The key to success is converting leads into sales for automotive dealerships. And video marketing is one of the most effective ways to do just that. According to a Vidyard study, prospects are 64% more likely to buy after watching a video than those who didn’t watch it. Additionally, viewers are 85% more likely to buy a product after watching a video about it.
So how can you use video marketing to convert leads who’ve already contacted you into booking an appointment and ultimately a sale? Here are some tips.
Use videos in your email campaigns
Superoffice reported that mentioning the word “video” in the email subject line can increase your open rates by 6%. Additionally, your click-through rate will increase more if you include a thumbnail, description, and link in the body. From there, you can drive them to your website, landing page for that particular customer, or YouTube channel.
Create videos that match your customer’s journey
We’ll assume that your lead has arrived at the bottom of your funnel. At this point, you can’t show a generic dealership or OEM footage video. If they’ve contacted you and still need to set up a test drive, you’ll need to share a video that aligns with the right vehicle and where they are in your funnel. For example, you wouldn’t want to show a full-line overview or information on a different product. Some examples would be:
- Detailed product walkthroughs
- Product test drive videos
- Customer testimonials
- User-generated content
You’ll need to spend the time and money developing videos for each stage of your customer’s journey, but the conversions will more than make up for your effort.
Use what you have
Most likely, you’re already coming up with excuses for why you can’t include video. In a world where TikTok videos look like a big-budget Hollywood studio produced them, it’s easy to get caught up in thinking you can’t compete.
You’ll be happy to know that your customers enjoy seeing authentic and candid videos from you. These help to build relationships and show that you’re normal.
You can also re-use videos from your social media and service center walkthroughs. Converting old assets can help soon-to-be customers become more comfortable with the dealership. In addition, you can edit this type of evergreen (long shelf life) into shorter videos and — with a good CTA — motivate the customer to visit.
Time to get filming
Hubspot says that 54% of customers want to watch content from a brand they follow. So, it would be best to start including some videos. It’s proven that videos will provide a better experience for your customer through personalizing your communications.
Customers can predict when a boring template of an email drops into their box. If that’s what you send, they’ll eventually ignore you, and your open rate will plummet. But, if you incorporate videos into your emails, gated landing pages, and through your customer’s journey, you’ll connect to them and convert leads.
A video marketing strategy targeting leads will end up bringing in sales. And that’s what you want.
