Edifice Automotive | Dealer Marketing Blog

7 Brilliant Dealership PPC Strategies You Need To Run

Written by Skip Soucie | November 2, 2019

Paid ads are a staple in any savvy dealership's marketing strategy, but are yours in need of a little inspiration?

If you're looking to increase your sales numbers or just tune-up your PPC strategy, we've got a few tips on how to make sure your dealership's ads are top notch.

Before we get started, we want to say that all of these ideas are based around incorporating some other brilliant aspect into the traditional "model and price" ad style. So, we always recommend featuring the vehicle(s) and the price/savings in the ad, but in addition, we recommend adding some flair with these methods.

With that said, let's dive into 7 amazing dealership PPC campaigns you should be running!

1. Service Specific Ads

The first style of PPC ads we recommend are Service Specific Ads. If you're not running ads on your service department specials, you're missing out on a HUGE part of the market. This PPC style is integral to filling your service lanes and maximizing repeat customers. 

We often recommend diverting a portion of your ad spend to service ads based on your market status and feature the competitive discounts you offer!

Click here to see a client who was able to use strategic PPC strategies to help grow their service revenue 28%!

2. Countdown Ads

Running a special or a sale? Then make sure you're running ads counting down the time until the savings or the special are gone! It's a great way to provide a healthy sense of urgency to your target audience and encourage them to stop in and buy sooner, rather than later.

3. Great Statistics PPC Campaigns

Prospects want to buy from great, reputable dealerships. One way to show this is by incorporating some of your sales statistics from the past month into your ad copy. 

Things like "Honda Sales Up 36% This Past Month! Join in on the savings" or "Needing New Brakes? Our Service customers rate us 4.7/5 on Google!". Things like this can ramp up engagement with your ads and appeal to prospect's concerns.

4. Inventory Catalog Paid Ads

Depending on your ad budget, it might be a great idea to run some ads of your current inventory in addition to your professionally curated ads.

These ads sometimes perform better than others because people can see exactly what cars are available and the sales on them!

When running these, be sure to feature 2-3 images (typically inside and outside) of the vehicle and have two vehicles running per ad set.

5. Holiday Specific Paid Ad Campaigns

Most OEMs and dealerships focus on holiday sales. Therefore, it's a great idea to feature them in holiday specific ad sets. Whatever the holiday, address it with your copy and even in your ad creative.

By featuring these sales separate, you're able to differentiate how they perform from other months and tailor your ad strategy based on the KPIs you receive.

6. FAQ Style PPC

You likely get asked the same few questions by your buyers. A great way to help your prospects get the answers they're likely looking for while giving them a great reason to buy from you is to address their questions in your paid ads.

You can address things like:

  • How long the buying process takes on average
  • Easy directions to find your dealership
  • Information on a specific vehicle or model type

7. Review Based Paid Ad Campaigns

This creative, fresh angle to take on your dealership's PPC ads is based on your reviews, specifically the ones you've already received. You can focus on one or two vehicle types and feature a review from a satisfied customer.

To do this, have your sales team request approval to post a picture of the sale on social media (most typically do already).

Then, take their review and include it in a carousel-style ad to run online. This way prospects see an amazing car, the great savings on it, and a happy satisfied buyer who raves about their amazing experience at your dealership.

In Summary

At Edifice, we've seen exactly how quality PPC often translates to increases in sales and service customers. Leading your market can be done with the help of expertly planned and executed marketing strategies.

Want to learn what the market looks like in your area? We offer in-depth, FREE market studies that identify buyers in key focus areas and how to reach them best. Click the button below to get yours!