EP 7:31 Dealers Are Shocked by How Much Money They're Wasting & Being Taken Advantage Of By Their Marketing Partners

Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast

In the newest installment of the Millionaire Car Salesman podcast, your host Sean V. Bradley, CSP, sits down with Greg Gifford, Chief Operating Officer of SearchLab Digital, and Shaun Raines, Founder of Dealer SuperHero. These two seasoned experts hold a wealth of knowledge in the automotive industry, particularly in the realm of Digital Marketing! They discuss the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing, specifically with Google AdWords and pay-per-click (PPC) marketing.

Listen in as the Automotive Experts emphasize the importance of having a proper online marketing strategy and the need to avoid overspending on PPC without considering organic search engine optimization (SEO). Greg and Shaun also highlight the value of analyzing marketing spend and lead generation to ensure cost-effectiveness. The conversation then rockets into the discussion of the upcoming Ignition Automotive Conference, which aims to provide valuable education and insights to dealerships in a valuable, yet compact and affordable format!

Key Takeaways:

• Dealers should diversify their marketing spend and consider both PPC and SEO strategies based on their unique dealership and market.

• The value of marketing spend should be regularly analyzed to ensure cost-effectiveness and lead generation.

• Third-party providers, such as online classifieds, can provide immediate gratification in lead generation, but a holistic marketing strategy should include organic SEO and other channels.

• The Ignition Conference offers a one-day, affordable event focused on dealership education and value, featuring top industry experts and advanced marketing tips.

The Future of Automotive Marketing: Insights from Industry Experts

Welcome to the Millionaire Car Salesman podcast, the number one resource for automotive sales professionals, managers, and owners. In this episode, we have two subject matter experts in the automotive industry, Greg Gifford and Sean Reigns, who will be sharing their insights on the changing landscape of digital marketing in the automotive industry.

The Changing Landscape of Google AdWords and Pay-Per-Click Marketing

Sean Reigns, an expert in digital marketing, begins by discussing the changes in the landscape of Google AdWords and pay per click (PPC) marketing. He highlights the impact of inventory shortages and the need for dealers to adapt their strategies accordingly. With many dealers reducing their budgets due to the lack of new cars, Sean emphasizes the importance of running intelligent campaigns that focus on used vehicle acquisition, trade-ins, and fixed options such as service and parts. He advises dealers to diversify their paid search campaigns and consider the value they are getting from their vendors.

Greg Gifford, an expert in search engine optimization (SEO), adds that the proper strategy for dealers should be based on their unique situation. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, as each dealership and market is different. Some dealerships may have co-op money to spend, while others may not. Greg emphasizes the need to find a vendor that can customize their approach based on the dealership's goals and budget. He also highlights the importance of considering the entire customer journey, from pre-funnel visibility to bottom-of-the-funnel conversions.

The Cost of Digital Marketing and Lead Generation

Sean Bradley, the host of the podcast, raises a critical issue in the automotive industry – the cost of digital marketing and lead generation. He shares his experience conducting marketing audits for dealers and reveals that the average cost per lead is shockingly high, ranging from $190 to $300 per lead. He emphasizes the need for dealers to analyze their digital spend and identify the value they are getting from each channel. Sean suggests that dealers should consider a holistic strategy that combines third-party providers with organic and paid search efforts.

Greg agrees with Sean's assessment and adds that many dealers are not doing the math to determine if their digital spend is actually working for them. He shares an example of a dealership that was paying a vendor to post the same blog post on 600 different dealership websites, highlighting the importance of finding a vendor that provides customized and effective services. Greg emphasizes the need for dealers to take off their dealership blinders and consider the experience of potential customers who are in the early stages of the buying process.

The Importance of a Holistic Marketing Approach

The conversation shifts to the Ignition Conference, an event organized by Greg and Sean to provide dealers with valuable education and insights. Greg explains that the conference is designed to address the shortcomings of traditional automotive conferences, which often lack value and are filled with thinly veiled sales pitches. The Ignition Conference focuses on dealership education and features hand-selected speakers who are experts in their respective fields.

Sean shares that his session at the conference will focus on the small things that dealers often overlook in their marketing plans. He emphasizes the importance of service departments and customer experience, highlighting the impact of service advisors on customer loyalty. Sean also discusses the need for dealers to prioritize customer experience in the service department, as losing a customer in service can result in a permanent loss of business.

Conclusion and Future Outlook

In conclusion, the future of automotive marketing lies in a holistic approach that combines organic and paid search efforts, third-party providers, and a focus on customer experience. Dealers need to analyze their digital spend and ensure they are getting value for their money. The Ignition Conference provides a unique opportunity for dealers to learn from industry experts and gain valuable insights to improve their marketing strategies.

As the automotive industry continues to evolve, dealers must adapt their marketing strategies to meet the changing needs of customers. By staying informed and embracing new technologies and approaches, dealers can position themselves for success in the digital age. The Ignition Conference serves as a platform for dealers to gain the knowledge and tools they need to thrive in the competitive automotive market.

The future of automotive marketing is bright, and with the right strategies and insights, dealers can drive success and profitability in the years to come.

About Greg Gifford

Greg Gifford is SearchLab’s Chief Operating Officer. He’s one of the most popular speakers in the SEO industry and presents all over the world on topics related to Local SEO. There’s hardly anything at SearchLab that Greg isn’t involved in. He helps to steer the SEO process, oversees all SearchLab marketing efforts, and helps to promote SearchLab at conferences, on industry publications and training videos. You can follow Greg’s popular weekly video series, Local Search Tuesdays, for some of the best and most actionable Local SEO tips.

Greg lives in Dallas with his wife, three children, 3 dogs, and 3 cats. He’s obsessed with movies (obvious to anyone who has seen one of his presentations) and has tattooed much of his body with some of his favorite movie characters. He snowboards and geeks out on Disney and Star Wars during his spare time.

About Shaun Raines

Shaun wanted to be a rock star playing drums to the delight of thousands. Turns out, he became a digital marketing rock star teaching, coaching and helping automotive and motorcycle dealers reach their potential. He has 20+ years of experience in sales, digital marketing, websites, SEM/PPC, SEO, social media, branding, management, leadership and team building. He is a highly sought after speaker at industry events due to his contagious, entertaining presentation style.

His first motorcycle was a Honda ATC70 and his first four wheeled vehicle was a 1979 Chevy Luv. In 1998 his career forever changed as the internet was steadily growing in user audience. Shaun was blessed with the opportunity to work with the Reynolds and Reynolds team that launched Microsoft Carpoint and Automark Web Solutions. He has also held director positions with ReachLocal and DrivingSales. Shaun is the former Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at DealerOn and currently works with a broad collection of companies as the Founder of Dealer SuperHero.

Resources

Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry’s #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.

The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast: is the #1 resource for automotive sales professionals, managers, and owners.

Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today! A connected community with over 26K Automotive Professionals and Members to engage

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The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By:

Bradley On Demand: Automotive Sales Industry’s #1 Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing and Certification Platform. With over 7,500 training modules, our platform has everything you and your dealership need to sell more cars, more often and more profitably!

Money Mind Mapp (M3): Visit MoneyMindMapp.com for help in revolutionizing your business to help you sell more cars by tracking, projecting, and forecasting your personal sales goals!