The Move to Digital

There’s no denying that advertising has changed dramatically over the years - and if we’re being honest, with the rise of the digital revolution, just about everything has changed. But why has digital advertising/marketing specifically taken the world by storm?

We’re glad you asked. Let’s dive in.

Take a look around - odds are you’ll see someone using a smartphone, tablet, or computer. The truth is, the way we receive and pass along information has changed in recent years, therefore the way we put out information & promote ourselves has changed as well. Traditional advertising mediums such as print and radio have had a significant impact on consumers in previous years (and in some cases still do), but the reality is - the world is becoming increasingly digital. The Internet has drastically changed the advertising industry and will continue to evolve and grow as new platforms are being created - and we’ve seen that growth first-hand. According to the Technology Review, time spent online by the average American has grown from 9.4 hours to 23.6 hours every week since 2000. Of that, time spent on the Internet at home has risen from 3.3 to 17.6 hours a week. We aren’t surprised by those numbers - in fact, we expect to see those numbers rise as the digital world continues to expand.

So, why exactly is digital marketing gaining so much popularity in the advertising world?

• It can be more cost-effective - Traditional marketing mediums such as print, radio, billboards, etc. all have higher price tags, while digital marketing lets businesses choose specific packages that would work best for their advertising goals - giving them the most bang for their buck. 

• It can reach a more targeted audience - Digital marketing also allows businesses to tailor campaigns to certain segmented demographics for more effective marketing. 

• It’s easily tracked & monitored - Digital marketing can help businesses easily see which advertising efforts are working best for their company, or where there could be room for improvement. 

• It caters to the mobile consumer - People are glued to their phones - plain and simple. That’s why having a responsive digital marketing platform that works seamlessly on mobile devices is crucial. 

It levels the playing field with small businesses - In previous years, larger companies took over the marketplace. Digital marketing allows smaller and medium-sized businesses to compete and gain their share of the market.

But don’t get us wrong, digital advertising still has similar benefits to traditional advertising, just in more in-depth and advanced ways. For example, here at RV Trader we have the unique ability to track many facets of your dealership’s performance such as: customer behavior, inventory performance, and so much more through our Dealer Center platform. With traditional advertising/marketing mediums, it’s a bit harder to determine who exactly responded to your advertising and what impact it had on your business - that’s where easily tracked digital marketing comes in to play.

It’s important to realize your marketing mix should be diversified and varied - but digital should make up a decent portion of your overall strategy, and companies around the world are recognizing the need to have an increased online presence. Digital is undoubtedly the way of the future, and as a digital platform ourselves, we’re privileged to provide you with a wide array of modern and effective advertising/marketing solutions to best reach your customers.

Top Searched Makes and Models for Q2 2018

We love keeping you in the know when it comes to the latest industry news and consumer trends, and in Q2 2018, we saw some interesting data. We’ll catch you up on the makes and models RV Trader consumers were searching for in the second quarter of 2018. The results might surprise you!

Top 5 searched models of Q2 2018: 

• Travel Trailer 
• Class A 
• Class C 
• Fifth Wheel 
• Class B 

We continue to see Travel Trailers come in at the number one spot for top models of RVs on RV Trader, accounting for 25% of total searches in Q2 2018. Class A models came in second place and resulted in 19% of total searches, while Class C models came in third with 14%. Class B models placed fifth in Q2 2018, pushing Toy Haulers down to sixth place as compared to Q1 2018. We are interested to see how this data might change next quarter as buying season is still in full swing.

Top 5 searched makes of Q2 2018:

• Forest River 
• Keystone 
• Winnebago 
• Jayco 
• Coachmen 

Forest River secures first place when it comes to most searched makes in Q2 2018 - accounting for a total of 13% of all searches on RV Trader, rising 2% from last quarter. They have consistently ranked highest in overall searches of makes, with more than 5.3 million searches in Q2 2018 alone. Keystone isn’t far behind in second place attracting 7.3% of all consumer searches, and Winnebago rounds out third place with a total of 6% of all searches on RV Trader.

We’re interested to see how these numbers fluctuate as the year progresses. As always, we love to hear how our findings compare to your dealership. Let us know in the comments below!

KOA's 2018 North American Camping Report Might Surprise You

It’s no secret that RVing and camping go hand-in-hand. So when KOA released their 2018 North American Camping Report earlier this year, we were excited to see new camping trends and updated data - and they did not disappoint. We’ll give you a quick breakdown of KOA’s findings and how these numbers could potentially impact your business.

Right off the bat, KOA reported that since 2014 more than 6 million new North American households have started camping, and the number of campers who camp three times or more each year has increased by 64%. The length of time campers are spending camping is also increasing and 39% of new campers plan to camp more often in 2018. KOA reports that in 2017, there has been an increase of 2.6 million camping households, representing all ethnicities, and that there is a nearly even split between white and non-white campers. We’re encouraged to see these numbers on the rise and to see a more diverse group of campers enjoying the great outdoors. 

The diversity seen among campers was not only in ethnicity, but in age range as well. According to the report, Millennials and Gen Xers make up three-quarters of all campers, with Millennials accounting for 40%. Millennials are beginning to follow in their parent’s footsteps by enjoying the camping experience and many are choosing to RV, with 37% making up all RVers.

As we know, camping doesn't always need to be in a tent, and new campers seem to agree. While 53% of new campers say they still camp in tents, 25% chose cabins and 19% chose RVs, but those numbers are on the rise. RVers spent the most nights camping in 2017, and it was reported that there is a strong desire among non-RV owners to try RVing, with more than half saying they would consider renting from a peer-to-peer service. These buyers are your perfect potential customer - they are already interested in the lifestyle, so show them specifically how RVing can improve their already great camping experience. Focus on things like affordability and amenities because those are likely big barriers to entry for tent campers looking to make the jump into the RV life.

As the number of campers continues to rise, we are encouraged to see them exploring different accommodations, such as RVs. As we mentioned before, many people want to “try before they buy” and it’s important to stay in front of these potential buyers so when they are ready to make the big purchase, your dealership is top of mind. We all know the power of the camping and adventure lifestyle, and we’re excited to see the future growth of the industry - according to these numbers, it doesn't look like it’s slowing down any time soon.

To read the full report, click here.

Building Your Business on Instagram: 3 Tips to Expand Your Audience

It’s no secret that Instagram has become one of the most prominent digital marketing outlets utilized by thousands of businesses today, from small local markets to multi-million dollar corporations. The idea behind the social media application is actually pretty simple - a digital online scrapbook. With nearly 800 million users, if you’re not already interacting with your audience on Instagram, it’s probable that you’re doing your business a disservice.

Just like you market yourself on RV Trader and on local print and media advertisements, marketing your company on social is now just as crucial. However, it’s not just about “being” on Instagram. It’s about growing and engaging an audience of interested, loyal audience members. It might sound easy- but getting started with this digital business expansion can often be the hardest part.

To help you hone your social strategy on Instagram, we’ve come up with three key tips to grow your following, engage your audience, and get customers interested all through the simple use of this social platform.

• Get your company's profile completely filled out. Nothing is worse than a customer receiving a follower request or getting a picture liked by a ‘business’ with no profile photo or a missing website link. Though many companies may feel that Instagram is “just a social profile” that doesn’t need the same attention as a website, users may think that your activity without a full profile on Instagram could be regarded as spam. Not only could you be blocked, unfollowed, or turned down for a following, you could even be reported- just because users think you look suspicious. Don’t let that happen. Be sure your Instagram profile includes all of the following elements in full:

• A clear profile image, featuring the most simplistic version of your logo possible. The amount of space provided for a profile photo is incredibly small, so you want people to be able to identify your business identity easily and without straining their eyes.

• A link to your website. Now that Instagram has a section on your profile where you can include a website or link, take advantage of that space! If a user notices you on Instagram and visits your profile, that is your chance to introduce yourself to them as who you really are. This way, they aren’t having to exit out of the app, open a browser, and search you on Google- they are directly linked to your website for information.

• A short bio, perhaps even with a clever or motivational spin. You have a very limited number of characters to fill the “About” section of your profile before people either (a) become annoyed at you for talking too much about yourself, or (b) decide not to read the rest of your description, because they are distracted or get bored. Grab their attention. Include something about yourself being a business (“Family RV Dealer located in Sunny Southwest Florida”), but add something to help them remember you by. Try not to be too corny, but whether it’s your company slogan or a quote, this can help draw your audience in and get them scrolling through your feed.

• Engage with your followers to grow your audience. The thing about Instagram for business is that it isn’t an exact science - is more of an art, with stable practice over time. You’re not going to grow by 20,000 followers overnight, but you definitely can grow by at least 20 a day with the proper tricks on hand. Try a few of these strategies known to grow business’ follower numbers exponentially over time:

• Use hashtags in your posts. When people are searching for something on instagram, such as a travel trailer, they will type into the searchbar “#traveltrailer.” Obviously, you want your dealership’s profile and related posts to show up in their search, so use that hashtag to help that customer find you. The most successful and engaging posts include at least 11 hashtags, so depending on your niche, primary models carried, etc., choose the best ones that work for you. At least one should be focused on your company name, and most of the rest should be focused on the type of model/RV experience in your photo or at your dealership.

• Whether you have a specified social media specialist or you’re the director and handle social yourself, you should be engaging with Instagram users regularly as though they were all your prospects. One way to do this is by searching one of your target hashtags (i.e., “#traveltrailer”) and liking posts related to that hashtag. It may sound tedious, but liking at least 50 posts a day - focusing on the most recent posts, which have less likes - will get your name on a user’s notifications as someone who liked their photo.  

• Another way to do this - scroll through those hashtags, and when you see a photo you find especially interesting, comment on it! Even if it’s just a statement such as “Great photo!”, users love engagement. Talk to them, and whether it’s through a like, follow, or simple response back, you are putting your name out there - and once you comment on their photo, it’s now in front of that individual’s followers, too. Much more simple than it sounds at first!

• Pay special attention to the quality and type of photos you post. Don’t take the same photos of different units over and over again. Rather, try to mix your messages. Take this idea for a sample strategy: 

• One day, take a photo of a special rate sign in your dealership. 

• The next day, go ahead and share a photo of a unit for sale- but aim to do so every other day, mixing these photos with other types of media. 

• This will communicate to your audience that yes, you are a dealership, and your goal is to get units sold, but you also care about the experience the have with your company- both online, and in person. 

We hope these tips have helped you gain a clearer vision of what steps you can take to refine and develop your presence on Instagram - be sure to tag @rvtrader and hashtag #rvtrader to gain the most exposure possible for your photos - and possibly even get featured on our own Instagram page!

Looking Ahead: Big Changes Coming to Small Business

The world of technology is bringing change to pretty much every aspect of our lives - from how we interact with one another; to how and where we shop, eat, or catch a cab; to how businesses compete for market share. Small businesses, particularly, are constantly faced with the growing challenge of making a name for themselves in the digital space. So how do you deal with it?

At RV Trader, we have the pleasure of working with thousands of dealers all over the country. While business goals or obstacles may vary, among our dealers, the underlying concern we hear remains consistent - how can I stay in front of my audience and truly compete in the marketplace? What will really make an impact and help drive the exposure, conversion, and ultimately revenue to make it all worth it? Keeping up with trends, having a high rank with various search engines, and having a social media presence doesn’t even scratch the surface, making this whole digital marketing thing a pretty big undertaking.

According to Google, Forbes Business, and other industry leaders, these are the top digital tools, techniques, and trends that have been and are going to help small businesses grow their presence well into the future:

• Think Mobile First: Savvy consumers have been spoiled by quick, easy, and informative web experiences in the palm of their hand - and the RV industry is no exception. According to socPub, 57% of users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly-designed mobile site, so between the rise in millennial buyers and the tech takeover, having a responsive site a must have for any business to thrive. In fact, according to a survey of over 350 small businesses conducted by The Manifest, one in five small businesses have identified updating and upgrading their users’ experience as a top priority in 2018. We imagine these numbers will continue to grow as the way we send and receive information continues to evolve into more digital platforms.

• Video Engagement Drives Results: That very same survey by The Manifest, also determined that video content is becoming a large part of their overall business strategy. Cisco even predicts that video traffic will account for 82% of all internet traffic in just four years. By now we understand that the amount of research buyers conduct before a purchase (and even before contacting a dealer) is vast, and consumers love to view videos as a part of that research. Video has the ability to greatly increase the likelihood of conversion just by adding that personal touch. Many dealers are already using video through YouTube, Facebook, and on their own sites to engage and inform their visitors, convey transparency, and establish validity all while greatly improving search rankings. Check out our recent blog on how to use video for your business.

• Content is King: Not unlike video, consumers and search engines really love content. In fact, 22% of the 350+ businesses surveyed by The Manifest said they were expanding their content strategy in 2018. Content not only gives a large boost to a site’s SEO, but it goes even further by informing and even persuading consumers to engage - whether it’s buying, clicking on a link, sharing, and more. Hootsuite identified that small businesses are leveraging video, blogs, infographics, and more to reach their buyers and have them coming back for more. So what is the key to good content? Keep it concise, relevant, localized, and conversational.

• Security and HTTPS: It’s no surprise, but with the increase in overall internet traffic and the ability to send/share sensitive information, consumers and businesses are more focused on security than ever before. Not having an secure website will not only impact SEO (Google announced in 2016 that sites lacking HTTPS certificates will be flagged as untrustworthy), but could damage a business’ reputation, raise concerns that consumer information may be compromised, and more.

While these ideas might sound simple, few small/independent businesses are actively working towards them. If you want to grow your marketshare and secure the sustainability of your business, it is crucial to stay up on the latest trends in the digital marketing world to see which tools might work best for your business.

A Deeper Dive Into Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Have you read the Search Engine Marketing (SEM) 101 article and still want to know more? Well, no worries, RV Trader is here to help. Since you’ve gotten the SEM basics down, we thought we’d dive a little deeper and give you more insight into how the search engines work and how ad placement is decided. We’ll also explore a few other campaign types and opportunities that you may be eager to take advantage of.

Remember the PPC or Pay-Per-Click campaigns? They allow advertisers to create and manage the text ads that show up at the top and bottom of the Google search results pages. Here’s an example. Say I’m looking for a new vehicle and have decided that I’d like to test drive a SUV; I will likely search something like “new SUV for sale near me”. There are multiple ads that show up for that query, so how is the placement determined if many businesses would like to show up for that search?

 Google treats this situation like an auction – each advertiser sets a bid amount on that keyword. The highest bidder definitely gets a boost, but there is another part to this equation, the quality score. Having a good quality campaign and a great website that delivers the expected experience to the searcher makes a difference.

What other things go into creating a good quality PPC campaign? Ad extensions, for one. In our car shopping example, you might notice that some of the ads include locations with map links, model lists, other clickable links, etc. Ad extensions beef up the core content of the PPC ads and allow advertisers to share more information about their businesses that will benefit searchers.

We’ve covered the Pay-Per-Click campaigns, but what else can we do to improve our online presence? Google offers a variety of other campaigns designed to promote businesses via ads in Gmail and YouTube. For instance, once you’ve logged in to check your email, Gmail ads display on the Promotions tab. A Gmail ad opens like an e-mail message and allows the user to click over to the business’ website. 

Also - YouTube ads traditionally play prior to viewing your selected video and were previously referred to as “pre-roll” ads. Google now offers multiple other ways to promote your videos including ads within the YouTube search results or alongside related videos.  And there are various other opportunities to reach potential buyers through ads on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, but we’ll be exploring those in a separate article coming next month.

The world wide web is wide indeed, but that’s why we’re here to help you! As new advertising methods pop up, the RV Trader search team investigates it all. We’re asking all of the right questions - what are your customers searching for and what information can we present in our ads that will pique their interest? This is where our expertise in optimizing PPC campaigns comes in. Plus, our website is designed to offer a great experience to anyone who clicks on one of our search ads. We’re always looking for new ways to grow our audience as well, which means testing different ad platforms and types that appeal to an RV buyer at all points on their path to purchase, even when they are performing day-to-day online activities like checking social media or watching videos on YouTube. All of this to get more eyes on your listings and connect you with an eager RV buyer!

The Top Searched Makes and Models From Q1 2018

As your partner in the industry, it’s our goal to keep you informed and up-to-date with the latest consumer trends you need to know. With millions of consumers visiting our site monthly, we have the unique ability to provide you with useful insights into the search habits of your potential customers. We’ve seen some interesting RV data in the first quarter of 2018 that we’d like to break down for you. Check out our top searched makes and models of Q1 2018.

Top 5 searched models of Q1 2018:

• Travel Trailer 
• Class A 
• Class C 
• Fifth Wheel 
• Toy Hauler 

Travel trailers continue to dominate our most searched models with 15% of total searches in Q1 2018, dropping just 2% from Q1 2017. Class A models come in as a close second, resulting in 13% of all searches in Q1 2018. The numbers for the top five searched models of this quarter remain comparable Y.O.Y - consumers seem to know what they like and they’re sticking to it!

Top 5 searched makes of Q1 2018:

• Forest River 
• Keystone 
• Winnebago 
• Jayco 
• Coachmen 

Forest River takes first place when it comes to most searched makes in Q1 2018 - accounting for a total of 11% of all searches on RV Trader. Keystone isn’t far behind in second place with attracting 6.5% of all consumer searches. The numbers are also fairly comparable Y.O.Y, with Forest River still taking the top spot in Q1 2017 at 10% of all searches and all other makes claiming the same general ranking. We’re interested to see if any manufacturers shake up this list next quarter.

It’s hard to believe Q1 has already come and gone, and as the RV community continues to grow we are excited to see what the rest of the year will bring. How did your dealership compare with these findings? Did you see similar trends? Let us know in the comments below!