While aftermarket automotive products are the driving force behind so many people’s passion, the industry itself has never been more competitive. In fact, there’s over half a million businesses in the U.S. alone. For brands to stand out from the pack and gain share, your marketing strategies need to be on point.
The digital marketing experts at True Digital Communications are here to help your aftermarket automotive product brand reach its goals. Join us as we walk you through three effective marketing tactics you can incorporate into your current marketing strategy.
There’s no question your customers are passionate about their vehicles. Between posting on social media and uploading engaging installation videos, customers use your products to bring their passion for vehicles to life. For an aftermarket automotive product brand, it’s important to capture the excitement of customers throughout their buying journey. Every review is an opportunity to show new and existing customers how your products make a difference.
How do you find the right reviews? Start by looking for ones that are authentic and explain the benefits of your products. Any review that addresses a customer pain point is a great option to showcase. For example, Summit Racing has customer reviews for almost every product on their website. These reviews include specific scores like how easy it is to install. Your brand could put that review on your homepage to build social proof and trust with target audiences.
One of the benefits of aftermarket automotive marketing is that customer reviews and testimonials come in at a steady pace. Reviews can be captured formally on your website with a form or discovered on third party channels like social media. It’s important to always be on the lookout for impactful words from your customers.
In the aftermarket automotive part industry, repeat customers are a big deal. Which is why your brand needs to have a personalized email strategy to help keep your loyal customers engaged. When they’re ready to purchase, you need to be right there waiting to support them. With all the generic marketing messages out there, brands stand out by getting personal.
To start, emails sent to existing customers need to address them by their first name and appeal to their unique interests. You can do this by using their past purchasing data to recommend other products they could be interested in. You’ll want to be clear and bold about the benefits your products deliver. Email marketing has a short window to get the viewer engaged.
Let’s say an email is being sent to a customer who might be interested in upgrading their vehicle’s stock lighting. Your brand could emphasize the easy installation of the recommended lighting kit to quickly showcase its value to the customer.
Much of aftermarket automotive product marketing is aspirational by nature. Every product your brand sells is often seen as an opportunity to help complete a customer’s passion project. Customers sharing their experiences with your products is a powerful marketing tool. One way to lean into this while rewarding your customers for their loyalty is with user-generated content (UGC) campaigns.
Your brand can host a contest where customers post their automotive project on social media where one of your products was used. Their enthusiasm, passion, and product knowledge will be on full display, making a profound impact on other automotive readers. This adds a strong element of social proof to your brand while providing more detailed insight into who’s buying your products. You’d be surprised at the number of participants contests will attract for a shot to win a prize.
Outside of contests, you can also encourage customers to post video reviews of your products. Even smaller content creators on YouTube have loyal followers who could help your brand reach its goals. There’s plenty of publicity that aftermarket automotive brands can earn. If you need help getting started with a UGC campaign, Team True is here.
At True, we understand the passion that’s behind aftermarket automotive parts purchases. Our team can help your brand find effective ways to engage new and existing customers to help reach your marketing goals. Contact us today and see how we can make your digital marketing strategy simple.