The way car dealerships market their business has changed. Inbound is the new outbound, which is why car dealerships (along with most other types of business) are switching their tactics to reflect digital trends and shifts in consumer demands.
In this article, we’re sharing 5 reasons why inbound marketing is crucial for car dealerships in Dubai (and around the world) to achieve their business goals and make those all-important sales. Let’s dive in.
5 reasons inbound is essential for a car dealership in Dubai (and elsewhere!)
Not sure why you should incorporate the inbound methodology into your marketing strategy? Keep reading to find out.
1. 88% of car buyers go online to research and purchase vehicles
Yep, you read that correctly. Nowadays, most people head online to research and buy their favorite products. The 2019 Covid-19 pandemic and the successive lockdowns that followed in 2020 and 2021 saw an uptick in e-commerce shopping around the world. Although this was out of necessity more than anything, it looks like a trend that’s here to stay. Just like people are swapping outings to high street fashion stores for internet browsers, consumers are heading online when researching and buying new vehicles.
In today’s digital age, the wealth of information we have at our fingertips is truly astonishing. Consumers have access to a plethora of businesses within seconds. That’s why having an online presence as a car dealership is so important. Not only does it allow your audience to see where you’re located physically, but it allows them to browse in their own time. This leads to them making their own decisions based on the information available.
In terms of inbound marketing, it’s vital for businesses to establish an online presence that’s up to date and provides consumers with all the relevant information they need to access products and services. But it’s more than that. You need to nurture leads with informative content that guides them towards a purchase decision. Developing a great content strategy will help you to show your audience why they should choose your car dealership over another. What are your values? What makes you stand out from the crowd? By optimizing your website, communication channels, and content calendar you’ll be one step ahead of the competition.
2. Inbound marketing produces qualified leads
Inbound marketing is all about reaching an audience that’s actually interested in what you have to offer. Traditional outbound marketing techniques were all about marketing to the masses. This meant spending the marketing budget on advertisements, billboards, commercials, etc. Sure, these things were likely to be seen by lots of people, but how many of those people were in the market for the product they were, essentially, being forced to see?
A vital component of inbound marketing is the target audience. When you outline buyer personas of who your target audience is and what they’re looking for, you can better target your marketing strategies and efforts towards them. Create content with your target audience in mind. This can be articles, videos, social media posts, and other types of content that’ll guide consumers organically to your website.
Obviously, not everyone in your target audience will be in the market to become a paying customer. Some will simply be seeking general information about the products and services that you offer. Which is fine! Even so, inbound marketing generates 54% more leads than traditional marketing. Plus, you won’t have to spend the majority of your marketing budget on expensive advertisements!
3. Inbound marketing builds brand authority and reputation
Inbound marketing provides your car dealership with a chance to build your brand authority and reputation in a competitive market. Rather than telling your audience why they should choose you with outbound advertisements, inbound is all about showing them why they need to choose you.
By publishing high-quality blog posts and other types of content full of relevant information, your audience will come to see you as a kind of authority figure in the automotive industry. The level of quality your content shows will be reflected in the quality of your brand. Moreover, when members of your audience read something they like or find particularly interesting, they’re more likely to share it on their social media profiles. This boosts your online visibility and helps to generate new leads.
4. It builds stronger customer relationships
This one carries on from the last point. By providing your audience with quality content you’re nurturing customer relationships.
Nowadays, consumers don’t like to be treated as numbers who are discarded once they hand over their cash. Instead, they need to feel valued by the brands on which they spend their hard-earned dollars. Therefore, nurturing your audience with great content and relevant marketing emails even after they’ve made a purchase is essential. When customers receive communication post-purchase, they’re more likely to feel satisfied and to leave great reviews that’ll help generate brand awareness and authority.
5. It’s self-sustaining
Along with being a cheaper method of marketing than outbound, inbound leaves a much longer-lasting impact. The great thing about inbound is that it keeps generating leads long after the campaign is over.
Inbound focuses on creating content filled with SEO keywords that keeps attracting visitors to your website long after it is initially published. Content can live on your website for however long you feel it still provides value to your audience. As readers share your content with their followers and friends, your brand will continue to grow. It’s like a snowball effect!
Inbound Marketing Case Study on The Elite Cars (they have blog and social)
This is one car dealership in Dubai that’s definitely got the inbound methodology down to a tee. Elite Cars is one of Dubai’s leading car dealerships specializing in new and used luxury vehicles. So let’s take a look at how they’ve used inbound marketing to stand out from the competition.
2. They’ve built a website that’s aesthetically appealing and offers a fantastic user experience.
The first thing you’ll notice when you head to The Elite Cars website is that it looks pretty flashy, almost as flashy as the luxury vehicles they’re selling! The home page features great images of popular luxury car models, great copy describing their services and key value propositions, and customer reviews that instantly tell visitors they can be trusted.
They tell their audience exactly why they should choose The Elite Cars.
Who can say no to that?
Moreover, the website is fast, responsive, and extremely easy to navigate. The search function allows visitors to find exactly what they’re looking for in seconds without having to dig around the site.
2. They publish a great blog
As we mentioned before, having a content marketing strategy is a crucial component of inbound marketing.
The Elite Cars regularly publish and update their blog, which is called the “news room”. Their articles cover a range of topics, including industry-related news and trends and in-depth looks at models arriving at the dealership.
Doing this allows their audience to see that they’re an authority in the automotive industry and they really do know their stuff. This is about establishing trust with an audience and providing up-to-date valuable information to keep customers informed.
3. Their social media presence RULES
We all know how important social media is in today’s age of instant gratification and instant communication. So does The Elite Cars. They’ve established social media presences on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, LinkedIn, and even WhatsApp.
Their social media pages have garnered quite a following, and they definitely know how to capture the attention of mindless scrollers. Professional images, engaging videos, and informative captions are just some of the things The Elite Cars use to encourage their audience to interact with their brand to boost visibility and awareness.
Social media is also an important way for customers to contact a business with customer service requests. Elite Cars have made it easy for customers to reach out and get a quick response by being extremely active on social media. Moreover, this encourages customers to leave good reviews which in turn leads to more business!
Ready to take your Dubai car dealership to the next level with inbound marketing?
Now you’ve seen what inbound marketing is doing for another business, are you ready to try it on for size with yours?
When implemented well, an inbound marketing strategy can make a huge difference to your business and its success. Not only does inbound generate more leads, it’ll also help you to build your brand’s authority and create long-lasting relationships with customers. Inbound is all about attracting the right people at the right time, so you’ll need to do everything with your target audience in mind.
Not sure where to start? We can help. Book a free consultation today and we’ll show you the wonderful world of inbound marketing!
