Transform Your Car Business with These 5 Amazing Video Tips

Video marketing is stronger than ever! Learn how to take amazing videos of your cars and boost the success of your car dealership.

In today's digital age, video has become the go-to tool for marketing and advertising, and it's no different in the automotive industry. 

Videos have become an incredibly popular medium for businesses to showcase their products and services, tell their brand story, and interact with their audience in a more engaging and personal way. 

So, if you're looking to upscale your car dealership, boost your sales, and build relationships with your clients, it's time to start using video. 

In this blog, we'll explore how you can use the power of video to showcase your inventory, create informative and entertaining content, and build a strong online presence that will help you stand out from the competition.

Get ready to discover the magic of video and take your automotive business to the next level!

1. Recognize the power of video

With YouTube becoming a giant in its own right and TikTok and Instagram Reels taking over the way we consume content, the power of video is indisputable. Video content is more popular than ever before. So it's no secret that video has become an essential part of any successful marketing strategy.

Both video content and video marketing are only growing in popularity. According to the Wyzowl annual survey, a whopping 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool. This comes as a surprise even to Wyzowl, who mention this is "an all-time high since we started tracking this data in 2016".

Source: Wyzowl

You might be thinking - but aren’t people getting tired of seeing all these videos online all the time? Well, nope. Numbers show that people are far from being tired of video content. 

91% of consumers in the Wyzowl 2023 study expressed that they want to see even more online video content from brands.

Even more interesting is that 89% of consumers say that watching a video has directly influenced their purchase decision in the way that they were convinced to buy a product or service.

These statistics show that video content has more than proven itself in the world of digital marketing strategies. 

According to the pros, brands are all about that video content because it grabs people's attention way better than words or sounds. You know how it is - we're all guilty of skipping through the boring parts of an article. But with video, you can keep people engaged and interested in what you have to say. So if you want to up your sales game, video will be your new best friend.

With the amount of power video content holds over purchasing decisions and its ever-increasing popularity, you might be wondering - what does this mean for your business?

Well, the good news is - if you haven't started making videos for your business, now is a great time to start! And if you have, that's amazing! With this article, we hope to give you some extra knowledge on how to increase or diversify your video content.
 

2. Invest in video equipment or hire professional videographers

If you want to produce professional-looking videos (or photos), you’ll need to start by investing some resources into a solid video setup. What does a solid video setup look like? Let’s walk you through it!

Camera or smartphone

When it comes to gear for car videography, you basically have two options: a DSLR/mirrorless setup or using one of the newer smartphones. 

If you're leaning towards a DSLR or mirrorless camera, don't let all the tech talk overwhelm you. Look for one that fits your budget, has solid reviews, and can produce either a full HD or 4K video. You can't go wrong with the big camera brands, but Sony has been leading the game for video makers for quite some time. 

As for lenses, if you can only afford one, go for a zoom lens like the 24-70mm or 15-45mm. Zoom lenses will allow you to create a variety of videos based on your ideas and what you want to showcase. 

Smartphones are another great way of producing video content. They are versatile, small and can produce some impressive videos nowadays. Look for one that can make 4K videos and has internal stabilization, like an iPhone 13. However, when it comes to video, smartphones are not there yet. The video quality you get with a smartphone is definitely not yet on par with that of a camera

Stabilization

Camera or phone stabilizers are an essential part of making amazing videos. No one wants to see a shaky video anymore (unless it’s for artistic reasons), and stabilizers, aka gimbals, are the way to go.

If you choose to make videos on both, you’ll need a separate gimbal for your phone and a separate one for your camera. The absolute staple in the gimbal world is the DJI Ronin for cameras and the DJI Osmo Mobile for smartphones, but there are gimbals out there for every budget.

Don’t forget about sound quality

Microphones are a part of video-making that almost everyone skips until they go to edit their videos. Even brand-new perfect car engines may sound weird or even damaged if you’re just using your camera’s built-in microphone. So an external microphone is an essential tool for making car videos! And they’re so affordable nowadays, there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t get one.

Additionally, taking videos of your cars will allow your clients to add another layer of inspection to the car - most automotive professionals are able to understand if a car has issues just by listening to the engine. One more reason to invest in an external microphone!

You can get mics that plug into your smartphone, or larger, but equally affordable ones, that clip onto a camera. 

These will allow you to pick up sound cleanly and with less background noise and are essential when you’re doing any talking in a video.

Hire a professional videographer

Okay, so now that we've covered the equipment basics, you'll have to decide who will take the videos. While you can always hand the camera or the phone to someone from your team and hope for the best, it's also okay to outsource this part of your business.

Take some time to look for legit videographers in your area. These people know all the ins and outs of making a fantastic video that showcases your business, wows your customers, and gets you the results you're after.

When you're on the hunt for a video team, be sure to check out their website, portfolio, and qualifications. You want to make sure you're investing in someone who will understand your business and be able to produce the high-quality videos that you need. 

If you're happy to let someone from your team learn about video-making gradually, you can find thousands of beginner courses on Skillshare or Udemy.

3. Know your audience and their needs

We’ve already talked about the importance of knowing your audience in our other articles, but it is really is *that* important.

When you know exactly who you’re making the videos for, your message will land better, ultimately reflecting better on your sales. Knowing your audience will also help you figure out what kind of videos you need to be making. The types of videos will differ significantly whether you’re selling to private customers or other car traders. 

For example, car traders who buy in large quantities and from other countries won’t be able to see the cars they’re buying in person. These clients will appreciate walkaround videos that show the car to the last detail.

Before making a video, ask yourself these questions:

• What problems are we solving for the customer?
• What would our customers be interested in seeing?
• What services do we want to highlight through our videos?
• How can we make our client’s purchase process easier?

Learning about your target audience is essential to any form of content creation, including video. To know more about finding your target audience, check out our article on essential digital marketing strategies for your dealership.
 

4. Show your vehicles off in a “walkaround”

What is a car walkaround? 

It's exactly what it sounds like - you walk around the vehicle while recording a video. An auto or car walkaround is a video recording of a vehicle that highlights its features, color, and any damages it might have. 

By featuring a car walkaround on your website or by sending it to your clients, you can showcase a car far better than if you would take photos of it from multiple angles. It's also a way less time-consuming way to showcase a vehicle than just with pictures.

Auto walkaround videos will help you build trust, credibility, and customer confidence. A car walkaround video effectively attracts potential buyers, engages them, and ultimately gets that sale. It's a great way to differentiate yourself from competitors and improve the buying experience. 

With an auto walkaround, your sales reps can show car buyers a specific vehicle without needing them to visit the lot. This is especially important if you're selling to other dealerships or automotive businesses that buy in large quantities without in-person visits.
 

How to create an auto walkaround video?

The process of creating an auto walkaround video is super straightforward. You just need to place the car in its designated spot and hit record. 

If you plan on uploading this video to your website under each car listing, your best approach will be a non-talking one. Simply walk around the car and record all the damages in separate photos.

If you plan on sending the walkarounds directly to a customer via text or email, you can be more personable and spend more time showcasing the features, damages, or the interior. With auto walkaround videos, your potential customers can check out the vehicles they're interested in without any pressure. This gives them the space to make their own decisions and helps establish a relationship built on trust. By making car walkarounds a part of your "sales rep tips and tricks," you'll sell more cars and create an exceptional customer experience.
 

5. Get creative with videos

We’ve only just scratched the surface of video potential with auto walkaround. There are so many ways you can utilize video that serves your business and strategies best.

Personalized videos

Another reason why video is so effective is because it allows you to build an emotional connection between your business and the customer.

By creating personalized videos, your customers feel seen and acknowledged. If they feel like you’ve taken the time out of your day to make a short video only for them, that’s where the emotional connections start to develop.

A personalized video can be: 

• An introduction of the account manager to a new registered user
• Answers to clients’ questions
• Reminders about payments or appointments
• Thank-You’s after a successful sale

Creating personalized videos might not come naturally to you at first, but the more you do it, the more comfortable you’ll feel.

Here are some tips for making your personalized video message a success:

• Check your lighting situation and make sure you’re located in a well-lit area.
• Next, think about what you're going to say and how you want the customer to respond. Make sure you review all the details beforehand.
• Start your video with a friendly introduction, just like you would on a phone call. Greet the customer by name and take it from there!

Show more than just the cars

Being in the automotive industry means the core of your business are cars, but they are just one piece of the puzzle. Your customers want to know more about your dealership, your team, and what sets you apart from the competition. That's where video comes in!

By creating and sharing videos, you can give your customers a peek behind the scenes and showcase all the amazing things your dealership has to offer. 

For example, you can create informative ‘How-To’ videos to help your clients out, or staff features of your employees. You can even do comparison videos of different car models/brands or have vehicle spotlights to showcase various cars.

The possibilities are endless and will depend on your particular niche. Just remember - not every video needs to be a sales pitch. By educating or entertaining your audience, you’re building emotional relationships with people who are connecting to your business on a personal level.

Trust us, it'll pay off in the long run!
  

TikToks and Reels

We’ve dedicated a separate section for TikTok as it’s unlike anything the marketing world has ever seen. What sets TikTok apart from all other video strategies is the glorification of fun.

Brands that adopted TikTok early on as a means of having fun and not taking themselves seriously are the ones who found the most success on the platform. And as a result, it drove not only brand awareness but also more sales. Just look at what RyanAir, Duolingo, or Washington Post are creating, and you’ll know what we mean!

Duolingo on TikTok

Embrace the silly trends on TikTok, and your business could be the next viral hit!

Clancy’s Auto Body on TikTok

Sell more cars with automotive video

We know that running a successful dealership means you need to stand out in a crowded marketplace, and that's where video marketing comes in. With the right approach, you can create videos that help you connect with potential customers on a personal level and take your car dealership or automotive business to the next level.

So why not get creative with your video marketing? You can shoot Q&A videos with your sales team, give virtual tours or walkarounds of your inventory, or even share customer testimonials to show how amazing your business is.

With a little bit of brainstorming and a lot of enthusiasm, you can use video to help you crush your digital marketing game and drive more sales. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and start making those videos!

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