The relationship that you have with your customer doesn’t stop once they drive off the lot. Keeping in contact with them will help your dealership flourish in word-of-mouth marketing. It will also ensure that they’re up-to-date with deals and events that your business is having, which increases the likelihood that they’ll come back to you when it’s time to buy again.
How do you maintain the bond with your growing number of customers? Creating a newsletter for your car dealership has tons of benefits:
Why Should your dealership have a newsletter?
- Friendly Reminders - If a customer couldn’t purchase a vehicle because of their credit situation, lack of down payments, or any other reason, when their situation changes, a newsletter could be a friendly reminder to them that your dealership is there to help.
- Return Customers - It’s very likely that a customer who did purchase a vehicle will be in the market for an upgrade in the future. With a stream of dealership updates and good rates on display, a newsletter could be the factor that entices them to go back to your dealership.
- Referrals - If the experience that your previous customer had at your dealership was positive, they’ll be willing to refer their friends. A newsletter is great way to follow up with your customers, even if they’re not ready to get a new vehicle.
- Time Efficiency - Sending physical mail or calling previous customers might be effective, but it’s also labour intensive and hard to scale as your customer list grows. With an e-mail newsletter, you’re saving time and money, and you’re reaching each customer with efficiency.
What should your newsletter include?
- Personality is key – Success stories, current promotions, staff information, or anything else that makes the customer feel like they’re getting to know your company better.
- Something of value – Whether it’s a couple tips on winter driving, how to save a few dollars on future car purchases, or just teaching the customer a little more about how auto finance works, offering help or suggestions in your newsletter will turn your company into a place of knowledge – an incentive for people to keep reading.
How do you make an e-mail newsletter?
Making an e-mail newsletter is easy. Most email marketing companies have a ton of newsletter templates to choose from. The process can be as simple as uploading a few photos, writing some text, and making sure there are plenty of links that lead back to the website.
See sites like MailChimp or Constant Contact for inspiration!
