Use These GM Proven Dealership Marketing Strategies

As a former General Manager who's been in the trenches for more years than I care to admit, I've seen firsthand what works and what doesn't when it comes to dealership marketing strategies.

As a contributing writer for my friends at Balloon Innovations, I'm sharing my favorite 18 tactics that can help you rev up your sales and leave your competition in the dust. Let’s face it: selling cars can be brutal. There are amazing moments, that’s for sure, but between finding lost keys, having service rollups smash cars about to be delivered, and that slip-and-fall that just happened in the employee lounge, you’ve got a lot on your plate.

So, let’s take a minute to focus on making sure your retail sales are the last thing you’ll have to worry about during your day. These proven tactics worked for me at my Highline store, and I know they’ll work for you. Let's count them down!

Yeah. You might have seen that one coming. But seriously. Slow down for a second. I know you might be thinking, "Car lot balloons? Really?" Here’s the thing – this tried-and-true method is still one of the most effective ways to draw attention to your dealership.

And in a world where the other marketing strategies (named below) can be expensive, this one, is not.

There's something about those big, colorful balloons that catches the eye and signals "something special is happening here." They create a festive atmosphere that draws people in and gets them excited about buying a car.

Do one of the best things for your dealership this year. Take advantage of Balloon Innovations current promo and free trial. The ROI is killer and there will be an uptick in conversions you’ll be able to see as a result.

Now, outside of being attractive from the street, you’ve got to be just as inviting with your online store. Just because your OEM dropped a templated website for your franchise, that doesn’t mean your job is done. Quite the opposite. There’s more issues with franchise website templates than you might realize. So make sure you’re is unique to your store.

In today's digital age, your website is often the first impression potential customers get of your dealership. Make sure it's a good one! A sleek, easy-to-navigate website can be the difference between a lead and a lost opportunity.

When I was a GM, we revamped our website to make it mobile-responsive and intuitive. The result? Our online leads increased by 30% in just three months. Remember, your website should be more than just a digital brochure – it's a 24/7 salesperson.

Ok ok ok. You’re visible from the street. Your digital storefront looks great. But now… you’ve got to determine if people can find you online, just as easily as they can from the road.

Do this: Write down your top five selling models. Now go to Google and type in “[Model] Finance Deals in [Your City] or [Model] Lease Specials in Your City.”

Do you come up ahead of your competitors?

Or at all?

If your dealership isn't showing up on the first page of Google, you're missing out on a lot of potential customers because that’s what they’re typing into Google to find you. And those templated websites I just mentioned are killing you where you sleep. SEO is like having a prime location on the busiest street in town, but for the internet.

We used to think SEO was just about stuffing keywords into our website but once we started to use our co-op dollars the right way, this became one of our favorite dealership marketing strategies. An optimized website is all about creating valuable content, optimizing your site structure, and building quality backlinks. Once we got it right, our organic traffic doubled within six months. If you need an automotive SEO specialist, ask the team here at Balloon Innovations. They’ll connect you with the best.

Content is king in the digital world. By creating helpful, informative content, you position your dealership as a trusted authority in the automotive space.

In my GM days, we started a blog where we shared car maintenance tips, comparisons between different models, and local driving guides. Not only did this boost our SEO, but it also gave our sales team valuable content to share with potential customers.

Not sure who to saddle with this project? Typically your BDC manager will have some idea of what to do here. But again, we’ve got a great web team that we can connect you with.



Social media isn't just for sharing memes and vacation photos. It's a powerful tool for connecting with your community and showcasing your inventory. And frankly, when my sales team was doom scrolling on slow days, I didn’t yell at them. I paid attention. I asked questions. I learned what worked.

Then we put all those ideas to work for us.

We found success by sharing behind-the-scenes content, customer testimonials, and even live videos of new arrivals at the dealership. It humanized our brand and kept us top-of-mind when people were ready to buy. Going live was also really fun and when we got over the fact that we didn’t look like Tom Cruise, we had a great time connecting with our customers.



If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a million. Video content can showcase your inventory, highlight your dealership's personality, and provide valuable information to potential buyers.

When we started creating virtual test drive videos, we saw a significant increase in inquiries about specific models. People loved getting a more immersive look at the cars without having to visit the dealership first.

Pro tip: if you store these, your sales team can fire them off when needed and that’ll save your team a ton of time. Of course, you’ll have to redo them every year, but it will make your life so much easier with respect to sales and dealership marketing strategies.



Email might seem old school, but it's still one of the most effective ways to nurture leads and keep in touch with past customers. The key is to provide value, not just sales pitches.

Are you collecting your customer’s birthdays? Everyone loves a birthday promo. Plug that action into your CRM and watch the conversions pile up!

When it came down to it, we segmented our email list based on customer interests and behaviors, then tailored our content accordingly. Our service reminders alone led to a 15% increase in service appointments. Most CRMs have this type of data, but when I was a GM, we used our proprietary CRM since we were an F500 store… you can probably figure what company I worked for!

Everyone loves a good deal. Strategic promotions can create urgency and drive traffic to your dealership.

One of our most successful dealership marketing strategies we implemented was a "Trade-In Tuesday" promotion, where we offered above-market value for trade-ins every Tuesday. It brought in a steady stream of potential buyers and helped us build our used car inventory.

Our customers always know what to expect. And we’d even have a lot of new referrals sent our way just because our market knew the deal.

Great customer service isn't just a nice-to-have – it's a crucial marketing strategy. Happy customers become brand ambassadors who bring in more business through word-of-mouth referrals.


We implemented a comprehensive training program for all staff, from the receptionist to the finance manager. The result? Our CSI scores skyrocketed, and so did our referral business.

PPC advertising allows you to get in front of potential customers at the exact moment they're searching for what you offer. It's like being able to put up a billboard right in front of someone who's thinking about buying a car.

We found success by focusing on long-tail keywords (like "best luxury family SUV for $150,000") and creating highly targeted vehicle landing pages for each ad group. Our cost per lead decreased while our conversion rate increased.

This one probably goes without saying because I don’t know any dealership without a CRM these days. Maybe if you’re a small buy-here-pay-here outfit but if you aren’t tracking your inbound customers, you’re missing out.

A good CRM system is one of the best dealership marketing strategies you could have. It helps you manage leads, track customer interactions, and identify sales opportunities.

Pro tip: connect your CRM with a sales intelligence/digital retail tool and skyrocket your leads.



In the age of Yelp and Google Reviews, your online reputation can make or break your dealership. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews and respond promptly to all feedback – good or bad. DealerRater and others are also pretty important. So don’t skimp. Those platforms become a great source for leads.


We made it a point to respond to every review within 24 hours. This showed potential customers that we valued feedback and were committed to customer satisfaction.

Becoming an active part of your community can significantly boost your dealership's visibility and reputation. Host events that bring value to your community, not just sales opportunities.

We organized an annual "Cars and Coffee" event that brought together car enthusiasts from all over the area. It wasn't directly about selling cars, but it positioned us as a hub for the local auto community.

Rain or shine, our community knew when and where we were - and every now and then - we’d barbeque if it fell on a Friday.



Repeat customers are the lifeblood of any successful dealership. A well-designed loyalty program can encourage customers to come back for services, refer friends, and eventually make their next vehicle purchase with you.


Our loyalty program offered points for service visits, referrals, and purchases. Members could redeem points for discounts on services or accessories. It significantly increased our customer retention rate.

The forgotten and unsung hero of dealership marketing strategies: direct mail. If you think they end up in the trash - well - you’re right. But the handful of sales you’ll get will more than cover the cost.

In a world of digital overload, a well-crafted piece of direct mail can really stand out. The key is to use data to ensure you're reaching the right people with the right message.


We used data from our CRM to send targeted mailers to customers approaching the end of their lease, overdue for service, or those likely to be in the market for a new vehicle. Our response rates were consistently higher than industry averages.

Pro tip: put a QR code on that mailer and integrate with your appointment booking tool.

Remarketing allows you to stay top-of-mind with people who have shown interest in your dealership. It's like being able to follow up with every person who's ever walked into your showroom.

We implemented remarketing ads across Google and Facebook, showing relevant inventory to people who had visited specific pages on our website. This led to a significant increase in return visitors and ultimately, more sales. Creep, sure. But still one of my favorite dealership marketing strategies.



For dealerships, local search visibility is crucial. Make sure your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) listing is fully optimized and that your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information is consistent across all online directories.

When we focused on improving our local SEO, we saw a 40% increase in "Get Directions" clicks from Google My Business. This translated directly into more foot traffic at the dealership.


Don’t forget to have an appointment link on your Google Business Profile. It helps!

Nope. Not annoying to customers. Not one bit. In today's world, customers expect instant responses. Chatbots can provide immediate answers to common questions, schedule test drives, and even help qualify leads – 24/7.

We implemented a chatbot on our website and were amazed at the results. It handled over 60% of initial customer inquiries, freeing up our sales team to focus on high-quality, ready-to-buy leads, not to mention walk-ins… which… coincidentally brings me to my favorite of all dealership marketing strategies.



Not all car lot balloons are created equal. Balloon Innovations uses high-quality, durable balloons that can withstand all types of weather. They're big enough to be seen from a distance but not so large that they overwhelm the cars.

And here’s another thing. You don’t have to do anything! They will literally change your balloon displays regularly to keep things fresh and to highlight different promotions or events. Red, white, and blue for Independence Day sales, orange and black for Halloween specials, or green and red for holiday offers.

The best part? Car lot balloons are cost-effective. For a relatively small investment, you get a big visual impact that can significantly increase foot traffic to your dealership.

In my years as a GM, I've tried every marketing strategy under the sun. But I always came back to car lot balloons as a cornerstone of our visual marketing. They're simple, effective, and they work.

Remember, at the end of the day, selling cars is about creating excitement and drawing people in. And nothing does that quite like a colorful array of balloons floating above your lot.

I trust that this article about my favorite dealership marketing strategies has been helpful for you. From high-tech solutions to good old-fashioned car lot balloons, each of these strategies can play a crucial role in driving more customers to your dealership and boosting your sales.

The key is to find the right mix of strategies that work for your specific dealership and market. Don't be afraid to experiment, track your results, and adjust as needed. And whatever you do, don't underestimate the power of a good balloon display!

…now where did I put my keys?