Instagram has steadily become one of the top social media platforms. It has garnered over 700 million monthly active users worldwide, with 500 million users being active daily. Just in the U.S., there are 78 million monthly active users It was launched in 2010, and by the end of that year, it has over one million users. As of January 2017, this photo-sharing social platform has over 40 billion photos shared across the web. So, how do those figures pertain to automotive dealerships? Instagram has very close ties with Facebook Advertising, as well as the upcoming generation of vehicle purchasers. The average interaction rate for each post for companies in the automotive industry has been higher than other categories at 1.52% per post. This surpassed the average interaction rate for several industries, including Drinks, Retail, Sportswear, Fashion, Watches and Jewelry, Travel, Consumer Electronics, and Beauty. Instagram has been known to be popular amongst the younger generations. So, the brands on Instagram are generally targeting the mobile and younger audience. From new releases to pre-owned vehicles, Instagram is the perfect platform to showcase your dealership’s stock. As more and more automotive dealerships are using incorporating social networks into their marketing strategies, there is now a higher level of competition. Hence, it is vital for automotive dealerships to know how to drive traffic onto their platforms while also increasing the number of likes and followers on their pages.
Below, we’ll be outlining six of the top tips to help you get the most out of your marketing strategy on Instagram.
- Link Your Facebook And Instagram Accounts
Roughly 20% of Instagram users also use Facebook. The more integration between your social media accounts means a higher level of interaction possible. It’s easy to link your Instagram and Facebook accounts. Simply go into the account settings of your Instagram account and tap to link your Facebook account.
- Keep on Liking
Generally, the rule of Instagram is that the more you like other user’s pictures, the more likes you will receive. Though you can follow users, you do not need to follow them, simply to get a like. As busy as automotive dealerships can get, just liking 10 – 20 posts a day, can yield favorable outcomes.
- Post Photos Through Various Sources
On Instagram, especially with brands, it is not necessary to post photos that are just taken, as you would with an individual’s Instagram page. For automotive dealerships, they can use stock photos of their brand, vehicles, or even their showroom and staff. By using a mix of photo sources, you will have more photos to post. Subsequently, the more photos you post, the higher your visibility.
- Maintain Credibility
On the Internet, along with all the social networks, credibility is key. Users do not want to constantly see advertisements on their home feeds or explore pages. So, listening to your followers’ comments can help automotive dealerships to learn more about their target audience. A great way for automotive dealerships to maintain their credibility is to post photos that feature something other than cars.
- Use Hashtags
Though hashtags began on Twitter, users of Instagram made great use of them. Automotive dealerships can use photo specific hashtags to gain a higher level of probability of being visible. The current top hashtags on Instagram are: #love, #instagood, #photooftheday, #fashion, #beautiful, #happy, #tbt, #cute, #like4like, #followme. Just of these top ten hashtags, automotive dealerships can use at least eight out of the ten, depending on the style of the picture they post.
- Post Instagram Videos and Stories
What started as a 15-second video on Instagram, can now be a 60-second video. On top of that, with the release of Instagram Stories, dealerships can be even more ‘real’ with their followers. They can post videos of current special events or deals that are happening, as well as posting their advertisements on there as well. These are only a few of the tips that are sure to advance your Instagram strategy to the next level. The biggest tip that we can give you is to be present online while also show that you are real people. Users like to see relatable posts, so if you’re only posting car photos, there’s less interaction between you and your followers.
