Facebook Messenger Guide for Car Dealers 2023: Maximizing Engagement and Sales

Messenger in 2023 to build relationships with customers and optimize
their sales efforts. We discuss each feature of Messenger relevant to
car dealers, and best practices for creating engaging conversations that
drive leads and convert prospects into loyal buyers.

By the end of this guide, you will have all the information you need to
start leveraging Facebook Messenger for your dealership’s success in
2023!

Before we continue, who has written the article: “2023 Guide to Facebook Messenger for Car Dealers: Maximizing Engagement and Sales”?

I am Gary Lewis Cheetham, an automotive marketing specialist with over
10 years of experience and an expert in using Facebook Messenger for car
dealers.

I have a deep understanding of how to successfully market and sell cars
through online platforms, and specialise in helping dealerships to
increase their engagement and sales through personalised communication.

Born and raised in Oldham, Greater Manchester, UK, my interest in car
trading started at a young age, helping my dad’s dealership increase
private sales through online marketing and Facebook Ads.

I founded GL Digital Automotive Marketing in 2020 to bring my expertise
to dealerships across the UK and US, and help them maximize their ROI
through effective Facebook Messenger strategies.

What is Facebook Messenger?

Facebook Messenger is a messaging platform that is integrated into the
Facebook social media platform. It allows users to send and receive
messages, make voice and video calls, and share photos and videos with
other Facebook users.

For car dealerships, it can be used as a tool for customer service,
allowing potential and current customers to message the dealership with
questions or to schedule a test drive.

An example of a client that uses Facebook Messenger in this way is a
used car dealership that we work with.

They have found that by having a dedicated customer service
representative monitoring and responding to messages on Facebook
Messenger, they are able to quickly address customer inquiries and
concerns, which has led to an increase in sales and customer
satisfaction.

How can Facebook Messenger can be used as a sales tool for car dealerships?

Here is a short customer journey story that illustrates how Facebook
Messenger can be used as a sales tool for car dealerships:

• Customer: Hi, I’m interested in buying a used car. Can you tell me
  more about the cars you have in stock?

• Auto-response from dealership: Thanks for reaching out! We’re glad
  you’re interested in buying a used car from us. We have a wide range
  of vehicles in stock, and we’re happy to help you find the perfect
  one. To get started, can you tell us what kind of car you’re looking
  for?

• Customer: I’m looking for a compact SUV.

• Auto-response from dealership: Great! We have several compact SUVs in
  stock. Can you tell us your budget and what kind of features you’re
  looking for?

• Customer: My budget is £15,000 and I want a car with good fuel economy
  and a rearview camera.

• Salesperson: Hi there, This is John, a salesperson from the
  dealership, I saw your message here and it’s after hours but I’ll be
  happy to help you out. I have a few options that I think would be
  great for you. I can also send you some pictures and information about
  the cars.

• Customer: That would be great.

• Salesperson: Sure thing, I just sent you an album of the cars that
  match your criteria, take a look and let me know if you have any
  questions or if you would like to schedule a test drive.

• Customer: I’m interested in one of the cars you sent me, can we
  schedule a test drive for tomorrow?

• Salesperson: Absolutely! I’ve scheduled a test drive for you tomorrow
  at 2:00 PM. I’ll see you then!

• Customer: Thanks, see you tomorrow.

• Salesperson: You’re welcome, we’ll see you tomorrow and I’ll be happy
  to answer any other questions you might have.
  Next Day
• Salesperson: Hi there, welcome to the dealership, I see that you’re
  here for the test drive. Is there anything else you would like to know
  before we start?

• Customer: No, I think I’m ready.

• Salesperson: Great! Let’s go for a test drive.

• Customer: I really like this car, can we talk about the price and
  financing options?

• Salesperson: Of course, let’s go to my office and we’ll go over all of
  the details.

• Customer: I’ll take it!

• Salesperson: Great! I’m glad you found the car you were looking for.
  I’ll go over the paperwork with you and get you set up with finance.
  In this scenario, Facebook Messenger helped close the sale by allowing
  the customer to easily connect with the dealership outside of regular
  business hours, and providing the dealership with the ability to
  triage the customer’s request and quickly provide them with the
  information they needed to make a purchase decision.

The dealership was able to use auto-responses to help streamline the
process and provide the customer with a personalized experience, which
ultimately led to a sale.

What are The Benefits of Using Facebook Messenger for Car Dealers?

• Increased engagement with potential customers

• Streamlined sales process

• Cost-effective advertising

How does Facebook messenger increase engagement with potential customers for car dealers?

One of our clients, a dealership, started using Facebook Messenger to
communicate with customers outside of regular business hours.

This allowed them to communicate with customers when it was convenient
for them. For example, we had a customer who worked during the day and
could only inquire about a car during the night. The dealership was able
to respond to the customer in real-time and closed the sale the next
day.

Another advantage of using Facebook Messenger is that it allows for an
asynchronous sales experience. This means that customers can respond to
messages at their own convenience, rather than having to answer a phone
call. Our dealers send multiple follow-up messages on Facebook
messenger, which the customers generally read even if they don’t reply.

For example, we had a customer who was interested in a car but was
unable to answer a call during work hours. The dealership was able to
keep in touch with the customer through Facebook Messenger, and the
customer was able to respond when they were free. This resulted in a
successful sale.

How does Facebook Messenger streamline the sales process?

Using Facebook Messenger streamlines the sales process the most by
allowing a salesman to deal with multiple enquiries at the same time. We
have personally seen the benefits of using Facebook Messenger for this
purpose.

For example, one of our clients, a used car dealership, started using
Facebook Messenger to communicate with potential customers. This allowed
the sales team to respond to multiple inquiries simultaneously, rather
than having to handle each one individually over the phone. This not
only saved time but also allowed the sales team to be more efficient and
effective in their responses.

We have also seen that using Facebook Messenger can help to automate
certain parts of the sales process.

For instance, by setting up automated responses to triage incoming
enquiries, a dealership was able to filter out customers who were not
seriously interested in buying a car, without the need for a human
salesperson to be constantly available. This helped to keep the
conversation going even when the sales team was busy with other
customers.

How does using Facebook messenger lead to more cost-effective advertising?

Using Facebook Messenger can lead to more cost-effective advertising by
allowing businesses to run Facebook Messenger ads on Facebook. This can
result in more inbound leads compared to using “Lead” or “Website
Visits” as a conversion goal.

For example, one of our clients, a used car dealership, started running
Facebook Messenger ads targeting potential customers looking for used
cars. The results were impressive, with a significant increase in
inbound leads compared to their other ads that encouraged customers to
fill out the contact form on the website.

The cost per lead of the Facebook Messenger ads was also significantly
lower than the other ads they were running on the account.

Setting Up a Facebook Messenger for Your Dealership

The steps to setting up Facebook Messenger properly for your dealership
are as follows:

• Creating a Facebook page for your dealership

• Setting up Messenger Automations functionality on your page

• Add Facebook Messenger Chat Plugin on your website

Creating a Facebook page for your dealership

Having an optimised Facebook page for your dealership is essential when
you are using Facebook Messenger because it functions as your “Shop
Window” on Facebook.

This means having up-to-date information about your dealership,
including details of the cars you sell, any special offers or
promotions, as well as contact information. Having this type of content
on your page will help customers get a better understanding of what your
dealership has to offer.

For more information on how to set up and optimize your Facebook page
for your dealership, please refer to our article on this topic here.

Setting up Messenger Automations functionality on your page

Once your page is created, you will have access to Facebook messenger
straight away.

All automation functionality is managed through Facebook messenger on
desktop. To access the messenger inbox, click the messenger icon in the
top right corner of your screen.

You’ll see your inbox is broken down by messenger, Instagram, Facebook
comments and Instagram comments.

Automation options are accessed through the atom icon in the top right
of the screen.

The first automations we recommend to set up are “instant reply” and
“away message”.

Setting up instant reply automations on Facebook messenger

Click on the blue “Create automation” button in the top right corner of
your screen.

Then click “instant reply” or “away message”

Click create automation

On channel, select Messenger, and Instagram if you want this automation
to be active on Instagram as well.

On “Message”, you can type whatever you would like the customers to see
as the first message.

Here is an example from one of the dealers we work with:

Hi [Customer Name], The vehicle is still available. May you leave your
contact number and preferred day/time to come and view the car and the
sales team will be in contact as soon as possible.

Thank you

[Business Name]

More information about setting up automated responses can be found
here:
https://www.facebook.com/business/learn/lessons/set-up-automated-responses

Set up Facebook Messenger Chat Plugin on your website

Setting up Facebook Messenger on a car dealership’s website involves
integrating the Facebook Messenger platform into the dealership’s
website so that customers can easily communicate with the dealership
through the website using Facebook Messenger.

This can be done through the use of a website plugin or by adding a code
snippet provided by Facebook to the website.

You can read up-to-date documentation on the Facebook Messenger Chat
Plugin here:
https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1524587524402327

What does the Facebook Messenger Chat Plugin provide dealerships on the website?

When customers visit the dealership’s website, they will see a button or
icon that allows them to start a conversation with the dealership
through Facebook Messenger. This can be located on the website’s
homepage, contact page, or other relevant pages.

By providing this feature, customers can easily contact the dealership
with any questions or inquiries they may have, alongside the normal
contact forms that you have on the website already.

What are Facebook Messenger Chatbots for a car dealership?

Facebook Messenger Chatbots are third-party tools that integrate with
Facebook messenger and provide additional auto-reply functionality. They
are usually paid tools that you can subscribe to or pay for yearly
access.

Why should a dealership use Facebook Messenger Chatbots?

Facebook chatbots can be a valuable tool for a dealership to use, as
they provide a way to automate and streamline customer interactions.
Chatbots can handle simple inquiries, such as providing inventory
information or answering frequently asked questions, allowing
salespeople to focus on more complex tasks.

We helped one of our clients integrate a Facebook chatbot with their
sales flow. The chatbot was able to handle simple inquiries, such as
providing inventory information or answering frequently asked questions.
It also provided a way for customers to schedule test drives, which
resulted in a significant increase in test drive appointments and sales.

This allowed the sales team to focus on more complex tasks, such as
handling test drives and closing sales.

Best Practices for Using Facebook Messenger as a Car Dealer

• Following up with leads in a timely manner
  This is especially important when using Facebook Messenger as a means
  of communication, as Facebook shows customers the dealership’s average
  message response time.

When a customer contacts a dealership through Facebook Messenger, they
expect a prompt response. A slow response time can create a negative
impression and reduce the chances of closing a sale. On the other hand,
a timely response can help to build trust and establish a positive
relationship with the customer.

For example, one of our car dealer marketing clients was struggling with
their response time on Facebook Messenger. They were taking too long to
respond to customer inquiries, which resulted in a low conversion rate.
We worked with them to improve their response time, which resulted in a
significant increase in sales.

• Building relationships with customers
  Facebook Messenger can be used by a dealership to contact customers,
  even if they haven’t originally interacted with the dealership through
  Facebook.

One of our dealerships identifies particular customers who contacted
them on their CRM, and then use Facebook search to find the customer’s
profile, and then follow up with them with a friend request and Facebook
message.

One more way dealerships can use Facebook Messenger to build
relationships with customers is by encouraging them to engage with the
dealership’s Facebook page and ads. For example, a dealership can send
follow-up messages to customers who have shown interest in a particular
car, inviting them to visit the dealership’s Facebook page to see more
information and promotions. This can help to increase engagement with
the dealership’s Facebook page, and ultimately increase the chances of
closing a sale.

Conclusion of the article “Facebook Messenger Guide for Car Dealers 2023: Maximizing Engagement and Sales”

In conclusion, Facebook Messenger is a powerful tool for car dealerships
to use in order to maximize engagement and sales.

By following up with leads quickly, building relationships with
customers through targeted messages, and encouraging them to engage with
the dealership’s page or ads on Facebook can all help increase
conversion rates.

We hope this article has given you some ideas about how your dealership
can leverage the power of Facebook Messenger as part of your marketing
strategy. It’s time to get started today so that you can start seeing
results tomorrow!