Stuck in a marketing rut? Sometimes that means taking a step back and mixing the basics you know and love with the latest trends.

First thing’s first: May is here (at least it is in the marketing world). If one thing is more important than others in terms of marketing, it’s being ahead of the game. So let me repeat: May is here, and it’s time to ask yourself, “what campaigns am I executing and what will set me apart from my competitors?”

 Let’s take a look at my top three marketing ideas your dealership needs to leverage to bring your marketing department to the next level this upcoming month.

#1. Take Advantage of Holidays and Events

May offers several different holidays and events. For instance, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, National Business Week, and a personal favorite, Cinco De Mayo. As for sporting events, we also have the Kentucky Derby and NHL Playoff Season! There are many different ways to celebrate these events, so how can your marketing benefit? Let me tell you how. 

Mother’s Day. This could be as simple as handing out a rose to all the mothers who walk into your dealership. If you are concerned about assuming who’s a parent and who’s not, you can hand out flowers to every woman that walks in (just don’t forget that dog moms count too!) If you’d like to step it up a level, offer coupons or gift cards to local nail salons to show appreciation. 

Memorial Day. For this holiday, offer savings and discounts for your dealership. If you run the marketing department, your OEM should be offering discounts. However, we’re not stopping there; remember one of the first things I asked was what are you going to do that will set you apart from your competition. Dealers, think outside the OEM offers. How about offering a year’s supply of oil changes for all veterans after a vehicle purchase? If that’s not for you, you can try throwing in the first two months of payments. Need another idea? Offer accessories like rubber floor mats for any new or used car sold.

Cinco De Mayo. Since this is a smaller holiday, you can keep it simple. Post your favorite Cinco de Mayo inspired recipe on your business Facebook page and ask for your customers to post their favorites, as well. Or have a Cinco de Mayo inspired contest in the dealership, and have your customers vote! These simple posts can generate a lot of organic traffic for your business. Another idea would be getting involved with any local events or parties. Sponsorships are a great way to get involved in the community. 

National Small Business Week.  This is the week of April 30 through May 6, and it is an amazing way to get your story out there. How did your business begin? What’s your dealership’s history? Studies show, consumers would rather give their money to small businesses with a story than larger corporations because of the personalized experience. So, get your story out there and make their experience worthwhile! Create a quick 30-second video or share old pictures of the dealership’s first years on social media. 

Sports.NHL Playoff season and the Kentucky Derby are two highly televised sporting events. You can bring in new business by generating B2B offers with other local businesses, or by creating catchy ads referring to these events. For example, “Race into savings at XYZ Dealership” or “Score Top-Shelf Deals This NHL Playoff Season At XYZ Dealership.” If you want to get more involved with your customers, I suggest getting more interactive. Try bringing a net into your store and have your customer shoot for savings. The great thing about bringing a Tutor Shooter into your dealership is that you can post Live videos and share the contest winners. Creating this type of buzz will help to bring in more foot traffic to your dealership, and make its social media content more shareable. 

#2 Stay on Top of Social Media Trends

Let’s start with Facebook Live. As a free and easy way to get your content out there, there’s no reason that businesses should not be taking advantage of Facebook Live as a part of their marketings strategy. If you didn’t have any luck with this in the past, don’t worry! Give it another try and this time, be more consistent, make sure you have strong video and audio quality, and give your customers a reason to watch. No matter what your business is, you should always be prepared to use free and easy social media tools.

Going off of that, dealers should also be using Facebook as a lead-generating tool. By boosting posts, sharing your inventory, and showcasing your dealership’s personality, you’ll slowly but surely begin to develop a following. Another way to take advantage of Facebook is by launching advertising campaigns. Facebook ads are not only user-friendly, but are also highly targeted and cost-effective. By utilizing Facebook’s advertising platform, you’ll be able to reach both in-market shoppers and your current customers. 

#3 Create and Share Your Videos

Video has become one of the top marketing mediums because it is a visual way for consumers to get answers to the questions they’re searching for online. With YouTube being one of the largest search engines out there, it’s no surprise that people are turning to videos for information. Whether it’s DIY videos or product information videos, more and more consumers are choosing to this type of media over reading.

So, dealers, what do you do? You should create vehicle walk-around videos, DIY detailing videos, and customer testimonial videos. In the end, your goal should be to become the go-to resource your customers are searching for.  

All in all, there are plenty of free marketing resources automotive dealers should be taking advantage of. The key is to stay on top of the latest trends and have a strong marketing team behind your dealership to execute killer campaigns and expand your brand.