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First, people wanted short-form content that was easy to scan and get important details from. Then, they wanted long-form content that provided more extensive information about relevant topics. Along came social media marketing, and it just became increasingly difficult to keep up. Today, however, there’s one marketing tool that’s heavily underutilized in the automotive industry and it needs to be addressed: automotive video marketing.
Video marketing isn’t just making commercials or taking videos of the vehicles in stock. It’s more than that. It’s also just one tenet of a solid digital marketing strategy that incorporates all the elements. When dealers have the right tools, it’s easy to capitalize on video marketing and create their own dynamic campaigns. Of course, that requires that they understand what automotive video marketing is and how it works in the first place.
What Is Video Marketing?
Video marketing is a part of the digital marketing industry that focuses on the dynamic use of video through things like augmented reality experience videos, interactive demos, stories, and more. The goal is to tell a story, provide an experience, and deliver a different way of communicating with the customer. Just a few short years ago, most people would just walk into the dealership and have the car-shopping experience firsthand. Events in recent years have changed all that, creating a demand for a new tool in the automotive marketing tech stack.
Automotive digital retailing is becoming an integral part of dealership operations. While video marketing is only one part of the equation, it’s the part that many are focusing on right now to get people’s attention and get their brand at the forefront of the consumers’ minds. Many auto brands have already embraced their own digital video marketing strategies, including:
- Kia
- Lexus
- Nissan
- Mitsubishi
- Tesla
- Jeep
Video marketing includes explainer videos, social media video content, pre-roll videos, and other content that can be used to get the consumers to engage with the dealership over a shared passion or love of a vehicle.
How Is Automotive Video Marketing Different Than Commercials?
Automotive video marketing is dynamic. It’s interactive. It’s more than just taking a video of the inventory or creating a slideshow of the photos. Video marketing gives dealerships a chance to rise above the competition, many of whom are still resting on their laurels that supply is dwarfed in comparison to demand.
Eventually, that economic imbalance will shift. And when it does, the dealers that are left standing will be those who have utilized this time to step up their game when it comes to digital marketing. Automotive video marketing is just one element of that strategy, but it’s getting a lot of attention as the popularity of video content continues to rise.
YouTube, TikTok, and other social platforms are seeing a rise in the increase of video marketing from professional dealerships and automotive brands. The tools available allow dealers to create dynamic content that allows them to engage with the right audiences in the right space and time. This establishes a better brand reputation, builds better connections, and gives people a reason to keep coming back.
Three Ways Dealers Are Capitalizing on Video Marketing
There are several different ways that video marketing can be added to any automotive digital marketing strategy. Dealers today are already setting the pace for the future with their own campaigns. Here are five of the most popular ways video marketing is currently being used in the digital space.
Explainer Videos
Explainer videos are a popular choice for YouTube and landing page marketing. They also work well on the main website of a dealership, or under the “education and resources” section of the page. These videos explain a topic or, in this case, a vehicle and its specs, allowing people to gather valuable insights in a way they enjoy consuming content. It also helps dealers establish themselves as an authority.
Brand Intros
Some brands and dealers are using video marketing to create intro-style videos that introduce people to new lineups, models, or even new dealerships entirely. If there’s a great new vehicle coming up in the inventory, dealers may want to make a preview video to build the hype and get people talking before it hits the dealership floor.
AR Vehicle Interactions
A lot of dealers are starting to use video marketing to create augmented reality experiences where people can engage with vehicles and explore their features in a whole new way. These AR videos are best created with modern digital video software, so dealers need to make sure that they have the right tools if this is the route they want to take.
Why Video Marketing?
There are several benefits to choosing video marketing, but it’s mostly because it gets people’s attention. According to the statistics, people are four times more likely to watch a video than read an article. Adding video thumbnails to emails can even increase click rates by as much as 300%. Conversion rates for landing pages with videos see an increase of 80% in conversions.
The numbers speak for themselves. Digital video marketing works and it’s going to be the next essential tool that dealerships put to work if they are going to continue to attract business and get people in the door. Video allows people to connect with a dealership or brand. It evokes emotion and it provides valuable insight that people may not find elsewhere.
Work with the Experts for the Best Results
Of course, a solid digital video marketing strategy takes more than giving the marketing team carte blanche to create their own videos using their computers or mobile devices with built-in cameras. It’s important to choose the right tools and people to assist along the way. Automotive digital retailing and car dealer software can change the way that any dealership handles outreach and lead generation, for the better.
Video delivers everything that consumers want and addresses all the marketing touch points that dealers need to hit. With the right tools, any dealership can use digital video marketing to take their business to the next level.
