15 Tips to Dominate Instagram for Auto Dealerships in Houston Texas

15 Tips to Dominate Instagram for Auto Dealerships in Houston Texas

If someone is to buy a car, they are not just satisfied reading about it, they want to see it as well. This is why Instagram is such an effective tool for auto dealerships to promote themselves, given the visual nature of content over there as discussed over at runrex.com. If you are an auto dealership in Houston, Texas, and are looking to get started on Instagram, then this article will look to help you dominate through the following 15 tips.

• Create a Business Account

For your auto dealership, rather than creating a personal account, you should set up a business account as per the gurus over at guttulus.com. This is because a business account is specifically designed to help businesses promote themselves on Instagram, particularly since it allows access to analytics, which means that you can measure your performance and make changes for better results.

• Complete your profile

You must get your profile right if you have designs of dominating on Instagram. This means that you should ensure that all the information required is included from your dealership’s address and phone number to the website link so that users can contact you easily enough when they need to. You should also use your dealership’s name as your username to make it easier for people to recognize and find you on the platform.

• Get your profile picture right

When it comes to the automotive industry, first impressions are crucial, and given that your profile picture is one of the things people will see when interacting with your dealership on Instagram, you must get it right. As per discussions over at runrex.com, you should consider using your company logo, storefront, or any other identifiable business feature, or even a photo of your team as your profile picture.

• Know what to post

Don’t just post vehicle photos on your Instagram account as, while this may get you a few likes and followers, it probably won’t bring you any new business. You should focus instead on providing your followers with value, posting photos and videos of car service and maintenance tips, “how-to” content, vehicle troubleshooting tips, staff bios, as well as the latest inventory arrivals and new promotions and offers.

• Have a content strategy

As per the gurus over at guttulus.com, you should also make sure that you have planned out each post and ensure that everything you do is part of a larger social media content strategy. This way, you won’t appear as if you are randomly picking content to posts, throwing mud at the wall, and hoping some of it will stick. A content strategy will not only give you a sense of direction, allowing you to know what you need to do next, it will also give you access to prior data, allowing you to make informed decisions on the content to post as you will know the content that does well and vice versa.

• Showcase your customer

Unlike many businesses, car dealerships interact with customers on the daily. You should, therefore, consider putting them front and center of your Instagram feed if you want to be successful on the platform. Whenever someone buys a vehicle from your dealership, you should take them to celebrate them with a photo opportunity, sharing their accomplishment, which will be appreciated since buying a car is a large personal and financial investment. Just ensure that you ask for their permission before posting on Instagram.

• Use relevant hashtags

If you want your posts to reach the right audiences, then you must use the right hashtags as explained over at runrex.com. Use both industry hashtags such as #CarDealer, #AutoSales, #CarsOfInstagram, and so forth, as well as general hashtags like #TBT for the best results. You should also ensure not overdo it, as while Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, it has been noted that posts with 9 hashtags receive the most engagement. Just make sure that you put your hashtags in the comment section rather than in your captions, as anything more than 3 hashtags in your captions will make them appear cluttered.

• Consider coming up with your own hashtag

You should also consider creating branded hashtags for your auto dealership as they are an excellent way to encourage users to interact with your brand as well as keep track of your content. You should brainstorm with your team and come up with one that is easy to remember, topical, and is not already in use, then add it to your profile and begin using it in your content.

• Leverage user-generated content

As revealed in discussions on the same over at guttulus.com, most people trust online reviews that are done by other consumers, which is why you should leverage user-generated content if you want to be successful on Instagram. Encourage your customers to share their experiences with your dealership on Instagram, which will allow you to gain the trust of prospective buyers who may be researching your dealership online.

• Post regularly

You need to be active and ensure that your account is full of new content if you are to be successful on Instagram. You should also ensure that you post during the right times, researching to find out when your target audience is online and when your posts get the most engagements. You should look to post at least once or twice a day as a starting point as a good starting point.

• Switch it up

According to the subject matter experts over at runrex.com, you should also avoid posting the same thing and the same type of content over and over again. No one wants to see the same thing repeated on their feed as people want to see new and fresh content when they log in. You should, therefore switch things up and make sure that you keep your content fresh and new for your followers.

• Encourage engagements

As an auto dealership, your customers are your lifeblood, and engaging with them should be your main aim. You should, therefore, put up posts that encourage people to engage and interact with your posts, such as asking them to post their dream car, or asking them what their first car was, and so forth. This will entice them to engage and will help you create a relationship with them.

• Reply to feedback

Encouraging engagements shouldn’t be where it ends as you should also ensure that you take the time to reply to all the comments you get, positive or negative and that you do so as quickly as possible. This, as explained over at guttulus.com, will show your followers that you care about their opinion and what they have to say, building loyalty.

• Be creative when showcasing your inventory

Rather than just posting a photo of a car that you have for sale, which will look like blatant advertising putting of users, you should get creative with how you showcase your inventory, focusing more on telling a story rather than the product itself. For example, you can post a photo of a vehicle you or one of your team has gone on a road trip with, showcasing the trunk and space therein, its spacious and comfortable interior, and other features that make it a great car for a road trip. Such content is more engaging and will entice people to want to check out the vehicle being showcased.

• Leverage Instagram Analytics

If you are to make informed decisions for your dealership on Instagram, then you must pay attention to Instagram Analytics, which you will have access to given that you created a Business account as mentioned earlier on. Use the information and insights you get to make informed decisions about content, audience growth, and other areas if you are to dominate.

Other than the above tips, working with a top-rated Instagram marketing agency will also help you and your auto dealership dominate on Instagram, and for dealerships in Houston, Texas, this means working with the highly regarded runrex.com and guttulus.com, who are top of the class when it comes to such services in the area.