Before diving in, a bit of context may be helpful: the framework of this article was originally designed while I was successfully implementing a digital strategy as the Director of Digital Marketing for a 5-rooftop dealer group. I have since moved on to a marketing agency as the National Director of Automotive, and I now train our army of automotive reps on this same sequential process that I developed while working at that dealer group. This approach allows our partner dealerships to achieve the highest level of ROI while growing their digital marketing acumen.
The field of automotive digital marketing is constantly shifting. Unfortunately, without the proper strategy, success may be hard to come by. While we should all strive to be better than we are, I feel that there is, often times, a very important concept missing from the conversation between dealerships and digital marketing agencies. You don't become the best by looking for shortcuts- you become the best by building a solid foundation, properly executing the basics, and building upon early successes.
Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals. - Jim Rohn, American speaker & author
When it comes to digital marketing and advertising, there must be a logical game plan in place, and that plan must see past the end of the month (or quarter). I can tell you from experience that if you can get a meeting with a Dealer Principle or General Manager, your odds of selling a dealership the latest technological wonder goes through the roof. This is true not because they are ill-informed or because they are suckers- it's because they specialize in selling cars and not in crafting sequential, long-term marketing plans. So, with that in mind, I would like to suggest a blueprint for optimizing and growing digital performance within a dealership.
I have formed this blueprint using a pyramid model, meaning it should be tackled from the ground up, each level building upon the one that came before it. Just like a pyramid, Digital Strategy must be built on a solid foundation if there is to be any hope of success. Start with the foundation, and don't move on to more advanced techniques until the levels below it are there for support.

Base Tier of the Pyramid

The Website, & Website Optimization

Start with the website. Digital efforts typically have the goal of driving traffic to your digital storefront, so make sure that it is ready for primetime. I recommend the following:
  • A responsive website design (so that it looks great to users of any screen size).
  • A clean customer interface. Intuitive usability is tantamount.
  • Custom content (don't rely on whatever came with the site when you signed up for it). Make sure to include strong "Why buy" statements that set you apart from the competition. Come up with a consistent content plan that will add useful information to your website that customers will actually be interested in.
  • Compelling call-to-actions. Don’t overdo it! Fewer CTA’s actually lead to more conversions.
  • Hosted chat (please don't attempt to handle this in-house).

Analytics & Attribution

Now is the time to install Google Analytics, Google Webmaster Tools, and Google Tag Manager on your website and then learn how to use them. Take the free courses that Google offers and get your certification. This is the basis of everything that comes next since it is hard to make quality marketing and vendor decisions if you don't know how to properly analyze the data. Please, please, PLEASE don't just rely on reports that you get from your website company. They are a vendor just like the rest, and they need to be held accountable with unbiased, third-party data.
It isn’t just web traffic that needs to be analyzed for a car dealership. Also needed are both phone call and email analytics. Top-tier call tracking services will even quantify how many calls were fresh sales or service opportunities, and whether they converted. With email, use the Google URL Builder to create custom links for email campaigns so that you can track their effectiveness in your newly-created Google Analytics account.

Search Engine Optimization

Investing in SEO is investing in the future of your dealership. It takes time to do right, and helps improve the effectiveness of tactics found higher up the pyramid. Think long-term.

Second Tier of the Pyramid

Paid Search & Display

The website is ready, and your tracking mechanisms are in place - now it’s time to drive some traffic! Do not blindly sign on with whatever “preferred vendor” your manufacturer recommends. You owe it to your dealership to do some research and make your own decision, so schedule a ton of meetings, listen to all the pitches, and then pick the vendor that feels right for you. They may not even be the most qualified on-paper, but sometimes it makes sense to look at other factors (how well you work together, geographical proximity, recommendations from trusted friends in the industry, etc.). Start with simple search campaigns, and once mastered, move on to display (in that order). Also, if you can find a vendor that will work in conjunction with your SEO team, then that will lead to major gains in efficiency. Another tip is that if your dealership does direct mail (who doesn’t!), IP-targeted display advertising can greatly enhance the ROI of those mail campaigns.

Email Marketing

Let's take advantage of that email database! Some words of caution, however- please don't send an email to the entire customer database every time your sales manager is one unit away from hitting his bonus. That's a great way to lose your email database. Focus is the key, and remember that the goal of digital marketing is "right person, right message, right time."
The goal of digital marketing is right person, right message, right time.
Work that internal database, and then branch out into conquest campaigns.

Third Tier of the Pyramid

Video Advertising (AKA Pre-Roll)

Video advertising offers an excellent ROI and is very cost effective- at least it can be. It can also be a tremendous waste of time and energy if attempted too soon or without the proper creative assets. The worst part is that it’s impossible to tell which is which without the proper reporting and skill to analyze the return. Once mastered, however, pre-roll is top-notch in engaging customers and telling your own, unique story.

Social Advertising

Social advertising is still a fairly new arena, and it takes a more mature digital advertiser to make the most of it. The ROI can certainly be there, and by the time this point in the pyramid is reached, you will have a solid social footprint in place to capitalize on it. All the cool kids say this is the up-and-coming opportunity for advertisers, but don't throw away money before your digital foundation has been solidified.

Top of the Pyramid

Everything Else!

Seriously. If I haven't already listed it, save it until this part of your journey. Here's looking at you, Mobile Apps & Geo-Fencing!

In conclusion

There is no shortage of vendors, and some are absolutely amazing. Some, however, want nothing more than to pull the wool over the dealership’s eyes while collecting fat checks. Keep in mind, though- simply signing a contract will not make it successful. Your digital marketing absolutely must be strategically built on a solid foundation, one piece at a time.