Automotive Email Marketing: Strategies to Drive Customers and Fuel Your Sales Funnel

The automotive industry is a global giant, with 75.3 million automobiles sold in 2023 alone. The numbers are expected to surpass old records through 2024.
With consumer needs constantly evolving, marketing your brand the right way is critical to reaching more people and maintaining a strong brand image.
Automotive email marketing helps you get there quickly—it’s a powerful tool for targeting specific customers with deals, sending automated messages, and building relationships through newsletter updates.
This guide will cover the basics and empower you to craft successful automotive email campaigns that drive customers to your lot and fuel your sales.
What is Automotive Email Marketing?
Automotive email marketing is a targeted digital strategy that uses email to connect with existing and potential customers in the automobile industry.
It focuses on building relationships, updating consumers, and, ultimately, driving sales of cars, parts, or services.
Using emails in the automotive industry is highly beneficial for the following reasons:
- Is cost-effective: Compared to traditional marketing methods, emails can cost less to reach a broader target audience.
- Targeted reach: Email marketing allows you to segment subscribers for relevant email content and increase engagement.
- Helps build relationships: Regular email communication, such as marketing newsletters and nurture emails can help build trust and loyalty.
- Drive sales: Targeted email campaigns can promote new arrivals and include deals and email coupons, driving sales.
- Increased engagement: Interactive email marketing can help increase curiosity, ultimately, encouraging people to visit your website, schedule an appointment, or book a test drive.
- Helps with cross-selling and up-selling: Emails allow you to promote complementary services or products to increase the average order value.
- Gives measurable results: Email campaign metrics provide insights into consumer data and help you tailor strategies accordingly.
The possibilities with email marketing are endless — you can welcome new subscribers, send appointment reminders, or follow-up with customers to drive sales.
However, sending emails to random people on your email list can increase spam complaint rates and affect your brand reputation.
So, let’s learn how to use email marketing correctly, from building a permission-based email list to optimizing automotive email campaigns.
How to Use Email Marketing in the Automotive Industry
People don’t just wake up and decide to buy a car. They go through a series of steps, also called the “Car buying journey.” Car buyers interact with different touchpoints before making a decision, and this makes it crucial to send the right emails early in the process.
But how would you know what kind of customers to target? A segmented email list is the answer.
And it doesn’t end there — email marketing is a multi-faceted approach that requires a series of steps, like the ones below.
1. How to Build an Email List for Your Automotive Business
People generally get online and visit websites, compare reviews, and review forums and car dealership sites to help them decide. These places could help you find and retain car enthusiasts.
However, ensure you capture consumer information with the following methods:
- Website opt-ins: Place visually appealing and high-value opt-in forms on your service landing pages, homepage, and other high-traffic pages.
- In-store sign-ups: Train your automobile staff to explain the perks of signing up to your email list. When done well, this strategy could prove influential in collecting interested leads.
- Social media integration: Run targeted social media ads or share exciting information on your pages promoting a specific deal.
- Lead magnets: Offer helpful information such as “Ultimate used car buying guide” or “DIY car maintenance checklist” in exchange for email addresses.
If this strategy is new to you, download our Lead Magnet Multiplier Course to boost your sender reputation and enjoy click rates up to 756% more on your lead magnets. - Service reminders: Utilize service reminders to collect valid email addresses by providing clear opt-in options.
- Business cards and brochures: Include an email list signup link on your printed materials.
Whatever method you choose to gather subscribers, ensure to obtain customer consent. Keep your opt-in forms clear and include what type of content subscribers will receive and when.
You can also use a double opt-in strategy to re-confirm a subscriber’s interest in receiving automotive email communication. Additionally, familiarize yourself with anti-spam laws like CAN-SPAM and GDPR Acts.
2. The Power of Segmentation for Automotive Companies
One out of every five cars is typically pre-ordered and comes with customized features, according to Spyne. This means not all your consumers have the same purchase needs. The car buyers are diverse with varied needs and interests. This is where segmentation comes in.
Email marketing segmentation is the strategy of dividing consumers based on specific interests and likes. For example, eco-conscious drivers will need to know more about fuel efficiency and environmental benefits, whereas luxury seekers wish to know the top-line features of the car.
You can segment your audiences with these basic methods below:
- Demographics: Consider the age, income, and geographic location of the client. A young professional might be interested in a fuel-efficient car while a family might prioritize safety features.
- Interests: Does your audience seek luxury or practicality? Do they crave economic features or care about appearance? Understanding their preferences will help you tailor email messages that resonate with each subscriber.
- Purchase behavior: Review customers’ past purchases or service history to know their likes. This data can tell if the consumer needs exclusive offers, a trade-in, or upgrade incentives.
Customize the email content to satisfy all kinds of consumers’ needs. For example, you can emphasize affordability, reliability, and budget-friendly features to a value-oriented person.
Properly segmenting audiences into micro-categories helps you create a personalized experience, leading to higher engagement and conversions.
3. Crafting Compelling Content
Purchasing a car is often a life-changing decision for many, and your emails contribute to their decision-making in certain ways. Capturing customers’ attention requires more than mentioning horsepower specs — you need compelling content that educates, entertains, and inspires people.
The following tips will help position your brand as trustworthy and drive engagement:
- Know your audience: Who you’re trying to reach plays a critical role in developing the tone and content of your email. Are you talking to tech-savvy car enthusiasts, eco-friendly families, or luxury car aficionados? Each segment has different buying journeys and requires different information.
- Use diverse content types: Use a mix of content to retain the audience’s interest. For example, you can send a blog about car buying process, take viewers on a virtual test drive, or use interactive graphics to make the learning more fun and engaging.
- Create emails for mobiles: Most consumers access emails on their mobiles, and the automotive industry is no different. Ensure your emails display correctly across devices, including the typefaces and fonts, color schemes, and CTAs.
- Inject brand personality: Don’t be afraid to show off your human side. Allow your brand voice to shine and speak to people on different levels and emotions.
Remember, authenticity is key to connecting with people. Be transparent and keep consumers updated on the latest news and company changes. This will increase trust and foster loyal relationships down the road.
4. Personalizing Automotive Emails
Email personalization taps into the customer’s emotions. A potential buyer looking for cost-effective and eco-friendly cars will be pleased with emails helping them make an informed decision.
Personalizing emails could be as simple as using a customer’s name or tailoring specifics to suit their previous purchase history. Additionally, dynamic content blocks help you show vehicles similar to the ones they viewed online, increasing relevance.
For advanced personalization, the below techniques can be useful:
- Purchase anniversaries or birthdays: Celebrating milestones such as birthdays or special occasions with deals or service discounts is effective.
- Target geographically: Implement local email marketing, inviting customers to events or promotions at your dealership.
- Lifestage targeting: Based on your customer profiles, send them specific deals. For example, you can promote family-friendly vehicles to someone having a baby or highlight features and long-distance capabilities for people soon to retire.
- Use interactive content: Use polls or email surveys to personalize the experience and collect immediate user feedback.
5. Optimizing Automotive Email Campaigns
While crafting compelling content and personalizing messages are crucial, optimization takes your emails from good to great.
Focus on these key areas of email optimization:
- Subject lines: Your subject line is the first impression. A/B test different subject lines to understand what resonates with audiences.
- Mobile-first design: Car shoppers want to read on the go. Ensure your emails adapt to different screen sizes and maintain image or video clarity.
- Clean and clear CTA: Split test CTAs to know what gets the highest conversion rates.
Optimize your send time based on audience behavior and industry best practices. A car dealership company’s email will look completely different to motorsports companies.
To help you frame emails correctly, let’s review the various types of companies in the automotive space.
How Different Automotive Companies Use Email Marketing
The table below includes an overview of different companies and the ways they use email marketing.
Company Type | Email Marketing Focus | Email Examples |
---|---|---|
Original equipment manufacturers (OEM) | ‣ Generate brand awareness for new models ‣ Promote test drives and pre-orders ‣ Share company news and innovations ‣ Target specific customer segments such as luxury or eco-friendly car shoppers. | ‣ Incentives for pre-ordering upcoming models ‣ Invitations to upcoming test drives and exclusive events ‣ Personalized recommendations based on browsing behavior |
Tier 1 suppliers | ‣ Build brand reputation within the industry ‣ Target potential customers like other manufacturers ‣ Showcase expertise in specific automotive parts ‣ Announce new product launches | ‣ Educational content about their parts and technology ‣ Case studies demonstrating success with other OEM’s ‣ Targeted emails to specific departments in OEMs such as engineering, purchasing, etc |
Car dealerships | ‣ Advertise new and used car inventory ‣ Promote service specials and maintenance packages ‣ Target local customers with community events ‣ Build customer loyalty through personalized offers | ‣ Emails showcasing new arrivals at the dealership ‣ Service reminders with options to schedule online ‣ Birthday or anniversary greetings with special discounts |
Rental car companies | ‣ Promote special deals and loyalty programs ‣ Upsell additional services like insurance, GPS, etc ‣ Customize emails according to users’ travel preferences ‣ Encourage repeat business with exclusive offers | ‣ Emails highlighting weekend rental discounts ‣ Promotions for specific car classes (SUVs or family trips) ‣ Loyalty program updates and reward notifications ‣ Personalized offers based on past rental history |
Aftermarket parts manufacturers | ‣ Promote parts for specific car models ‣ Target existing customers with maintenance reminders ‣ Highlight product features and benefits ‣ Up-sell and cross-sell related parts | ‣ Reminders about upcoming maintenance needs ‣ Discount offers on parts compatible with users’ car models ‣ Educational videos on DIY repairs ‣ Greetings and wishes for birthdays and anniversaries |
The automotive industry is a vast system of companies that design, manufacture, sell, service, and recycle automobiles.
Each company can have different marketing goals and audience segments and use different types of emails to target customers.
Types of Emails with Examples for the Automotive Industry
Nurturing audiences in the automotive industry often requires sending many emails. These can be goal-based or automated, based on the user behavior.
We’ll go through the different email types you can send and give examples for each.
Type of Emails | Purpose | Target Audience |
---|---|---|
Welcome emails | To introduce your company and showcase the benefits of working with you | New subscribers |
Test drive promotions | Encourages potential buyers to experience a vehicle firsthand | Car buyers considering the featured vehicle |
Service reminders and specials | Prompts existing customers to schedule maintenance and highlight service offers | Existing car owners with vehicles due for service |
Loyalty program updates | To inform customers of program benefits, points balance, and redemption opportunities | Existing customers enrolled in a loyalty program |
Win-back emails | Reconnects with inactive or past customers to rekindle interest | Past customers or subscribers who haven’t engaged recently |
Let’s take a closer look at the email type examples.
Welcome Emails for the Automotive Industry
A welcome email is typically sent to first-time subscribers to update them about your automotive company and its benefits. Usually, these emails are sent as soon as someone signs up to your email list.
Welcome Email Example

Harley Davidson sends a warm welcome greeting with an intriguing body copy and CTA.
Test Drive Promotional Emails
Test drives are a critical step in the car buying journey. A well-crafted promotional email can encourage potential buyers to consider the new arrivals. Ensure to use captivating visuals and a strong CTA for prominent action.
Promotional Email Example

Infiniti showcases the automobile’s uniqueness through benefit-driven body copy and high-quality images.
Service Reminder Emails in the Automotive Industry
Service reminder emails help retain customers and generate revenue while ensuring vehicle safety. These emails are personalized to suit the specific requirements of the user. For example, an oil change or a major tune-up is due.
Service Reminder Email Example

Nissan gently reminds customers about their service date by mentioning about the temperature rise and its effects.
Loyalty Program Updates
Loyalty program is at the forefront of customer retention and building long-term relationships. Regular updates about points balance and exclusive perks can help foster engagement and loyalty.
Loyalty Program Email Example

Carvana helps users access great deals with value through their email. The additional sections such as personalized rates and trading options prove effective.
Automotive Win-back Emails
Not all customers stay consistent with your brand journey. Win-back emails are potent ways to reactivate dormant leads and bring them back to your dealership.
Win-back Email Example

Mitsubishi’s “Rediscover your life” heading immediately captures the attention of customers. The video adds an extra layer of interaction for a more engaging experience.
Automotive Email Marketing Strategies
The email open rate for the automotive industry is at 12.6%, making email marketing an effective marketing tool for reaching prospects. Despite the above data, the average bounce rate is 0.8%.
That’s why it’s critical to follow these email marketing strategies to fuel your automotive sales:
- Capture leads strategically: Offer valuable content instead of just collecting email addresses. Focusing on value is important to maintain customer trust.
- Segment customers: Divide customers based on their interests and preferences instead of sending email blasts to all.
- Tell stories: People connect with stories. Use storytelling to evoke emotions and create a connection with your brand.
- Encourage customer feedback: Include email surveys in your marketing strategy. Feedback provides valuable insights and can help you refine marketing efforts.
- Use a reliable ESP: Ensure your ESP offers authentication protocols and good email deliverability rates.
Inbox placement is a crucial aspect that decides your automotive email marketing success rate. When emails reach your customers’ inboxes, it makes it easier for them to act.
The Power of a Reliable Email Deliverability Tool
In the fast-paced world of automotive sales, every interaction counts. But even the most amazing email campaign can fail if it does not reach the audience.
This is where a reliable email marketing tool such as Campaign Refinery can help you create long-lasting relationships and rev up your marketing revenue.
With a sophisticated email deliverability ecosystem, our clients have steadily seen an increase in email deliverability rates (up to 6x) after joining us.

Ready to make every automotive email count?