Why Facebook Ads Matter for Car Dealerships
If you’re a car dealer investing money into Facebook ads, you’re probably asking the big question: “Do these ads actually help me sell more cars?” To answer that — and prove that Facebook ads are a smart investment — we first need to understand how a sale gets credited to an ad. In marketing, this is known as attribution.
Understanding How Ads Really Help You Sell More Cars
What Is Attribution?
Attribution is the process of figuring out which marketing efforts helped lead to a sale.
Let’s say someone sees your Facebook ad, visits your website, and then buys a car. In that case, Facebook might “claim” that sale — that’s attribution.
But it’s not always that simple. What if that person was already planning to buy, and the ad didn’t really make a difference? Should Facebook still get the credit? To answer this fairly, marketers use different types of attribution models.
While not every sale can be attributed solely to Facebook ads, their role in influencing purchasing decisions is undeniable.
Attribution Models Explained - Traditional vs Incremental Attribution
Traditional Attribution
Credits all sales to Facebook if the buyer saw or clicked the ad
Doesn't ask whether they would have bought anyway
Incremental Attribution
Credits only the sales that happened because of the ad
Filters out customers who were already going to buy
Think of it like this: Traditional attribution says, “I was there, so I helped.”
Incremental attribution says, “Prove that you needed me.”
Dealership Scenario
You run a Facebook ad campaign : 5,000 people see your ad – 20 people buy cars
Traditional model says: You made 20 sales from Facebook
Incremental model says: 8 of those buyers were influenced by the ad. The rest would’ve bought anyway.
🎯 So the ad generated 8 extra sales — that’s the real value.
Why Advertise If People Will Buy Anyway?
Great question — and here’s the answer:
Some people would have bought no matter what.But many wouldn’t — unless your ad reminded them, convinced them, or made them act sooner. That’s the role Facebook ads play.
Not All Sales Come from Leads On Your Website — and That’s OK
It’s important to remember that Facebook ads don’t only drive sales through leads coming from your dealership’s website. In many cases, someone may see your ad — and instead of filling in a form — they might call your dealership directly, visit your showroom in person, or look you up later and decide to buy. That’s still a sale influenced by the ad, even if it happens a couple of months down the line.
What Facebook Ads Can Do For Your Dealership
- 🔍 Reach people who don’t know you exist
- ⏱️ Speed up hesitant buyers
- ⚖️ Help buyers choose you over another dealer
- 🧠 Keep your brand top of mind
Conclusion
Facebook ads don’t just “steal” credit — they create new buyers. With the right strategy and real tracking, you’ll see how powerful this platform is for car dealerships.
✅ Know your numbers
✅ Trust the attibution data
✅ Run smarter campaigns
At SocialCars, we specialize in Facebook advertising for dealerships that want real results.We help you run smarter campaigns, track performance properly, and help your dealership drive real car sales opportunities.
Send us an email today or book a call below to discuss how we can help your dealership with your social media marketing.
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