These days, it seems like there is no corner of the internet where you can’t place an advertisement. Sure it makes sense to do it on classified websites or search engines, but by now, most of us have forgotten that social media was once ad-free. Facebook ads for dealerships continue to grow in popularity in the hopes of breaking through other saturated spaces. While this may feel like a new frontier, posting advertisements on platforms such as Facebook is another version of pay-per-click advertising. Though it’s helpful to get the word out about your store on popular sites, that doesn’t equate to a guarantee you’ll sell more vehicles. To sell more cars, trucks, and SUVs, you need high-quality campaigns, not necessarily more ads on a broader range of websites. 

What does it take to get a shopper to click on an ad or fill out a contact form? The answer is not blasting websites with as many ads as possible. You don’t need 15 vendors working for your one store, no matter how large it is. Instead, you need vendors that know how to target interested consumers, to get them excited about your inventory and services. Put another way; it is time to put quality over quantity. Third-party lead providers seem to be the solution, but what they offer is mostly a waste of money. 

Here’s a statistic you might not be aware of: only 4-7% of third-party leads convert into a sold vehicle. It makes sense if you think about it, too. The majority of the contacts in your CRM lack essential contact details. The few phone numbers and email addresses that do work aren’t solely yours. After all, third-party lead providers sell their contacts to anyone willing to pay for them. As a result, your budget gets eaten up by low-quality contacts that contribute to the competition between the dealerships in your area. 

In contrast, first-generation leads are up to ten times more likely to convert into a sale. There are several reasons for this. First, these leads remain exclusively in your CRM. Because they do not get shared with other vendors, there is a far higher chance that the shopper will answer a call, text, or email. Moreover, these vendors make their money not by selling leads to your competitors. Instead, they have to prove their worth to the stores they advertise. The only reason to keep them on the books month after month is because they help you sell cars, not because they fill your CRM with useless contacts. 

Choosing between third-party and first-generation lead vendors should not be a difficult choice. Yet, most GMs insist on paying vendors money for inferior leads and traffic. The appeal of lots of leads or heaps of clicks is enough to throw logic out the window. However, if you’ve read this far, can you ignore the statistics? Get yourself a vendor or two that know how to generate high-quality traffic and leads, and compare that to your current vendors. We’re confident you’ll see the difference immediately. Once you’ve seen it, there’s no going back to the old ways that don’t serve your ultimate goal of increasing your store’s ROI.