The Used Car Trade-In Growth Playbook

Most dealerships are fighting for trade-ins the wrong way.

They're running generic "We Buy Cars" ads. Competing on price. Hoping someone walks through the door.

Meanwhile, a handful of dealers have figured out something different. They're generating 3-5x more trade-in leads—not by offering more money, but by changing how they talk to sellers.

This playbook breaks down exactly what they're doing. You can use this strategy today.

The Problem Every Dealership Faces

Here's what happens when someone thinks about trading in their car:

They already assume they're going to get low-balled.

Years of experience have taught consumers that dealerships undervalue trade-ins. It doesn't matter if you actually do or not—the perception is set. The trust gap is huge.

So what do most people do?

• Sell private party (more hassle, but more money)
• Use Carvana or CarMax (easier, but still leaving money on the table)
• Reluctantly trade in (knowing they're probably losing thousands)

None of these help your dealership acquire inventory.

But here's the thing: people still want the convenience of trading in. They just don't want to feel like they're getting ripped off.

That's where the messaging shift comes in.

The Solution: Talk to Them Differently

Instead of competing as a dealership, you position yourself against dealerships.

Sound weird? Let me show you what this looks like.

You run ads through what's called an authority site—a website that looks like an independent resource for car sellers. Think of it like how Healthline runs ads for Medicare, or how NerdWallet promotes financial products. The ad appears on trusted sites like Forbes.com, but it's your dealership's offer running through a neutral brand like "AutoDeals."

Here's what that looks like in practice:

The consumer sees a helpful, neutral resource on a site they trust. Not a dealership pitch.

Your messaging on this site looks something like:

"Sell Without Trading In"

Dealers offered you $14K? People are getting $19K+ here.

Notice what this does:

1. Validates their suspicion (yes, dealers do low-ball)
2. Offers a better alternative (without the usual hassle)
3. Uses social proof (others are getting $19K+)
4. Feels neutral (not a pushy car lot)

The lead comes through the authority site. Then your follow-up connects them to your dealership with a better offer than they expected.

What the Ad Actually Looks Like

Here's a sample Facebook ad using this approach:

Key elements that make this work:

• The hook interrupts their scroll with something they already believe (dealers low-ball)
• The value callout (+$4,500) gives a specific, believable number
• The authority URL adds credibility without mentioning your dealership
• The CTA is low-commitment—just "get offer"

This creative pattern outperforms traditional "We Buy Cars" messaging by 3-5x on cost per lead.

The Hard Part: Actually Running This

You know the strategy now. But putting it into action? That's where most dealerships hit a wall.

Creative: You need professional ad creative that doesn't look like every other dealership. Multiple variations. Testing different angles.

Copy: Direct-response copywriting is a skill. Most marketing managers are trained for brand awareness, not lead generation.

Landing page: That authority site needs to exist. It needs to capture leads properly. It needs to look legit. That's a whole project.

Ad platforms: Facebook's targeting changes constantly. Google requires different creative. Managing both platforms, watching budgets, adjusting bids—it's a full-time job.

Follow-up: A lead is worthless if nobody responds quickly. Speed matters. But your sales team is busy with floor traffic. Leads sit for hours. They go cold.

Any one of these can kill the whole campaign.

The Easy Way: Let AdBuy Handle It

What if you could skip all that?

That's what we built AdBuy for.

Step 1: Enter your dealership address. That's it. We geo-target ads to your area—sellers within your trade radius.

Step 2: We run ads through an authority site. Something like autodeals.com. Consumers see a neutral third party, not a dealership pitch. Trust is higher. Conversions are better.

Step 3: Leads come in. AI follows up instantly. When someone submits their info, our AI SDR reaches out via text and email—within seconds. No waiting. No cold leads.

Step 4: Interested sellers get booked on your calendar. Once they're ready to bring their car in, we schedule the appointment. Your team just shows up.

Zero creative work. Zero platform management. Zero manual follow-up.

Bonus: Trade-Ins Turn Into New Car Sales

Here's something most dealers miss:

When someone comes in for a trade-in evaluation, they're often shopping for their next car too.

Think about it—if they're selling their current vehicle, they're probably buying something else. You just got a warm lead for both used inventory and new car sales.

Dealers running this playbook see trade-in appointments convert to new car purchases at 15-25%.

The math works out:

• Trade-in lead cost: ~$15-25
• New car gross profit: $3,000-5,000
• If 1 in 5 buys new: $600-1,000 per lead in new car revenue

This isn't just an inventory play. It's a profit center.

Try It Free: $200 in Ad Credits

You don't need to spend anything to test this.

Every new dealership gets $200 in free ad credits—enough to generate 10-15 trade-in leads and see how it works with your team.

No contracts. No setup fees. No risk.

Just leads, booked appointments, and cars coming onto your lot.

After your credits run out, campaigns start at just $20/day. Turn it off anytime.

The dealerships scaling their trade-in volume aren't doing anything complicated. They're just using better messaging, better channels, and better follow-up.

This playbook gives you all three.

Ready to see it in action?

Claim Your $200 Ad Credits →

Questions about running this for your dealership? Talk to our team—we'll walk you through exactly how it would work in your market.