The Future of the RV Industry is Yours for the Taking

I’m not the first person - nor will I be the last - to share with you that the millennial generation, those 18-35 years old, is different than any other generation. They’ve been described as being non-committal, job-hoppers and easily distracted by technology — but they also offer the RV industry a great opportunity to capitalize on their desire for experiences and achieving true work-life balance well before retirement.

The goal for every dealer and OEM is to help them as a first time buyer and earn their loyalty so multiple purchases can be made throughout their lifetime. As a generation raised in the shadow of a recession, making a purchase as large as an RV can at times seem overwhelming. Millennials are often more prone to rental or sharing options rather than purchasing a unit themselves, which is why it is important to offer guidance and options throughout the process. As a dealer for instance, promoting payment options over unit price, developing leasing options, highlighting how your parts and services teams will continue to serve them into ownership and reinforcing that your relationship will continue long after the dotted line is signed. As an OEM, it all comes down to your brands image. These millennial consumers pay attention to brands that align with their values — so think about marketing campaigns that relate to their lifestyle, giving back to the larger community or promoting your brand’s unique value proposition. Focusing your efforts on creating an ongoing, positive brand experience will get you lots of points with the millennial buyer and help position you as a contender when they go to make their first and future purchases.

Even though the millennial generation has it’s “challenges”, they are looking to lead lives in line with the values of the RV industry — family and community focused, adventurous and free to roam. Engaging this generation may take more work on the front end, but they hold more opportunity than any other generation that has come before them.

SEM 101

SEM 101

Search Engine Marketing - or SEM - has become an increasingly popular way to target consumers in your local market. Often referred to as paid search - these campaigns run across all of the major search engines, are incredibly customizable, and should be considered as part of a well-rounded digital marketing strategy.

While Pay-Per-Click campaigns are likely the most well-known type of paid search - there are other varieties that could peek your interest and be a good fit for your dealership. Since this is our 101 guide - we’re going to start by giving you an overview of each type of SEM campaign to help you get a firm understanding of how they work individually and together.

Pay Per Click

The most recognizable type of SEM campaign is a Pay-Per-Click or PPC campaign - you’ve likely seen one of these ads today. When you search for a product or service in Google, for example, PPC ads display at the top and bottom of the search results. They are distinguished from other search results by a small “Ad” icon.

What differentiates Paid Search ads from the other organic search results is that advertisers pay for each click on one of these ads - where you don’t have to pay for a click on an organic search result.

PPC campaigns are built on keywords, ads, and landing pages. Once you’ve identified keywords your customers might use to search for your products - you can bid on these keywords and have your ad displayed when a potential customer searches for one of these terms. You will be able to write custom ads that are relevant to these keywords and choose the webpage that these searchers will land on if they click on the ad.

Display Ads

Display ads are another option when it comes to paid search campaigns. These ads are more traditional banner ads - rather than a designation on a search result - and allow you to target ads to an audience that has been identified as in-market or that show an affinity for certain products or services
that you offer. To give you a real life example - since I am looking to upgrade my HVAC  system and researching that online - I’ve been identified as someone who could be interested in the Nest Thermostat - so now their ads are displaying while I check the weather, even though I've never visited their site.

Remarketing

Remarketing is also powered by banner ads and allows you to target past visitors to your website. Once a potential buyer has left your site - these ads follow them as they browse other sites or do subsequent searches related to your products. I’ve been searching on Amazon - and left that site to check the news on CNN.com – and right there on CNN.com, I see an ad encouraging me to return to Amazon to check out additional products.


And because we always want you to fully understand that value of your partnership with RV Trader - we want to reassure you that we have active campaigns in each of these SEM categories - all with the goal of driving potential buyers to your listings. RV Trader has a strong reputation with search engines and a dedicated team - all with the various certifications to qualify their expertise - focused on constantly improving these results. As we grow and hone our efforts - as a customer, your dealership will also benefit with the major search engines. Rest assured that we are always looking for the latest and most innovative ways to drive connections to you. And that’s just an added perk of being online with us.

The RV Buyer: A Deeper Dive - Communication Expectations

As your partner in this industry - it is our job to provide you with as much insight and educations as possible - and what better thing to focus on than gaining a deeper understanding of your potential buyer? Lucky for you - RV Trader has the ability to run custom surveys to better understand the thoughts and needs of potential buyers - so this will be the first edition of a larger series breaking down some of the insights we’ve learned from these custom polls.* This month we will be focusing on a buyer’s preferences once they’ve contacted you about a particular vehicle.

So - let’s dive in. When it comes to a potential buyer’s contact preferences - they shared that:

• 60% prefer to be contacted via email. 
• 56% would like a response back within the same business day. 
• 48% will wait one day for a response before they move on. 
• 52% will contact another dealer if they don’t hear back in a timely manner.
• Once a dealer contacts them - 55% plan to have the keys within a week. 

While these statistics all have individual implications in terms of how you should interact with a potential buyer - the big takeaway here is that these buyers are motivated. They have done their research, identified the amenities they need, the price they are comfortable with - and you have the unit they want. They are coming to your dealership with their research done and ready to buy.

But - and here is where the rubber meets the road - they aren’t above going to another dealership if your communication strategy isn’t up to snuff. They expect a good experience because this is a big purchase for them - and they want your customer service to reflect that.

Bottom line - these leads are yours to close - and as hard as it can be to get back to consumers quickly, it’s imperative that you do because they are ready to buy and are yours for the taking. 

*Hotjar 2016

Search is King…
...Are You Optimized? 

Search Engine Optimization can seem daunting - but with more than 3.5 billion searches per day on Google alone - it’s an important part of any well rounded digital marketing strategy. To get you started, we’ve compiled 7 helpful tips that will get you started.

1. Never forget that your website is your storefront

Search Engine Optimization begins with your website. It represents your business as a whole and it’s perceived on the worldwide web. The purpose of your website is not only to share your available units - but also rank well within Google’s search results so Internet users can find their dream RV.

A few quick tips:

• 400 words on your homepage at a minimum
• Include all of your dealership addresses, telephone numbers, and cities you serve
• Optimize your metatags: title tags, H1, meta description to emphasize your dealership OEM inventory
• Include a search bar and social sharing plugins to improve your social media marketing efforts

2. Develop a content strategy that focuses on your core business. 

Blogs and news sections are great ways to keep users engaged - especially when you’re providing them with helpful content relating to your product. So, for instance, if your customers are avid travelers - write about popular RV destinations or have them share their favorite trips with you.

Weekly blog entries of around 350-500 words are a great way to get started - but keep in mind that longer articles with relevant details do tend to rank higher in search results. And no matter what - make sure to always tailor your content to your audience: RVing enthusiasts.

Topics may include:

• Local meetups
• RV events
• RV maintenance
• RV reviews

3. Develop your Google My Business page
Google provides a local business page, which is a quick and easy way to put your business prominently within Google’s ever-growing search results. Additionally, these listings ensure your company has the correct information online, making it easier for individuals to find your dealership and view your available inventory.

4. Tell search engines your website sells RVs with schema/rich snippets
Schema mark-up is additional code on your website which not only allows search engines to index the text on the website pages, but also comprehends what they mean. It provides labels to items on the page. This allows you to identify you site as one that sells RVs, rather than a content website which just writes about them.

5. Build up your citations - and no, we are not talking about traffic violations.
Web citations are mentions of your business name on the web and serve to enhance your web authority, reputation - and ultimately, consumer trust. These citations speak volumes to the search engines and will help your website rank better, improving your overall web presence. Taking advantage of Facebook, LinkedIn, local business directories, and Yelp will give you citations and expand your online reputation.

6. Understand where your traffic is coming from
Regularly checking reports to identify your top landing pages, keywords, and referrals driving your traffic can help your business tremendously. Understanding your analytics will give you incomparable insight into how consumers are getting to your website and where they go once they get there.

7. Make sure your site is ready for the mobile revolution
A mobile-friendly website allows users to view your website and inventory no matter what device they prefer. On RV Trader - we have found that 55-60% of all web traffic visits are accessing our site from mobile devices - and we image they are coming to your site the same way. Site speed and design are key factors in keeping your users engaged, allowing them to quickly and easily navigate your website to find their next RV.

By implementing some of these tips and tricks - you’ll be well on your way to an effective SEO strategy, taking away most of the guesswork and inevitably helping your online marketing efforts.

And just so you know - RV Trader spends a lot of time and effort optimizing our listings for search engines - so we’re already doing some the heavy lifting for you. So even if you don’t have an SEO expert in-house, you can rest easy knowing the we’ve got you covered - and motivated, potential buyers will still be finding your inventory through RV Trader.

The Future of Digital Marketing is Not a One-Size-Fits All Strategy

There are so many ways to advertise your dealership in today’s digitally driven marketplace. So, how do you decide what will work best? Should you lead with a social-first strategy, invest all your money in Google Adwords or focus on a tried-and-true traditional media campaign?

And the answer is (albeit potentially expensive), a little bit of everything. A well fleshed out digital marketing strategy is made up of a mixture of these things, simply because consumers have come to expect it. They rely on a variety of resources when searching for an RV — wanting to hear thoughts from friends and family, see what Google reviews have to say and checking out the best pictures of a unit to truly get a feel for a particular unit.

Managing their increased expectations and getting in front of them early and often isn’t something you have to do alone. OEMs have always supported their dealer networks in a variety of ways to drive more sales and grow market share. And now, more than ever, it is critical for OEMs to expose their brand and products to consumers in the digital world. Manufacturer websites have aligned their marketing to better feature their products and educate potential customers on their brands. Social, mobile, and digital media strategies need to synchronize efforts to reach new prospects and continuously engage existing customers.

This is a lot to think about, but the biggest thing to take away is that you should try to put your dealership and the brands you carry in front of the consumer in as many ways as possible. You want them to run across your dealership regularly — so that either consciously or subconsciously, when they are ready to purchase you, and the inventory you carry, is top of mind. So emerse yourself and your brand in the digital marketplace — guaranteeing a consumer knows who you are and what you offer.

In Case You Missed It: July RV Industry News

To help keep you informed with recent leading industry news, upcoming model reviews, and new product launches, we’ve put together a recap of viral RV business stories from the month of July. Check them out and see which story you think was the highlight for this past month.

RVIA announces 18.3% YOY Growth for June Shipments

RVIA’s recent manufacturer survey indicates a healthy RV industry in the month of June with a unit shipment rise to 47,416 from last year’s 40,072 - an increase of over 18%.

Airstream and Tommy Bahama unveil 2018 19CB trailer

Video: The Airstream Store

The new travel trailer is described by Airstream’s Correspondent as “your beach-house-on-the-go,” fully equipped with a dinette, wood blinds, floral accents, and more.

Keystone announced the manufacturing of the 100,000th Montana Fiver

Image: RV News

After finishing assembly in late July, the 100,000th Keystone Montana fifth wheel was successfully delivered to Texas’ Holiday World of Alvarado. First produced in 1998, Keystone reps attribute the model’s success largely to progressively innovative designs over the past 20 years.

RV Sales Explained as a Key Metric for Assessing Economy

According to an economics feature by The Washington Post, luxury goods purchases are a go-to indicator of the health of our nation’s economy - and the boom in RV sales has been deemed a ‘key metric’ for fiscal stability in the United States.

Airstream “B” Line Earned Certified Green Status

The company’s Class B plant reuses or recycles more than half of its manufacturing waste, and most of the wood used is SFI-certified to promote forest sustainability. The Class B’s are energy- and water-efficient, and join the brand’s “Silver Bullet” as certified TRA Green units.

RVIA Introduced 40 under 40 awards program

The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association has announced a new awards program, which will recognize current and future industry leaders under the age of 40. Nominations are open, and can now be submitted via RVIAShow.org.

AAA noted that gasoline prices nationwide are continuing to hold steady

Despite what’s been seen as low recent demand, the American Automobile Association has stated that gas prices continue to remain stable - a likewise positive sign for the RV world.

CNN explained that technology - along with younger RVers - were helping drive sales 

In recent reports, CNN described RV sales as hitting never-before-seen highs, and attributed these industry successes to a ‘flood’ of new technology, as well as increased millennial interest in long-distance, residential travel.

RV Trader introduced their unprecedented Price Analysis Tool

We of course couldn’t go without mentioning that our RV Trader product development experts have successfully created an easy-to-use tool that will give dealers unprecedented access to cross-market pricing patterns, as well as help businesses determine what an ideal price looks like for a specific unit of certain make, model, and year.

Nearly 1.5k Coachmen RVs were recalled due to wiring issue

The National Highway Safety Association (NHTSA) announced that 1,455 Coachmen Cross Country and Encounters from the 2014-2015 manufacturing year were being recalled due to the presence of exposed wire ends.

Airstream showcased a sneak peek of the new Nest Trailer

Image: Casper Star Tribune

In mid-July, Airstream introduced their new “Nest” model, designed with minimalist taste and measuring in at only 16 feet. The simple new unit is estimated to be vastly popular among the growing ‘simple life’ RV crowd, and is predicted to do extremely well once sales begin.

CNN: RVs "Back and Bigger than Ever"

A recent article from CNN explained the currently “booming" condition of the "old school" RV industry. The article explains that two core trends are impacting the industry for the better: RV sales are skyrocketing, and the primary age range of buyers seems to be getting younger.

According to RVIA, approximately 430,000 RVs of various makes and models were sold in 2016, representing a yearly increase of a whopping 15%. This rise in revenue has been consistent over the past 7 or so years, increasing significantly each year since 2009.

What other factors could be driving these patterns? According to CNN, new technology developments (i.e., smartphones) are actually driving younger generations like millennials to be one of the core RV consumer groups. With RVIA explaining that more than 50% of RV buyers are under age 45 now, many new units aim to showcase themselves as highly affordable for first-time buyers.

Take a look at this insightful article - CNN phrases RVs as being "back and bigger than ever," but comment and let us know...do you think they ever left?