Video messaging platform Covideo might have been ahead of its time when it launched in the automotive industry in 2004. More than 20 years later, RV dealers see the platform as essential for establishing online connections with customers.
Voyager RV’s Jeff Eaton said Covideo is a must in his online sales role at the Canadian dealership in Winfield, British Columbia.
“In the digital space, it is a great way to introduce yourself and get a personalized video out to customers,” Eaton said. “The videos are one thing I get a lot of compliments on from customers.”
Dealerships can share videos via Covideo’s platform without emailing or texting large video files. Sales employees then track when and how often customers watched videos on the platform.
Sinclair Seavey of Campers Inn RV in Mocksville, North Carolina, said, “If I send one and they watch it six times, I know they are getting serious.”
Covideo Vice President of Marketing Margaret Henney said the tracking option is among dealers’ favorite Covideo features.
“You get a real-time notification when someone watches your videos, and that might be once, or it might be 10 times,” she said. “It gives you some nice clues and insights. Dealers say, ‘Hey, someone is watching that video over and over. Those are some really strong buying signs. I am going to give them a call and follow up.’”
Henney said approximately 280 dealerships are now using Covideo to connect with online and in-person customers. Henney said independent dealers and large chains use the platform to send videos for various reasons. The videos might be a quick thank you for visiting the dealership, a walkthrough video for an online customer, or an update from the service department.
Camping World’s Selah Vee said she sends reminder videos to customers who might not recall which RVs they liked after touring dozens of floorplans.
“I can see how many times they watch my video,” she said, “and when they come back, they buy it.”
Jamison Hunter of Great American RV SuperStores said he used Covideo to sell two Super C motorhomes to customers who never set foot on a lot. One buyer was in California and the other in Montana.
Henney said Covideo can integrate with some dealer management systems. Covideo can be used as a standalone platform, which Henney said is the most common way dealers are sending videos.
Covideo is accessible on smartphones and computers.
“We offer unlimited storage and unlimited videos because it is all cloud-based,” Henney said. “We take that video you upload and give you a rich text link, so you are not sending the video file itself. What we create is a 5-second GIF of the first part of the video. That is what shows up in either the email or the text message.”
When customers click on the link, the video will play on a dealership-branded landing page. Henney said Covideo provides dealerships with personalized onboarding.
“One of the things we really pride ourselves on is being a partner who is going to help you get the most out of the service,” she said. “Our team will make recommendations on where to use video that is going to help you with those different key performance indicators.”
Henney said video messages were “the new kid on the block” when Covideo began. The service has benefited in the past two decades from faster, more reliable internet connections and smartphones.
“I have been with the company for nearly 10 years, and even at the time when I started, video was more something you did with your family,” Henney said. “It certainly skyrocketed during the pandemic, when we needed to continue to connect with customers and be in front of people, but could not always do that in person.”
Establishing a personal connection in an online format has proven valuable for Covideo customers. Seavey said the videos connect him to consumers in a fun way.
“They can see me, hear me,” he said, “and decide if I look like the kind of guy they can trust and want to buy an RV from.”
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