Recapping the STRONG Virtual Marketing Summit

Did you make it to the 2021 STRONG Virtual Marketing Summit? If not, no worries. We’re here with this month’s newsletter to recap everything our team and Google covered during the event.

To watch the full summit, visit the event page.

The Buyer’s Journey: Analytics Tracking

We opened the summit by looking at the five micro-moments, as Google has dubbed them, involved in an automotive purchase. Below you’ll find the one thing you can do to influence buyers at each micro-moment.

1. Which Car is Best? Target users on YouTube and the Google Display Network to advertise in tandem with Tier 1.
2. Is It Right for Me? Choose a website platform that is mobile-first.
3. Can I Afford It? Get your most aggressive offers in front of customers via paid search.
4. Where Should I Buy It Combine Smart Bidding, local actions, and Google My Business optimization to ensure you’re the only answer to “Where should I buy it?”
5. Am I Getting a Deal? Stay consistent with your messaging across all advertising channels.

Engaging Consumers Outside of Search

One of the best ways to engage shoppers outside of search engine marketing is with YouTube.

Here are the different strategies available.

• YouTube Select: Target the most-viewed channels, primarily used by Tiers 1 and 2.
• Bumper ads: Six-second ads effective for remarketing or quick promotions.
• Video action campaigns: Feature a blue button labeled “Learn more, “Buy here,” or “Leave your contact details here.”

Google recommends dealers use a strategy they call Tease, Amplify, and Echo. This involves first launching a video teaser of a new model or promotion. Then amplifying by using video action campaigns. Lastly, echo the message by retargeting those who have seen the video campaigns using a tactic like six-second bumper ads.

Dos and Don’ts of Smart Bidding

STRONG and Google explained that Smart Bidding is a form of automated bidding.

The types of Smart Bidding strategies are listed below.

• Maximize conversions
• Maximize conversion value
• Target cost-per-action (Target CPA)
• Target return on ad spend (Target ROAS)
• Enhanced CPC

The biggest benefit here is that you can tell Google which actions matter most to you. Dealers can set store visits at a higher value than VDP views, for example. Google adjusts the bid every time a search happens to align your priority actions with the shopper it has identified.

Google My Business

The most important thing to remember here is that your Google My Business (GMB) profile is your new storefront. In 2020, 65% of all Google searches resulted in no click, meaning customers were getting everything they needed from GMB.

Here’s how to optimize your GMB.

1. Ensure your name, address, and phone number are listed consistently throughout the web.
2. Include nested parts and service listings.
3. Activate Google Cars for Sale to put your live inventory in front of no-click searchers.
4. Respond to all reviews and questions, ideally within 24 hours.
5. Use posts and photos to keep relevant offers and updates in front of customers.

Driving Localized Actions

Local campaigns are the only Google advertising solution 100% dedicated to driving offline sales. They also optimize toward driving foot traffic, phone calls, and directions, which we know correlate the most with offline sales.

Key points about local campaigns are as follows.

• Adding local extensions to a campaign lets the user decide how they want to interact with you.
• Local campaigns are the only way to advertise on YouTube, Search, Google My Business, and Maps simultaneously.
• You can show ads on your competitors’ GMB listings within a 10-mile radius.

In conclusion, we covered far more material at the STRONG Virtual Marketing Summit than can fit into one newsletter. So, we encourage you to watch the full video, available at no charge. Thanks for reading, and we hope to see you tuned in next year for the latest in automotive digital marketing.