Automotive SEO

At first glance, Instagram seems pretty easy. For the average user, taking a few photos, and sharing them among friends is straightforward.

For a business, such as a car dealership, this social media platform could be daunting. Thankfully, Instagram can be easy to use, but how to use it is the tough question facing businesses? Using some of the features offered on this platform can help you engage with your local audience and bring them to your car dealership.

Proper Engagement is Key to Success

You could have thousands of followers but if none of them are coming to buy cars from you, the use of Instagram is meaningless. What you need to focus on is the engagement level with your audience. How often are your posts being viewed? Are followers skipping past your videos and ignoring you or are they involved and engaged with you? Much of the success on this social site has to do with how you work to reach your audience.

Do You have a Bio and a Link on Instagram?

While this sounds basic, you’d be amazed at how many businesses forget to add a link in their bio to their website. Create a compelling bio and make sure you add the website link so that your followers can head over to your pages and see what you have to offer.

Are You Completely Engaged With the Community?

There’s no autoplay feature for you to robotically engage with your local community on social media, it’s going to take a hands-on approach. This means you comment, share, like, and post regularly. Do this not only on your own pages and posts but on those of others who connect with you. If a user comments, be sure to add a response, even if it’s a simple “thank you”.

Have You Researched Keywords to Hashtag on Instagram?

While the term hashtagging has become an overused verb, it’s the simple act of using keywords to bring focus to a post. You want to use relevant hashtags on your posts to bring attention to your dealership. Using local area hashtags can have the most impact and allow your audience to see what you have to offer more easily.

How Often are You Posting Content to Social Media?

Even though our focus right now is Instagram, you likely have several social media accounts and need to maintain each one to stay engaged with your community and followers. By creating a schedule and consistently posting to platforms you’ll keep your audience informed and engaged. Each platform has different guidelines regarding the number of posts and when to place them on the sites to reach the most viewers.

Are You Reposting Partner Content on Instagram?

Have you created a local partnership and started promoting another business while they work to promote yours as well? Reposting their Instagram posts can be a great way to show your support and reach a larger audience. You’ll gain more interest from local professionals and possibly bring an influencer into the mix who might share your posts as well. Working with partners is an easy way to be in front of a larger crowd.

Are You Only Posting Automotive Content?

If your posts are all about your dealership and the cars you sell, your engagement levels are going to dwindle in a hurry. Make sure you’re posting about trending topics and offering information regarding the news of the day or the most popular movies and events going on in the area. Stay informed and share information that’s relevant to more of your local viewers.

Did You Remember to Include Location Tags?

Your hashtags and information on Instagram should include the location where you are. As a car dealer, you mostly need to be seen and viewed by those in your area. By adding geotag information to your posts, you’ll show up more easily for those looking for car dealers in your area. The geotag link allows followers to see a map of where you are so they can find you and come in to buy a car.

Instagram Can Be Extremely Useful to Your Car Dealership

Once you answer these seven questions and take advantage of the advice given, your Instagram account will become the cornerstone of your social media marketing strategy. Have fun with the content, offer interesting and engaging topics, get your followers involved, and let them understand why they should come to you when it’s time to buy their next vehicle.