Car Deals
Let the Selling Begin
From Your Dealership To Auto Shoppers Mailbox!
Willowood Ventures' precision-targeted direct mail is delivering response rates of up to 8%, compared to the standard 1-1.5% seen with typical direct mail campaigns.
Auto Dealership Mailers
Credit Advance Program
Expert Automotive Mailers
Automotive Postcard Examples
7 Step Direct Mail Domination
The 7 Step Domination Program offers a tailored approach to automotive marketing by letting your dealership choose key criteria such as credit score range, auto loan status, and customer types, ensuring you reach the ideal target audience.
- You choose the Credit Bureau, or Minimum Credit Score
- Open or Closed Auto Loan, Amount of Open Autos
- Minimum Current Monthly Car Payment – Cap or Range
- Minimum Monthly Household Income
- Lease Customers
- Remaining Balance
- BK/Repo Filtering or Targeting
- Ethnicity (Spanish Customers)
- First Time Buyers
- Prime Credit
- Special Finance
- Business Owners (Fleet)
How 7 Step Domination Works!
Facebook/ Instagram Ad
Ad run targeting recipients of offer on official Facebook / Instagram page.
EMAIL, TEXT, AND COLD CALLING
Customers will receive weekly text messages for 45 days after receiving the offer. Our in-house BDC will also reach out via cold calls and emails to encourage customers to visit the sales floor over the course of the event.
PRE-APPROVAL, LEASE TERM, REFINANCE OFFER
Offers sent to customers meeting the credit criteria chosen by your dealership. We have several targeted demographics to find the right auto shopper.
LIVE BDC
The BDC’s systematic follow-up approach ensures that no lead falls through the cracks, turning marketing outreach into showroom traffic and closing sales, helping your dealership stay ahead of the competition. Cell phone data shared on all customers not on DNC list for your team to call.
The Role Of The Dynamic BDC The Secret Sauce Behind 7 Step Domination
The Business Development Center (BDC) is the driving force behind the success of the 7 Step Domination Program. By combining data-driven targeting with proactive customer engagement, our BDC makes sure that every opportunity is maximized. Here’s how:
- Personalized Outreach: After the initial mailers go out, our BDC team reaches out via text, email, and phone calls, ensuring that potential customers are consistently engaged throughout the entire campaign. This personal touch encourages them to take the next step—visiting your dealership.
- Lead Nurturing: With a dedicated follow-up plan, our BDC keeps your leads warm for 45 days, using well-timed messages and calls to guide customers toward conversion. This continued engagement dramatically improves appointment show rates and ultimately sales.
- Cell Phone Data Utilization: Our BDC works from shared cell phone data (excluding those on the DNC list) to efficiently contact individuals who have already expressed interest, increasing the likelihood of positive engagement.
Automotive Direct Mail With Purpose!
Our personalized emails are designed to engage your customers one-on-one. Whether it's asking about their Sorento or offering a convenient time for a weekend appointment, we deliver messages that resonate just like you would.
Saturation Mailers
Reach more customers with saturation mailers, targeting key ZIP codes in your area for unbeatable coverage. With over 30 years of refining our data-driven approach, we consistently deliver results that outperform traditional methods. Get more eyes on your dealership—every time.
Direct Mail + Staffed Events
Combine direct mail with onsite dealership events for powerful results. This strategy pairs broad-reach mail campaigns with face-to-face engagement, driving higher foot traffic and boosting sales. Draw in serious buyers and make meaningful connections at your next event."
In-House Mail & Print
Tailored mailers designed to keep your current customers engaged and attract new ones. Whether boosting service visits or building loyalty, our in-house mail and print services drive higher service revenue and strengthen your dealership’s reputation. Grow CSI and market share today!
Automotive Direct Mail Glossary
Address Block: The section of a direct mail piece reserved for the recipient's name and address. Correct formatting ensures proper delivery by the postal service.
Ancillary Service Endorsements: Instructions on a mail piece that tell the postal service how to handle undeliverable mail, such as forwarding or returning to sender.
Automated Direct Mail: Direct mail campaigns that are triggered by events or customer behaviors, like a new purchase or a service reminder, using software integrations with CRM systems.
Automotive Direct Mail: Marketing that uses physical mail to reach potential buyers with information on dealership offers, sales, and events, designed to increase showroom traffic.
Automotive Direct Mail Advertising: Specific direct mail campaigns tailored to promote cars, special offers, or services directly to potential buyers, aiming for increased response rates.
Automotive Direct Mail Campaigns: Structured mailing efforts targeting car buyers with specific promotions or information, such as new model launches or trade-in events.
Automotive Direct Mail Companies: Businesses that specialize in creating, managing, and distributing direct mail campaigns for automotive dealerships.
Automotive Direct Mail Ideas: Creative strategies like scratch-off mailers, personalized letters, or event invitations designed to make a direct mail campaign more effective.
Automotive Direct Mail List: A curated list of recipients that includes current customers and prospects likely to respond to automotive offers, based on factors like previous purchases or geographic location.
Automotive Direct Mail Marketing: The strategic process of using direct mail to promote dealership offers, with a focus on targeting the right audience to drive sales and customer engagement.
Automotive Direct Mail Marketing Companies: Agencies offering end-to-end direct mail solutions, from design and print to mailing, specifically for car dealerships.
Automotive Direct Mail Pieces: The individual items like postcards, brochures, or catalogs that are sent out as part of a direct mail campaign.
Barcode Clear Zone: An area on a direct mail piece where no other information is printed, allowing space for postal barcodes that aid in automated sorting.
Bulk Mail: Large-volume mailings, often used for campaigns targeting thousands of potential customers, which qualify for discounted postage rates.
Car Dealership Mail Scratch Off: A marketing technique using scratch-off elements in mailed pieces to entice customers with potential rewards, encouraging them to visit the dealership.
CASS (Coding Accuracy Support System): A USPS certification for address lists, ensuring that the addresses are accurate for better deliverability in direct mail campaigns.
CRM Integration: Linking customer relationship management (CRM) systems with direct mail platforms to automate and personalize mail campaigns based on customer data.
Custom Variable Data Printing (VDP): Printing technique allowing each direct mail piece to be customized with unique data such as recipient names, purchase history, or targeted offers.
Data Enhancement: Adding information like demographic or behavioral data to a mailing list, improving the targeting of direct mail campaigns.
Direct Mail Advertising Automotive: Using direct mail as an advertising tool to promote vehicles, service specials, or dealership events to a targeted audience.
Direct Mail Automation: The use of software to automate the production and delivery of direct mail pieces, allowing for quick, large-scale deployments.
Direct Mail Automotive: Focused direct mail efforts designed specifically to promote car sales and services, often using personalized content to attract potential buyers.
Direct Mail Drop: A mailing batch sent out on a specific date as part of a larger campaign, used to control the timing of responses.
Direct Mail List Broker: A service provider who connects dealerships with targeted mailing lists for their direct mail campaigns.
Direct Mail Response Rate: The percentage of recipients who respond to a direct mail campaign, an important metric for evaluating the effectiveness of the mailing.
Direct Response: A type of direct mail designed to prompt an immediate action, such as calling a phone number, visiting a website, or scheduling an appointment.
Event-Triggered Mail: Direct mail pieces sent out based on specific customer actions or milestones, like a service anniversary or a new car purchase.
Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM): A USPS service that allows mailers to reach all homes in a particular geographic area without needing to know specific addresses.
Fulfillment Services: Companies that handle the production, packaging, and shipping of direct mail pieces for dealerships, ensuring timely delivery.
House List: A mailing list containing a dealership’s current and previous customers, which is often the most effective for targeting repeat business.
Informed Delivery: A USPS feature that emails consumers images of the mail they will receive, providing dealerships with an additional digital touchpoint.
Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMb): A USPS barcode system that improves tracking and routing of mail pieces, enhancing the efficiency of direct mail campaigns.
Lift: The increase in response rates after making a specific change to a direct mail piece, like adjusting the offer or design.
Mail Drop: A strategy where a large mailing is broken into smaller batches that are sent out over a period, helping to control the flow of responses.
Mailing List Cleaning: The process of removing outdated or incorrect addresses from a mailing list to improve deliverability and reduce waste.
Multichannel Marketing: Using a combination of direct mail and digital channels (e.g., email, social media) to engage customers and reinforce campaign messages.
National Change of Address (NCOA): A database used to update addresses for recipients who have moved, ensuring that direct mail pieces reach their intended destinations.
Omnichannel Marketing: A strategy that integrates direct mail with other marketing channels to create a seamless customer experience across touchpoints like email, SMS, and in-person visits.
Personalized URL (pURL): A unique web address printed on direct mail pieces that directs recipients to a personalized landing page, enhancing engagement and tracking.
Presorted Mail: Direct mail that is sorted by ZIP code before mailing to qualify for lower postage rates and quicker delivery.
Printing on Demand (POD): Printing direct mail pieces as they are needed, reducing waste and enabling more personalized messaging.
QR Code: A scannable code that directs recipients from a direct mail piece to an online destination like a website or video, blending physical and digital marketing.
Response List: A list of individuals who have previously responded to similar offers, making them more likely to engage with direct mail campaigns.
Response Rate: The proportion of recipients who take action as a result of a direct mail piece, such as visiting a dealership or scheduling a service.
Scratch-Off Car Dealership Mailing: A mailer that includes scratch-off elements to gamify the recipient’s experience and encourage participation in promotions.
Self-Mailer: A direct mail piece that doesn’t require an envelope, such as a folded brochure or postcard, which is often more cost-effective.
Segmentation: Dividing a mailing list into smaller groups based on shared characteristics, such as purchase history or geographic location, to create more targeted campaigns.
Triggered Direct Mail: Automated mail that is sent out based on predefined conditions, such as a birthday, service due date, or inquiry follow-up.
USPS Automation Compatible Mail: Mail that meets USPS standards for automated sorting, allowing for lower postage costs and faster delivery.
Variable Data Printing (VDP): A printing method that allows different elements, like text or images, to change from one printed piece to the next, enabling highly personalized mailers.
Zip Code Targeting: Focusing a direct mail campaign on recipients within specific ZIP codes, often used to target local customers or focus on areas with higher sales potential.
These terms cover a wide range of concepts in automotive direct mail marketing, making them useful for creating content, training, or improving your understanding of this field.
Proven Strategies for Effective Automotive Direct Mail
Discover How Direct Mail Can Drive More Customers to Your Dealership.
Direct Mail FAQ
Automotive direct mail marketing involves sending promotional materials, such as postcards or brochures, directly to potential customers. These mailers are designed to promote vehicles, service specials, or dealership events, creating a personalized connection in a tangible format.
Direct mail remains highly effective due to its tangible nature, which cuts through the digital noise. Recipients often retain physical mail for longer periods, and personalization in automotive mailers can foster trust and lead to higher response rates compared to digital advertising alone.
Willowood Ventures uses targeted automotive mailers to promote dealership events. By leveraging geographic and demographic data, we ensure that promotional mail reaches in-market buyers, maximizing event attendance and driving showroom traffic.
Willowood Ventures offers postcards, self-mailers, and envelope mailers. Postcards are ideal for concise messages, while self-mailers provide more space to showcase the dealership’s value. Envelope mailers add a sense of exclusivity, making them great for targeted campaigns.
Radius mailing targets potential customers within a specific distance of the dealership, increasing local brand awareness and driving traffic to the showroom. This strategy is particularly effective for reaching new residents or building a local presence.
Integration can be achieved by including QR codes, URLs, or social media handles on automotive mailers. This allows recipients to easily access additional information, schedule appointments, or take advantage of special offers online, creating a cohesive marketing approach.
Variable Data Printing allows for customization of each mailer with dynamic content, such as the recipient’s name or a specific offer. This level of personalization makes automotive direct mail more engaging and can significantly improve response rates.
Effectiveness is measured through response rates, offer redemptions, sales lift, and ROI. Willowood Ventures also tracks customer interactions, such as calls or website visits, to provide a clear picture of campaign success.
Willowood Ventures combines industry expertise with data-driven strategies to create effective direct mail campaigns. Our team understands the unique challenges of automotive marketing and uses advanced targeting to reach the right audience, driving both traffic and sales.
Willowood Ventures can typically launch an automotive direct mail campaign within 7-10 business days, ensuring that dealerships can quickly respond to market opportunities and seasonal promotional events.