If you missed part one of the series, click here
. Part one covers common reasons for customer defection.
Ways to boost customer retention
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Service reminder program and a multichannel strategy
Relying solely on your service reminder program isn’t enough to keep customers engaged as they surf multiple devices and platforms. Not to mention, many consumers are reactive to maintenance instead of proactive. For example, if a customer gets a flat tire and searches on their mobile device “Dealership near me”, you want to ensure your dealership appears on Paid Search so you can win their business.
A service reminder program paired with a multichannel strategy ensures you are reaching both your proactive and reactive service customers. It also adds more touchpoints to engage customers and stay top-of-mind throughout their automotive lifecycle. Being present for customers is a big part of earning business while being relevant is the cherry on top. Using digital channels helps your dealership be timely and relevant. Digital channels tailor ad content to a customer’s online activity, their geographic location, their recent purchases, and more.
Adding direct channels on top reinforces the value of your offers and services. Direct mail helps to extend the life of more digitally focused campaign(s). Digital media is great for short-term, top-of-mind awareness. However, the physical interaction consumers have with direct mail helps remind and reinforce messaging from other touchpoints along the customer journey. Combining the two channel types (traditional and digital) creates a well-rounded campaign that stays in your customers’ short-term and long-term memory.
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Retargeting across Display, Facebook, and Paid Search
Display ad retargeting shows customers the exact items they have expressed interest in, or similar items across the web, to bring the user back to your website for conversion. Whereas Remarketing List for Search Ads (RLSA) is a Google Ads feature that enables advertisers to customize their search ad campaigns for users who have previously visited their site.
RLSAs do not automatically show ads to users because they are on your remarketing list. Users have to be actively searching on Google using the keywords you are bidding on within your search campaigns to see your ad. This allows you to target users in real-time with the highest purchase intent. However, both strategies help you grow leads and conversions with the users who left your site without converting (buying something, submitting a form, downloading something, etc.).
You can also retarget your website visitors, many of which are your customers, on Facebook using a Facebook Pixel. When a customer visits your website, a “cookie” is placed on their browser. This digital tracking technology allows you to recognize and follow your website visitors when they visit other websites (like Facebook) to serve them display ads. Facebook also offers dynamic retargeting ads that automatically show products or services a user has previously viewed on your site. This makes these ads more relevant and more likely to generate conversions.
DMS retargeting, also known as CRM or database retargeting, offers many benefits to dealerships by retargeting the customers in your DMS and tracking their online activity. It relies on the data and previous customer interactions already stored in your DMS to deliver display ads tailored to customers’ unique interests and purchase behavior.
Database retargeting is extremely effective, however, the relevancy of ads served to your customers can be amplified by targeting specific audience segments. Using your entire customer base as a target segment is not a bad place to start but organizing customers into specific target segments is much more effective.
Customer Match is a Google audience targeting strategy. Google’s sophisticated technology allows advertisers to use their online and offline data to reach and re-engage their customers, and users who are similar to their customers, across Paid Search, Gmail or other email accounts, YouTube, and Display.
Google uses Google account data and connects the data you provide to link it to the appropriate Google accounts. As these customers search on Google and its partner sites, they will see your dealership’s ads across the Search Network, their email (does not have to be a Gmail account), YouTube, or via Display ads. This helps your dealership advertise to customers who have interacted with your business, or similar businesses, via online and offline actions across Google accounts.
If you have a question about the tactics above, please reach out to GSM at success@gsmarketing.com
