Email Marketing Benchmarks and Statistics for the Automotive Industry – Q4 2024
Published: January 2025
In order to formulate new performance targets for the coming 12 months, it is important for motor retailers to reflect on the effectiveness of their marketing efforts in 2024. That can be difficult without understanding what ‘good’ really looks like in the context of their peers.
Email is one of the most productive marketing tools, so analysis of open rates and click-through rates for different types of messages, as well as key indicators of data accuracy, such as bounce rates and unsubscribes, should be core to any CRM strategy. This ongoing analysis – and the steps taken to address any indicated shortcomings – ensures that campaigns will meet objectives and deliver optimal return on investment.
Retailers will want to start the year strong, boosting lead volumes and driving workshop utilisation rates while also building momentum in the approach to the first plate-change month of the year.
The numbers in review
In the final quarter of 2024, our VoiceBox software issued over 1,915,340 emails on behalf of our clients, communicating key information to both sales and aftersales customers. Our AI-powered emails included a variety of messages, from Stock Alerts, which present new-in stock to interested customers, through ownership with service and MOT reminders, to the latest offers at point of renewal.
Over the same period, our retailer clients received a combined total of 228,941 new enquiries and were able to utilise VoiceBox to nurture and communicate with prospects and customers, for both the sales and aftersales departments. However, for communications like this to be effective, retailers must have seamless access to accurate customer data.
Analysis of data from over 500 retailers during Q4 shows that, on average:
- 10% of customer records did not have an email address
- 8% did not have a mobile phone number
Crucially, 27% of the records that had a valid email address did not have consent to receive marketing messages.
Accurate data, and the customer’s consent for that data to be used, will continue to be invaluable for any marketing campaign in 2025.
Recapturing lost leads for sales success
Sales messages that are issued via VoiceBox receive a high click-through rate (CTR), averaging 20%. These communications include enquiry follow-ups, Stock Alerts and lost sales follow-ups.
The lost sales follow-up messages proved particularly effective for motor retailers in the final quarter of 2024. Across the same 500-retailer sample, there was a strong CTR of 16%, of which 852 converted to a sale. This represents an additional margin of over £1 million based on an average profit per unit of £1,250.
These lost sale customers also receive Stock Alerts emails, which are one of our most successful means of converting a lead to a sale. The prospective customer receives updates on new-in stock that closely matches their initial enquiry, as well as updates on price changes for relevant existing stock. In the fourth quarter of 2024, Stock Alerts emails saw an average open rate of 59%, with 17% resulting in click-throughs to the retailers’ website.
We evaluated consumer activity on the websites of motor retailers across the UK and identified that all those in the sample experienced increases in traffic, year-on-year, during the final week of December. Crucially, this momentum in activity continues into the New Year, with enquiries for new and used cars increasing sharply – on average by 49% – during the first week of January 2024 compared to the final week of December 2023 among our clients, a trend that we can see already for 2025. Having AI-powered communications in place can set retailers up for a promising first quarter.
Motability marketing messages
Given the size of the Motability market right now, the statistics around Motability messaging are interesting to note. We encourage our clients to include a bespoke customer journey for Motability customers, recognising that their route to market is different to retail customers.
An average click-through rate of 27% certainly grabs headlines. It shows that Motability customers can be highly engaged if the message is right, visiting a retailer’s website to find out more. This could be worth bearing in mind when considering any bespoke content tailored to Motability customers online. The zero percentage unsubscribe rate indicates it could be a risk-free experiment, too.
Tailored EV strategies
2025 is not simply the start of a new year, it is the halfway point between the ZEV mandate being announced and the 2030 deadline. Many consumers remain cautious about making the shift to electrified mobility, so it makes sense to create contact plans that are tailored to the EV buying journey. Retailers can, for example, create tailored enquiry follow-up messages, while bespoke aftersales communications plans can continue to grow consumer confidence and advocacy.
With this in mind, it is important to segment data into EV and non-EV customers, allowing specific communications to be sent to each group separately. We are encouraging retailers to modify their marketing activity to include a focus on EVs. For example, creating video content that busts common myths and misconceptions around ownership will help educate and reassure consumers, while simple jargon-free language will make EV marketing content more accessible. Retailers who support the transition with bite-sized content will be in an advantageous position when customers come to enquire, purchase and maintain their first EV.
When and how to use marketing to maximise workshop retention
Looking at aftersales marketing as a whole, it is clear that proactive communication following the delivery of a vehicle is critical for laying the foundations for longer-term retention. Our post-delivery emails, which are designed to capture reviews and introduce the aftersales department, have the highest open rate of all email campaigns, at 83%. And, with an average CTR of 19% we know that customers are engaging with such communications. Combined Service and MOT reminder emails, where the two appointments are due within 30 days of each other, are also positively received and attract a 65% open rate, with 41% leading to an aftersales booking.
Enhanced CRM email open rates and click-through rates for UK car, van, and motorcycle retailers
| Message | Objective | Ave Open Rate | Ave Click Rate | Hard Bounce | Unsubscribe Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enquiry Follow Up | Nurture active leads | 68% | 15% | 1% | 1% |
| Stock Alerts | Engage open enquiries with new or reduced stock | 59% | 17% | 0% | 0% |
| Appointment Confirmation & Reminders | Improve kept appointments | 78% | 8% | 1% | 0% |
| Lost Sale Follow Up | Capture business insight and re-engage unconverted leads | 65% | 16% | 1% | 1% |
| Post Delivery | Capture reviews and introduce aftersales | 83% | 19% | 1% | 0% |
| Motability Messages | Bespoke customer journey for Motability customers | 49% | 27% | 0% | 0% |
| Service and MOT reminders | Re-engage customers and keep workshop front of mind | 61% | 12% | 1% | 1% |
| End-of-term finance renewals | Warm up existing customers to aid sales retention | 63% | 14% | 0% | 1% |
Marketing Delivery builds customer marketing solutions exclusively for the automotive sector, with AI-powered, dynamic, and personalised email, SMS, and social media communications. Our nationwide team of automotive experts boasts 300+ years of combined industry experience, providing solutions to 500+ retailer clients.
If you’re looking to enhance your CRM, contact us today.
Disclaimers
The accuracy of email open rates may be impacted by Apple’s privacy changes and their Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) feature, and this should be considered as you interpret open rate data. The data provided on this page is an average of all emails sent between 1 October 2024 and 31 December 2024 and may vary from email marketing benchmarks data provided within the VoiceBox application.
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