In my fifteen-plus years in the automotive trenches—moving from the sales floor to managing multi-million dollar ad spends—I’ve noticed a disturbing trend. Most dealers are still operating on a 2010 mindset in a 2026 market. They are obsessed with the “Lead.” They treat their CRM like a digital lottery and their marketing budget like a […]
It was December 3rd when the phone rang at 7:42 AM. “Mike, we’re in trouble.” The voice on the other end belonged to a dealer I’d been working with for six months. “We’re 52 units behind our yearly goal, inventory is stacked up, and my sales manager wants to slash prices and run ‘desperate dealer’
December Playbook for Car Dealers: Profit Without Discounts Read More »
Last week, I had a conversation that perfectly illustrates the shift happening in automotive marketing right now. A dealer called me, frustrated:“Mike, we’re spending $22,000 per month on marketing and generating 350 leads, but we’re only selling 38 cars. My cost per vehicle sold is $579, and I feel like I’m just throwing money at
It happens every month like clockwork. A dealer gets frustrated with their current marketing results, so they add another vendor to the mix. Google Ads aren’t converting? Let’s try Facebook advertising. Facebook isn’t working? Maybe we need better SEO. Website traffic is down? Time for a direct mail campaign. Before they know it, they’re working
The Marketing Vendor Trap: Why Dealers Lose Profits Fast Read More »
Last week, I was sitting in a dealership owner’s office when he said something that stopped me in my tracks: “Mike, I feel like I’m failing at everything. Marketing is complicated, leads aren’t converting, vendors are expensive, and I’m working 70-hour weeks just to stay afloat. Sometimes I wonder if I’m cut out for this
The Hidden Dealership Superpower That Drives Sales Read More »
Last month, I sat down with a dealer principal who was frustrated beyond belief. His two-location franchise dealership was spending $22,000 per month on marketing, working with 11 different vendors, and his cost per vehicle sold had climbed to $1,150. “I feel like I’m throwing money into a black hole,” he told me. “Everyone says
The Real Cost of Marketing Chaos for Car Dealers. Read More »
Many car dealerships work with multiple vendors—SEO agencies, social media marketers, PPC experts—all hoping these specialists will help drive traffic and sales. While these efforts can yield some results, working with too many vendors often leads to confusion, inefficiency, and inconsistent messaging. Let’s explore why working with too many vendors isn’t the solution and how
The Truth About Car Dealership Marketing: Why More Vendors Don’t Solve the Problem Read More »
The holiday season is approaching fast, and if you’re like most car dealers, you’re already thinking about your Q4 marketing strategy. But here’s what 15+ years in automotive marketing has taught me: the biggest costs aren’t always the obvious ones. While you’re focused on ad spend and promotional budgets, there are hidden expenses quietly eating
The Hidden Cost of Holiday Marketing: What Car Dealers Need to Know Before December Read More »
Your dealership’s social media isn’t working. You’re posting. You’re paying for ads. But your engagement looks like a ghost town, and your DMs are quieter than a library on Sunday. Here’s the truth: Most car dealerships are doing social media wrong. Not because they’re lazy, but because they’re repeating the same tired mistakes that make
7 Mistakes You’re Making with Car Dealership Social Media (and How to Fix Them) Read More »
You’re spending thousands: maybe tens of thousands: on digital ads every month. Facebook says your campaigns are crushing it. Google Analytics shows decent traffic. Your ad agency sends you colorful reports filled with impressive-looking metrics. But here’s the gut-punch: You have no idea which ads actually sell cars. Welcome to the attribution black hole where
Stop Wasting Money on Ads: How a Fractional CMO Fixes Your Attribution Problem Read More »
