The automotive parts and accessories segment generated some of the strongest return on ad spend (ROAS) in 2020, compared to the retail average. Take a look at these findings for auto parts advertising from Sidecar’s 2021 Benchmarks Report.
Increased product demand, in part, drove the lift.
“We saw a significant lift in automotive demand across channels in 2020 versus previous years,” says Brice Dunn, Enterprise Customer Strategy Manager for Sidecar. “2020 quarantine projects included car improvements for automotive enthusiasts. Automotive accessories like tires, wheels, bumpers, lighting, and performance enhancers saw a significant increase in demand year over year. Off-road and outdoor accessories for camping were also high in demand as many travelers continued to spend more time outdoors.”
Google Ads Success Is in the Details
Auto parts shoppers are usually looking for something specific. They seek the exact part or accessory that fits the year, make, and model of their vehicle. Auto parts retailers with well-optimized product feeds had a leg up, empowering Google to return hyper-relevant results to users. As a result, we saw both shopping and paid search ads deliver strong ROAS and average order value (AOV), as shown in the chart below.
High AOV on Paid Social
But AOV for automotive e-commerce ads excelled further on Facebook ($341.49) and Instagram ($268.78). This finding could relate to one of Facebook’s primary advertising purposes: retargeting. Facebook retargeting campaigns provide an opportunity for auto parts retailers to engage shoppers who have abandoned their carts, for instance, and compel them to add more to their cart to reach free shipping minimums or take advantage of a coupon.
More Benchmarks for Auto Parts Advertising
We studied more advertising performance benchmarks for automotive, as well as 15 other retail segments in Sidecar’s 2021 Benchmarks Report. It covers all the data you see here, as well as year-over-year percent change in these metrics to provide deeper context into how ads in your sector are performing. Keep exploring, and let us know any questions or thoughts through the chat function inside the report.
