Everyone knows that the internet is the place to improve your bottom line and drive up sales. When you run a small business, the internet can be even more critical because it gives you the ability to expand your reach dramatically without spending a fortune.
Collaborating with social media influencers is an aspect of influence marketing. This form of social media marketing allows you to successfully advertise your products via celebrities and other influential people on different social media platforms.
If you are a car dealer and want to increase your reach and bottom line, collaborating with a social media influencer may be the way to go. From this article, you will learn why influencers are great for the car dealership business and how to find local influencers. Moreover, you will find the list of the best US-based automotive influencers and blogs.
Why Are Influencers Great for Car Dealership Business?
There is no doubt that influence marketing works, and businesses have been using it successfully for years. What makes social media influencers so different, and in turn, so much attractive for auto dealers is that:
- Social media influencers can be much cheaper and, therefore, cost-effective than traditional celebrities.
- They work in diverse niches, which can be broad to super specific, allowing you to advertise to a more targeted audience.
- Social media influencers reach many groups of people, such as millennials and busy professionals, who spend far less time watching traditional television formats than people in years past.
What Kind of Influencers Produce Results for Car Dealerships?
When it comes to car dealership marketing, of course, the best places to look are automotive social media accounts. This allows you to narrow your general audience to people who are at the very least interested in cars.
Try checking out the top car Instagram accounts. Try to consider what your dealership might have in common with popular content creators in this category. If you sell a specific type or types of vehicles, look for influencers who share that niche. This can give you more credibility by using an influencer who explicitly has something in common with your business and brand.
Searching for the best YouTube car shows can give you similar types of influencers to consider as well. Automotive YouTube channels provide a wealth of customers to target, especially if you look for influencers who run automotive repair channels or channels and influencers related to the specific type or brand of cars you sell. Also, consider an influencer who is a car reviewer; their audience can be people who are looking for a new car.
Finally, make sure that you are keeping an eye on car dealership blogs and social media accounts. Not just local ones, but from other cities as well. This can give you ideas about what your competitors and businesses in different locations are doing in social media that works.
Local Influencers
Local influencers are an excellent choice for a car dealership. They can help you connect to locals who are prospectively much more likely to purchase a vehicle from your car dealership than the average person in a nationwide audience.
Here, you can go a little beyond vehicle-related influencers and consider other locals, such as athletes or well-known and trusted community members. These influencers can cost you less money and have an excellent chance of actually affecting your car sales.
Four Best US-based Automotive Influencers
To give you an idea, these are four of the most popular US-based automotive influencers. They can really give your social media and brand boost.
1. David Patterson
David Patterson is famous on Instagram and other platforms. He has over one million subscribers on Youtube, and his content gets millions of views. His content is vehicle-oriented but still remains pretty broad and includes some other kinds of content, making him generally more relatable and accessible.
2. Matt Farah
The Smoking Tire is a podcast about the car industry run by Matt Farah. Mostly the podcast, as well as the Youtube channel, does car reviews, but there are also other types of vehicle and industry-related content to bring viewers in as well. His Youtube channel boasts more than one million subscribers.
3. James “The Stradman”
James is a car connoisseur. He is based in Park City, Utah, and has a passion for supercars. His content is varied, and he is well respected and trusted by his audience. James’s Youtube channel has over three million subscribers, and his content gets millions of views.
4. Emelia Hartford
With more than half a million subscribers on her Youtube channel, Emelia Hartford has great auto-related content. She has deals with several brands and also sells her own merchandise. She does builds and car reviews, and most of her content garners more than a million views.
Three Best Personal Automotive Blogs
There are tons of great personal automotive blogs out there. There of the top three automotive blogs are:
1. Hemmings Stories
Hemming’s includes vintage cars, car reviews, and interviews with well-known car enthusiasts.
2. Celebrity Cars Blog
A great blog dedicated to the cars of the rich and famous. Particular attention is paid to the more exotic, expensive, and unusual vehicles of celebrities.
3. Car Talk
This blog mainly focuses on motorsports but has excellent info on rebuilds and exclusive aftermarket products.
Get the Best Influencer for Your Car Dealership
It is crucial when choosing an influencer to collaborate with to choose someone who has a personal brand that correlates to your brand voice. It is also important that influencer is relevant to the market you wish to reach and trusted by their audience.
When you find an influencer you would like to work with, it is acceptable to reach out to them on their platform. Try reaching out to several influencers, and see who is the best fit for your car dealership.