Juggling the core tasks involved in running a successful automotive business and promoting your business online can be tough. While you could set up an in-house marketing team to help you achieve your digital marketing goals, doing so may require significant amounts of time and resources. 

An automotive marketing agency can relieve you from the hassle of managing your digital presence or hiring in-house marketing professionals, allowing you to focus on your core competencies. And best of all? When you partner with an agency, you won't need to invest in costly cutting-edge technology. You'll save precious time and money!

However, picking a suitable automotive agency can be difficult. Unsure about how to select the right one? We've compiled a list of nine key factors you should consider before hiring an agency to help you make an informed decision.

Key Responsibilities of Automotive Marketing Agencies

Automotive digital marketing agencies offer various services. Before we explore what to consider when you're deciding which agency to partner with, let's look at some of the essential services they provide.

Digital Marketing Strategies

You can't succeed online without a road map to achieve your marketing goals. An agency can work with you to develop an effective automotive marketing strategy by doing the following: 

• Identifying your key business goals and aligning them with digital marketing objectives 
• Selecting suitable channels for lead generation and customer reviews
• Reviewing quarterly analytics to help you make informed decisions on how to achieve your goals and allocate your budget more efficiently

Local SEO Implementation

About 50% of online searches have local intent. This means you can't afford to neglect local search engine optimization (SEO), especially if your automotive business serves nearby customers. 

An agency can help you implement a well-detailed local SEO strategy by doing the following:

• Optimizing your Google Business Profile 
• Optimizing your Yelp Business Profile and running pay-per-click (PPC) Yelp Ads 
• Performing local keyword research to attract local searchers
• Acquiring high-quality backlinks from other sites to improve your website's local visibility

Note: Local SEO isn't a set-and-forget strategy. It's an ongoing process that requires consistent monitoring and refining to maintain high local search rankings.

Content Creation and Management

Automotive marketing agencies have a variety of professionals who are skilled at crafting captivating content, such as digital ad specialists, account consultants, copywriters, and graphic designers. 

These professionals are also skilled at organizing and distributing content across various platforms, ensuring it reaches its target audience and aligns with the business's goals.

Lead Generation Tactics

About one out of two sales professionals struggles to generate leads. Automotive marketing agencies help businesses generate leads through various strategies. 

Some of these strategies include: 

• Running digital ads on platforms like Google and Yelp
• Providing valuable content on social media to nurture leads
• Implementing SEO strategies to boost website visibility and attract qualified leads

What to Look For

If you perform an online search for the query "automotive marketing agency near me," you'll receive hundreds of results. Before settling for the first agency you encounter with an attractive website or an enticing pitch, here are nine key things to look for.

1. An Automotive Agency That Aligns With Your Business's Goals

Before you begin your search for an automotive agency, evaluate your business's goals. Do you want to build brand awareness, drive website traffic, or improve your customer retention? Regardless of what you want to achieve, determining your business's goals will help you select a suitable agency.

For instance, you may want to partner with an agency that's well-versed in local SEO if you want to attract nearby customers to your automotive shop.

Tip: Vet multiple agencies to ensure you choose the one that best aligns with your goals.

2. Industry Experience

Partnering with an agency with specific experience in the automotive industry can give your business a competitive edge. Automotive agencies understand the unique challenges automotive businesses face, such as seasonal fluctuations in demand and complex buyer journeys.

When evaluating automotive agencies, look for favorable testimonials, reviews, and case studies. Reputable agencies should have success stories demonstrating how they've helped businesses like yours.

Also, look for agencies that keep up with industry trends and attend industry events to understand evolving customer needs and stay ahead of the competition. 

For example, the Optimize Digital Marketing team will attend the Automotive Training Expo (ATE) in Seattle in March, where top automotive marketing experts will be speaking.

3. The Price You Pay for Digital Media

Before approaching automotive agencies, it's essential to create a budget that should be adhered to. Ideally, the agency you choose should be willing to stick to your budget, provided that it's realistic. 

However, this doesn't mean you should just partner with the most affordable agency you encounter. Avoid choosing an agency solely based on price, because it may not deliver the results you want. Instead, evaluate the cost against the value the agency offers.

When evaluating pricing, inquire about pricing structures, additional costs, and contract terms. A reputable agency will provide you with clear, transparent, and easy-to-understand pricing details.

4. Services

Not all automotive digital marketing agencies are created equal. Full-service agencies offer a variety of marketing services. In contrast, specialist agencies focus on particular areas, like social media marketing, SEO, or PPC automotive advertising.

If you want a single agency to handle all of your marketing needs, hire a full-service agency. Alternatively, consider partnering with a specialist agency if you need help with a specific marketing challenge, such as boosting your social media engagement or running digital ads.

5. Communication

Poor communication can be costly. In fact, it's estimated that miscommunication at the workplace costs American businesses $1.2 trillion annually.

Want to avoid costly losses due to poor communication? Choose an agency that provides regular updates and maintains open lines of communication via your preferred channels. The agency should also listen keenly to your needs and be open to collaborating with your team to achieve your goals.

6. Posting Strategies for Content Marketing

Content marketing is critical to the success of your automotive brand. You can use content marketing to:

• Build brand awareness
  
• Generate and nurture leads
  
• Boost website traffic
  
• Demonstrate thought leadership
  
• Educate audiences

Look for agencies that use a variety of content formats, such as blog posts, infographics, social media posts, e-books, and webinars, to achieve their marketing goals. 

For example, publishing blog posts can be an excellent way to increase your website traffic, and explainer videos can be a great way to educate customers about technical products or services.

7. Quality of Custom Content

No two automotive dealerships are the same, so avoid agencies that take a cookie-cutter marketing approach. Instead, choose an agency that creates custom content to meet your specific business goals. 

Tailored content is more likely to resonate with your audience and deliver good results. For instance, if you run an automotive shop that specializes in body repairs, you'll want to partner with an agency that will help you produce compelling body repair content rather than generic automotive content.

8. Reputation Management

Want to guard your online reputation? Choose an automotive agency that offers reputation management services. An agency offering reputation management will monitor your online reviews across multiple sites and proactively address negative feedback, ensuring your brand maintains a positive image.

However, be wary of "automotive marketing gurus" who promise to simply remove all of your negative Google reviews. Generally, it isn't possible to remove negative Google reviews unless they violate Google's policies.

9. Proof of the Results

The best automotive agencies won't just provide an impressive client roster. They'll showcase quantifiable results tied to specific marketing goals, such as increased leads, web traffic, or customer retention rates.

Look for automotive agencies that use results-driven strategies to deliver tangible results for their clients. 

Tailored Consultation Services

Hiring the right automotive digital marketing agency can set your business apart from your competitors, helping you acquire more customers, generate higher-quality leads, and drive more revenue.

Ready to achieve your digital marketing and advertising goals? Contact us to learn how our bespoke digital marketing solutions can grow your automotive business.