In the fast-paced and highly competitive world of automotive sales, staying ahead of the curve is crucial for success. Car dealerships are increasingly turning to innovative and effective strategies to reach their target audience, and one of the most powerful tools in their arsenal is text message marketing.
With the prevalence of mobile devices and the convenience of text messaging, this dynamic marketing approach has revolutionized the way car dealerships engage with potential customers. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore how text message marketing can transform your dealership’s customer outreach, drive sales, and foster lasting relationships with your clientele. Discover the key principles, strategies, and best practices that will help your dealership not only thrive but also lead in this evolving landscape of automotive marketing.
There are many good reasons text messaging has become one of the most popular communication channels for car sales. Car dealerships receive a profusion of benefits when using SMS marketing. Some of the most common benefits of utilizing SMS marketing include:
There are a variety of different occasions your dealership could send text messages for. Additionally, text marketing can be utilized for multiple audiences. Your first thought for text marketing may be to engage new leads, but you can also use texts to re-engage existing or past customers. Common uses for texts include:
All of these use cases and more can be accomplished with a mass texting app like Mass Texting Service.
Starting a text marketing campaign for your car dealership may be easier than you realize. You can set up a text marketing app and write your first text in under 15 minutes. We’ll walk you through how to create a text marketing campaign with Mass Texting Service in six short steps.
You’ll need to start collecting contact info to be able to run a text campaign. At a minimum, you only need to collect phone numbers to be able to send texts. However, we recommend collecting both names and phone numbers. Texts are more effective when you can personalize the messages with your contact’s names.
You can build subscribe forms in Mass Texting Service that you can use to subscribe contacts to your text list. You don’t need specialized forms for collecting contact info though. You can use your existing forms or make sure to collect lead information from calls and in-person dealership visits.
Once you have a system in place for collecting contact info, you’ll need to work on building and formatting your contact list. You can automate adding subscribers to your text campaign by integrating your site forms or your CRM with Zapier, but you’ll still need to perform an initial bulk upload for your first set of contacts. Mass Texting Service has a free upload template you can use to format your list for upload. Your contact list will need to be in a CSV format for upload.
You’ll need to create your Mass Texting Service account before you can start sending marketing texts to your leads and customers. The Federal government does require brand registration before you can send marketing texts. When you create an account with Mass Texting Service, we’ll also walk you through A2P 10 DLC registration to get you registered to be able to send texts. A2P registration can take two weeks or longer, so starting the registration process sooner rather than later is advised.
Once your account is created and you’ve completed your brand registration, you’ll be able to start uploading your marketing contacts. You can head to the contacts tab and import your contact CSV file. You’ll be notified once the upload is complete. You can also organize your contacts into groups to be able to send texts to specific groups of contacts. It’s very common for dealerships to group contacts into new leads and existing customers.
With your contacts uploaded, you’ll be able to work on creating your first marketing text. You can create texts straight from the home tab of the Mass Texting Service app. Start by selecting the contacts or groups you want to text and type your message into the input box. You can customize texts with images or variables to personalize messages with contact names.
Once your text is ready to send, you can either send the text immediately or schedule it to be sent at a later date and time. If you select the option to schedule the text for later, new input boxes will appear to set the date and time for the text. Once you hit the schedule or send button, your work will be complete and you’ll have successfully created your first marketing text. Any replies you receive from your text will be sent to your inbox in the app.
Looking for texting inspiration for your car dealership? We’ve spent years crafting and refining text messages that inspire action. You can find proven text templates for every stage in the customer journey below. You can copy and modify these templates to use for your own dealership.
Hey [First Name], we’ve got an event you’re not going to want to miss. [Dealership Name] is offering 30% off all pre-owned vehicles for our [event name]. The event runs from [Start Date] until [End Date]. Hurry in to take advantage of this huge sale!
Hi [First Name], we’re offering a special offer for trade-ins from now until [End Date]. Stop by [Dealership Name] and see what you can get towards a new vehicle with your car.
Introducing the new [Car Make & Model]! This car drives like a dream. Stop by for a test drive and experience it for yourself at [Dealership Name].
Hey [First Name], this is [Sales Staff Name] with [Dealership Name]. You inquired about our [Car Make & Model] online. Would you be interested in taking a test drive? Let me know if you are and I can help you schedule one.
Hi [First Name], this is [Sales Staff Name]. It was great talking with you on the phone. You can text me at this number with any questions.
Hi [First Name], I appreciate you coming in today to take a look at our selection. You can text me here with any questions you might have about the [Car Make & Model]. Reach out as soon as you can for the best possible price.
Hey [First Name], I just wanted to send over more information about [Car Make & Model]. You can view additional details about the care here [Link].
Hi [First Name], this is [Sales Staff Name] with [Dealership]. Thank you for your interest in [Car Model]. I’d like to schedule a test drive for you. Does [time] on [date] work for you?
Hello [First Name], thanks for coming in to test drive the [Car Make & Model]. Let me know when you’re ready to come in and take another look. Let’s talk soon so I can lock in the best possible pricing for you.
Hi [First Name], this is [Sales Staff Name] from [Dealership Name] and I received your info from [Referrer Name]. They mentioned that you were in the market for a new car. Is there a specific type of vehicle you’re looking for?
Hey [First Name], this is [Sales Staff Name]. I just wanted to check in and see how your new [Car Make & Model] was treating you. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need any help.
Hi [First Name], this is a reminder from [Dealership Name] that the warranty for your [Car Make & Model] is about to expire. Protect your car with an extended warranty. More info here: [Link]
Hi [First Name], our records indicate that your car is due for [service]. Please call us or click the scheduling link to schedule your service appointment: [Link]
[First Name], there has been a recall issued for the [Part] in your [Car Make & Model]. We’ve emailed you the full recall report, but wanted you to know right away. Click the link to schedule your complimentary repair: [Link]
Hi [First Name], it’s [Sales Staff Name] from [Dealership Name]. It’s that time of year again for our annual customer appreciation event. I wanted to make sure you were personally invited. The event will be on [Date] from [Start Time] until [End Time]. Free food, car washes, and more will be included. I hope to see you there!
Hi [First Name], it’s [Sales Staff Name]. I just wanted to check in and see how things were going with your new [Car Make & Model] rental. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need any help with anything.
This is a reminder that your [Car Make & Model] lease ends on [date]. Please call us or visit [Dealership Name] to review your renewal or trade-in options.
Hi [First Name], this is a reminder that the next payment for your vehicle in the amount of [Amount] is due on [Date]. You can mail a check or pay online at [Link]
Mass Texting Service is one of the best text marketing apps for car dealerships. Mass Texting Service offers some of the most affordable plans available for text marketing so that you can maximize your ROI with lower service expenses. Mass Texting Service also features an intuitive app layout that is very easy to learn and use. Most Mass Texting Service subscribers are able to set up their accounts and learn how to send text messages within 15 minutes of account creation.
There is a reason Mass Texting Service is trusted by hundreds of auto dealerships nationwide. We offer reliable service with exceptional support to help your dealership grow. Ready to experience the best text blast platform for yourself? Sign up for your free 7-day trial of Mass Texting Service today.
The costs to send text marketing messages for your car dealership are going to vary depending on the size of your text messages and the business texting app you subscribe to. Mass Texting Service offers some of the most affordable texting plans available online for dealerships. You can send text messages for as low as $0.02 per text. Mass Texting Service plans start at just $12 per month. Our team can help you determine which plan would be the best fit for your business.
Creating and setting up a Mass Texting Service account is easy and can be completed in under 15 minutes. Ready to start growing sales, reviews, and referrals for your dealership? Click the button below to start your free 1-week trial.
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Mass Texting Service is a business SMS marketing app that helps businesses send mass texts, automated texts, scheduled texts, and more. Grow your business with our affordable text marketing tools. Mass Texting Service is currently only available to businesses in the United States.
