Car Dealer Marketing Mistakes: What You Shouldn't Make [Updated 2022]

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Marketing mistakes in car dealerships
Marketing mistakes in car dealerships can jeopardize the brand's reputation and drive away potential customers. Today, extra care must be taken with customer service, promotions and sweepstakes. After all, any dissatisfaction can become widespread on social media and become a major headache for entrepreneurs.

Even if you, as the owner or manager of a car dealership , are currently rcs data vietnam to hire a dedicated Marketing team, there are basic guidelines that will ensure a positive experience for potential customers.

Below, we will show you the most common marketing mistakes in car dealerships and how to avoid them. Remember that these practices involve both offline and online environments. Enjoy your reading!

Not knowing your target audience
When you don't define and know your target audience , it's hard to understand which cars to offer and which payment methods are most attractive. So, before you even create a new promotion, understand who you want to talk to .

How old are your customers? What is their gender? What type of car do they prefer ? What stage of life are they in? What do they do in their free time?

By identifying these characteristics, creating a special action or even writing a pamphlet to publicize a certain promotion becomes much easier and simpler.

You can also take advantage of this time of reassessment to identify and understand who your main competitors are. This way, you can identify opportunities or even threats to your business and make better decisions.

Omitting information and payment terms is another very common marketing mistake in vehicle dealerships.
According to the Consumer Protection Code , misleading advertising is considered to be “any form of information or communication of an advertising nature, entirely or partially false, or, in any other way, even by omission, capable of misleading the consumer regarding the nature, characteristics, quality, quantity, properties, origin, price and any other data about products and services”.

This is a serious marketing mistake and can result in financial losses for your car dealership. Therefore, be very careful when writing your car advertisement on your website and on portals specializing in used cars. If you mention interest exemption on the first installments of a loan, for example, make it clear what the maximum amount of these installments is and how many installments the buyer can pay off the car in.

Another issue is regarding the omission of information . Has the vehicle been in an accident or was it purchased at auction? Make all of these situations clear in the advertisement and also in the conversation you have with the customer in person. Passing on this information increases transparency and trust in your resale of pre-owned and used cars.

Use any controversy to sell more
A celebrity betrayal, a trending meme or a song that went viral are examples of situations that are frequently used in advertising campaigns. The goal? To use the controversy to generate buzz in the media and, of course, attract customers and followers on social media.

However, this path is not always ideal. Over the years, several companies – including some of the most renowned in the country – have been involved in controversies that ended up not being worth it .

One example, recalled by Estadão , was the campaign by the City of São Paulo that promoted the capital's Carnival using the meme “It's over, Jéssica” in which two girls fight and one of them “comes back on top” after being attacked.

However, what was supposed to be a humorous post became the target of criticism. Many internet users claimed that the campaign softened issues such as violence and harassment. As a result, the City Hall had to publish an apology.

Another issue involves copyright . Using excerpts from songs or the image of a person who has become famous on the internet can result in lawsuits for damages.

Not preparing your team in advance for promotions
As a consumer, you've probably been disappointed by watching a promotion on TV or the internet, only to find that the salesperson didn't know how to explain what it was about when you got to the store . So, avoid this same situation happening in your car dealership.

The Sales team needs to be 100% aware of everything that happens in your store: promotions, drop in sales, increase in the number of customers and even the hiring of a management platform .