One of the major reasons to implement a video marketing strategy is to make more sales. But to make more sales, you need more leads, right? Video is one of the most engaging and effective methods for generating more website traffic, leads, appointments, and sales. But you can’t just post a bunch of random videos and hope for the best.  There has to be strategy behind your efforts.

Start with the end in mind. To ensure that you’re maximizing the lead potential for every video your dealership makes, follow these tips for creating a true video marketing strategy:

Include calls to action

Inventory videos and interactive 360 spins are a great way to increase traffic and emotional attachment on your vehicle display pages (VDPs). But, one of the biggest mistakes I see with dealers who post these videos is that they don’t have a clear call to action.

What do you want a car shopper to do when they finish watching the video? Complete a lead form to get more information or schedule a test drive, call the dealership to make an appointment, or stop by the dealership to see the vehicle in person?

All of these options are fine, but to make it happen you need to end every video with a request. To make it easy for shoppers to take action, include a link to a lead submission form, or make sure your dealership’s phone number and address is featured prominently in the video. You can even include a map at the end of the video to leave no doubt where you are located (car shoppers are traveling much further for test drives than they ever have before).

Respond to every lead with video

How many times have your salespeople been ghosted by leads? Despite their best efforts to reach leads via phone, text, or email, it’s aggravating when car shoppers do not respond.

Have you tried creating personalized video responses to solve this problem? Receiving a video email or text is still a pretty rare and special occurrence, and most car shoppers will appreciate the level of effort your salespeople went to.

People buy from people they like, and there is no better way to humanize your salespeople (and your dealership) than letting them see your smiling face while you introduce yourself, tell them a little about yourself, and answer their questions in a video.

Videos help to build trust that make shoppers more comfortable with continuing down the sales funnel. Plus, creating a personalized video for every lead makes it more likely that the prospect’s specific questions are answered—which in turn, makes it more likely that they will respond.

Revive old leads

How many opportunities have ended without a sale in the last two years due to lack of inventory? Hopefully your team still has these leads in your CRM, because with inventory returning to lots around the country, now is the perfect time to reach out and let these previous shoppers know.

Many consumers have been willing to wait for the vehicle they want, and to wait for vehicle prices to come back down to earth. As inventory levels are replenished, reach out to these car shoppers to see if they are still in the market.

The best way to get a response is to record a short salesperson introduction video, then send it via email or text. Introduce yourself, be sincere and friendly, and ask the person if they’re still in the market for a vehicle. Suggest one or two vehicles in your inventory that matched their initial inquiry and include inventory videos of those vehicles for the consumer to watch. Let prospects know if you’re having any specials. Utilize video to get these leads back in your sales funnel.

Post videos on social media

Give a reason for car shoppers to contact your dealership instead of other dealerships in town. Create informational and emotional videos promoting your dealership’s value propositions, then post them on social media.

Additionally, create a series of customer testimonial videos featuring happy customers. Post these on social media, along with links to pages with lead submission forms. Also, post the inventory videos on your VDPs to social media.  As new, and especially hot, inventory arrives, share links from VDP videos to social media so that your followers can see the new selections without visiting your website.

Send thank you videos to customers

Most people who purchase a vehicle never hear from their salesperson again. Imagine their delight and surprise when they receive a video from the salesperson or general manager a week after purchase.

In this video, the salesperson or manager should offer a sincere thank you, share contact information in case the customer has any questions, and ask for a referral. This extra, thoughtful step may just provide the impetus that your customer needs to promote their positive shopping experience with a friend or family member.

These are just a few of the many ways to use video in your video strategy.  The bottom line is that generating leads is a proven benefit of video marketing, but in order to maximize your videos’ potential, you need to start with the end in mind and have a well-thought out strategy in place.