Today’s car shoppers live online. They research, compare, and often select their vehicle digitally, but still crave the in-person experience for final purchase. For dealerships, this means survival relies on a strong omnichannel strategy. It’s not just about being present online; it’s about connecting every digital and physical touchpoint into a user-friendly journey. Meeting customers where they are, with consistent service, is no longer optional – it’s the key to driving sales and building lasting loyalty in the modern automotive market.
The Lotlinx Automotive Network is the only VIN-level omnichannel agnostic platform that creates an individual media plan for each individual VIN.
What Does Omnichannel Really Mean?
One of the most frequently asked questions we get at Lotlinx is, “Where do my ads appear?” The simple answer? Everywhere that matters. The more accurate answer? At the exact moment a consumer is ready to buy.
That’s the power of our proprietary Omnichannel Network—we don’t just blast ads into the void. We strategically place VIN-specific ads when buyers are deep into their decision-making process. It’s not about where—it’s about when.
“What we’ve been able to do is get materially better at understanding when people are in that moment,” explains Lotlinx General Manager, Lance Schafer. “A lot of people are saying, ‘Well, they went here, and they looked at that, and therefore we should show them ads about this.’ But the problem with that is there are a lot of false signals, and there’s a lot of waste in that.”
Step 1: Building an Omnichannel Strategy
A true omnichannel approach ensures that a shopper’s journey isn’t fragmented. Lotlinx’s auto dealer inventory management software has mastered this by integrating inventory advertising across:
- Search Engines (Google, Bing)
- Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter)
- YouTube (Video ads targeting in-market shoppers)
- Display & Native Ads (Across 70+ automotive web publishers reaching 65M+ shoppers)
Think of Lotlin AI as a musical conductor.
“Each instrument is a channel, and each symphony is customized for each vehicle,” says Schafer. “We use years of learnings and patented technologies to fuel an AI that predicts which shoppers will have the most interest in each vehicle. We deliver those shoppers directly to the dealer’s site, at a cost and efficiency level unmatched by any other solution in existence.”
Step 2: Getting Smarter with Data
The reason traditional advertising fails is simple—it misreads consumer intent. Lotlinx eliminates wasted spend by leveraging 400+ billion proprietary data records to understand:
- Shopper intensity – Who is actively buying versus just browsing.
- True conversion moments – AI pinpoints when a shopper has honed in on a single VIN.
- Efficient ad spend – No more throwing money at buyers who won’t convert.
This is not guesswork—it’s science. We track real-time engagement, making sure only high-intent shoppers see your inventory.
Step 3: Making Every Channel Count
Omnichannel doesn’t just mean showing up everywhere—it means showing up the right way. Our AI-powered deep-linking technology ensures that instead of collecting useless “leads,” we drive buyers directly to the dealer’s VDP (Vehicle Detail Page).
“Leads sucked,” Schafer admits. “Leads sucked for consumers who had to provide personal information to obtain more information. Leads made the purchaser endure using an in-between, relentless calls from multiple dealers and finance companies. Leads sucked for dealers because a lead was submitted to multiple dealers—multiple dealers calling a consumer meant they were alienating a potential purchaser or dealing with a price shopper.”Instead, Lotlinx delivers real buyers, not just contacts.
Step 4: Learning & Evolving—The AI Advantage
Lotlinx AI isn’t static—it learns and adapts in real time. With modernized data, you can create new car dealership marketing ideas that work according to current trends, the market, and your customer base.
- No more false signals – AI removes the noise and focuses on real purchase intent.
- Real-time adjustments – Campaign pacing shifts dynamically based on shopper behavior.
- Smarter every day – Machine learning continuously improves ad efficiency and conversion rates.
“It’s taken us over 10 years to perfect,” Schafer notes. “And it gets smarter (and more proprietary) every day.”
What’s Next for Omnichannel Marketing?
Lotlinx continues to push the boundaries of inventory marketing. Over the next few years, we’re dedicated to cutting out middlemen, streamlining digital marketing efforts, and maximizing efficiency for dealerships.
“Our technologies stand to be the tool that deploys automotive dealers into a future that allows for less time spent managing digital marketing campaigns, and more time doing what we all love – the car business,” says Schafer.
The future is clear—precision, AI-driven marketing that delivers the right car, to the right buyer, at the right moment.
Want more tips on omnichannel marketing for dealerships? Check out our PDF!