Automotive dealers should use every tool at their disposal to sell more vehicles, including online platforms such as Facebook Marketplace. Introduced in 2016, Facebook Marketplace is an online platform where consumers can discover, buy, and sell items. Consumers can search for specific items and filter the results by location, price, or category. By using Facebook Marketplace, used car dealers can connect with people in the community who are interested in purchasing a vehicle.
Facebook Marketplace is one of the largest online platforms out there. In fact, it was recently revealed that over one billion people use Facebook Marketplace to shop for or sell items. If you want to sell more used vehicles, it’s imperative to take advantage of this online platform.
But one of the challenges that used car dealers face when selling on online platforms is listing their inventory and keeping it updated. How can your used car dealer overcome this challenge? What can you do to maximize your Facebook marketplace sales? Here’s what you need to know:
WHY SHOULD USED CAR DEALERS USE FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE?
There are a number of benefits to using Facebook Marketplace to sell used cars, including:
- Car Consumers Love It
- Not A “Pay to Play” Service
- Communicate Directly With Consumers
- Kelley Blue Book & CarFax Integration
- Easy to Use
CAR CONSUMERS LOVE IT
If you want to sell more used vehicles, it’s important to connect with consumers wherever they are car shopping. Right now, many consumers are car shopping on Facebook Marketplace.
Consumers love car shopping on Facebook Marketplace because it’s easy to use. It also gives consumers more control over how they communicate with dealers and what information they share with them, which makes it safer than other online platforms such as Craigslist.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed in a quarterly update that Facebook Marketplace is one of the most popular places to shop for a car online. In fact, 57% of auto consumers use Facebook to engage in automotive-related activities. If you aren’t listing your used vehicles on Facebook Marketplace, you could be missing out on the opportunity to connect with these consumers.
NOT A “PAY TO PLAY” SERVICE
Most used car dealers don’t have large marketing budgets, so they can’t afford to pay thousands of dollars to advertise their listings online. However, Facebook Marketplace is a completely free tool so you won’t need to spend a dime to list your inventory on this online platform. This allows you to get your listings in front of hundreds or thousands of consumers in your community for free.
COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH CONSUMERS
Automotive consumers who are looking at used vehicle listings online may have a number of questions about the car’s availability, condition, price, and financing options. Third party listing sites often require consumers to submit their questions to the dealer via an online form. Then, the consumer must wait for hours or even days to hear back from the dealer. This isn’t an efficient way to communicate with potential customers.
Fortunately, Facebook Marketplace allows you to communicate directly with consumers who want more information about one of your listings. If a consumer has a question, they can reach out to you via Facebook Messenger. You will immediately receive a message notification so you can respond to the potential customer as soon as possible. This is a much more efficient way of communicating with potential customers, and one of the many benefits of using Facebook Marketplace to sell used vehicles.
KELLEY BLUE BOOK & CARFAX INTEGRATION
Facebook has partnered with Kelley Blue Book and CarFax to enhance the buying and selling experience on Facebook Marketplace.
Facebook automatically includes data from Kelley Blue Book on every automotive listing on Facebook Marketplace. This benefits both buyers and sellers. Automotive consumers can use this information to determine if the dealer’s price is reasonable. As a seller, you can use this information to make sure your price is fair, which will make it easier to quickly sell the vehicle.
Facebook’s partnership with CarFax allows certain dealers to include free CarFax reports for every vehicle listed on Facebook Marketplace. This allows consumers to access important information on the vehicle’s accident history, open recalls, and previous damage directly through Facebook Marketplace.
EASY TO USE
Some online automotive sales platforms are not easy to use, but that’s not the case with Facebook Marketplace. You don’t need to hire a tech-savvy social media expert to start selling used cars on Facebook Marketplace.
Just like Facebook, Facebook Marketplace is a user-friendly tool that is easy to navigate. Even if you aren’t tech-savvy, it’s not hard to figure out how to start listing your used cars on Facebook Marketplace.
HOW TO LIST YOUR USED CAR INVENTORY ON FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE
By now, you should understand the benefits of selling your vehicles on Facebook Marketplace. The next step is learning how to start listing your used car inventory on this online platform. Here’s what to do:
- Create A Facebook Business Page
- Add A Listing
- Submit to the Marketplace
CREATE A FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGE
The first thing you need to do is create a Facebook page for your auto dealership if you don’t already have one. Add as much information about your business as possible when creating your Facebook page. Include photos, contact information, and your hours of operation. Consumers who see your Facebook Marketplace listings may visit your business page to learn more about your dealership, so it’s important to make it look professional.
Make sure you are listed as a page admin on your dealership’s Facebook page. You can check your status by visiting your business page and clicking on “Page Settings” and then “Page Roles.” If you aren’t a page admin, you won’t be able to create Marketplace listings for your dealership.
ADD A LISTING
Once your business page has been set up, visit the Facebook Marketplace to create listings for your used vehicle inventory. Then, click on “Create New Listing” and select “Vehicle for Sale.” Next, Facebook will ask you to select which page you would like this listing to be associated with. If you manage more than one business page, make sure you choose the correct page for your auto dealership.
You can also create a listing directly from your business page. To do this, click on the “Manage Inventory” tab and select “Create New Listing.”
Now, it’s time to add information about the vehicle you are selling. You can either manually enter this information or enter the vehicle’s VIN to automatically populate certain fields, including the make, model, and year. Provide as many details as possible for each vehicle so consumers have all of the information they need to decide whether or not they like the vehicle.
Finally, upload photos of the vehicle you are selling. You should include high quality photos of both the interior and exterior of the vehicle. Keep in mind that the more high quality car stock photos your listing has, the more likely the vehicle is to sell.
SUBMIT TO THE MARKETPLACE
Carefully review the details of your listing before it goes live on Facebook Marketplace. Double check the information in the description to ensure it matches the vehicle shown in the photos. If you spot any errors, correct them now to avoid confusing consumers.
If you’re ready to post the listing, select “Next.” Then, choose “Marketplace” to list your used vehicle for sale to Facebook users. You may also be given the option of posting your listing in other Facebook groups. If you are given this option, select which Facebook groups, if any, you want your listing to appear in. Finalize your selections to officially publish your listing.
TIPS FOR SELLING USED CARS ON FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE
Although it’s true that many consumers shop for used cars on Facebook Marketplace, there’s no guarantee that every vehicle you list on this online platform will sell. However, there are a number of steps you can take to ensure your used cars sell as quickly as possible. Follow these tips:
- Optimize the Listing
- Use High Quality Photos
- Respond to Consumers Quickly
- Consider Creating Facebook Marketplace Ads
- Transcribe Conversations Into Your CRM Software
OPTIMIZE THE LISTING
Include keywords in the title and description of each used car listing to ensure your listing appears in relevant search results within Facebook Marketplace.
At the bare minimum, you should use the make and model of the vehicle as keywords. But if the vehicle has certain special features you want to highlight such as leather seats or a navigation system, incorporate these keywords into your vehicle listing description as well.
USE HIGH QUALITY PHOTOS
Consumers want to be able to clearly see the vehicle described in your listing, which is why it’s so important to use high quality photos.
It’s best to show pictures of the vehicle from every angle so consumers feel as if they are actually walking around the exterior of the car. Don’t forget to include high resolution, detailed images of the vehicle’s interior as well. You should also take photos of any special features that may appeal to consumers.
Remember, there are a lot of auto dealers using Facebook Marketplace to sell their used cars. Using high quality photos is one way to stand out from these competitors.
RESPOND TO CONSUMERS QUICKLY
Don’t leave potential customers waiting for hours or days for a response to their questions. If someone contacts you about a listing via Facebook Messenger, it’s crucial that you respond right away. Turn on your notifications so you receive alerts whenever someone messages you about a used vehicle listing. If you fail to respond quickly, the potential customer may lose interest or contact a more responsive competitor.
CONSIDER CREATING FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE ADS
It’s free to list your vehicles on Facebook Marketplace, but if you are willing to spend money to market your listings, you may want to consider creating paid Facebook Marketplace ads. These ads work just like standard Facebook ads, but they appear in Facebook Marketplace in addition to Facebook and Instagram. This will expand your reach so your listing appears in front of as many potential customers as possible.
To create a Facebook Marketplace ad, use Ads Manager just like you would to create a standard Facebook ad. Select “Automatic Placement” once you’re ready to launch your ad. If your ad is compatible with Marketplace, Facebook will automatically show it to targeted shoppers using this online platform.
TRANSCRIBE CONVERSATIONS INTO YOUR CRM SOFTWARE
Many used car dealers rely on customer relationship management (CRM) software to generate leads and increase sales. But unfortunately, no CRM tools integrate with Facebook Messenger, which means the conversations you have with potential customers on Messenger will not automatically transfer over to your CRM software.
Because of this, it’s important to transcribe the details of your conversations on Messenger into your CRM software. This may be time-consuming, but it keeps all of your communications organized in one location, which makes it easier for your sales team to follow up on leads and sell more used vehicles.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR USED CAR INVENTORY UPDATED ON FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE
If you want to see results, you need to list all of your used cars on Facebook Marketplace. But managing your used car inventory on Facebook Marketplace can be challenging. This is primarily due to the fact that you need photographs for each used vehicle listing. Taking high quality photos of every vehicle on your lot is time-consuming. Furthermore, many auto dealers don’t have the equipment they need to produce high quality images.
Don’t waste your limited resources on taking pictures of every used vehicle on your lot. Instead, it’s best to use high quality, professional car stock images for your Facebook Marketplace listings.
The EVOX Images car stock photo library is the gold standard for automotive imagery. You can access a wide range of car stock photos inside this library, including high quality stills and 360 degree images for over 12,000 vehicles. Every time a new used car arrives on your lot, search for the images you need in this car stock photo library so you can quickly upload a listing to Facebook Marketplace.
Relying on stock photos eliminates the need to take photographs of your used car inventory, which makes creating and managing your Facebook Marketplace listings far easier.