CINCINNATI—Many car dealers use Facebook as a way to target, reach and promote deals to car shoppers. But are they missing out on a key opportunity by focusing mostly on Facebook?
According to a recent poll by Swapalease.com, most car shoppers actually turn to YouTube when researching their next vehicle.
The online car lease marketplace polled roughly 2,500 car shoppers across the country in June and found the following social media preferences among car shoppers:
- YouTube: 43%
- Facebook: 33%
- LinkedIn: 10%
- Twitter: 9%
- Instagram: 7%
- Pinterest: 5%
"Millions of car shoppers now utilize the Internet as a way to research their next vehicle, as well as look for the deal that's right for them, and this includes social media websites," said Scot Hall, executive vice president of Swapalease.com. "Our research tells us that YouTube is an effective social channel since it gives shoppers a virtual tour of the vehicle they're looking at, as well as an opportunity to see how it handles on the road. Online videos can be powerful in car shopping, particularly as people gravitate toward the Internet and away from actual test drives at the dealership."