Dealers have used video effectively for decades. Commercials from local dealerships were mainstays of local television stations well into the twenty-first century. With the advent of streaming media, however, online car dealerships have struggled to turn an unprecedented audience of potential buyers into customers.
Today’s car buyers overwhelmingly start the shopping process – not as the result of television commercials—but on the internet. And this doesn’t necessarily mean a dealership’s own website. The vast majority—some 80 percent—begin their journey on third-party listing sites. In fact, only 46 percent of car shoppers visit dealer websites and only 27 percent visit manufacturer webpages. Typically, none of these are particularly rich in automotive videos. This is a missed opportunity. Dealerships can take advantage of this hole in the market by using the best car video assets to turn interest into sales.
CAR DEALERSHIP VIDEOS CAN GUIDE THE BUYING JOURNEY
Video is often considered the royalty of internet content. Out of a population of 327 million people in the United States, 235 million watched a digital video in 2019 and nearly 240 million are projected to watch online in 2020. In comparison, the 2020 Super Bowl—the single most-watched event in traditional broadcasting—scored under a hundred million viewers.
Online streaming content has the potential to reach an enormous audience regardless of time or season, and it can do so while costing much less than traditional media. However, dealerships have yet to be able to fully capitalize on this vast pool of potential buyers. More specifically, while dealership video advertising raises consumer interest, most dealerships do not provide a clear path from consideration to a purchase. The best car video assets for dealers create that path.
WHY VIDEO?
The value of video in automotive marketing is multifold. First, video is inherently captivating. Moving images can instantly create interest and capture attention in a way that still images typically don’t. But there are also specific practical advantages of car videos that make these assets highly appealing to car buyers. Videos can convey a car’s dimensions, the quality of its interior, the layout of its controls, and its interior space configurations more effectively than static photos. In effect, it can create a viewing experience that brings car shoppers closer to the vehicle before ever stepping into the showroom. Whether posted on a third-party listing site, a dealership’s streaming channel, dealer’s website, or social media, video can foster deeper engagement than a spec sheet or even. By building interest and encouraging a car shopper to pause in a dealer’s online space, this can be a vital step in the buyer’s journey from initial consideration to purchase.
CHOOSING THE CAR VIDEO RIGHT ASSETS
Creating videos with the quality needed to showcase a vehicle—and the dealership—can be a challenge. Despite advancements in consumer-grade video equipment, the internet is saturated with professionally shot and impeccably produced video assets, setting standards higher than ever before. As such, obtaining the best car video assets means turning to an automotive stock library with a dedicated stock video database.
Automotive stock libraries specialize in creating high-quality photos and videos for marketing use. These images feature the high resolutions, optimal lighting, and skilled camerawork that today’s audiences have come to expect. Because they specialize in automotive imagery, they also understand the unique needs of car dealers—and the desires of car buyers. As a result, they know how a car needs to be presented, inside and out.
A comprehensive video database will include:
- Video Clip Sets
- Drive-in videos
- 360° exterior spin videos
- Fly-around videos
- Showroom videos
- Editorial videos
Often, these videos can be used as-is in dealership video marketing. Animated stills and drive-in videos work well in online banner and side panel ads. Fly-around and showroom videos can serve as a tantalizing glimpse of a vehicle in more complex online advertisements or as channel introductions that firmly associate the vehicle with the dealership. However, their real strength comes when assets are edited together and given a voiceover.
EDITORIAL VIDEOS TAKE VIEWERS FURTHER
One of the most powerful video assets for car dealers is the editorial video. These videos are brief tours of a vehicle, highlighting its most notable aspects as explained via a professional voiceover. As standalone assets, they provide everything that a dealership needs for marketing their inventory on virtually any marketing platform, including streaming channels. At the same time, they offer car buyers accessible, informative content that helps them better understand their options. Significantly, they present vehicles with the quality and consistency car buyers need for meaningful comparisons between models. The best automotive stock video libraries will also offer white label and customization services to add or modify footage and include branding details to heighten dealership visibility. In other words, they give the viewer a place to direct their interest: the dealership. Overall, editorial videos act as some of the most effective assets available for automotive marketing and sales today, moving car buyers closer to their purchase.
THE JOURNEY’S END
Today’s digital marketplace offers extraordinary potential to reach customers in ways never before possible. However, realizing that potential requires smart implementation of marketing strategies that capture the imagination and spark enduring interest. The best car video assets help dealers do just this—and provide the viewer with a next step, whether it’s filling out a contact form or scheduling a call with a salesperson. By integrating the best car video assets in a broad spectrum of marketing channels, car dealerships can provide a compelling journey that turns initial interest into quality leads and sales.