Dealership marketing can encompass advertising, blog content, events and social media communications. Dealerships may underestimate or underutilize the power of video, however, when marketing their inventory and introducing new models.
Video marketing is a powerful strategy for drawing interest online, especially on social media platforms. Dealerships can create unique content or opt for traditional video content that they know performs well. For dealerships who want to explore video marketing concepts, check out these video marketing strategies to draw interest and, hopefully, drive sales too!
Where Do Dealerships Post Videos?
Dealerships don’t need a hefty ad budget to post video content. Videos can be posted online for free, and the easiest way dealerships can do this is via social media channels. According to Statista, the most popular social media sites/platforms include:
- Facebook (more than 2.8 million active users)
- YouTube (more than 2.2 million)
- WhatsApp (2 million)
- Instagram (more than 1.3 million)
- Facebook Messenger (1.3 million)
Facebook, YouTube and Instagram all let users post videos. In fact, YouTube is all video content, and videos can be hours in length.
Although it didn’t crack the top five, TikTok has one million users. This platform is unique in that users can post short videos. They’re usually snappy, and dance videos are very popular.
Video is Creative and Not Just a Standard Commercial
Dealerships might think of the standard car commercial when they think about video content. While, yes, dealerships can create videos that are aimed as an advertisement, the rise of social media has expanded the popularity of the DIY video and the conceptual nature of the medium, too.
Anything kind of goes now. That being said, when dealerships are brainstorming content for video marketing, they need to keep their audience in mind. Content needs to speak to the customer, and it needs to hold their interest.
Businesses that actively engage in video marketing, though, also need to be mindful of tone and language. Understand that there are many different audiences online and active on social media. Businesses need to be mindful about what they put out into cyberspace.
As so many are engaged online, though, videos don’t always have to be sleek and perfect. Sometimes the video fails are hilarious and gets everyone talking. It might be a moment that you don’t expect that somehow pulls in all the viewers.
What are the Most Popular Types of Video Marketing Content?
Some video content could be hit or miss, and businesses might stick to more traditional content. Are there any tips for faring better online with video marketing? According to Wordstream, here are some stats about video marketing that could help dealerships:
- A length of less than two minutes might be preferred
- Engagement increases by more than 20 percent with a combo of a full-page ad and a video
- More than half (54 percent) of those who are email subscribers prefer email that has videos
- Consider ditching the sound, at least on Facebook. Users on the most popular social media platform often watch videos without sound (85 percent of videos are basically muted)
- Don’t neglect Twitter. The site noted that 82 percent of Twitter users watched video on the platform
- Using video for Facebook ads? Consider cutting length to 16-20 seconds; this time had the highest conversion rate
- Make sure to get the dealership’s name in the first three seconds of the video; this is the time when viewers are most likely to keep it in their memory (per Wordstream)
Is YouTube an Underutilized Platform?
Millions of people view video content on YouTube, and there is a nearly bottomless library of content for viewers to watch. Businesses must be incredibly present and active on the site, right? Not really. According to the stats from Wordstream, only nine percent of small businesses use YouTube.
This statistic is perplexing because 90 percent of people have actually found new products and brands on the platform, and 70 percent have bought something they’ve seen via YouTube.
Whether the dealership is big or small, it might be time to launch a channel on YouTube. If the dealership isn’t sure what types of videos to post consider:
- Virtual test drives
- A dealership tour
- Interviews with sales team members
- Special event announcements
- A vehicle walk around
Dealerships also can think beyond standard video content. They can post a video of the entire team doing a dance challenge (great for TikTok) or even present a how-to video. This could be something simple like having an expert from the team explain how to change a tire or how to check oil.
Dealerships also could launch a video that details their history and founding. This could be a great video for an anniversary celebration.
Video Marketing Content beyond Social Media
Video marketing content is just for social media platforms. Dealerships can post videos to their website or create video content specifically for advertising purposes.
A welcome video could serve as a great introduction for the home page of the dealership’s website. This type of video could include a quick greeting from the owner and perhaps an introduction of the sales team. Dealerships can and should create a video that best showcases their brand and their culture.
As the stats from Wordstream showed, email marketing also can include video content. In fact, subscribers seemed to prefer video in emails. Create a video for special sales, promotions or even to introduce a new model that has rolled onto the dealership lot.
Can Dealerships Use Stock Videos?
Some dealerships might not have much time to create a plethora of video content. Dealerships also could opt to interweave stock video content to add interest to their social media accounts and increase engagement. EVOX Images offers editorial video, exterior video spin sets, fly-around video, video clip sets and showroom video.
Editorial Video
This type of video shows the interior and exterior of the vehicle. Use these videos to create a virtual tour of a specific model for viewers.
Exterior Video Spin Sets
Spin set videos create an immersive walkaround video experience for viewers. Use this video to simulate the way a customer would walk around a vehicle to explore it. This type of video can be an ideal resource for a dealership’s website to better assist online buyers.
Fly-Around Video
Fly-around videos showcase the vehicle all around and from different heights. This is another immersive experience for buyers who may be shopping online. However, it’s also an interesting video option to incorporate into Instagram or Facebook posts.
Video Clip Sets
Instead of encouraging site visitors to scroll through a photo slideshow, give them a video slideshow with video clip sets. This video shows all different aspects of a vehicle—like a slideshow.
Showroom Video
The showroom video showcases the interior and exterior of the vehicle. They focus on more in-depth details about the vehicle to help customers better understand each model. While they could be used via social media, they would probably be most effective on the dealership website.
Stock videos from EVOX Images can help complement unique videos posted and created by the dealership. Not all dealerships can post and create dozens of unique videos each month, but resources from EVOX Images can help ensure that dealerships continue to provide followers and potential customers with immersive and exciting content about inventory and new models.