Black Friday: Direct Mail for Car Dealerships
Fall is in full swing which means we are officially in the most profitable sales quarter of the year. With the holidays fast approaching, it is important to make sure that you are taking advantage of every marketing opportunity possible. Black Friday is arguably the most popular sales opportunity event, and as such, should garner a large chunk of your advertising efforts.
Why Should Car Dealers Advertise During Black Friday?
Black Friday is the unofficial kickoff for the holiday sales season. It is known for being responsible for bringing in the most sales for many industries. Since it marks the beginning of a new season, Black Friday is also a great opportunity for advertising your holiday sales or winter specials. For the automotive industry, Black Friday can advertise that the end of the year means cars will be losing value. So customers will want to come in now to trade in their vehicle, before it gets another year older.
Why Should the Auto Industry Focus on Direct Mail?
While the digital marketing world is ever-expanding, it is important not to discount the benefit of direct mail. Fairly recently, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) reported that the response rate for print mail surpasses that of all digital channels — and by a hefty margin. According to this DMA research, direct mail generates a 3.7% response rate with a home list, and a 1% response rate via prospect list.
Paid search, email, social media, mobile and internet display combined only achieve a 0.62% response rate. Which means: direct mail outperforms all combined digital channels by over 600%.
For more information on direct mail vs. digital advertising, see our previous blog post here.
How Can My Car Dealership Have the Most Effective Black Friday Direct Mail Campaign?
• Start early. The end of the year always seems to fly by. Make sure to have your Black Friday marketing strategy ready now, before it’s too late. You want to have your offer in the mail, and in your customers’ hands, before Black Friday sales begin.
• Stand out. Use unique direct mail pieces. You are going to be up against a lot of other Black Friday competition. You want to make sure that your dealership direct mail piece stands out. One way to do this is by utilizing variable data to have a customized experience. If the customer sees their specific car make and model name on their mail, it will give the impression that this piece was made just for them!
• Have a call to action. What is your goal from this advertisement? Do you want the customer to call and book a service appointment? Do you want them to come in and trade in their vehicle? Whatever it is you are wanting your customer to do, make sure that message is clear.
• Offer an incentive. Why would the customer care about receiving this mailer? Offer them coupons or discounts that will incentivize them to use your services.
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What Kind of Direct Mail Pieces Should Automotive Dealers Use?
This depends on what your goal is. If you have a lot of text – a letter is the way to go. You could even camouflage it as a Christmas card with a handwritten font on the envelope to entice the customer to open it. A postcard has everything front and center. It allows a great way to put your important information out there and offer the customer some great savings without them doing too much work. A plastic postcard will convey value and stand out in the mail. A self-mailer is the best of both worlds because you can attract customers with your main focus while the piece is folded flat, but give them more information once they open up the mailer to see what’s inside. Self-mailers can often be some of the most unique pieces because they come in so many different sizes, fold-options, and die cuts.
Whether you want to encourage existing or potential customers to visit your dealership, take a test drive or receive winter maintenance services, Black Friday mailers can help you achieve the success you’re striving for this holiday season. To set up a Black Friday direct mail campaign for your car dealership, call us today at 1-800-826-2869.
