6 Questions to Ask Your Automotive Marketing Company

Between swapping out a set of tires and investigating a check engine light, you might decide you need more customers walking through your doors. An automotive marketing company could be the answer if you lack the time, resources, and expertise to create traditional and digital marketing campaigns. 



However, it’s crucial to vet potential automotive marketing agencies to be sure they offer the services you need to reach your marketing goals. Like test-driving a car, you must get to know potential marketing partners before signing a service contract. 

Here are some questions to ask as you probe into ad agencies’ backgrounds, experiences, and specialties.

1. What Is Their Area of Expertise?

If you encounter a digital marketing agency that claims to do it all, run for the hills. Most agencies specialize in a few digital or traditional marketing or advertising areas, but are not experts in every marketing strategy.

Moreover, there is no one marketing program or automotive advertising agency that suits every company’s needs. Instead, most businesses work with a marketing agency that offers the services best aligned with their objectives. 

While diversifying your automotive digital marketing gives you visibility across multiple platforms, you can’t do it all and do it well. For example, an automotive business that wants more local leads might invest in search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, and Google ads.

If an automotive marketing company offers multiple marketing solutions or describes itself as “full service,” ask about its areas of expertise. Possibilities include:

• Email marketing
• SEO
• Content marketing
• Social media marketing
• Omni advertising
• Pay per click
• Google ads
• Facebook ads

Furthermore, ask for case studies highlighting past campaigns with automotive businesses like yours. Read customer reviews and testimonials online for evidence of increased website traffic, leads, and sales due to the agency’s efforts. 

The goal is to ensure the agency’s strengths match your goals as a business — and that the proof is in the data-driven results. 

2. How Well Do They Know and Understand Your Industry?

A marketing agency might have extensive experience with digital media and marketing strategy. But, does it have a track record in automotive industries? Does it know automotive brands, terminology, and customer journeys?

Different industries have different trends and consumer needs, wants, and buying behaviors. The customer needing new brakes as soon as possible differs from the customer hemming and hawing over a major appliance purchase. 

You want your automotive marketing company to understand the nuances of your industry to tailor your marketing strategy accordingly. The firm should know the jargon, the pain points, and the right solutions for your customers. 

3. What Is Expected of Me as the Client?

Depending on the marketing program, you may need to maintain regular contact and share assets with your agency. For example, suppose you signed up for a social media marketing program to boost your social media presence. In that case, you must regularly send images, videos, and other content to your social media manager. 

On the other hand, agencies would need ad-account access if you signed up for digital ads. But your involvement might be minimal after handing over the keys to your ads manager.

Other expectations could include:

• Reviewing creative materials
• Responding to customer inquiries and online reviews in real time
• Calls and video conferences to review campaign results

It all depends on the program. 

So, consider how involved you want to be. How much will the automotive marketing company take off your plate? How much would you need to invest — in dollars and time — for various service tiers?

4. What Is the Onboarding Process Like?

A smooth onboarding process ensures you can quickly get up and running with a new marketing agency. Conversely, a disorganized onboarding process might have you waiting weeks to get your campaigns rolling and see any return on your investment.

Every company does onboarding differently, and things can get complicated. Especially if you’re switching from one advertising company to another, or there are multiple moving parts to your program.

Before signing on with an agency, ask what the onboarding process entails. The firm should have step-by-step instructions, timelines, and critical deliverables mapped out — ideally in a client portal, project management app, or shared document. This way, you’ll be able to gather any information the agency needs to complete your account setup and launch your campaigns as quickly as possible.

5. Who Will Be My Point of Contact at the Company?

Some companies have unique points of contact for different product lines, meaning you might need to connect with multiple parties throughout your campaigns. 

Without a single source for communications, marketing assets, and deliverables, keeping your business information consistent across platforms can be challenging.

Preferably, you have one central point of contact at the marketing agency to prevent miscommunication and siloed information. Having a clear line of communication with that contact — a support team member or an account manager — will prevent critical information from getting lost in the shuffle.

6. How Will My Results Be Presented to Me?

When investing in marketing with an automotive marketing company, you want to see whether the agency delivers on its promises. It’s essential to know how often and in what format the agency will report on your campaigns so you know how they’re performing.

Some agencies might create a report every month, quarter, and year. Others might also schedule a periodic phone call to review your campaigns' results and any recommended changes. Just be sure you’ll have access to all the details you require to determine whether you’re getting a return.

Find the Perfect Automotive Marketing Company

You might have the fastest, most experienced automotive shop in town. But that doesn’t mean all your potential customers are flocking to your business — yet. If you’re looking for traditional and digital marketing solutions to attract more customers, an automotive marketing agency could be the answer. 

With the questions above, you’ll be well on your way to finding the right marketing partner that matches your goals. 

To learn more about Optimize and how we can assist you with your automotive digital marketing, contact us today to schedule a free consultation. Let us take care of your online presence with proven digital marketing strategies. So you can focus on delivering automotive care to your valued customers.