How to Conquer Your Competition Through Mail

With the advances of technology, advertising has in many ways become more fragmented than ever. Questions we constantly field at Blue Gorilla are- “Should I advertise on the radio, on the local TV stations, on the internet, or in the newspaper?” While we certainly advise using all sorts of targeted mediums for your dealership, one thing we always say to include is Traditional Mail Advertising. And actually, it’s because of all the fragmentation that this is recommended more than ever.

Consider the plethora of choices. The internet now can be accessed through cell phones, tablets, smart TV’s, laptops and computers. People who read the newspaper may also get their news online or from their phone app thus missing your car classifieds. While TV viewing is up, choices abound where and when they watch it. Is it live or pre-recorded on their DVR? Is it stored in VOD (video on demand) or paid for with Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon subscriptions? Are they flying through your recorded commercial to get to the show? And it’s not just happening to TV, as local radio stations now compete with Sirius, Pandora or iHeart for music. So it’s harder to get your local spot heard by listeners.

But guess what one thing doesn’t change much?

Someone’s address. They may change TV stations, radio or internet sites, magazine or newspaper subscriptions…but where they live (and receive mail) is generally consistent. A Pew Social & Demographic Trends Survey showed that nearly four in ten Americans have never left the place in which they were born.

And one home generally means one mailbox. One source to get your message to them directly. You can personalize it and target them specifically with an announcement or sale. Or you can blanket an entire geographic area close to your business, letting everyone know where you are and what you’ve got going on.

And what have you got going on?
Are you outselling the competition?

Are you ranked first in new customer acquisition or do you rely primarily on repeat customers for your car sales?

If it is repeat, do you have a reliable database which keeps in contact with previous buyers?

That is important to consider, especially if you have a relatively new dealership, or if you haven’t got a handle on how to bring back past buyers for their newest car. Because if you have to wait 6 years for them to come around again, it’s imperative that new people are walking through the door every day.

The key is to accomplish both if you want to be the #1 dealer in your area.

Blue Gorilla knows a lot about #1 Dealerships. Check out our portfolio. Our design firm understands exactly what it takes to generate more conversions for your dealership. We’ve created high profile campaigns for numerous automotive dealerships spanning the United States.

Some marketers (especially those who want you to spend all your advertising dollars in radio or TV) will say it costs too much to use traditional mail, but this isn’t accurate. According to MarketingSherpa.com, it’s a source you don’t want to ignore. They say, “It’s easy to dismiss traditional direct mail because of higher associated costs, but it may in fact be a more profitable investment for your organization.