So, you’ve heard TikTok isn’t just for dances and viral challenges—it’s a goldmine for brands, and yes, that includes car dealerships. With millions of users spending hours daily on the platform (120+ minutes on average), TikTok offers a unique chance to reach potential buyers in creative, memorable ways. Let’s break down how to get started with TikTok, the types of content that work, and how to track your success on this game-changing platform.
Why TikTok Matters for Dealerships
TikTok is a playground of possibilities for car dealerships looking to increase visibility. With a user base that includes both younger audiences (think future buyers!) and Gen Xers, TikTok is perfect for building brand awareness and generating interest. You want to be where your buyers are, and this is it! This platform’s ad formats and organic video potential give dealerships a creative edge to tell their story, show off inventory, and drive some serious impressions.
Paid vs Organic
One of the biggest things we hear our dealers questioning is whether they should focus on building their organic presence before worrying about paid traffic on TikTok. The great news is that you can do both at the same time, or you can simply focus on paid initiatives first to get things started. With paid, the goal is to maximize impressions to the right target audience with appealing visuals. For organic, this is definitely something we see handled best internally or locally as they’ll have a better grasp on your market and can make more authentic videos. We recently posted about Social Strategy Best Practices if you want to dive more into this topic.
Best Types of Ad Formats and Content to Attract Leads on TikTok
Paid Ads
- Video Shopping Ads (VSAs) – Combine video with scrolling inventory to showcase what you currently have in stock and drive traffic to your website.
- Automotive Inventory Ads (AIAs) – An upgraded experience for generating single image and video ads right from your inventory catalog. Highlight your vehicles and attach an on-page lead form to generate leads directly in TikTok. As a TikTok partner, our team is excited and ready to get these launched for you!
- AIA 2.0 – As an added bonus to automotive inventory ads, videos can also be linked with a product card allowing you to highlight specific details on a particular model.
- Search Ads – coming soon to sMedia! Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to hear about it first.
Organic Videos
- Walkaround Videos – Give viewers a peek inside the latest models, highlighting cool features and what makes each vehicle unique.
- Behind-the-Scenes – Share videos of new inventory arriving, staff introductions, or the process of detailing a car before it hits the lot.
- Day in the Life – Show what a typical day looks like at the dealership; from answering questions to prepping cars for test drives, make it relatable and fun.
- Just Have Fun! – Some dealers have found success doing their take on current TikTok trends to generate a genuine connection with viewers.
The bonus to creating organic videos at the dealership is that they can also be used for your paid advertising initiatives as well!
Tracking Your Success: Focus on Impressions First
When starting on TikTok, focus on tracking impressions—how many people are seeing your content and engaging with it. Impressions and reach are critical first steps in building brand awareness. Here’s how to keep tabs on your TikTok performance for both paid and organic initiatives:
- Impressions & Reach – Track how many people your videos reach and the number of times each is viewed.
- Engagement Metrics – Pay attention to likes, comments, and shares; these are indicators of content that resonates with your audience.
- Follower Growth – If your TikTok follower count is growing, you’re successfully capturing interest and turning impressions into potential future leads.
Knowing that TikTok has already surpassed Instagram and Facebook for total daily minutes spent on the platform for many age demographics, you would be crazy to not have this part of your digital marketing plan. We know trying new and uncertain things can be unsettling, and that’s precisely why our team of experts is here to help and guide you through where to start, and what to watch for. We’ll work with you to increase the awareness of your dealership while making a memorable impression on future car buyers!
Ready to get started or want to chat with one of our Solutions Consultants, drop us a line and we’d be happy to help!
