By using SMS auto sales strategies, you can reach potential car buyers, build trust, and drive sales. Here, we’ll explore the five main ways you can personalize the car-buying journey with SMS marketing, share some car sales text message examples, and explore how AI can help drive results.
1. Tailor Promotions to Each Customer
Every car buyer is unique, and so are their needs. A family searching for an SUV will have different preferences than a young professional who is looking for a sports car. SMS automotive campaigns can take these differences into account by personalizing offers based on customer data.
To get started with tailored promotions, use CRM software to track people’s preferences, including things like their favorite brands or past questions they’ve asked. Divide your audience based on their demographics, interests, and buying behavior. Once you have this information, you can use it to send out promotions that speak specifically to each customer segment.
2. Use Texts to Schedule Appointments
The more convenient it is to schedule an appointment, the more likely people are to do so. You can streamline your appointment scheduling process through SMS. To get started, you’ll want to integrate scheduling software with your SMS system. You can send reminders or follow-ups to make sure customers don’t miss their appointments and offer flexibility by allowing people to reschedule via text.
3. Offer Real-Time Inventory Updates
Car inventory can change quickly, and keeping buyers in the loop can make a difference. Text message marketing for car dealerships means you can give people real-time updates about new arrivals, price drops, or deals. To get started, you’ll want to let customers know when a vehicle like the one they’re looking for becomes available. You can highlight limited-time offers to create urgency and use images and videos of the car to give them a full idea of what’s available.
4. Personalize Follow Ups
After someone visits your dealership, you can follow up with a personalized message to keep the conversation going and show that you value their interest. Whether they took a test drive or discussed financing options, your follow-up should reference their specific experience. This includes referencing vehicles or discussions from their visit, giving them resources like financing calculators or maintenance guides, and encouraging further discussion by asking them for questions or feedback. Using AI, this process can be entirely automated.
5. Include Deals and Rewards
By offering exclusive discounts or loyalty rewards through text, you can build stronger relationships and push purchases. Start by creating a loyalty program that people can sign up for and use this to send things like personalized birthday or anniversary offers. You can also highlight limited-time discounts for SMS subscribers.
Why SMS Works for Automotive Sales
Text message marketing for car dealerships works because it’s direct, fast, and personal. Unlike email campaigns that might get buried or overlooked, SMS has an impressive open rate of over 90 percent, making it far more effective than traditional email marketing campaigns. Given how much time people spend on their smartphones (over three hours a day, according to some reports), dealerships can use SMS to send targeted offers, appointment reminders, or updates directly to a person’s device, and the message will be seen quickly. With our TECOBI Auto Bot, this can all be automated.
Additionally, SMS allows for a personal touch. You can tailor messages based on a person’s specific preferences, notifying them about available vehicles that match their wish list or alerting them to discounts. This level of personalization not only improves the overall customer experience but also increases the chance that you’ll convert leads into sales.
Additional Benefits of Text Message Marketing for Auto Dealerships
In addition to personalization, SMS text message marketing for auto dealerships comes with other advantages. Here, we cover some of the reasons why you should be using this type of marketing.
High Open RatesPeople check their phones over 200 times a day, and SMS messages can see open rates of over 90 percent, often within minutes of delivery. This makes them great for time-sensitive promotions and updates, as well as general marketing efforts.
Real-Time EngagementSMS is a way for you to communicate instantly with your audience. If you’re notifying customers about a flash sale or confirming appointments, SMS will make sure the message reaches them right away.
Concise MessagingText messages are short and to the point. This makes them great for delivering personalized messages like reminders, offers, and updates.
Higher Response RatesSMS typically has a much higher response rate than other forms of marketing like email, making it great for two-way communication. This comes in handy for things like scheduling test drives or asking for feedback.
Mobile-Focused AudienceMost people carry their phones everywhere, and SMS doesn’t require an internet connection. This gives you a more surefire way to reach your audience, especially for people who are always on the go.
Car Sales Text Messaging Examples
Using the five tips above, you can improve your SMS auto sales and convert leads. Here, we give a few examples of how your personalized text messages might sound.
Tailored Promotion Example “Hi Jane, We know you’re a fan of eco-friendly cars. Our 2025 hybrid models just arrived! Visit us for an exclusive test drive. Reply YES to schedule your spot.”
Appointment Scheduler Example“Hi Mark, Your test drive for the Ford F-150 is confirmed for Monday at 2 PM. Need to reschedule? Just reply with a new date and time!”
Inventory Update Example“Hi Alex, The Toyota Camry you were interested in is now available in metallic gray! Check it out here: [link]. Don’t wait—it’s in high demand!”
Personalized Follow-Up Example“Thanks for stopping by, Emma! We hope you enjoyed test-driving the Honda Accord. Have questions or want to explore financing options? Reply here—we’d love to help!”
Learn More About Text Message Marketing for Car Dealerships
Personalizing the car-buying journey using SMS auto sales strategies can boost engagement, but having the right software is essential to power the process. Here at TECOBI, we’ve designed the TECOBI Auto Bot to help car dealerships automate follow-up communications in the car sale process. Our bot not only re-engages conversations with smart follow-ups, but it can also reach out to older leads with personalized interactions.
By taking over routine follow-up tasks, the Auto Bot allows you to focus on customer service that requires human empathy and insight. Whether you use our bot to tailor promotions, give real-time updates, or offer rewards, it’s a must-have SMS automotive assistant with endless possibilities.
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