Advertising Platforms

[Arfur Dealy 823]

1 hour ago, Contracts said:

Did a van last year that the buyer found on “News now” website who seemed to have scraped Autotrader adds as we never put it on there.

We use Facebook for our leasing but our marketing guy looked at the analytics for Facebook post boasting and found a large number seemed to be overseas users despite him entering our set demographic.  

Scammers looking for a revenue...

[trade vet 703]

28 minutes ago, BHM said:

Over fifties? Sorry TV but you’re 25 years out of date. I’ve sold two cars this week to Septuagenarians (older than you ) & my only advertising is eBay. I stopped advertising over a decade ago in the local rags when I realised I hadn’t sold a single car via them in 6 months. 

 

Thanks for the bad news . I’ve reluctantly come to this conclusion because I’ve survived for decades on minimal advertising fees so am averse to shelling out. 

I am out of date alright.I was watching the pitch the other day and the easiest punter comes in and walks round a Quashqui and says ‘ I will have it’and ‘I will just pay you now and collect it tomorrow.So he gives me his debit card and I couldn’t work the machine.

[Arfur Dealy 823]

46 minutes ago, trade vet said:

Yes AD,I agree,but my understanding was that there are still a lot of over fifties ( cash punters and debt free )who don’t use the internet but buy newspapers, so for £50 it was worth ago.It wasn’t just sales it was a car buying add also and I thought we would have a least bought one car from it.

TV everyone has smart phones, they search on their phones. You are jumping back into the market which has changed beyond all recognition, to be offering a sell your car facility you should be at the forefront of social media, FB, local online media......... 

You also need a website that sells yourself and your business as THE place to buy locally, THE place to beat WBAC. 

[CCC 31]

3 hours ago, Nick M.K. said:

Two key words here: quality and buyers. 

I'm with these two and I also have eBay Motors Pro, Motors.co.uk and the free Car Gurus package. The odd lead comes from those. 

Hadn’t really twigged that in terms of quality but just use AT.

AT enquiries are generally good quality, virtually no “best price” merchants. Only issue can be distance sometimes. Guy doing an 8hr drive to get a £10k, rare spec MINI convertible, I understand. Someone driving from Chester for a £3k Cooper doesn’t make sense. 

Also use targeted Facebook/promoting on local FB sites.

Edited January 25, 2019 by CCC

[trade vet 703]

1 hour ago, Arfur Dealy said:

TV everyone has smart phones, they search on their phones. You are jumping back into the market which has changed beyond all recognition, to be offering a sell your car facility you should be at the forefront of social media, FB, local online media......... 

You also need a website that sells yourself and your business as THE place to buy locally, THE place to beat WBAC. 

Thanks AD,you are right,but I have been into this search engine optimisation stuff and these guys are wanting big money for no guaranteed results which these geeks say is the industry norm.I don’t buy that.So we are buying one or two every week at the door from passing trade and that’s OK.I would have done all the stuff years ago but not any more.

[Rory RSC 596]

12 hours ago, EPV said:

My dad is 77 today. He uses Facebook and an I pad etc for his news and can use google. Up until a few years ago he was clueless about it all. And that a 77 year old man. Over fifties will be using the Internet for nearly everything. 

My 86 year old grandad was using his ipad to search for things before he passed away. I remember this because I put his car up for sale when he gave up driving and he rang me every two days saying its still on your website I thought you were meant to be good at selling cars 

[NOACROSS 414]

Yeah- the older generation are internet-savvy for sure.  Well most of them.  There are some (plenty of our customers) who refuse to get involved and their phones are old /tiny old Nokias.

The print ad works on two levels for us:  It definitely raises your brand profile and awareness in the local and wider conurbation.  Same as all the really important to do SEO work (we use the excellent Click Dealer for that and the Facebook that I also don't really understand). It's hard to measure the 'guaranteed results' as it is a fishing trip that is on going where you've gotta keep casting your net and ensuring your net is big and strong and being constantly cast and improved.  

I sold a car the other week to a nice 82 year old (VW Tiguan) who found us by typing 'VW Tiguan for sale" into the Google bar.

I see it (and the odd press advert) as handing out thousand of business cards a day.

I think it was Nick who said something along the lines of the internet being a rain shower, and you, your ads etc are like an umbrella- and your umbrella needs to be as big as possible.

(This is why I also leave sold car on the website ages and, infact, I'm very slow to even mark them as sold.  Have sold many cars to customers interested in the sold ones this way, as you often have something coming in to suit, or something already in stock)

[David Horgan 564]

11 hours ago, CCC said:

Guy doing an 8hr drive to get a £10k, rare spec MINI convertible, I understand. Someone driving from Chester for a £3k Cooper doesn’t make sense.

Its the way of the world of online selling now though isn't it , We've had a cheap PX Focus at £1,895 and the customer turned up from over 100 miles away for it, 94k on the clock too , must have been one of those near him somewhere surely , Wasn't special 1.6 Zetec in blue  , Nothing as queer as the customers choices sometimes .

[trade vet 703]

Hi Noacross

Excellent post.We are also with Click Dealer but we found that their SEO for our online car buying site has been below expectations.However on the retail side and everything else,they are good and I would recommend them.I now know from a another local car buying site who do well,that they spend £3000 per month on SEO stuff to get noticed.

Interesting you are still doing a bit with newspapers,they are so cheap,there a couple of pitches up here who never miss a week in the local rag.Maybe,I should give it another try,it’s £50 for a quarter page and 16000 paid for circulation.

26 minutes ago, David Horgan said:

Its the way of the world of online selling now though isn't it , We've had a cheap PX Focus at £1,895 and the customer turned up from over 100 miles away for it, 94k on the clock too , must have been one of those near him somewhere surely , Wasn't special 1.6 Zetec in blue  , Nothing as queer as the customers choices sometimes .

Last week we were buying one in at the door as they were getting a Motability car.She then says I can now buy that Micra CC for my mother.She did,it was £2000 and in Southampton about 350 miles away and she was going to drive it back.I tried to explain it was not a good idea.

[Rory RSC 596]

47 minutes ago, David Horgan said:

Its the way of the world of online selling now though isn't it , We've had a cheap PX Focus at £1,895 and the customer turned up from over 100 miles away for it, 94k on the clock too , must have been one of those near him somewhere surely , Wasn't special 1.6 Zetec in blue  , Nothing as queer as the customers choices sometimes .

I always wonder this too David when someone travels a huge distance. I think we just have the first one that catches their eye in the colour they want etc and they just think sod it go for it. 

 

TV if I had a pitch selling cars that were run of the mill family stuff ie insignia focus etc I would advertise in the local press as its very low cost and builds local brand. I would advertise with low weekly prices / monthly prices saying no deposit and nothing to pay for 2months or a headline local customer finance rate of 7.9% apr or something like that to draw them in.

Probably need to aim for 2-3 months to see results though. After that if no one mentions it I would sack it off completely. 

[Ocsltd 133]

14 hours ago, Arfur Dealy said:

People don’t buy papers anymore, it’s free on their phones. When someone searches for a car they look online and the quality buyers look at AT. 

Completely agree.

[Mark101 536]

1 hour ago, NOACROSS said:

I think it was Nick who said something along the lines of the internet being a rain shower, and you, your ads etc are like an umbrella- and your umbrella needs to be as big as possible.

First few weeks of the month I must have had a huge umbrella as it stopped all the rain drops getting to me.  I put my brolly down this week and it rained in 

I know what Nick(?) was trying to describe but in future, I will hang my brolly upside down and catch em all.

[NOACROSS 414]

Just now, Mark101 said:

First few weeks of the month I must have had a huge umbrella as it stopped all the rain drops getting to me.  I put my brolly down this week and it rained in 

I know what Nick(?) was trying to describe but in future, I will hang my brolly upside down and catch em all.

Yes- the analogy should be a big upside umbrella. :0)

[NOACROSS 414]

55 minutes ago, trade vet said:

Interesting you are still doing a bit with newspapers,they are so cheap,there a couple of pitches up here who never miss a week in the local rag.Maybe,I should give it another try,it’s £50 for a quarter page and 16000 paid for circulation.

Here on the south cost, the older generation make up a large part of the area- and even more so in the outskirts of the little village/town we are in- so this I think is one of the reasons it works for us.

I'm not sure a quarter page is big enough- especially if you're appealing to the older reader. I always go for a half or whole page when I do it.

A quarter might work for a 'cars wanted' ad though.

[umesh 336]

I've always done local presss and it definately works for me, its built a 'local brand' for me for buying selling car. It's not always instant results a long term strategy, and whilst every other dealer has gone internet only in the area there are still lots of people who look at the papers then go on to the website and buy locally. Being local more chance of repeats and recommendations plus service work for the workshop and if there are any little issues easy to sort out. 

Doesn't work for all I know couple of dealers who tried to copy my ads few years ago and after 3 months gave up and pulled of the papers! 

[NOACROSS 414]

2 minutes ago, umesh said:

I've always done local presss and it definately works for me, its built a 'local brand' for me for buying selling car. It's not always instant results a long term strategy, and whilst every other dealer has gone internet only in the area there are still lots of people who look at the papers then go on to the website and buy locally. Being local more chance of repeats and recommendations plus service work for the workshop and if there are any little issues easy to sort out. 

Doesn't work for all I know couple of dealers who tried to copy my ads few years ago and after 3 months gave up and pulled of the papers! 

Many are called.  Few are chosen Umesh. ;0)

[trade vet 703]

1 hour ago, Rory RSC said:

I always wonder this too David when someone travels a huge distance. I think we just have the first one that catches their eye in the colour they want etc and they just think sod it go for it. 

 

TV if I had a pitch selling cars that were run of the mill family stuff ie insignia focus etc I would advertise in the local press as its very low cost and builds local brand. I would advertise with low weekly prices / monthly prices saying no deposit and nothing to pay for 2months or a headline local customer finance rate of 7.9% apr or something like that to draw them in.

Probably need to aim for 2-3 months to see results though. After that if no one mentions it I would sack it off completely. 

Thank you Rory,I think you are right and will give it a go.The only thing is there can be FCA restrictions using words like weekly payments,no deposit,real APR rate and its correct size and placement.I have been there before with our local jobsworth Trading Standards guy,

1 hour ago, NOACROSS said:

Here on the south cost, the older generation make up a large part of the area- and even more so in the outskirts of the little village/town we are in- so this I think is one of the reasons it works for us.

I'm not sure a quarter page is big enough- especially if you're appealing to the older reader. I always go for a half or whole page when I do it.

A quarter might work for a 'cars wanted' ad though.

Thank you again,what a good idea.

[Rory RSC 596]

TV - terms and conditions are viewable on your your website with finance calculators though. 

T&C apply better of just run with it until someone says not to IMO.

[Mark101 536]

Just now, Rory RSC said:

TV - terms and conditions are viewable on your your website with finance calculators though. 

T&C apply better of just run with it until someone says not to IMO.

/\/\/\/\

This

Providing you put Subject to Status, Terms and Conditions Apply and your FCA number (see website for full details) - I don't think you'll have too much hassle.

[EPV 631]

46 minutes ago, Mark101 said:

/\/\/\/\

This

Providing you put Subject to Status, Terms and Conditions Apply and your FCA number (see website for full details) - I don't think you'll have too much hassle.

You’ll have zero hassle. “Representative example” it’s how millions of pounds worth of personal loans are sold every week 

[trade vet 703]

41 minutes ago, Rory RSC said:

TV - terms and conditions are viewable on your your website with finance calculators though. 

T&C apply better of just run with it until someone says not to IMO.

Going back a good few years,I have ‘previous’ with Trading Standards with this sort of thing in AT mag days.We used to list stock like this.

cost new.....cash price....no deposit......£25p/w.....48 mths etc. It worked very well and I used to argue with the Trading Standards guy that it was diffinitive advertising for those consumers not capable of calculating their commitments.I think we eventually got some final warning and had to change.The thing is the likes of Evans Halshaw and Trade Centre Wales still appear to get away with it advertising on line but they are not trading in our area.

[NOACROSS 414]

I USED to see a load of traffic wardens at a site we had in town.  Was a nightmare trying to get cars out or move the site around, as the minute you parked one on the (single) yellow lines, the bastards would be all over you and tickets were a constant headache.

The people who run that site now actually leave three cars out front marked up at all times.  Never get a ticket.

Same with Trading Standards- are they about anymore in regards to hassling you for this sort of thing?  Would it not just be a polite conversation asking you to add or remove something?  

On my print ads, I just list the Finance company small print, and put STS etc as Mark said.

Life's too short to be constantly looking at your feet for holes in the ground.  Gotta look up and enjoy the view.  ;0) 

[trade vet 703]

1 hour ago, NOACROSS said:

I USED to see a load of traffic wardens at a site we had in town.  Was a nightmare trying to get cars out or move the site around, as the minute you parked one on the (single) yellow lines, the bastards would be all over you and tickets were a constant headache.

The people who run that site now actually leave three cars out front marked up at all times.  Never get a ticket.

Same with Trading Standards- are they about anymore in regards to hassling you for this sort of thing?  Would it not just be a polite conversation asking you to add or remove something?  

On my print ads, I just list the Finance company small print, and put STS etc as Mark said.

Life's too short to be constantly looking at your feet for holes in the ground.  Gotta look up and enjoy the view.  ;0) 

I think I do enjoy the view Noacross,I am part time,very part time.After 50 years I now enjoy the chat more than the actual trade.As for our local Trading Standards,I am probably still on their watch list.To give you an idea I recall at noon one Christmas Eve and the TS guy comes in looking for me to tell me that the size of the APR was not consistent with the size of our advert.It was one centimetre too small I kid you not.I think I will try again to see what happens but firstly I will take your tip and do a quarter page car buying ad at £50.It can run for 6 weeks for the cost of one BCA buyers fee.

[CCC 31]

10 hours ago, umesh said:

I've always done local presss and it definately works for me, its built a 'local brand' for me for buying selling car. It's not always instant results a long term strategy, and whilst every other dealer has gone internet only in the area there are still lots of people who look at the papers then go on to the website and buy locally. Being local more chance of repeats and recommendations plus service work for the workshop and if there are any little issues easy to sort out. 

Doesn't work for all I know couple of dealers who tried to copy my ads few years ago and after 3 months gave up and pulled of the papers! 

As you say it’s about building a brand, 3 months is probably nowhere near long enough to do that. We’re in a small town with a local magazine and no competition, we should give it a go.

[dawson 0]

ebay in the last 12 months has went backwards