No sale has ever been made without providing your customer with valuable information. In the automotive marketing world, the buyer’s journey helps your team determine the types of content that a prospect needs to move along the purchasing path.
Of course, it pays to know exactly what each stage of the buyer’s journey means and how to use direct mail to ensure that your prospective customers have the information they need to complete a sale.
That’s why the team at Aspen Automotive is here to guide you through a buyer’s-journey-driven direct mail campaign that aligns with your leads’ main priorities at every stage. Let’s check it out!
Why is the Buyer’s Journey Important?
On any given day, your customers are identifying problems that relate to an eventual purchase that they’ll make. Perhaps they’re just starting to realize that they need a certain product to solve an issue or are already aware that they have a problem and are currently evaluating their options.
Well, the buyer’s journey helps dealerships identify where your buyers are in the process of making a purchase. Thanks to this scale, automotive marketers can now evaluate the type of content a potential consumer needs to make a final decision on where to buy a product or service.
It’s also important to mention that most prospective customers complete each stage of the buyer’s journey before they contact your dealership, which is why it’s essential to make sure that you’re reaching your consumers before they get in contact with you.
Don’t fret! We’ve got you covered with our rundown of each stage of the buyer’s journey and how to tailor your auto direct mail to fit every phase: The Awareness Stage, Consideration Stage, and Decision Stage.
The Awareness Stage: Making a Solid First Impression
What’s the Awareness Stage?
The Awareness Stage of the buyer’s journey begins when a lead first recognizes a problem. For the most part, customers in this phase have yet to scope out businesses or even identify the specific type of product that they’re looking to buy. All they know is that they have an issue and need to find a solution.
How Can I Tailor Direct Mail for the Awareness Stage?
Think about it: if you’re just beginning a relationship with a new customer, you don’t want to bombard them with special offers or numerous calls. Instead, it’s best to slowly build a relationship with your customer by positioning your dealership as a solution to their problem.
At this stage, you want to let these potential buyers know that your automotive dealer is the ideal place to begin their search for a vehicle.
By simply introducing your team to prospects, your leads will start off with a positive opinion of your dealership. Ultimately, this boosts the chances that they’re choose to purchase from your business.
Best Awareness-Stage Direct Mail:
- “Welcome” postcards
- Dealership brochures
- Personalized URLs
The Consideration Stage: Providing Information
What’s the Consideration Stage?
After your consumers have recognized the fact that they have a problem, they’ll begin to look into ways to solve it. Known as the Consideration Stage, this is the point at which it’s important to place your dealership in front of the eyes of your audience.
How Can I Tailor Direct Mail for the Consideration Stage?
Using your dealership’s data-mining technologies, you’ll want to begin tailoring your direct mail campaigns to fit the needs of your prospects.
So, if they’ve been researching the benefits of owning a truck, you’ll want to provide them with information that gives them more detail about your dealership’s truck inventory.
That way, your potential buyers have everything they need to move onto the next stage of the buyer’s journey: The Decision Stage.
Best Consideration-Stage Direct Mail:
- Model brochures
- Special offers on particular models
- Shopping reminders (Abandoned Cart)
The Decision Stage: Closing the Deal
What’s the Decision Stage?
Finally! You’ve managed to move your customer to the Decision Stage, the point at which they’ll choose the solution to their problem. Now, all you have to do is serve up the information that’ll convince them that your dealership is the right choice.
How Can I Tailor Direct Mail for the Decision Stage?
Essentially, your team should provide potential buyers with your best offers and tell them why your business has earned bragging rights. By doing so, you’ll not only instill more trust into your prospects, but you’ll also give them a reason to shop with you.
Best Decision-Stage Direct Mail:
- Personalized discount or offer
- First-time buyer invitation
- “what makes us different” mailer
Cater Your Dealership’s Direct Mail to the Buyer’s Journey Today!
At Aspen Automotive, we want to help your dealership maximize the response rate to your next automotive direct mail campaign by tailoring its format, message, and offers to your customers at each stage of the buyer’s journey.
With our data-analyzing gurus, creative geniuses, and automotive experts, you’ll have all the assistance you need to design an effective, sales-boosting direct mail strategy. Ready to get started? Simply give us a call or send us an email today!
