog post?
5. Checklist post
Who doesn't love a good checklist, am I right?!? Simply put, people love checklists. Especially if it helps them achieve something desirable. Something as simple as a checklist that guides "Everyday Joe" through a pre-drive vehicle safety check or how to properly position your driver's seat prior to driving would soak up new eyeballs ALL day long.
6. ‘How To’ post
Similar to a Checklist post, How to posts are going to generate a ton of traffic to your blog if they are about topics that people care about. Consumers love learning how to do new things. They want their life to be better through acquiring new skills or practical knowledge. These posts could range from 'how to update my dash system' to 'how to check my credit score/oil/tire pressure/tire tread,' etc.
7. Behind the Scenes post
There is something about a 'behind-the-scenes' look that appeals to the voyeuristic appetite that most human beings share. These posts are a great way to give your audience a transparent look at what happens in the places of your store that nobody else can see. Though not a promotion post, there is a subtle promotional element to giving a natural look at your store, processes and desire to serve that will draw in an audience.
8. Series post
Consider taking part of your store, product or service and breaking it out into bite-sized chunks of information. For example, if you were talking about a vehicle, you could write a series of posts that cover its technical, safety, economy, comfort, competitive features.
9. 'Best of' post
Using Google Trends, you can identify the most viral or popular content on the web (related to your industry) and write a post that compiles all the links together in one place. Remember, it's not about creating new content, it's about making it as accessible and easy to consume as possible.
10. Prediction post
Who doesn't like a good prediction? What are your thoughts about what's happening with your vehicle lineup? Will the concept cars from 5 years ago get produced? This also provides you another form of blog which is the 'follow-up post.' If any of your predictions come to pass, you can follow them up with a call back post and your reaction to how close or how off your prediction is.
11. Speculation post
We see speculation posts all the times when it comes to technology. Everyone loves speculating about the new features in the next Android phone or iPhone. There are automobile enthusiasts who get equally excited about new features in the upcoming vehicle lineup, so why not talk about it?
12. Reaction post
Reaction posts are an excellent way to embed, link, or reference breaking news and then share your reaction to it. Opinions are always highly readable and share worthy.
13. Review post
From parts and service to finance and sales, there is a plethora of products and services that you can give an honest, unbiased review of. The trick to review posts is just that. Talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly and your audience will appreciate your information so much more.
14. Contest or Giveaway post
Whenever there's a contest or giveaway at your store, you should be blogging about it. Share details about how to enter and qualify, and what the rules of the giveaway are. Case in point, people LOVE contests and giveaways.
15. Business networking post
It's time to start branching outside of the four walls of your store and start building relationships and affinity with other local businesses. Similar to community events post, this post is where you highlight other local businesses in your community. For example, you might write a post about the top 5 burger joints in town. Those business owners will likely share the link and just like that, you have traffic coming to your blog.
16. Should Ask (SAQ) post
Similar to a FAQ, the SAQ (or Should Ask Question) is a post that outlines the questions that consumers should be asking with the associated answer. For example, rather than asking "can I get approved for a vehicle loan?" you could help them ask better quesitons, such as, "how can I find my credit score for free?"
17. Enthusiast post
From Corvettes to Tesla's, there are plenty of automobile enthusiasts who are always looking for more content to consume. Whether you are a sports car or rally car dealer, you should consider posting regular content that appeals the enthusiast audience.
19. List post
Some of the most popular ranking content on the web are list posts. In fact, this exact post you're reading right now is one of FlexDealer's top ranking traffic drivers and was originally written in 2016 (updated in 2020). Don't believe me? Consider how you found this post, and why you decided to click through and check it out. I rest my case. :)
20. Mythbuster post
Remember that popular show called Mythbusters? There is a real audience for people who love to see if something is real or fake. Consider what Facebook is doing these days in the form of fact checking. I'm sure you've heard of a few myths about your products and services out there. Use the Mythbuster post to explain why they are true, partly true, or completely false!
21. Picture of the week post
Share a cool picture that you or your staff have taken and write a commentary about it.
22. Content Aggregator post
I've mentioned leverage already existent content, and that's what the content aggregator post is all about. These posts are helpful because you can use content that is already being shared and talked about. It's important to link back to the source of the content though so that you're not getting penalized for plagiarism.
23. Company update post
What's new in your store? What's exciting? Who are the new hires? What processes have you changed to make the buying experience more enjoyable? Share them all!
24. Holiday post
This is not about religion, belief, faith or anything of that nature (though it could be if you wanted it to). Wishing your audience the best at the holidays shows your humanity. They may not get a ton of comments, but they will help people remember that you're not a robot, and that's a bonus in my books.
I might even rename this to the humanity post or a "Good News Post," - something that is especially needed and welcomed this day in age when we are facing global pandemics, catastrophes, and news outlets who spew bad news at us 24/7.
Conclusion
With these 24 car blogs topic ideas at your fingertips, you should never run out of content ideas for your blog.
Remember that creating content for the sake of it is a massive waste of your time.
Focus on your customer in each phase of the buying journey so that you can craft content that nurtures them through it, and ultimately to you.
Have blogging ideas that work well for you? Add them in a comment down below!
