More than 342 million Americans have an active social media account and spend an average of around two and a half hours a day browsing on social platforms. As pervasive as social media has become in our day-to-day lives, car dealerships must realize how integral it is to utilize social media platforms. There are several social media platforms, each with its own set of benefits.
The platforms your dealership uses ultimately come down to who your target audience is. Before selecting the social media platforms your dealership will use, it is essential to research your target audience by considering which platform your target audience engages on. Here are a few tips to help get you started:
- 56.5% of Facebook users worldwide are men with 20% of Facebook’s worldwide users being men aged 24 to 34.
- Women between the ages of 25-34 are the most active group on Facebook.
- There are over 1.5 billion users on Instagram.
- The most active group on Instagram is between the ages of 25-34, however, Gen Z’s also love using Instagram. Instagram’s male audience is 51.8%.
- The audience for X, formerly known as Twitter, is 70.4% male.
- 247 million Americans use YouTube. While 54% of YouTube users are men and 46% are women, the biggest target audience for YouTube is children eleven years old and younger, but they don’t buy a lot of cars!
- 185 million Americans use LinkedIn.
- TikTok’s key target audience is approximately 37 million Gen-Z’s. 61% of TikTok users are female and 39% are men.
With these statistics in mind, learn more about which is the best social media platform for your car dealership.
Facebook is one of the oldest social media platforms that remains a popular choice among auto dealerships with the knowledge that around 66% of Facebook users visit local business pages like a car dealership once a week. Probably one of the biggest appeals to Facebook for dealerships is Marketplace. On Facebook Marketplace, your dealership can sell and buy cars. Being one of the first places car shoppers will go to, Marketplace is an excellent way for your dealership to list your entire inventory on Facebook, reaching local, national, and even international leads, within seconds.
On Facebook, your dealership can also create events that users will see and plan to attend at your store. Your dealership can also benefit from Facebook ads as well as post boosting. This type of advertising allows your dealership to generate leads, reach new audiences, and increase your brand’s visibility.
If your dealership opts to use Facebook, then you may also want to consider having a presence on Instagram. The fourth largest social media platform, Instagram is owned by Facebook (aka Meta). Stories can be shared on both Instagram and Facebook and image posts can be cross-posted to Instagram from Facebook. Instagram is great for dealerships as this platform thrives off of visual content. When you need a simple way to engage your target audience with sharp images and videos of your vehicles, dealership, and promotions, Instagram is the ideal social media channel for your social media strategy.
YouTube
The powers of YouTube help enhance the shopping experience for both dealerships and consumers. Watching a video is said to encourage viewers to visit a dealership in person, with 60 percent of car buyers reportedly visiting a car dealership after viewing a clip of a vehicle they were considering and more than 75 percent of automotive shoppers revealing that watching a video has helped influence their shopping habits or purchases.
X (aka Twitter)
X has been responsible for billions of dollars’ worth of automotive sales and continues to influence the industry today. In fact, to date, X has seen the highest number of car sales for a social media network. If used cleverly, you can use X to advertise special offers, promote events, as well as show off vehicles you have for sale. And remember, X is not only about posts but about the network it allows you to build. You can connect with industry influencers, and build relationships with fellow businesses and professionals, which can particularly work in your favor when boosting your dealership at a local level.
TikTok
If you want the Millenial and Gen-Z dollar, then you need to show your presence on the social media platforms they are using. Over the last couple of years, more and more of your clientele in the Millenial and Gen-Z bracket have been using TikTok. It’s not just them. Other generations are finding how fun TikTok is. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to reach your customers with engaging video content.
While LinkedIn may have developed a reputation for simply recruitment, this platform is worth keeping an eye on. LinkedIn allows your dealership to posture itself as an industry leader by posting blogs, updates, promotions, and of course, job opportunities. These posts are an excellent way to grow your dealership’s brand and your business’s reputation.
Get Social Media Savvy with Video for Sales
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you must be actively present on all social media platforms. Instead, remember who your target audience is to create a strong social media strategy. Your social media strategy must be steering in the right direction with engaging and professional-looking content no matter which platform you use. Videos certainly cannot be an exception. Without compromising on quality, streamline your creative process using the Video for Sales app to create eye-catching and informative videos that will drive sales across your social media channels. Schedule your free demo today.