It’s that time of year again. Right after Thanksgiving, the starting gun booms and the mad rush of the holiday begins. Keeping your dealership top of mind during this season can be challenging.

We in the car business know that it’s a great time of year to buy a car, but not everyone knows that—and not everyone has the time or inclination to buy a car at the end of the year with so much going on.

To cut through the noise and capture your customers’ attention during this crazy time, you have to stand out from the crowd—and there’s no better way to do that than with video. Specifically, here are three essential videos every dealer needs for the holiday season.

Holiday Deals

December is the final month of the quarter and of the year. Let your customers know that some of the best deals to be had are in this month. Manufacturers do a great job of branding in December, serving up plenty of television commercials featuring the latest models with big bows on top. How is your dealership leveraging these ads?

Create a video featuring YOUR best deals and incentives this month, then use it in a multi-channel campaign. Send it in an email to a targeted list and send it as a text to customers who have opted-in to text campaigns. Create a Facebook and Instagram video ad campaign and a Google display ad campaign. Don’t forget to post the video on your website and on your YouTube channel. A targeted, relevant digital video campaign is less expensive than a mass-mailing postcard campaign and will return a much bigger bang for your buck.

November and December are also good months to get a car winterized for the onslaught of freezing temperatures ahead. Create a service deal and promote it as a gift for your customers—either to buy for themselves or for their loved ones. What better way to show that you care than keeping your family safe as they drive on icy roads? Similar to your sales deal video, promote this video across multiple channels.

Customer Appreciation

Although it’s a good time to promote your holiday deals, that’s not the only marketing you should be doing. This time of year, people are focused on family, friends, gratitude and giving. If the only message you send out is “Come on in for a great deal!” you risk being perceived as a Grinch.

Create a video holiday card for your customers. A video is more personal (and cost-effective) than a postcard, and you can even personalize the audio or text to include the recipient’s first name!

In this video DO NOT promote your deals or ask the customer for anything. Simply express your appreciation for their business and wish them a happy holiday season. This video should feature messages from your dealership principal(s) and department managers.

Don’t be afraid to get creative! A customer appreciation video can be warm and heartfelt, or funny and light-hearted. The main thing is to make it sincere.

A Time of Giving

The holidays are the best time of year for you to elevate your dealership’s brand by demonstrating how you give back to the community.

Is your dealership hosting a Toy Drive or taking donations for a charity or Food Bank? Create a video that shows how your charitable event benefits the community. Another option is to create a ‘recap’ video of everything your dealership has done for the community this year.

People feel good when they give, and nothing inspires giving more than seeing someone else give. Let your dealership be that inspiration for others and before you know it, you’ll attract people to your showroom because they want to help your donation efforts, and not necessarily to buy. And that’s OK for now. Because you’ll grab their name and contact information, add them to your marketing list and they’ll remember you when it comes time to buy or service a vehicle.

Make the holiday videos a fun project that all of your dealership employees (who want to) can get involved in. Use the holiday videos in multi-channel marketing campaigns to maximize reach, frequency and ROI. Before you know it, you may have a new holiday tradition that both your employees and your customers will love.