How to master used car marketing and sell your used cars faster

Introduction

Used car marketing isn’t just about putting a listing online and waiting for inquiries. In today’s hyper-competitive market, dealerships need a proactive strategy to move used inventory quickly and profitably. Margins on used cars are razor-thin, and every extra day in stock eats away at your earnings.

As one former sales manager told us:

“Typically the margin on the used car itself was very narrow. Around 1% to 5%, with 5% being really good. So you were relying on selling paint protection, GAP insurance, finance, and that sort of thing. It all comes back to profitability... buying the right car, stocking the right car, and retailing it well and quickly. It’s all about speed.”

That speed is critical because the silent killer of used car profitability is overaged stock. Most dealerships operate with a stocking policy (e.g. 60 to 90 days) before price cuts or wholesale kicks in. As another dealer explained:

“One of the biggest pain points was overaged cars, caused by holding vehicles in stock too long. We had a 90-day stocking policy (later cut to 60 days) because any car sitting 60+ days starts causing problems. You keep dropping the price to get rid of it, which directly hits profit. Usually if it hasn’t sold by then, you either bought it at the wrong price or it’s just an undesirable car. You’re better off retailing out of it in 60 days than holding it for 100 days hoping someone buys it.”

Every extra day a used car lingers on your lot chips away at margin through depreciation, financing costs, and reduced demand. Worse, it ties up capital that could be invested in faster-moving stock. This is why used car marketing isn’t just window dressing, it’s a crucial lever to protect profitability. Done right, it cuts down “days to sale” by connecting the right buyer to the right car faster, keeping vehicles fresh and margins intact.

This guide will explore how dealers can market used cars smarter. From nailing the basics of presentation, to harnessing video and AI for scale, to diversifying channels beyond just one site. Along the way, we’ll include insights from dealership and OEM veterans on what works and pitfalls to avoid.

The brilliant basics

When it comes to used car marketing, success starts with the fundamentals. As Simon Culley (Mazda UK’s Digital Customer Experience Manager) said on the Under the Hood podcast, nailing these "brilliant basics" is often the difference between cars that sit and cars that sell.

Let's look at each of these basics and how to get them right.

Capturing high-quality photos

Online, your photos serve as the showroom for a used car. If images are blurry or incomplete, shoppers will scroll past your listing. To make a strong first impression with photos:

Use a consistent, well-lit backdrop

Shoot every vehicle against a clean, uncluttered background with good lighting (natural daylight or a well-lit indoor area). Consistency looks professional and builds trust. If weather or lighting is a challenge, consider a dedicated photo booth or backdrop to ensure reliable results year-round.

Alternatively, AI solutions such as Phyron’s Enhanced Stills can also help by automatically removing busy backgrounds, upscaling image resolution, and aligning every photo with your brand identity. This means your stock is always presented professionally, no matter where it’s listed.

Show every angle a buyer cares about

Think of how a customer walks around a car in person and mirror that online. At the very least, look to include:

✓ Shots of all sides
✓ Front and rear 3/4 angles
✓ The interior from the driver’s and passenger’s perspective
✓ Rear seating
✓ Dashboard and steering wheel
✓ Infotainment screen
✓ Instrument cluster (with mileage visible)

Plus details like the trunk, engine bay, and wheels/tires. Aim for 20–40 photos per vehicle to cover everything.

Plan the order carefully

The sequence of photos matters. Most platforms use the first image as the thumbnail, so lead with a front ¾ shot that shows the car at its best.

From there, take customers on a logical walkaround: exterior first, then interior, followed by close-up details. Avoid jumping between angles or starting with an unusual shot, which can confuse or turn off shoppers.

Prioritise efficiency

Strong processes save time and sell cars faster. Each vehicle should ideally be photographed once and uploaded without delay.

By combining disciplined processes with AI-powered tools - like the Phyron App - you can ensure cars are listed quickly, consistently, and to the highest standard.

The key takeaway?

Photos are key online. Clean, bright, and complete images drive clicks, calls, and showroom visits. Blurry or incomplete sets push customers toward the next listing. Whether you invest in staff training, appoint a dedicated “photo champion,” or equip your team with the right tools like the Phyron App, the goal is the same - faster listings, stronger first impressions, and more sales.

Using video to engage and educate buyers

If photos are your showroom, video is your virtual test drive. It brings a vehicle to life, helping shoppers picture themselves behind the wheel and trust what they see. Dealers who add video to their listings consistently see higher engagement - more clicks, longer view times, and faster sales.

And yet, despite how powerful video can be, most used cars are still marketed with nothing more than static photos and plain text, while new cars almost always get polished video campaigns. That’s a missed opportunity. Buyers don’t lower their expectations just because a car is pre-owned, they still want the excitement, reassurance, and connection that video creates.

Here’s how to make the most of video in your used car marketing strategy.

Tap into the emotional side of the sale

Cars aren’t just transport. They’re tied to lifestyle, pride, and even identity. Yet too many used car listings strip them down to sterile photos and spec sheets.

Video reintroduces the emotional element, the same way major automakers do with glossy ads for brand-new cars. A few well-chosen clips, supported by music, narration, or text overlays, can transform a vehicle from “just another listing” into something buyers can imagine as theirs.

Or as Phyron’s Chief Innovation Officer, Jens-Peter Sjöberg, puts it: “Storytelling is what connects customers with vehicles, turning a specification sheet into something they can imagine themselves driving.”

These videos thrive on vehicle display pages, marketplace listings, and comparison sites, where buyers want clarity and reassurance. Done right, they move prospects from “interested” to “seriously considering.”

Bottom of funnel: closing the deal

This is the decision-making stage, where hesitation can kill momentum. At this point, automotive video needs to do what a skilled salesperson would: make things clear, personal, and persuasive. The goal is to humanise the process, eliminate last-minute doubts, and drive action. You want to turn that intent into a signed deal.

Formats that work:

✔ Personalised reply clips (e.g., “Hi Sarah, here’s that Golf GTI you enquired about”)
✔ Finance explainer videos that break down costs simply
✔ Promotional offer recaps that create urgency

These formats show buyers they’re not just another lead in the system but a valued customer being guided toward the finish line.

When mapped properly, automotive video doesn’t just support the funnel - it becomes the funnel. It carries buyers seamlessly from curiosity to confidence, and finally to commitment.

Why automation changes everything

Knowing what automotive video works and where is only half the battle. The bigger challenge for OEMs and dealerships has always been scale.

Sure, dealers could film the occasional walkaround or commission a polished promo, but not at the speed or consistency buyers demanded. Manual production was slow, expensive, and by the time a video was ready, the car might already be off the forecourt.

How AI is having an impact

Automation has rewritten the rules. What once took days or weeks now takes minutes. AI turns a simple feed of photos and vehicle data into professional, brand-consistent automotive videos that update automatically whenever stock or pricing changes. It’s like switching from hand-painting billboards to running a global digital ad network. Suddenly, every car gets the spotlight, everywhere it needs to be.

To understand just how big a shift this is, it helps to compare manual production methods with automated video.

But automation isn’t just solving today’s bottlenecks, it’s future-proofing automotive retail.

As new channels emerge, from social video platforms to more interactive shopping experiences, buyer expectations will only grow more complex. With AI-driven automation, dealerships and OEMs can keep pace effortlessly, ensuring their automotive video strategy evolves in step with the market rather than falling behind it.

At the same time, automation provides a real competitive edge. Dealers that adopt automation now are the ones who'll capture attention quicker, build trust, and win more market share, leaving slower rivals to play catch-up. In a landscape where speed and consistency matter, automation is quickly becoming the new baseline for success.

And perhaps most importantly, automation gives people their time back. With Phyron's tools you can create ads like these in minutes, not days, for roughly the price of a coffee per car.

Instead of wrestling with repetitive production tasks, dealership teams can focus on what they do best - building relationships, closing sales, and creating great customer experiences.

AI doesn’t replace that human touch. Instead, it amplifies it by ensuring every car gets seen, every buyer stays engaged, and every team can work smarter, not harder.

The future of automotive video

Just as Netflix transformed how we watch TV and Amazon reshaped how we shop, AI innovation will redefine how people buy cars.

The future of automotive video isn’t just about showcasing vehicles. Instead, it’s about creating richer, more personalised, and more seamless buying experiences that meet customers wherever they are. What comes next are innovations like the following that will transform video from a storytelling tool into a complete sales engine.

Avatar-led videos

Virtual presenters will soon be delivering consistent, multilingual explanations across every channel. For OEMs and dealer groups, this means every model can be presented with the same clarity and professionalism in every market, without needing extra staff or resources.

Shoppable and interactive video

Video will no longer be seen as a passive format. Buyers will be able to click within a video to explore finance options, compare trims, or even book a test drive. This will collapse the gap between interest and action, turning automotive video into a direct sales channel.

Hyper-personalisation

AI is already beginning to dynamically tailor content based on geography, buyer profile, or inventory age, meaning that automotive video can become less generic and far more relevant. For instance, a family browsing SUVs might see safety and space features highlighted, while a performance buyer sees speed and handling.

AI agents

The next evolution is intelligent agents that guide buyers through their journey. From recommending models and answering finance questions to managing post-sale support, AI agents have the potential to make car buying smoother and more intuitive than ever before.

For forward-looking dealers, these innovations are less about novelty and more about competitive advantage. The ones who move early won’t just keep pace with buyer expectations — they’ll define them, shaping what the future of car buying looks like.

At the heart of it all, though, is one constant... the buyer. The technology may be new, but the goal remains unchanged — to create experiences that capture attention, build trust, and make the path to purchase as seamless as possible. The dealers and OEMs that understand this will be the ones who turn innovation into real impact.

Conclusion

In today’s competitive car market, automotive video isn’t just an add-on. It’s the centrepiece of a winning retail strategy.

As this guide has shown, when used across the funnel — from discovery through to decision — video doesn’t just grab attention, it builds confidence and accelerates purchase intent.

The most successful dealers aren’t always creating the most content. They’re creating the right content. That means matching format to the funnel, aligning creative with buyer expectations, and using automation to produce consistent, high-quality automotive video at scale.

If you’re just getting started, begin with one or two high-impact areas — like automated inventory videos to showcase your stock, or paid video ads to drive engagement — and expand from there.

The results speak for themselves. Take Lipscomb, a UK retailer that adopted Phyron’s App and Inventory Videos - within just three months they boosted enquiries by 125%, transactions by 25%, and total transactional value by 40%. By automating video creation, they cut manual work, sped up listings, and attracted more engaged, high-intent buyers.

Video is the bridge between interest and action. With proven results from dealers like Lipscomb, the technology is here, the buyers are watching, and the opportunity is wide open. Now’s the time to make automotive video your most powerful tool for engagement and conversion.