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YouTube, The Car Buyer, And Your Advertising Opportunities

By Jazel Auto Marketing

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Marketing | 11 min Read

YouTube, The Car Buyer, And Your Advertising Opportunities

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YouTube is a savvy car dealership’s secret marketing weapon. Okay, it’s not that secret, but it is surprisingly underutilized. 

That’s because it can be hard to nail down exactly what to do with your marketing on this enormous and powerful video hosting platform. But don’t worry. All you have to do is follow the car shopper’s journey. 

We’re here to help. We’ll cover exactly how YouTube helps shoppers find the right car (ideally at your dealership), and our guest experts from 10TH DEGREE will quickly brief you on the best advertising tactics for optimizing that YouTube boost. 

YouTube Videos Raise Awareness 

Often, when shoppers begin their searching, they are aware of a few brands or products that fit their needs. If you aren’t one of those that happen to spring to mind, your marketing is at a disadvantage. Sure, you have to market your product like the other top-of-mind brands are, but you also have to make that good first impression. 

Thankfully, over 40% of shoppers who used online video for research said that it helped them discover a vehicle they weren’t previously aware of or considering. As they watch test drives, comparison videos, suggested similar videos, etc, a shopper gets a better idea of the options available to them – and they may decide that your product is the best fit for them. 

Expert Advertising Advice

Video advertising can help refresh your dealership or products in the public’s mind. Drumming up interest in your offers can be as simple as making people aware of it, and when your other messaging is being tuned out or drowned out, video advertising is a way to make a big impact. 

For example, Volvo’s relaunch of the XC60, a car that hadn’t been available in a decade, was aided by a YouTube video awareness campaign. The result meant doubled searches across Google Search and YouTube for the term “XC60.” While international brands might have more in the budget for ad-spend than a dealership, this is a proven strategy. 

Test-Drive YouTube Videos Prime Your Shoppers

We know what people are doing when they look up automotive videos on YouTube. They’re thinking about the car they want to drive. And while they’re getting psyched about their new car, they’re also gathering details and affirming their choices. Once they have the information they want, they’ll be that much closer to making a purchase. 

Enter the test drive video.

These have become the go-to resource for shoppers looking for info online. In fact, in the last two years, test drive watch time has grown by over 65%. The demand is there. 

2xvkz Data Test Drive Vide Watch Time Statistics Download

So much so that test-drives are the most common feature of review videos by a factor of 14. 

9grav Data Test Drive Review Video Statistics Download

A family might really like the new model of mid-size SUV, but they’ll watch a test drive to see what it would be like to drive it and see how the features work in real-time. If they don’t like something about the way the vehicle operates, they didn’t have to go to the dealership to figure that out. 

That means when they do show up, they’re better informed and have more solid expectations. It’s your job to meet, and ideally exceed, those expectations. 

Expert Advertising Advice

Target test-drive videos with your most irresistible ads. These test-drive videos provide a powerful opportunity for highly-effective advertising. When someone has just watched a test-drive video, and now really wants to try it out for themself, an ad for that same vehicle with a “test drive” CTA is the exact motivation they need.  

Make it easy for the person to go from inspiration to video to action, and you’ll reap the benefits of that smooth journey. 

Features like home-delivered test drives and instant scheduling can make this interaction even more seamless and convenient. The fewer times a shopper stops to question whether they should look at some more videos before scheduling a test drive, the better off you are when it comes to selling that car. 

Video Traffic = Foot Traffic 

You want people to watch videos. When they watch videos, they get the information they need, they get excited, and (if you did things rights), they now know what to do next. Head down to your dealership. 

And that’s just what they do. In fact, 60% of auto-shoppers who watched videos during research reported visiting a dealership after watching a video of a car they were considering. Essentially, they’re thinking: “It looked right in the video. Let’s see if it’s right for me.” 

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Expert Advertising Advice: 

Videos represent a decision point for many people, the moment when they decide to take action. Your dealership wants to be there. But you also need to get the messaging right time and time again.  

For many dealerships, that means a deeper investment in video advertising, and more importantly, continued analysis and improvement of their messaging. Refining your approach and selecting the right copy, images, and types of videos for your specific dealership’s advertising is a lengthy and ongoing process, but one that will ensure your video always makes the most of this essential moment of the customer journey.

After all, video marketing is one of the more expensive type of digital advertising, so making sure that it does the job every time can help you make the most of any YouTube investment.