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From the Senior Managers Perspective: Why It Pays to Know Digital Marketing...But Not Too Much
It is the senior manager's role to oversee dealership digital marketing efforts, with the main goal of generating actionable leads for the Business Development Center or sales teams. By senior manager we are referring to the Dealer, the General Manager and maybe the Sales Managers and the Controller.
Just what does that mean? Oversee? While many dealerships rely heavily on third-party lead generators like AutoTrader, Cars.com, and TrueCar, this strategy has both advantages and downsides and is in need of careful control and expense management. Third-party leads provide quick access to potential buyers and help dealerships compete, especially those without strong digital marketing strategies.
However, this reliance can lead to high costs, reduced exclusivity, and fierce competition for the same customers, often driving down profit margins. Additionally, dealerships lose control over the early stages of the customer journey, limiting their ability to build personalized relationships.
The senior manager’s answer to these challenges, should be to have your team focus on diversifying lead sources by incorporating organic digital marketing techniques such as search engine optimization, content marketing, social media engagement, and email marketing.
These organic digital methods generate higher-quality leads, allowing dealerships to build stronger relationships with prospects directly. Furthermore, a balanced approach that includes both third-party and organic lead generation offers flexibility, enabling dealerships to maintain a steady lead flow while reducing dependency on costly external providers.
However, in all cases the senior manager must stay focused on their primary role—leading sales teams and driving profitability—while remaining informed about digital marketing strategies and key performance metrics.
Rather than getting involved in the technical details of S.E.O. or social media, managers should delegate these responsibilities to specialized staff or external agencies, maintaining oversight of costs and results. Tools to help managers track the performance of organic lead generation efforts and make data-driven decisions that maximize return on investment, however knowledge about how to use those tools, in most cases, should be delegated to the digital marketing specialists.
By balancing organic and third-party lead generation and managing marketing costs effectively, senior managers can ensure that dealership digital marketing efforts contribute to both sales growth and profitability.
Management is often defined as the art of accomplishing goals through other people because it involves guiding, coordinating, and empowering teams to achieve organizational objectives.
Rather than doing tasks directly, effective managers delegate responsibilities, motivate their teams, and create environments where individuals can contribute their strengths toward shared goals.
By leveraging the skills and efforts of others, managers ensure that work is completed efficiently and successfully, aligning team efforts with broader strategic outcomes.
You do not have to be the expert… you just must know how to get the desired results from those who are the experts! Most of the time, this comes down to being able to ask the right questions and to judge whether or not you are getting good answers.
This post was a very short adaptation from just one of the chapters in the New DealersEdge Guide - "Senior Management's Guide to Automotive Digital Marketing".
This guide is loaded with information that dealership senior managers can use to understand the details of the digital marketing process and... more importantly... guide them to asking the right questions when evaluating those efforts by your staff or outside contractors.
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With the continued rise and acceleration of digitally skilled competitors, staying informed is crucial. This guide equips you with the insights to ask the right questions, make informed decisions, and lead your dealership’s digital strategy effectively. From managing third-party lead generators to maximizing organic lead generation and SEO, you’ll learn how to harness digital marketing for optimal results.
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