Car Dealer Email Marketing | NJ Automotive Direct Mail
As you market your automotive business, you have a number of ways to connect with customers. Two popular choices are direct mail and email. Let’s review them and discuss positive and negative aspects of each choice.
Direct Mail
Direct mail can be a very effective way to market your business, with a few caveats. It is effective because most people receive mail daily, and usually look at it as soon as they receive it. It is looked at by the recipient in the very act of sorting the mail. So, you have a product assured to reach a customer base and be reviewed when it is received. Direct mail may also be an advantage if you are trying to reach older customers more comfortable with direct mail over other forms of communication.
The opposite side of the coin has to do with getting the readers’ attention. You have to quickly get the attention of the reader, or your mailing will end up in the trash. Offering coupons or other offers not available elsewhere is one way to get the attention you desire. Direct mail is also less precise in when it is delivered to the customer, so time-sensitive offers can be less effective. Finally, keep in mind postage and printing costs when determining the best use of your dealership advertising budget.
Email can have advantages over direct mail in some cases. It is easier to create an email marketing campaign and less expensive in most cases. Emails can be sent quickly to meet time deadlines for campaigns or special offers. Though on the surface an email can seem generic, you have the ability to add personalized information such as the recipient’s name, or the make and model vehicle they may already own. You can also create a template that gives your dealership a visual identity immediately recognizable to your customers. Emails can be easily forwarded by a recipient to other potential customers, increasing the reach of your email. Finally, you can use a wide range of analytics to determine how effective your emails are to your customers, by determining how many were opened, links that were activated, and so forth.
The downsides of email include how it is handled by the recipients and their email systems. Your email will be one of many a recipient receives on a given day, and you cannot force them to open it and read it. Some recipients will delete your email without reading it. Finally, email systems can mark your email as spam, deleting it to a spam folder where it may never be seen by the customer. This can be particularly true if sending email to prospective clients who have not listed you as an approved email sender.
In summary
Premium Productions offers full service automotive direct mail services. We can do market research to help you identify your customer base, then help you develop direct mail or email marketing campaigns to help you grow your business. Contact Premium Productions today for an evaluation of your direct and email marketing programs.