For most Americans, the 4th of July is synonymous with fireworks, cookouts, lounging in the sun, and an extra day off work. In the car industry, the 4th of July is one of the biggest vehicle sales days of the year. Retail marketers everywhere are getting ready to capitalize on this summer shopping day to move inventory. How will you make your marketing stand out? How will you get your message heard and build brand awareness in the sea of marketing presented to consumers for the big weekend? Here are three ideas to let your 4th of July marketing shine.
Host a Selfie Contest
If you haven’t started using your social media channels to promote seasonally relevant content about your dealership, then this idea may be a perfect way to start. Think about hosting a patriotic themed selfie contest. There are several ways to run a photo contest, but probably the easiest is on Facebook. Tell participants to post their favorite patriotic selfie on your page. Then, award prizes to the most popular selfie, most creative, best smile, or favorite pic. Everyone loves to take selfies, so leverage the 4th of July holiday to engage with customers, prospects, and members of your community to promote your brand on social media.
Sponsor a Local Event
One of the best things about the 4th of July holiday is community events. Typically if your dealership is close to a city, there is everything from festivals to parades to fireworks displays. Think about sponsoring one of these types of community events to get noticed locally. Be sure your sponsorship includes some type of promotion about your dealership. For example, if you are sponsoring a local parade, be sure your brand is on the website where community members will go to check out the details and also have a couple of your newest models in the parade with your branding. Getting involved in your local community will create goodwill and brand awareness.
Fire Up the Grill
When all else fails, nothing brings people together like cold drinks, free food, and a party. If you don’t have big plans for this 4th of July, think about capitalizing on the spirit of the holiday. Invite your customers, prospects, and members of the community for a traditional 4th of July cookout. You can have games, entertainment, and raffles to entice participants further and keep them at your dealership longer. Make sure your staff is prepped and ready for the event to promote engagement with visitors and build lasting relationships.
The 4th of July holiday is quickly approaching and will be here before you know it. Start planning your strategy now so your campaign doesn’t get lost in the marketing clutter. Think of creative, out of the box ideas to make your marketing shine.