TikTok for Auto Dealers: Is it Worth the Time and Money?
Are TikTok ads worth the time and money for auto dealers?
- Quick answer: Maybe. Make sure the foundation of your digital marketing — Google ads, Facebook ads, email, and SEO — is all set and running FIRST. Once you have a handle on those, then yes consider putting money (and time) behind ads on TikTok as a supplemental channel to show up on.
- Posting organic video content on TikTok for free is also encouraged, but consistency is important so be aware of the time needed to keep up posting.
You’re probably aware of TikTok as a cultural phenomenon. The video-sharing platform has blown up, in part because of the excess amount of time we all had during the pandemic.
But does this popularity mean you should sprinkle TikTok into your dealership’s marketing mix?
In short, probably not.
But that doesn’t mean it won’t work for some dealerships. 66% of TikTok’s American users are between 18-33. That’s a lot of could-be drivers who are reachable on TikTok, but this platform requires different creative content than other platforms your store might be using.
Should Your Dealership Be on TikTok?
Even though TikTok gets dismissed as a purely Gen Z platform, that’s not entirely true. There are plenty of Zennials, Millennials, Gen-Xers and Boomers playing around with the platform, too.
This means there are plenty of drivers and will-be drivers on the platform. But unlike Facebook, Instagram, Google and YouTube, the content needed for advertising on TikTok is different.
The sales promotions your dealership is used to running won’t be as successful as an informal, ‘behind the scenes’ video on TikTok.
Whether paid or organic, the ideal content for a car dealer on TikTok is an unpolished walk-around or videos showing new SUVs coming off the truck. Consistency is key, so if your store isn’t prepared to produce content throughout the week, it’ll be hard to gain the high engagement rates that would justify the time investment.
We have seen instances of more polished TikTok marketing from the auto space, but this type of highly-produced content should be coming from the OEM, not your dealership.
Your store marketing needs to show the character and personality of your store that makes it a better place to shop than your competition down the street.
We’ve seen success with a few auto dealer clients of our own on TikTok, bringing quality new visitors to their site and helping sales while seeing impressive ROI. You can read about one of those clients and the results here.
Is Your Marketing Foundation Strong?
New platforms shouldn’t necessarily be excluded from your marketing plan, but we consider apps like TikTok to be the sprinkles on top of the cone.
Let’s say your website is the waffle cone – it’s definitely not the most exciting thing on its own, but it’s holding all the good stuff together. When you’ve got a solid foundation, you can start adding fun stuff like ice cream and online ads.
If your store has a really beautiful ice cream cone of marketing going on, then by all means, start adding the sprinkles! But if you’re not effectively doing email marketing, Facebook ads or search engine optimization, then it’s a better use of your time to focus on that.
No one wants to eat just sprinkles.
Ask Us About TikTok For Your Dealership
At 9 Clouds, we’re realistic with our clients about the best use of their marketing budget, and every client has a custom package that best suits their needs.
We focus on researching tools that will increase revenue for our clients, and we’re never going to push a channel that doesn’t make sense because it’s trendy.
We’re also passionate about showing dealers the opportunities that will provide their stores the most value – even if they never work with us.
Reach out for a free custom marketing proposal, and we’ll show you the cracks in your foundation or the fun sprinkles you can add to your existing plans.
get a free custom proposal »
