It wasn’t so long ago that content marketing seemed like a new development. Marketers began utilizing data to put keywords into content, image tags, meta descriptions, and so on. But the digital realm is incredibly dynamic, which kept marketers on their toes about what new discovery or Google algorithm update affected their ability to increase leads and conversions for their clients. In all of this time, a great number of experts and professionals have built, refined, refinished, and replaced their strategies (rinse and repeat).
This puts writers in a unique position. Forever and always, we are writers first and marketers second. It takes practice to hit the right keywords—and their derivatives and synonyms—to incorporate smart optimization without disrupting the narrative. It’s not easy. And it shouldn’t be. Nothing in digital marketing is easy. Good digital writing, at times, tasks you with a cumbersome process before you get to employ that creative spirit. It’s academic and technical before it’s engaging and imaginative.
But nothing requires more of your time and effort than writing digital content for the automotive industry. That’s because it is completely unique compared to all other industries.
Why is automotive so unique?
I believe that’s a question with no definitive, singular answer. It’s more of an aggregate of interests, offers, features, options, brands, models, trims, and trends. And, even more challenging, the industry is fluid, taking the shape of current consumer demand.
The manufacturers make it unique.
For every level of socioeconomic status and preference, there is a brand. And in that brand there is a series of trims that, at a tiered cost, offer more amenities and features. Then, you have optional accessories to supplement the horsepower, torque, comfort, handling, suspension, and more. Of course, you also have to factor in the offers the dealership may have during a particular month.
And you, my dear writer, have to research and understand all of this. Armed with the knowledge, you now have to write engaging content for a dealership that represents the brand.
For non-automotive people, as my uncle would say, “it might as well be written in Greek!” Consider this. Your client owns a grocery store with Web pages dedicated to apples. But an apple isn’t just an apple; there are Gala, Red Delicious, Gold Delicious, Fuji, Granny Smith, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, and others. Each has its own coloring, flavor, and texture, which means each draws its own collective of people who enjoy eating it more than other types.
The consumers make it unique.
People are even more diverse than vehicles. This underscores the importance of understanding the audience. Who buys this car? At what age? What appeals to them? What turns them away? In a way, you are capturing their potential lifestyle. Who they are and what they aspire to be. A car can reveal a lot about a person.
You can talk to your dealership clients to get insight from salespeople regarding who buys what vehicles within their brand. It’s possible to even find studies about some of the basic demographics of people who purchase certain types of vehicles (compact car, large car, truck, SUV).
Leverage this data to tailor your content to specific audiences can yield tremendous results.
The variety of work makes it unique.
There is a vast array of content that writers must produce for automotive clients.
- Homepage
- Service pages
- Model Research Pages (MRPs)
- Comparison pages
- Accessories pages
- Special offers pages
- Banner copy
- Certified Pre-Owned (why buy, what is)
- Branded pages (e.g. quattro for Audi)
And within those bullets are subsets of information, guidelines from clients delivered through account managers, and other variables that affect the end-product of content.
Writing digital content for automotive clients requires a distinct perseverance, keeping you on task through research, drafting, editing, revising, and submitting for design. But when you apply the best principles of writing that incorporates the right information, like keywords, based on real-time data, then you have a recipe for domination. At Reunion Marketing, from the CEO to the account managers to the writers to the designers, we collectively believe…
Data Beats Intuition.