Digital marketing remains a key investment area for car dealers in 2024, as the retail automotive sector continues to lag behind others in innovation and technological proficiency. In the months ahead, business owners and operators must carefully weigh their options to choose the strategies and partners that will best help their brands navigate the complicated digital landscape.
On this episode of Driving Solutions, host Jim Fitzpatrick is joined by Aaron Sheeks, CEO of PureCars, an automotive technology and digital marketing firm. PureCars has helped thousands of dealers expand their online advertising and e-commerce capabilities, making them an industry-leading partner for the retail automotive sector. Now, Sheeks discusses the key digital strategies dealers will need in 2024 in addition to his company’s plans for the upcoming National Automobile Dealers Association’s (NADA) conference in February.
Key Takeaways
1. Last year was Sheeks’ first year as the PureCars CEO after his previous enterprise, The AutoMiner, was acquired by the brand in mid-2023. He notes that the year was massively successful for both companies as they continued to help dealers push their digital marketing initiatives to the next level.
2. Sheeks is looking forward to showcasing more technology at the upcoming NADA show. He notes that PureCars has several innovations to announce for the automotive digital marketing landscape that will help dealers achieve greater results in 2024.
3. Sheeks notes that while online media has become more complicated than ever, recent technological advancements have made the management of digital marketing campaigns significantly easier. But to truly succeed, dealers will need to be firmly acquainted with their storage, collection, and usage of customer data.
4. Sheeks predicts that dealers will be heavily focused on balancing their budgets in 2024 to offset falling prices and normalizing demand. Consolidating initiatives, cutting costs, and improving profit margins will be a top priority throughout the year. To support their clients in this endeavor, technology and digital marketing providers will also be looking to offer solutions that provide premium services at a cost-effective rate for retailers.
5. One of the most important investment areas for dealers in 2024 is their talent. Not only will store operators and owners need to find strong candidates, but they will also need to provide quality job experiences to ensure employees are motivated to stay and work hard. The more effective their teams, the more returns on investment dealers will see in areas such as digital marketing.
To learn more about PureCars and its ever-expanding lineup of digital marketing services, be sure to visit their team at booth #4812W at the upcoming 2024 NADA show.
"In 2024, the single greatest investment you will make as an operator is talent. Talent is expensive, and it makes money everywhere it goes, and not very many platforms are installed with it. So if I really want to win, I'm going to make sure I have the right talent with the right people in my store, managing my revenue streams in the right way." — Aaron Sheeks
