Car dealer marketing in Ottawa, Ontario

Dealers in Ottawa sell into a market with its own seasons, events and communities. The best campaigns follow the weather and the local calendar, so the right vehicles and offers are in front of shoppers when they’re thinking about them.

What to promote in Ottawa

• Remote starters, block heaters and winter tire packages before November
• Commuter sedans, hybrids and EVs for the daily drive downtown and to Kanata
• Bilingual posts: many Ottawa shoppers read French first
• Rust protection and underbody washes after a salty winter

A seasonal plan for Ottawa

The full month-by-month plan, including Canadian holidays, is in the car dealer marketing calendar.

Local dates to plan around

• Winterlude (February): winter-ready and AWD posts land well
• Canadian Tulip Festival (May): spring sales and convertibles
• Canada Day on Parliament Hill (July 1): long-weekend sales event
• Government budget and fiscal year-end (March): a “fresh start” financing angle

Make the posts a week or two ahead so they’re ready to go. The seasonal ad ideas have ready-made themes for the big national dates.

Get found on Google in Ottawa

Shoppers search for dealers on their phones, and your Google Business Profile is often the first thing they see. Post an update each week with a vehicle, an offer or a service special, and reply to every review. People also search by their own community, so name the places you serve in your posts and captions: Kanata, Orléans, Barrhaven, Nepean, Gloucester, Stittsville and Gatineau across the river. Here’s how to post on Google Business Profile.

Ads, email and print for Ottawa dealers

Shoppers in Ottawa see your dealership in more places than social media. Use the same look and the same offer everywhere, so each place backs up the others:

• Social and Google posts: a vehicle spotlight, an offer or a service special every week. Social media posts come in every size, with captions written for each platform.
• Email campaigns: new arrivals, service reminders and seasonal offers to past customers, following Canada’s anti-spam law (CASL): get consent first and include an unsubscribe link. Here’s how to plan dealership emails.
• Print and showroom materials: postcard mailers, flyers, showroom posters and window stickers with a QR code that counts every scan, so you know which vehicles shoppers look at on the lot. See print ads.
• Video: short Reels, TikToks and YouTube Shorts from your own vehicle photos. See video ads.
• Weather-timed ads: have the ad ready before the forecast turns: batteries and tires ahead of a cold snap, AC service before a heat wave, storm-ready checks before severe weather. More in weather and winter marketing ideas.

Rules to know in Ontario

Ontario dealers are registered with OMVIC (the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council). Under its all-in pricing rule, an advertised price has to include freight, PDI and every fee except HST and licensing, and payment ads need the full terms. Check OMVIC’s advertising guidance before each campaign. Follow Canada’s anti-spam law (CASL) for email. The guide to advertising payments, rates and leases covers the disclosures to include, and DealerAdGen’s compliance check flags a payment or lease offer that’s missing them as you type.