How Online Automotive Sellers Are Shifting Their Sales Into High Gear: 3 Strategies For Fueling ROI - Forbes

We are approaching a time in which the majority of drivers will make their actual car purchase online, rather than just complete their research phase online, which is currently the case.  

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While people may have no problem buying clothing, furniture, or even major appliances, online, when it comes to a purchase as big as a car, today’s consumers still want to be able to see it, feel it, and test drive it before handing over their hard-earned money—right?

Well—not entirely. According to recent research by Google, the car buying process is moving totally online. Although it hasn’t happened yet, we are likely approaching a time in which the majority of drivers will make their actual car purchase online, rather than just complete their research phase online, which is currently the case. How can automotive brands take advantage of this shift, rather than get left behind? Here are three key strategies that automotive brands can use in order to reach today’s drivers—connected consumers—online. 

Master the art of test-drive videos. 

According to that same report by Google, 64 percent of consumers who watch online videos in order to inform their purchase say that new formats, like 360° video, would convince them to buy a car without a test drive.

Test drive videos offer viewers the detailed, insider’s look at a product (in this case, a car) that connected consumers crave. By moving their phone or tablet, they can actually look around the inside of the car as the video creator is driving, offering as close to the real thing as you can get—at least, without virtual reality. 

With so many connected consumers interested in test drive videos, brands should feel confident that investing in 360° video technology will have a high ROI. 

Invest in influencer relationships.

The connected consumer trusts influencers far more than they trust brands—in fact, connected consumers are even beginning to lose trust in some of the highest-profile influencers, opting for hyper-local and micro-influencers. 

This trend is consistent across nearly all industries, including the automotive industry. Google reports that creator-produced videos have much higher engagement rates than those produced by brands. This is in spite of the fact that car commercials produced by brands are one of the highest-watched categories of car videos on YouTube. 

This tracks with what we found in our own proprietary research into the connected consumer, Marketing to Gods: The Definitive Guide to Reaching, Engaging, and Retaining the Modern, Connected Consumer. Connected consumers want to see authentic, genuine endorsements of a product from someone they feel they can trust—someone like them.

It’s exceptionally hard for branded content to deliver that kind of trust, so automotive brands looking to succeed with consumers today and into the future must look seriously at increasing their investment in influencer relationships and developing influencer campaigns. 

Don’t shy away from longer videos. 

We’ve been hearing for years that no one wants to watch a 10-minute video. People want something short, sweet, and to the point. 

It turns out that this is changing. While viewers do still want videos that deliver what they promise and don’t waste their time, viewers are much more willing to watch long videos these days, especially when they’re considering buying a car. 

Google reports that 73 percent of the top creator-produced car-related videos were 10 minutes long or longer. For brand-produced videos, only 1 percent were 10 minutes or longer, with 73 percent of brand-produced videos being less than 1 minute. 

92 percent of car buyers research cars online before making a purchase, and the data shows that they want video content—and lots of it. 

There’s no need to limit your brand to making short, commercial videos only. Try creating a video tour of your latest model, partnering with an influencer on a full video campaign, or producing a 360 video test-drive series. Whatever direction you go, as long as you’re authentic, you’ll be giving your customers exactly what they want for the road ahead.

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