When it comes to selling more cars, the first order of business is to drive traffic to your showroom floor.  As automotive direct marketers this is something we think about every day.

We think about lists – who your best buyers are and where to find them. We think about messaging – what we can say that will compel buyers go get in their car and drive to your showroom. We think about design – what design elements are the most effective? We also think about all the other things dealerships can do to drive traffic and then close sales, thus enhancing the effectiveness of all the hard work we've done into creating the most effective automotive direct mailpieces on the market.

Because we are always looking for ways to assist our customers and prospects in increasing their automotive showroom traffic, we try to regularly scour the internet for helpful tips.

We recently found a great article in Dealer Marketing Magazine that highlights 12 great ways you can drum up traffic to your dealership. Increasing Consumer Traffic is not new, but the ideas still hold.

As author, Jan Kelly writes, "Automobile dealerships, which have done well in this economy, have strived to make their dealership a destination, not some place to stop by while they are on the way to somewhere else."

The innovative ideas she presents include everything from holding chili-cookoffs (which by the way pair great with direct mail), to hosting charity events and even teaming with local driving schools to promote your dealership as the dealership of choice for new drivers.

We won't give away the whole deal here. Read the full article.