We love vehicles and getting the public to love them too. We think about cars all day, every day. After all, it’s in our name: DRIVEN 360. The only thing we probably think about more than cars is how to market all the new and exciting auto industry happenings to the public, which is why in the past year and a half it’s been incredible to see how automotive marketing has pivoted, transformed and succeeded.
According to this CNBC article, automakers are expected to sell between 15.6 and 16 million vehicles in 2021, increasing by more than 7% from 2020. And with a large majority of consumers now shopping from the comfort of their homes rather than spending hours perusing the parking lot of the local auto dealers, the auto industry is getting creative with how they capture the eyes of the consumer.
Here are some of our favorite trends in automotive marketing in 2021.
- Tik Tok
Tik Tok has quickly become one of the most viewed social media platforms across all ages. With an algorithm that’s able to quickly optimize the content being fed to its viewer and enable its ‘for you page’ (FYP) to serve up engaging, quick-hitting content that keeps users entertained for hours.
In the automotive world, we’re seeing more auto industry experts, like our very own Mike Caudill, convert to 30-60 second videos to deliver the need-to-know details of the vehicle of the week. With information like MPG, price, trim options and more, Tik Tok videos have been a quick and easy way to reach new audiences that are hyper-interested in what you’re reviewing.
- Niche Marketing
We are seeing a strong increase in a turn away from the general “Newest Car on the Block” verbiage to more focused details, like “The Best Car to Fit Three Car Seats In” that are targeted at a specific demographic. While experts, like The Car Mom, push out content that any potential buyer can use, their niche audiences have certain needs, like fitting multiple car seats into one car and ensuring their Starbucks coffee cups fit perfectly into the center consoles, that aren’t being talked about by other experts.
- YouTube Shorts
Like Tik Tok, YouTube Shorts allow the content creator to record, edit and publish up to 60-second videos from any mobile device. Creators have options to push viewers to their full YouTube page, where they’re able to post longer videos and really get down to the nitty gritty info that potential car buyers look for when car shopping. The goal? Catch the viewers’ attention with engaging, short videos and then reel them in to subscribe to your page where you can 1. Provide more detailed information and 2. Monetize!
- More Money, More Revenue?
The US is expected to spend more than $13 billion in ads across Google, Facebook and other digital platforms in 2021 and, according to JD Power and LSA, 76% of new and used vehicle shoppers are running internet searches before buying, with 33% of those searches coming from a mobile device.
What’s this mean? It’s an absolute must to put some money behind your content to get the return you’re looking for. These ads make it easier than ever to swipe through ad after ad of vehicles a shopper might like, targeting folks who are actually in the market for a new or used car without ever making them leave their couch.
While there are so many new automotive marketing trends coming to life this year, these are some of the trends we’ve seen creators and businesses capitalize on in a much quicker manner than ever before.
If you’re looking for an agency to enhance your automotive marketing, we can help! Reach out to us at drivenpublicrelations.com.
