3 SMS marketing tools your dealership’s competitors aren’t using yet

If you manage a car dealership, you know how valuable text messaging is for sales and marketing. 

The fact that texts have a 98% average open rate my have something to do with it. Our phones are practically glued to our hands, so it’s hard not to notice when a text comes through. 

Dealership department managers like Todd Spangler, Parts Manager Nissan of Columbus and ​​Columbus Mitsubishi North in Ohio, cite texting as one of the keys to making more sales and increasing loyalty. 

Customers regularly tell him that his texts make planning their days easier, and they appreciate that there’s a real human answering their questions.

Inspired by stories like this, I did a deep dive into the strategies of our dealership customers and noticed something interesting:

Even though all of the dealers have seen an increase in sales and customer loyalty from SMS, some of our customers’ campaigns eclipse the rest. The difference is that they’re using text messaging tools that other dealerships overlook.

This is good news for you. Your competitors are probably overlooking these important SMS tools as well, which means adding them to your strategy can give you a competitive edge.

Here are three SMS marketing tools that’ll help you sell more cars in 2023. 

1. SMS Keywords

To be honest, I was surprised by how few car dealers use our Keywords feature. It’s one of the easiest ways to fill your contact list with people who are actively looking for their next vehicle.

When you set up a keyword, your prospects can text in the word or phrase to your number to be added to your list. In exchange, you can send them:

• Price change alerts
• Information about specific vehicles
• Exclusive promotions
• Event invites

I saw one clever example from a dealer who created a unique keyword for every car on the lot and invited car buyers to text it for more details and pricing info. Each customer who texted the keyword was added to a unique list, which he used to send them price alerts, discounts, and information about similar models.

We’re one of the few texting platforms that offer unlimited keywords, so you can create keywords for every car in your inventory and then some.

2. Integrations and advanced automations

Want to speed up your sales and marketing processes? It sounds too good to be true, but integrating SimpleTexting with other tools helps your team work more efficiently.

For example, you can connect SimpleTexting with thousands of other platforms via Zapier, like your appointment reminder software, CRM, sales management system, social media platforms, and just about any other tool. 

If you want an integration that fits seamlessly into your dealership’s existing processes, you can take advantage of our advanced automations — custom integrations that we build and maintain specifically for your dealership’s needs and processes.

It’s like getting a tailored Armani suit that comes with complimentary, ongoing dry cleaning services.

3. MMS

While some daredevils buy cars online sight unseen, most people want to see actual photos of the vehicles they’re interested in. In fact, Dealers.com found that new cars with real photos were 30% more likely to receive at least one lead in a seven-day period. 

What about text messages? Our own data shows that using images in your marketing campaigns via MMS can boost click-through rates by 52%. 

Hi, do you have any used Sentras?

We actually just got one in stock last week. Want to come in for a test drive?

Take it a step further with videos that show prospects why they should book a test drive right away.

Test Drive These SMS Tools Before Your Competitors Do

Using keywords, integrating and automating your SMS platform, and sending images and videos are just a few ways to show prospects that your dealership is different from others in your area. To get started, try SimpleTexting’s text messaging software free for 14 days.

If you have any questions or want strategy help from our SMS experts, click on the blue chat button at the bottom of your screen. We’re here seven days a week to show you how to close more deals with texting.