Marketing Company Gives Car Sales a Viral Boost

From finding a new hairdresser to locating the best produce in town, social media users are constantly touting their favorite local business through Facebook and Twitter. Now, thanks to viral marketing company, Vboost, consumers can share a positive car-buying experience through a viral music video with their family and friends, potentially bringing more business in for the dealer.

During the vehicle delivery process, Vboost allows dealers to upload a few pictures to its viral marketing platform which is iPhone and Android compatible. Then, using a template, a music video is created highlighting the customer’s experience at the particular dealership. The next day, the consumer receives an email with a link to the video which includes the dealer information as well as the salesperson’s name.

Studies show that 58% of car buyers will post something on a social network about their new vehicle purchase. In fact, “Automotive” is the fourth highest topic of product discussion on social media sites.

Dealers are all doing the same thing; building their Facebook and Twitter accounts, trying to “drag” an audience to their sites, VBoost CEO, Paul Moran told AutoFinanceNews.net. But simply trying to cram themselves into the lives of social media users may not do the trick. And for the most part, a lot of consumers who use the channels, simply “like” or “follow” a business if there are incentives involved, so it’s more a matter of fitting in with that clientele.

“We send them the content and don’t ask them to share it,” Moran said. “But by putting the right stuff in the message they are compelled to share it.”

“We like to say we are reaching an unreachable audience,” he added. For those customers who have their Facebook accounts “locked down” from business interaction, or even those who have stopped watching commercials thanks to products like TIVO, Vboost’s marketing platform can reach the audience in an effective way. The company, as well as its dealers can even see how many views the video has received.  

Right now, Vboost works with 60 dealers in six states. The company’s goal for this year: 170 dealers by the end of 2012, Moran said.

As lenders rely on dealers for sales, could this be a marketing program fit for financiers? Consumers may know a friend’s credit history and if they find out that they got approved at a nearby dealership, they may be inclined to head over there themselves for a similar offer.

Vboost is also starting a pilot program to provide videos for dealers upon internet leads from potential shoppers, Moran said. The video would include photos of car matches and information about vehicles in a way that consumers crave.