Email marketing best practices for car dealerships
Joey Lee
October 27, 2025
Email marketing remains one of the most effective tools for car dealerships to build loyalty, generate leads, and stay top of mind with customers. Whether you are promoting new inventory, scheduling service appointments, or re-engaging past buyers, email lets you personalize communication at every stage of the customer journey.
The ultimate goal of every dealership email is to warm leads over time until they are ready to take action, such as scheduling a test drive, booking a service appointment, or visiting your showroom.
Email marketing alone may not drive a high number of conversions, but it does keep prospects and customers engaged so that they come in-store and allow you to do what you do best: close.
Here’s how to structure your program, what essential campaigns to run, and how to segment your audience for the best results.
Essential campaigns every dealership should send
A dealership’s email strategy should cover the entire lifecycle, from acquisition to service retention. Below are the must-have campaign types.
1. Welcome and lead-nurture series
When someone fills out a form or requests information, do not just send a single confirmation. A short welcome series introduces your brand, highlights key selling points, and provides helpful resources. Include dealership hours, financing options, and a quick link to browse current inventory. These messages can be sent “from” an assigned salesperson or from the dealership generally.
2. Vehicle and service reminders
Use automated triggers for lease expirations, service intervals, and warranty renewals. These reminders drive consistent service traffic and keep you connected after purchase. Tools like your CRM or ESP can handle scheduling based on purchase or service dates.
3. Promotions and limited-time offers
Email is ideal for special financing events, new model releases, or seasonal promotions. Include clear calls to action and a visual of the vehicle being featured. Make sure to follow imagery and email design best practices to make sure visuals enhance your offer, not distract from it.
4. Monthly specials newsletter
Most dealerships have rotating monthly offers on new or certified pre-owned vehicles, financing, or service packages. Send a consistent newsletter early in the month that highlights these specials and encourages customers to schedule appointments. This regular send keeps your audience informed, drives predictable traffic, and maintains awareness between promotions.
5. Re-engagement campaigns
Lapsed leads and past buyers often need just a small nudge to return. Send a reintroduction, special incentive, or service coupon to bring them back. Again, these messages can be sent from a salesperson and/or from the company generally.
6. Customer appreciation and loyalty
Simple thank-you notes after purchase, anniversary messages, or birthday emails build loyalty and brand affinity. These campaigns can be automated and require little upkeep but go a long way in retention.
One-off emails worth sending
Alongside your automated campaigns, one-time emails help maintain connection and relevancy. Consider adding:
Community involvement updates – showcase charity drives, local sponsorships, or events.
New vehicle announcements – highlight major releases or redesigns with clear imagery and pricing information.
Customer satisfaction surveys – gather insights after service or purchase. Just be mindful of how often you ask. Try not to expect too much feedback directly in the email.
Staff highlights – introduce sales or service team members to humanize your brand.
Smart segmentation strategies
The strength of dealership marketing lies in personalization. Proper segmentation ensures each contact receives content that fits their needs and timing.
Here’s how to think about it.
1. By buyer stage
Prospects – leads who have requested information or visited your site. Send educational content, feature comparisons, and appointment scheduling links.
Active shoppers – customers who have recently browsed inventory or requested quotes. Focus on urgency, availability, and test drive offers.
Owners – existing buyers. Target them with service reminders, trade-in offers, and upgrade opportunities.
2. By vehicle type or interest
Segment by make, model, or type (SUV, EV, luxury, and so on). Send content that matches what the customer has shown interest in. Additionally, you can look at whether the prospects or customers are interested in new cars, used cars, or both in order to tailor the content.
3. By engagement level
Track open and clickthrough data to identify who is interacting with your emails. Retarget active users with sales messages, and consider pruning inactive ones after several attempts.
4. By lifecycle triggers
Automate based on service history, lease terms, or past behavior. A well-timed “your warranty expires soon” message is far more effective than a generic blast.
Segmented campaigns can improve clickthrough rates by up to 50 percent compared to unsegmented sends.
Testing and optimization
Even the best strategies can improve over time. Regular A/B testing on subject lines, send times, and call-to-action placement can reveal valuable insights. Always track these core metrics.
Open rate (for engagement health)
Clickthrough rate (to measure content performance)
Conversion rate (to gauge sales or service impact)
Unsubscribe rate (to monitor fatigue)
If your performance starts to dip, revisit your segmentation, content mix, and frequency.
Conclusion
Email marketing for car dealerships works best when it is personal, consistent, and action-oriented. Every message should guide your audience one step closer to scheduling an appointment, whether that is a test drive, service visit, or consultation.
Build a strong foundation with essential lifecycle campaigns, send your monthly specials early each month to drive demand, and keep refining through segmentation and testing. Over time, these efforts will help you convert more leads, fill your calendar, and build lasting customer relationships.
