Marketing Director

Position Overview

MotorCars is seeking a results-driven Marketing Director to oversee the marketing and advertising strategy for both MotorCars Lansing and MotorCars Kalamazoo.

This position will report directly to the Owner and will be responsible for the overall marketing strategy, third-party vendor relationships, advertising budgets, campaign performance, and return on investment for both dealership locations.

The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and be comfortable using data to make marketing decisions, manage budgets, and hold advertising vendors accountable for results.

Automotive marketing experience is a plus, but automotive experience is not required.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee the overall marketing and advertising strategy for MotorCars Lansing and MotorCars Kalamazoo.
• Manage marketing priorities across both locations while addressing the individual goals and needs of each dealership.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the dealerships' third-party marketing and advertising vendors.
• Work directly with vendors to develop, execute, and adjust marketing strategies and campaigns.
• Evaluate vendor performance and hold partners accountable for delivering measurable results.
• Manage all marketing and advertising budgets for both dealership locations.
• Track advertising spend by dealership, vendor, platform, campaign, and marketing channel.
• Maintain accurate reporting of marketing expenditures and campaign performance.
• Evaluate the Return on Investment (ROI) of existing marketing campaigns and third-party vendors.
• Make recommendations to continue, modify, expand, reduce, or replace marketing initiatives based on performance.
• Present marketing performance, advertising spend, ROI, and strategic recommendations directly to the Owner.
• Manage and evaluate SEM/PPC campaigns, including paid search.
• Develop and oversee SEO strategies designed to increase organic visibility and website traffic.Monitor key performance indicators, including website traffic, lead volume, conversions, cost per lead, advertising spend, and ROI.
• Compare performance against previous periods and identify opportunities for year-over-year growth.
• Coordinate marketing efforts across dealership websites, search engines, social media, email, digital advertising, and traditional media.
• Coordinate and execute occasional local television and radio media buys.
• Work with local TV and radio representatives to evaluate advertising opportunities, negotiate placements, coordinate creative, and manage associated budgets.
• Ensure dealership branding, messaging, promotions, and creative remain consistent across vendors and advertising channels.
• Create or modify basic marketing materials using Canva or similar creative platforms when needed.

What a Typical Day Looks Like

A typical day may include reviewing website traffic and lead performance for both dealerships, analyzing current advertising spend, communicating with third-party vendors, evaluating SEM and SEO performance, reviewing campaign creative, and approving or requesting changes to existing campaigns.

The Marketing Director may meet with digital advertising partners, website providers, SEO/SEM vendors, social media providers, and other third-party partners to discuss performance and develop strategies for upcoming campaigns.

On occasion, the Marketing Director may also work directly with local television and radio stations on media buys, including negotiating advertising opportunities, coordinating schedules and creative, and ensuring traditional advertising remains within the overall marketing budget.

A major focus of this position will be vendor management and accountability. The Marketing Director should always have a clear understanding of:

• How much are we spending?
• Where are we spending it?
• What results are we receiving?
• Which campaigns and vendors are producing the strongest ROI?
• Which campaigns or vendors are underperforming?Where should marketing dollars be increased, decreased, or reallocated?
• How are MotorCars Lansing and MotorCars Kalamazoo performing compared with the previous year?

The person in this role will be expected to turn this information into clear recommendations for dealership ownership.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Advertising, or a related field.
• Strong working knowledge of SEM and SEO.
• Experience managing marketing or advertising budgets.
• Ability to analyze digital marketing and campaign performance.
• Strong understanding of ROI, lead generation, conversion metrics, website traffic, and digital advertising performance.
• Experience managing or working directly with third-party marketing vendors.
• Ability to organize, track, and report marketing expenditures.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and project management abilities.
• Ability to manage marketing priorities across multiple locations.
• Ability to clearly communicate marketing strategy, performance, and financial results directly to ownership.

Preferred Qualifications

• Automotive dealership or automotive marketing experience is a plus, but not required.
• Experience with platforms such as Google Ads, Google Analytics, Google Business Profile, and Meta advertising.
• Working knowledge of Canva and basic creative/design skills.
• Experience with social media, email marketing, website management, and digital advertising.
• Experience evaluating vendor contracts, advertising packages, and vendor performance.
• Experience with traditional media buying, including local television and radio, is a plus.
• Experience negotiating advertising opportunities and working directly with local media representatives is preferred.

Compensation

• Base salary: $70,000-$85,000 annually, based on the candidate's experience and qualifications.
• Opportunity for an annual performance-based bonus.

Bonus considerations may include:

• Year-over-year growth in qualified leads.
• Year-over-year growth in website traffic.
• Overall digital marketing growth across both dealership locations.
• Effectiveness and ROI of marketing and advertising expenditures.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this position means having a clear understanding of where every major marketing dollar is being spent, why it is being spent, and what the dealerships are receiving in return.

The Marketing Director will take ownership of the marketing strategy for both MotorCars Lansing and MotorCars Kalamazoo, identify underperforming campaigns or vendors, recommend necessary changes, and direct advertising dollars toward strategies that produce measurable results.

This individual will serve as the Owner's go-to resource for marketing strategy, advertising budgets, vendor relationships, and marketing performance, with an emphasis on generating sustainable year-over-year growth in website traffic, leads, and overall marketing effectiveness.

The right candidate will be comfortable owning the numbers, challenging vendors, making strategic recommendations, and being accountable for the results of the dealerships' marketing investment.

Pay: $70,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person