With the car shopping experience going nearly fully digital, having good online content has never been more important for dealerships. And research is showing that video should play a major role in new content development.

According to a recent report by ClickZ, 80 percent of consumers have increased their consumption of digital content since the start of the pandemic. They also reported that:

• 72 percent prefer to learn about a product or service with video
• 55 percent watch videos every day
• 78 percent watch videos every week

Video is also an important part of an SEO strategy. Google displays four types of Featured Snippets at the top of search results, and videos is one of them. This means if you have SEO-optimized video content, users can find your website more easily when they search for relevant keywords. The result is higher web traffic and brand awareness for your dealership. And if your content is high-quality, users will keep coming back and keep you top of mind for their own vehicle shopping needs.

So how do you get started with video for your car dealership? Here are different types of videos to consider as you build out your content.

Remember when you’re producing these videos that they should be educational in nature rather than salesy. There’s room at the end of your videos for a CTA with a 5-second elevator pitch, but the bulk of the video should be focused on providing helpful information to your viewers. Remember, your expertise will speak for itself.

Vehicle product videos

Product videos are used to introduce shoppers to your vehicles. They should highlight the most noteworthy features and specs as well as answer the most common questions shoppers have. Product videos should give a visual display of each vehicle inside and out and convey your dealership’s expertise and customer service with a voiceover talent or spokesperson who comes across as knowledgeable and friendly.

Virtual test drive videos

With more and more car shoppers avoiding in-person visits to dealerships, virtual test drives are increasingly in demand. For some customers, a virtual test drive may be sufficient to get them to purchase. For other customers, this video will entice them to have the car delivered for an at-home test drive or motivate them to show up in-person, moving them further down the funnel.  Virtual test drive videos are particularly effective when the driver comes across as charismatic, approachable, and knowledgeable – so choose a great representative from your sales team.

User-generated videos

User-generated content is not only perfect for building your credibility but they’re also extremely cost-effective because your own customers will make them for you. Create a social media giveaway asking customers to share a video of why they love their new car and ask them to share their videos with a special hashtag. Then post these videos on social media, on your YouTube channel, and via other outlets to reach a wider audience.

Car maintenance tutorial videos

Maintenance tutorial videos are a great way to help you generate customers for your service center and build customer loyalty so that you’re top-of-mind when it comes time for your audience to buy a vehicle. Create a wide array of how-to videos on the most common car maintenance and troubleshooting questions that consumers have.

Production value doesn’t have to be as high as you might think with your video content. In fact, lower production value can have a certain charm and come across as more authentic to viewers. The most important thing is to create content that will be useful to your potential customers. The time and effort you spend on your videos might seem like a lot upfront, but the result should pay off in dividends as you receive more traffic and inquiries and grow your brand.