Have you been wondering about how to use TikTok for car sales?
Very often on our podcast The First Pencil, MiketheCarGuy and I talk about TikTok as a platform for dealers and salespeople. As two people who’ve spent many years in auto retail, and who have been in the automotive social media game for a long time, we always look at strategies and tactics that will ultimately sell cars (and of course service them!)
The main point of being on social media for car sales, otherwise known as automotive social selling, is to laser-target prospecting and establish rapport through existing connections in order to develop leads and sales. With that goal in mind, let’s talk about TikTok for car sales.
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Start with the social media basics
It’s important to remember that with any social media platform, the internet is forever. If you aren’t solid in your personal brand, social media can become a minefield both for you and the recipients of your posts. You’re already awesome so why not mirror that on social media?
Start with a simple plan that will help you save time and support your online reputation.
You are representing yourself when you’re online. Everything you say and do speaks to your personal brand:
- How do you want to be perceived?
- What do you want to be known for?
- What is your unique selling proposition?
- What differentiates you from everyone else?
Don’t let what differentiates you turn out to be your worst nightmare.
Your personal brand is about making a full-time commitment to the journey of defining yourself as a leader and how this will shape the manner in which you will serve others.
Your personal brand should represent the value you are able to consistently deliver to those whom you are serving.
Would you like to learn how to market yourself on social media? Get my FREE Guide: 20 Automotive Social Selling Techniques for More Leads and Sales
Why TikTok?
TikTok’s website was visited last year more often than Google. No app has grown faster past a billion users, with more than 100 million of them here in the United States. The average U.S. viewer watches TikTok for 80 minutes a day — more than the time spent on Facebook and Instagram, combined.
The app is more than just fun videos: According to the most recent data from the Pew Research Center, 33% of U.S. users say they regularly get their news from the platform, up from 22% in 2020.
But it’s time to get real about TikTok’s risks.
Regulators continue to claim TikTok poses a threat to personal privacy and US national security. Owned by the Chinese tech giant Bytedance, there have been many warnings over the past two years that the Chinese government could use the app to collect data on Americans or launch influence operations through the platform.
Your decision on whether to use TikTok or not should be an informed one. I’ve crafted 3 insightful questions for you to answer that should help you come away with enough info to determine if it’s right for you.
3 Questions to Answer Before Using TikTok for Car Sales
When starting any journey on a social media platform, there are certain questions to answer before you begin so you can map out your growth. It’s no different with TikTok and as popular as the app is, it’s good to know what you’re getting into.
1. Are you excited to use it?
I’ve always recommended that, in order to be successful on social media, you need to WANT to do it. When you’re not excited, it shows, and it’s even more evident with video.
Part of the excitement comes from creating content your audience reacts positively to. If you’re not really into consistently creating video, don’t bother making a half-hearted attempt. There are many other ways to grow your network and promote yourself.
If you are excited to use TikTok, then follow your heart and see where it leads.
2. Are your ideal customers on TikTok?
Let’s tap into the traditional marketing inquiry about “knowing who your customers are” so you can provide them with the content they desire.
Is it possible that car shoppers are using TikTok? I would say it’s possible but not probable. When you’re a car salesperson, you have a finite amount of time to spend on social media. That means you must choose the best place to focus your efforts and more often than not, that is going to be another platform where more car shoppers spend time. These are places like online ratings sites, Facebook groups, Instagram, YouTube and even LinkedIn.
Something else to consider: According to recent research, the majority of TikTok users are between the ages of 18 and 24. 92% of all TikTok users are aged 13 to 34, painting a clear picture of TikTok’s appeal to teens and young adults.
Is your ideal customer included in this demographic? Hint: In 2021, Baby Boomers were the main new car buyers in the United States, representing around 36% of new car sales. By contrast, Gen X made up the majority of the used car buyers, at close to 40% of the sales.
Resulting conclusion: TikTok skews younger than the average car buyer and therefore would have difficulty reaching them.
3. Are you okay with sketchy data collection and privacy concerns?
You may not have heard this part yet and that’s the main reason I wanted to write this post today. As someone who would LOVE to see regulation of social media companies, (a subject I could write an entire post about), I pay close attention to social media data collection, privacy and online disinformation issues. If you’re thinking about using TikTok for car sales, this issue should be considered in your decision.
The concern I have with TikTok is that they are not a U.S. company, and therefore don’t have to live by our rules. Bytedance is in China and as such, the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) has incredible influence on companies there.
- Top branches of the U.S. government and military have banned TikTok from government-issued phones.
- Wells Fargo Bank asks employees to remove TikTok from company-owned devices due to concerns about TikTok’s privacy and security controls.
- Members of Congress insist it could be a Trojan horse for a secret Chinese propaganda and surveillance machine.
Here’s an excerpt of an excellent Washington Post article “How TikTok Ate the Internet – The world’s most popular app has pioneered a new age of instant attention. Can we trust it?”
“Even as the app has transformed into a public square for news and conversation, TikTok’s opaque systems of promotion and suppression fuel worries that China’s aggressive model of internet control could warp what appears there.”
“TikTok executives have argued they aren’t influenced by government agendas and want only to foster an entertainment platform that is fun and conflict-free. They have worked to soothe doubts and make friends in a hostile Washington by hiring U.S.-based specialists, promising transparency and piping American users’ data through servers in the United States.”
“But former TikTok employees and technical experts argue that the company’s fixes do nothing to address its biggest risk: that its top decision-makers work in a country skilled at using the web to spread propaganda, surveil the public, gain influence and squash dissent. That crisis of trust has led to an ongoing debate among U.S. regulators: whether to more closely monitor the app or ban it outright.”
Harvesting data is the norm for social media apps, but the question that many have is where it goes and who has access to it.
So, is TikTok safe to use?
The answer isn’t clear-cut. Much of the media commentary around TikTok concerns focuses on issues relating to national security, but most users are unlikely to have nationally sensitive content on their phones. For individuals, the risk is not significantly different to that of other popular social media apps. Ultimately, it’s about being aware of data security and online privacy issues and then making a personal choice.
Legislation just introduced on December 13, 2022 would block all transactions from any social media company in or under the influence of China and Russia.
Next steps if you want to use TikTok for car sales
The next step is to decide. Considering all the points above, you may find that TikTok isn’t for you. At this point in time, it’s not something I would recommend simply because I know how little time car people have in their day to spend on social media. Your time would be better spent on developing a loyal following on one of the more legacy platforms.
If you decide that you want to give it a go, I urge you to keep close attention on the news around TikTok as it continues to evolve. I also recommend securing your TikTok account and being hyper-vigilant about what access you allow the app to collect. This is a good practice for all apps and you might as well get accustomed to this step because it’s not getting any easier to stop data collection.
Get my latest business tips, exclusive content, and a bit of fun straight to your inbox with the Kruse Control Newsletter. Boost your profits with our proven advice. Sign up now – it’s free!