In 2017, CISCO reported that video will make up 82% of all consumer internet traffic by 2021. If video is a part of your sales and marketing strategy, allow this piece of data to validate all of your efforts. As we move past the era of INTRODUCING and INSERTING video, we can begin to focus on perfecting the actual content and craft of our videos.
How can we use video to sell cars?
Most of the time, what’s hindering your content from being effective isn’t something you’re doing wrong, it’s what you’re not doing at all.
Lets get more specific. If you find that your videos haven’t increased email open rates, response rates, test drives, dealerships traffic, or sales, you probably fall into one or all of the categories listed below. Make it a priority to clean up your video content and throw out some of these crucial habits. Sit back and watch how your customers respond!
1. Only Sending Walkaround Videos
One of the biggest mistakes dealerships make is limiting videos to vehicle walkarounds. It boils down to missed opportunities. Chances are, your attempts at introductions, post-sale follow-ups, and appointment reminders are going up against your competitor’s canned text emails. So, why not stand out with video on all of your touch-points?
About a third of the videos that come through Authntk are not walkarounds, and we expect this portion to dramatically increase in 2018. If you need some ideas, here is a list of 7 Post-Sale Video Ideas.
2. You’re Mechanical
Gaining your customer’s trust is one of the most valuable fruits of using video, but it’s not always guaranteed. Going through the motions, hiding your personality, and recording “commercial-like” videos are all surefire ways to miss an opportunity to connect. Always remember, no matter how many vehicles you’ve shown on a given day, it’s always your customer’s first time seeing it.
Selling a car is so much more than the car itself, so don’t neglect the effort it takes to make a connection with each and every customer.
3. No Personalization
80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences (Epsilon 2018). Furthermore, 86% of respondents say they are much/somewhat more likely to do business with automotive websites/apps that offer personalized experiences.
If you have two separate leads interested in the same exact vehicle, should you record two videos or send one video to both leads? The way you answer this question tells a lot about how you view your customers. Are they individuals being helped based on lifestyles, needs, interests, and values? Or is a customer just that to you – a customer, a commission, a means to an end?
No matter who you’re dealing with, the opportunities to personalize your videos are limitless:
- Use the specific name(s) of who you’re speaking to
- Mention something the customer told you: “Hope you have fun at the game tonight“, “Tell your brother Happy Birthday from us“
- Use visualization to allow the customer to see themselves in the vehicle: “The trunk space would be perfect for your beach vacations“, “The back seats fold down making lost of room for your biking adventures“, “This car features navigation/bluetooth perfect for your days on the road“
- Use a captivating first frame, this is the first image of the video customers will see that entices them to click play
4. Low Energy
Even if you don’t consider yourself a “high energy” person, we encourage you to kick it up a notch for your videos. Because you’re competing with low attention spans and a million other things your customer may be doing at the time, an enthusiastic tone goes a long way. Most importantly, the point of your video is to entice your customer to take action, not at a later time, but right now. Whether that’s making the decision to swing by after work, forwarding the video to a spouse, or giving you a call, urgency is what’s going to make it happen. A compelling call-to-action is the most essential component to your videos!<
Just watch this video by Ali Atrash of Jeff Wyler Eastgate Auto Mall and tell me his energy isn’t contagious:
In conclusion… Is video a magic wand that is going to sell every car for you? Absolutely not! But what it is an extremely valuable tool that you can add to your selling toolbox. Even more so, it’s one that your competitors still may not be using… Stand out from the crowd.
