Leveraging Generative AI for Automotive Dealership Marketing

Generative AI is often perceived as a threat to human talent, but when used effectively and responsibly, it can become your dealership’s most powerful tool. 

At its core, generative AI—commonly referred to as GenAI—encompasses numerous systems capable of creating new content including text, images, videos, and more. By harnessing vast amounts of existing information, these AI models are designed to generate innovative content tailored to meet specific prompts. GenAI has many practical applications that can support dealerships— from marketing efforts to the service lane —especially when harnessed properly. 

This blog will focus specifically on why and how to leverage generative AI for automotive dealership marketing, including examples of what different AI tools can do for you and practical dealership GenAI prompts you can use to start leveraging the technology today. 

How GenAI Can Transform Dealership Marketing

When people think of how to apply generative AI at their dealership, they typically think first of marketing as GenAI is best known for generating written content. This makes it a natural fit for creating engaging ads and email content, but its capabilities extend far beyond these familiar applications. 

Let’s take a look at some of the key ways generative AI can enhance your dealership marketing:

Personalizing Customer Interactions

Dealerships have  a goldmine of first-party customer data that reveals a wealth of information about each individual shopper. While no human has the time to thoroughly analyze this data and create personalized emails and offers for each customer, artificial intelligence can effortlessly tackle this challenge.

AI is capable of analyzing billions of data points in an instant making it capable of providing real-time insights into your customer journeys. Leveraging those insights, the AI can write, schedule, and send personalized offers and messages at scale. With the right training artificial intelligence can identify the messaging that best resonates with your shoppers and determine which offers will be most relevant to them.

In fact, every phone call or visit to the dealership can be just as personalized. Armed with AI-generated insights, your sales team can access comprehensive profiles of each shopper, including their preferences, past interactions, and even buying behavior. This means that every customer interaction—whether it’s over the phone or face-to-face—can be customized to ensure relevancy and personal connection.

Enhancing Lead Management

Having enough time to follow up on every lead promptly and with personalized messaging may sound like a far-off dream for many dealerships. Fortunately, this is precisely where AI can bring transformative efficiencies to your lead management process.

By leveraging existing templates or generating emails and texts from scratch, AI can automate dealership lead follow-up processes. This ensures that no lead is overlooked and each one receives targeted communication tailored to their interests and behaviors. The automation extends beyond the initial outreach, allowing for ongoing engagement with potential customers through informative emails and texts about their vehicle of interest if they haven’t yet made a purchase.

Generative AI can help manage leads more effectively by assisting in the creation of audiences and segments  based on specific criteria, such as vehicle interests, equity status, or the number of months left on a lease. This allows your sales team to focus their efforts on the most relevant prospects. 

Content Creation

Leveraging GenAI for content creation significantly enhances both the efficiency and effectiveness of your dealership’s marketing efforts. By automating the generation of engaging and relevant content, AI can save your team valuable time that can be redirected toward strategic initiatives and customer engagement.

Whether you’re struggling to craft the perfect catchy phrase or looking to transform an email into an engaging social media post, GenAI can generate a variety of content formats tailored to your audience, including blog posts, promotional materials, product descriptions, and even video productions. 

GenAI excels at creating compelling social media content that keeps your dealership top-of-mind and actively engages your audience. For blog articles, AI can streamline the writing process by offering topic suggestions and structured outlines based on current industry trends, customer inquiries, and popular searches. Furthermore, by leveraging existing product descriptions and past promotions, AI can generate new or updated copy for your website, ensuring your messaging remains fresh and relevant.

Using GenAI Effectively

As powerful a tool as generative AI is, it still requires human oversight to truly excel. On its own, it can generate a vast array of content and lists from basic prompts, however the output may not always be useful, appropriate, or aligned with your original intentions. The quality of generated content hinges significantly on the specificity of your input, and even well-crafted prompts may yield results that need further refinement.

When engaging with generative AI, providing clear and specific requests is crucial. Whether you’re asking it to draft an email that includes particular key points, analyze which ad receives the most clicks within the first 24 hours, or identify the top-selling model of the year on your lot, clarity in your request dramatically increases the likelihood of achieving better results.

Here are some essential tips to consider when crafting your prompt:

1. Be Specific: Clearly outline what you want from the AI. This might mean providing more detail than you initially think is necessary. In the process of crafting such a detailed prompt, you might gain clarity on your own needs and realize you no longer require AI assistance.

2. Use Examples: Even with a well-written prompt, the AI may not fully grasp your vision. Provide examples that illustrate the structure, tone, or length you’re aiming for. This guidance helps the AI align its output with your expectations.

3. Incorporate “Do” and “Don’t” Statements: Be explicit about what you want the AI to include and what to avoid. This can help prevent misunderstandings and lead to more accurate results.

4. Request a Specific Output Format: The AI may have its own interpretation of how to present the information. If you’re looking for a particular tone or structure—be it formal, casual, concise, or detailed—make sure to specify that in your prompt.

5. Clarify the Audience: Define who the intended audience is for the output. It could be an internal team (like finance or marketing) or an external audience (like loyalty clients or new prospects). Tailoring your prompt to the audience can significantly influence the content’s relevance and impact.

6. Build on Previous Prompts: If you’ve been working on related prompts, use them as a foundation for your new request. This can help maintain continuity and enhance the quality of the output.

7. Ask the AI if it Understands: Still unsure if the AI understands your request? Don’t hesitate to ask it if it needs any additional information from you. The AI may recognize gaps in the information provided, allowing it to clarify and better serve your needs.

By crafting detailed and thoughtful prompts, you can maximize the effectiveness of generative AI and produce tailored, high-quality responses that align with your specific goals.

Examples of Prompts for Dealerships to Use on AI Platforms

Using the prompt-writing tips mentioned above, we’ve explored three of the most popular generative AI platforms—ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude—to provide real examples of prompts and demonstrate their capabilities. 

It’s important to note that AI may respond differently even to the exact same question, so these examples illustrate just a few variations of what generative AI can produce. Keep in mind that these responses are the initial outputs generated by the AI, without any editing or reframing from either AI or a human.

ChatGPT Prompts for Car Dealers

1. Reviving Past Leads

Prompt: “Draft an engaging email for leads we spoke with 2-6 weeks ago who expressed interest but haven’t reached out yet.”

Results:

Subject: We Missed You at [Dealership Name]!

Hi [Lead’s Name],

I hope this message finds you in great spirits!

It’s been a little while since we connected, and I wanted to reach out because you expressed interest in finding your next vehicle at [Dealership Name]. We have some exciting new arrivals that might be just what you’re looking for!

Whether you’re considering a [mention specific model or type of vehicle they previously showed interest in] or exploring options, our team is here to assist you every step of the way. We understand that choosing the right vehicle is an important decision, and we’d love the opportunity to help make that process smooth and enjoyable for you.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a time to come by for a test drive, please feel free to reply to this email or give us a call at [Your Phone Number].

We look forward to welcoming you back to [Dealership Name]!

Best regards,

[Your Name]

[Your Position]

[Dealership Name]

[Your Phone Number]

[Your Website]

P.S. Don’t forget to ask about our current promotions and financing options that could make your purchase even more appealing!

2. Creating Promotional Content 

Prompt: “Write a compelling social media post advertising our upcoming sale on SUVs.”

Results:

🚗💥 Huge SUV Sale Alert at [Dealership Name]! 💥🚗

Ready to elevate your adventures? 🌟 This weekend only, we’re rolling out our Exclusive SUV Sale! Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly ride, a rugged off-roader, or a fuel-efficient crossover, we have something for everyone!

✨ What to Expect:

🔥 Unbeatable discounts on our top SUV models

🚙 Exclusive financing options tailored just for you

🎁 Special giveaways and surprises for every purchase

Join us from [start date] to [end date] to explore our incredible selection and drive away in the SUV of your dreams! Don’t miss out on the chance to save big and embrace your next adventure!

📅 Mark your calendars and bring your friends! Share this post to spread the word!

📍 [Dealership Address] | 📞 [Dealership Phone Number] | 🌐 [Website Link]

#SUVSale #DealershipName #AdventureAwaits #SUVLife #CarShopping

Feel free to adjust the dates and any specifics to better match your dealership’s promotion!

Gemini Prompts for Car Dealers 

1. Targeted Email Campaign

Prompt: “Create a plan for an email campaign aimed at young professionals interested in electric vehicles.”

Goal: Drive EV test drives among young professionals.

Audience: Young professionals (25-40) interested in EVs.

Duration: 4 weeks (1 email/week)

Results:

Email 1:  Go Electric. It’s Easier Than You Think.

• Highlight EV benefits (cost, environment, tech).
• Showcase your dealership’s EV expertise.
• Call to action: Explore EV inventory online.

Email 2:  Your Questions, Answered.

• Address common EV concerns (range, charging, maintenance).
• Explain your dealership’s EV support services.
• Call to action: Schedule an EV test drive.

Email 3:  [Featured EV Model] – Built for Your Life.

• Focus on an EV model that appeals to young professionals.
• Highlight relevant features (tech, performance, style).
• Call to action: Learn more about this model.

Email 4:  Don’t Miss These EV Deals!

• Offer exclusive incentives (financing, charging, accessories).
• Create urgency (limited-time offers).
• Call to action: Visit the dealership or contact for details.

Supporting Elements:

• Dedicated EV landing page on your website.
• Social media promotion on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Key to Success:

• Compelling visuals: Use high-quality images and videos.
• Mobile optimization: Ensure emails are mobile-friendly.
• Track results: Monitor email metrics and website traffic.

This streamlined plan keeps the focus on delivering valuable information and enticing offers to your target audience, encouraging them to take the next step towards EV ownership.

2. Inventory Announcement:

Prompt: “Create a press release announcing our new inventory of hybrid vehicles.”

Results:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[Your Dealership Name] Drives into the Future with New Inventory of Hybrid Vehicles

[City, State] – [Date] – [Your Dealership Name] is excited to announce the arrival of a wide selection of new hybrid vehicles, offering drivers the perfect blend of fuel efficiency, performance, and environmental consciousness.  

“[Quote about your dealership’s commitment to offering sustainable transportation options and meeting the evolving needs of customers],” says [Your Name], [Your Title] at [Your Dealership Name]. “Our new hybrid inventory provides drivers with the opportunity to experience the benefits of electric driving without compromising on style or convenience.”

The new hybrid inventory at [Your Dealership Name] features a diverse range of models from top brands, including [list some of the brands and models]. These vehicles offer:

• Improved fuel economy:  Reduce trips to the gas station and save money with exceptional fuel efficiency.
• Reduced emissions: Minimize your environmental impact with lower carbon emissions.
• Advanced technology: Enjoy the latest in-car technology, including advanced safety features and infotainment systems.
• Smooth and quiet ride: Experience a refined driving experience with the seamless transition between gasoline and electric power.

[Your Dealership Name] invites customers to explore the new hybrid inventory online at [your website address] or visit the dealership at [your dealership address] to see the vehicles in person and schedule a test drive.

About [Your Dealership Name]:

[Write a brief description of your dealership, highlighting your commitment to customer satisfaction and offering a wide selection of vehicles.]

Contact:

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

[Your Dealership Name]

[Your Phone Number]

[Your Email Address]

Claude Prompts

1. Customer Satisfaction Survey

Prompt: “Draft a survey to assess customer satisfaction after a vehicle purchase.”

Results:

Thank you for choosing [Dealership Name] for your recent vehicle purchase. We value your feedback to help us improve our services. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey.

Please rate the following aspects on a scale of 1-5 (1 = Very Dissatisfied, 5 = Very Satisfied):

1. How would you rate:

   – The knowledge and professionalism of your sales consultant

   – The transparency of our pricing and fees

   – The explanation of vehicle features and capabilities

   – The cleanliness and presentation of your vehicle

   – The time spent during the purchase process

2. Did your sales consultant:

   – Listen to and understand your needs? [Yes/No]

   – Provide clear information about vehicle options? [Yes/No]

   – Explain warranty and service options thoroughly? [Yes/No]

3. How would you rate:

   – The clarity of financial terms and options

   – The efficiency of the paperwork process

   – The professionalism of the finance team

4. Were financing options clearly explained? [Yes/No]

5. How likely are you to recommend our dealership to friends or family? (1-10)

6. What was the primary reason you chose our dealership?

   [ ] Price

   [ ] Selection

   [ ] Location

   [ ] Reputation

   [ ] Previous experience

   [ ] Other (please specify)

7. What did we do especially well during your purchase experience?

    [Comment box]

8. What could we have done better?

Thank you for your valuable feedback! Your responses will help us continue to improve our services.

2. Company Newsletter Content

Prompt: “Write an introduction for our monthly newsletter updating customers on new services and promotions.”

Results:

Dear Valued Customers,

As we welcome spring, we’re excited to share some fantastic updates from [Dealership Name]. Whether you’ve been with us for years or recently joined our dealership family, each month brings new opportunities for us to enhance your automotive experience. In this issue, we’re thrilled to share exciting developments, exclusive offers, and upcoming events that we’ve designed with you in mind.

***

As you explore the different options and styles each platform offers, you may start to notice trends or patterns they follow. For example, ChatGPT often uses many emojis in social media content, and each platform may have specific words or phrases that are particularly favored and therefore overused. Gemini will often give you content suggestions unless you specifically ask it to write the content out in full. 

These examples are just initial drafts of your final content. You can use them as templates to craft your own email or social media post, either by incorporating specific phrases from the AI or following the general structure. If you notice aspects of the content you do or don’t like, feel free to provide feedback or suggestions for adjustments. The AI can then make edits to better align with your vision. If the AI still isn’t grasping your needs, don’t hesitate to create a new prompt with more details or different expectations to achieve the results you’re looking for.

Risks and Pitfalls of Overusing GenAI

Generative AI can be a powerful tool to automate and expedite dealership marketing efforts, but human oversight remains essential to ensure the final output feels natural, appropriate, and, well, human. Although AI seems capable of handling nearly any request, it’s crucial to acknowledge its limitations. Some of the most significant pitfalls of generative AI in dealership marketing include:

Lack of Human Touch

By its very nature of not being human, AI can struggle to convey the right tone or emotion. Despite numerous attempts to guide it towards your dealership’s specific voice, achieving a truly human-like tone may not always be possible. Over-reliance on AI-generated content can dilute your dealership’s unique voice and connection with customers, which are often key differentiators in the dealership market.

Repetitive Language

Generative AI can slip into repetitive language patterns, relying on the same preferred words or phrases throughout its content. While this doesn’t necessarily indicate poor quality, if you can notice the repetition, so can your customers. A light edit can quickly resolve this issue.

Hallucinations

AI strives to provide answers to all prompts, but this can sometimes come at the cost of accuracy. Generative AI is infamous for “hallucinations,” where it produces incorrect or misleading information in order to complete an answer. Despite your best efforts to encourage it to use only certain and verified information, be aware that AI may not always be factually correct.

Miscommunications

AI may not always grasp your requests fully. While it can often understand the general concept, it may overlook nuanced details or misunderstand them altogether. When it fails to accurately interpret your intentions, the output can end up being irrelevant or, worse, inappropriate.

Ultimately, incorporating generative AI into your dealership’s marketing requires careful human validation to maintain quality, clarity, and brand consistency. While AI can significantly streamline certain tasks, it’s unlikely to get everything right on the first attempt without human editing. Take advantage of the automation and time-saving benefits of AI while ensuring authentic interactions that cultivate a natural and personalized customer experience.

Recap of Benefits and Strategies of GenAI for Car Dealers

Learning to fully leverage the benefits of generative AI while mitigating its downsides can be a game changer for dealership marketing. When used effectively, it can streamline communication across various channels, boosting the efficiency of marketing teams in creating personalized customer experiences, and ultimately drive more sales.

At Fullpath, we’ve experienced firsthand the significant advantages GenAI can bring to dealership marketing,  from AI-powered chatbots to smart digital advertising campaigns and AI personalized email campaigns created at scale Fullpath’s AI-powered data activation solutions are helping dealers drive sales, skyrocket revenues, and build lasting, valuable customer relationships through the power of technology.

The world of generative AI is ripe with opportunities for dealers who are ready to strategically integrate it into their marketing activities. Book a demo with Fullpath to discover just how easy it is to get started.