Facebook advertising is one of the most accessible and cost-effective methods available to dealers, yet it continues to be under-utilised by many of the dealers we work with. By partnering with an Ads Manager specialising in dealership marketing, you can unlock the power of Facebook ads and generate leads more cheaply and easily than ever before.
In this article, we’ll explore what Facebook advertising is, why you need it as a dealer, and why you should be working with a dealership marketing specialist from day one.
What Is Facebook Advertising & How Does It Work?
Facebook advertising is a form of pay-per-click (PPC) advertising that appears on users’ Facebook timelines and news feeds.
Just like Google ads, Facebook ads are available in a number of different forms, including static ads, video ads, carousel ads, and some which are unique to Facebook, such as Instant Experience. Ads managers will use different ad types depending on what they are advertising and the campaign’s goals.
What Is Pay-Per-Click?
Pay-per-click, or PPC, is a form of digital advertising where the advertiser (that’s you) pays a business (in this case, Facebook/Meta) every time a user clicks on an ad on their platform. PPC ads allow you to selectively target audiences based on their demographic features (age, gender, location etc.), interests, or by search terms (i.e. keywords).
The cost of a PPC ad is determined by an algorithm that factors in your budget, audience, and competition from other advertisers. If lots of other advertisers are running ads similar to yours, your cost-per-click (CPC) will be higher as your ads face stiffer competition.
Why Do Dealers Need Facebook Advertising?
There are two main reasons you should be running Facebook ads as a dealer. Firstly, Facebook ads effectively form one-half of modern PPC advertising, with Google forming the other half – if you aren’t using Facebook ads, you are missing out on a huge swathe of your target audience.
Secondly, how Facebook ads are structured allows for much tighter targeting of your audience. Whereas Google’s ads are mostly built around targeting keywords, Facebook ads target users based on their interests and demographic information, all of which is contained on their Facebook profile.
This allows you, as a dealer, to hone in on specific audiences to generate more qualified leads. If you’re a Ford dealer, for instance, you can choose to target single males aged 18-39 with ads for the new Ford Ranger, as this demographic is the most likely to buy that model. This audience specificity means that your ads are being targeted towards the people that are most likely to engage with them, increasing your chances of success and giving you the best possible ROI.
What Are The Benefits of Hiring A Facebook Ads Manager Who Specialises In Dealership Marketing?
As we mentioned earlier, many dealers struggle with Facebook advertising because they work with Facebook Ads Managers that do not know the auto industry or understand its challenges.
Most clients that digital agencies and Ads Managers work with are e-commerce businesses for which the platform is well-suited. It is very easy for a clothing or jewellery brand, for instance, to run some ads with product images that link to an online store, but it is not possible to do the same for a dealership. After all, how many people buy their car through a Facebook ad?
In fact, most dealers aren’t looking for online sales – they want customers to come into the dealership, where they can upsell different vehicles, services and packages. A regular agency or Ads Manager won’t understand this, but an auto industry specialist will.
Moreover, a specialist will have worked on campaigns with dozens of dealers just like you and can draw on this experience to optimise their approach for your dealership, your target market, and your goals. Instead of wasting money on campaigns that go nowhere, an automotive specialist will deliver results that make a difference to your dealership.
What Do Dealers Stand To Lose If They Don't Advertise On Facebook?
There are almost 3 billion active monthly users on Facebook, all looking to spend money with local businesses. If you aren’t advertising on Facebook, you can bet that your competitors are, and by failing to do so yourself, you may as well be handing those sales to the competition.
As a dealer, you know what your customers look like – what their lives, interests and needs are – but not everyone that fits that profile knows who you are. With Facebook ads, you can promote your business to your ideal customer right when they need to see it most; without them, you rely on potential customers to find you in a sea of similar businesses.
Don't Get Left Behind - Our Ads Managers Are Auto Industry Specialists
You already know that your time is better spent on building your business – it’s why you went to an agency in the first place — now it’s time to make your money work for you as well. Stop throwing cash away on Facebook ad campaigns that don’t work with agencies that don’t know what they’re doing.
As automotive marketing specialists, we have worked with dealers at all levels of the industry to design Facebook ad campaigns that deliver qualified leads that have a real impact on your bottom line.
If you’re not getting the results you want with Facebook ads, get in touch with one of our team for a no-obligation consultation and find out how we can connect you with motivated customers. For more digital marketing tips and advice, read our industry Insights today.
