Automotive Influencer Marketing

Gone are the days of sifting through brochures and making multiple trips to dealerships to scope out designs — car buying has gone digital.

90% of shoppers depend on online research throughout their car-buying journey.

In this guide, we’ll share why influence marketing is essential for success in the digital-first era. We’ll also get into some trends shaping the automotive industry that’ll impact your influencer campaigns and some insider tips for successful collaborations. Let’s get started!

Screenshot of automotive influencer @cathykelly doing a collaboration with Faraday Future for a marketing campaign

Why Influencer Marketing is Non-Negotiable for Success in the Digital Era

Forward-looking automotive brands spotted the benefits of influencer marketing early in the game, dived straight into creator collaborations, and have been making huge waves ever since. These businesses work with various automotive and car influencers to introduce their brand, start conversations with prospects and kickstart shoppers' customer journeys. The great news is that there's still plenty of room for your brand to get in on the action. The influencer marketing industry is growing year on year, and customers have never been more online, with 53.6% of the world using social media for 2 hours and 25 mins each day. Let's explore some reasons why working with a global influencer agency is no longer a nice-to-have but essential for success:

Buyers expect to see auto brands online:

From picking models to putting a deposit down, buyers expect to be well informed and come card in hand. In fact, 87% of buyers use online platforms for product discovery. So, they want online capabilities to aid their car shopping. This desire goes hand-in-hand with influencer marketing, as brands can work with content creators to provide online education to drive trust and conversions.

Reinforce your brand throughout the customer journey:

With competition for shoppers' attention online being fiercer than ever, it's vital your brand has a way to stay top of mind with customers. That's where influencer marketing comes in. It can help you share your brand's mission, message, and products continually in fresh and authentic ways. In turn, you'll spark interest among your target audience and push them further along your customer journey.

Influencers' opinions shape consumer buying decisions:

Influencers determine trends from car styles to engine specs. So, working with content creators could make your models the next best thing. Take the effect car influencers and celebrities have had on SUVs. They're now one of the most coveted styles on the market, thanks to influencers making them fashionable.

Up your brand's clout and social proof:

The familiarity between influencers and their fans means your brand can piggyback off an automotive influencer's stellar reputation when you work with them. You can also gain shoppers' confidence and increase your brand's standing in their eyes. Plus, as shoppers listen to different car influencers, you'll be able to convert more leads and build long-lasting connections with your audience

Emerging Trends to Watch in the Automotive Industry

Green cars

Sustainability is making headway in many industries, and the automotive world is no different. From battery-powered to biodiesel-fuelled, brands are racing to fulfill consumer and governmental needs for alternatively fuelled vehicles. In fact, there could be as many as 230 million electric vehicles worldwide by 2030. Automotive brands must consider eco-friendly designs when producing collections to stay relevant and in touch with consumer wants and needs.

Tech-enabled vehicles

As consumers' lives become more tech-driven, automotive brands try to keep up by helping drivers stay connected on the road. As a result, internet-enabled cars with dedicated apps and security features, and recording technology have become mainstays in cars. And, this trend is set to continue as consumers increase their digital use.

Driverless cars

Designed to bring ease to consumers' lives, driverless cars, a.k.a, autonomous vehicles, are gaining ground. While still in the testing phase, AI-driven cars could make up 40% of car sales by 2030. Since it's such a new market, there will be plenty of untapped opportunities for brands who get in early and make their mark.

Shared transportation

Shared transport like ride-sharing platforms and peer-to-peer car renting has gained popularity recently and could generate $1.5 trillion in additional cash by 2030. Shared transport will not only drive more efficient vehicle usage (which feeds into the sustainability movement). The shared transportation industry will also decrease shoppers' costs and provide companies and people with alternative income sources.

Affordable cars

In line with the sharing economy, shoppers are also looking for more bang for their buck in their car choices. Shoppers expect more bells and whistles like accessories added to their vehicle for free or discounted rates. More consumers are shopping around for deals before committing, which could spur more car brands to produce more affordable cars and offer competitive pricing.

Omnichannel buying

With digital transformation taking hold in the automotive industry, shoppers have started to blend offline and online shopping. Consumers expect a seamless customer experience no matter where they go, whether they come to your brands through online marketplaces or physical showrooms. So, it's crucial your brand is armed with the data, solutions, and marketing to make shopping frictionless to capitalize on potential sales wherever they land.

Top Tips for Unbeatable Automotive Influencer Marketing Campaigns

Go video or go home

Cars are a significant investment for consumers. So, before shoppers sign on the dotted line, you can bet they've done their research and some. Allowing consumers to learn about and experience your brand through video is so powerful it can alter or solidify their impression of it. This fact is why one-third of car buyers said YouTube helped change or reinforce their perception of brands. Also, 65% of shoppers cut down their car shortlist by watching a video, and four times more people prefer watching a video on a product than reading about it. So why not intercept buyers' research stage by combining the power of video with social media influencer marketing like Facebook influencer marketing to help shoppers make an informed decision. Soon your brand can become a respected authority, and you can capitalize on consumers' trust.

For example, if you sell electric cars, you could run a video series featuring car influencers where they:

Share their experiences with using an electric vehicle.
Talk about the pros and cons of battery-powered vehicles.
Run a competition to win a car for a year (or life!).
Jump on the live shopping trend. Stream a live presentation of the car’s features and host a Q&A answering viewers' most pressing questions.

Map influencer campaigns to your customer journey

There's no need to be shy when it comes to making your brand presence known on social media. 59% of buyers on Instagram say seeing vehicle adverts generated from an Instagram influencer agency is important to them. Use automotive influencer campaigns to assist buyers' car hunts, covering each touchpoint in your buyer's journey from introduction to post-sale care. Why? 87% of shoppers want to engage with businesses, and 63% of car buyers have shared vehicle-related content with their network. When you consistently show up and add value to car buyers' lives, your business will have a lasting impact. This approach could be the catalyst for them going from strangers to loyal customers. Here are some ways you could use influencer campaigns at each buyers' journey stage:

Awareness stage

Have car influencers turn their feed into a mini showroom with crisp pictures, videos, and stories on your vehicles as short introductions to your brand.
Host driving experiences and allow influencers to document their thoughts.

Consideration stage

Work with automotive influencers to highlight the great things about your automobiles.
Host a series with car influencers, focusing on what your vehicles are best used for and whom they would suit, e.g., a large family, environmentally conscious person.

Decision stage

Ask automotive influencers to create lifestyle-type content and share personal stories about their time with your brand/ vehicle to inspire your target audience. Then pair the content with a strong CTA to book a consultation or test drive.
Share reviews and case studies from car influencers and customers and use targeted offers to get shoppers' attention, e.g., 10% for first-time car buyers.

Create omnichannel influencer marketing campaigns

A great way to make your brand more memorable and increase sales is to mimic consumer behavior in your influencer marketing. This means merging offline and online campaigns and across channels and content types. While 29% of shoppers like to buy online or partially virtual, 71% prefer to buy influencer social media campaigns to drive traffic to your showrooms and dealerships. A multi-faceted influencer marketing approach will help you meet prospects wherever they are in your company's ecosystem. Be sure to segment your audiences to catch prospects' attention in different niches to increase your campaigns' resonance and conversion. For instance, if you sell a 4x4 with rails, you could utilize automotive influencers to target hikers, surfers, lovers, and camping enthusiasts. Also, use social listening, feedback from customer reviews, comments, and polls to sharpen your social media campaigns or ensure they always resonate with the right audience.

Top-Knotch Influencer Campaigns to Inspire Your Own

MotoClub

Activated automobile enthusiasts and fintech influencers on TikTok and Instagram to create exciting content that drove them to Motoclub’s 3 NFT drops.

Screenshot of a post on Instagram from automotive influencer @theebillyporter doing a post for Nissan

Honda Talon

Car influencers test drove the Honda Talon and captured content to share their experience driving the Talon with their audience across YouTube and Instagram. The content encouraged followers to get out side-by-side with friends and family to have real-life experiences, primarily to ride the Honda Talon.

Nissan

Through #PartnersOfProgress, Nissan partnered with diverse LGBTQ+ automotive influencers throughout the year to create content that told authentic stories of how tech helped propel them forward to educate and advocate. Starring Billy Porter as the North Star Anchor influencer, five additional evergreen LGBTQ+ influencers, including Natalie Mercedes Negrotti, Jess Guilbeaux, Jaimie Wilson, Johnny Sibilly, and Tommy Lei, signed on for our #PartnersofProgress campaign.

Ready to Scale Your Influencer Marketing Programs?

The automotive industry's post-worthy products and cutting-edge designs make it a fantastic fit for influencer marketing. As customers shift online, it's vital that you step out of marketing comfort zones to embrace influencer collaborations. The power of social media and car influencers can explode your brand's reach, bring in new leads, and secure more customers. Don't feel like you have to go it alone. You can get expert help from an influencer marketing agency like Open Influence to craft campaigns that get results consistently. So don't delay. Start researching how your brand can profit off influencer collaborations today. Soon your brand will have money-making influencer content to call its own.

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FAQs

Who is the biggest automotive influencer?

The biggest automotive influencer varies, but creators like Doug DeMuro and ChrisFix are consistently among the top. They have millions of followers and produce content ranging from car reviews to DIY tutorials.

What is a car influencer?

A car influencer shares content related to automobiles, including reviews, modifications, and industry news. They engage with their audience through videos, blogs, or social media, influencing car enthusiasts and buyers alike.

Do car influencers get paid?

Yes, car influencers often get paid through brand partnerships, sponsorships, and ad revenue from platforms like YouTube or Instagram. Payment can vary based on their follower count and engagement rates.

Why do brands work with car influencers?

Brands collaborate with car influencers to reach highly engaged, niche audiences who trust the influencer's opinions and recommendations. This helps companies boost product visibility and drive sales within the automotive market.