Car2Sell

Car2Sell is a used car dealership with multiple locations in New Jersey. When they came to us, they were ready to grow. They needed to increase the number of leads from the website and build a sustainable client pipeline. At the time, the brand had an outdated site, no unified strategy, and was relying on random channels with no clear direction.

At the same time, the company had a clear strategic goal: reduce dependency on third-party platforms and aggregators in favor of their own digital ecosystem. They wanted to build direct relationships with customers, centralize the sales process, and gain full control of the funnel.

Our task wasn’t just to bring leads. We were here to build a full-cycle marketing system — from brand positioning to ad funnel and analytics.
How we built a scalable marketing system for a car dealer in New Jersey
year:
2024–2025

Services:

performance, seo, communication, web-design
Step 1: Audience and Market Research
We started with research. Launching campaigns without a deep understanding of the audience means weak results, so we ran a multi-level analysis.

First, we analyzed the market. We studied Car2Sell’s competitors in New Jersey, including aggregators, mapped their value propositions, and positioning.
Table comparing Car2Sell's pre-marketing performance gaps against local competitors across channels like Google Ads, SEO, and Social Media, highlighting areas for improvement
Then, we ran a series of in-depth interviews with existing Car2Sell clients. The goal was to uncover their pain points, motivations, and decision-making triggers.

We used the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework: what jobs are people trying to get done when buying or financing a car? What’s stopping them? What helps them choose?
Three user persona profiles for car buyers: Emigrant Buyer, Local Family, and First-Time Buyer. Each profile details their 'Jobs To Be Done', 'Pain Point', 'Trigger', and 'Obstacle' when purchasing a car, illustrating common challenges like SSN issues, complex offers, and financing anxiety
Then we built out key personas using the Persona Framework. Not just age and income —we defined three core behavioral segments:

  1. Immigrants with no SSN or poor credit
  2. Local families looking for practical cars
  3. Young first-time buyers

For each group, we mapped out fears, motivations, decision criteria, and messages that would resonate.

We also built a Customer Journey Map: from first thought to final application. It helped us see where people dropped off, which touchpoints built trust, and what questions needed to be answered.
Customer journey map titled 'FROM SEARCH TO SIGNATURE' for Car2Sell. It outlines six stages: Awareness, Discovery, Consideration, Engagement, Decision, and Purchase, detailing customer actions and relevant marketing channels/touchpoints at each stage, from initial search to final purchase
In parallel, we analyzed search queries, social media comments, and competitor feedback.

We identified key triggers:
  • "No paperwork needed" creatives work best for immigrants
  • "Trade-in + discount" is ideal for families
  • "Get your car in 1 day" motivates people who delay decisions

This research shaped everything that followed: offers, positioning, ad strategy, and content.
Top-down view of a modern gray Kia K8 car, showcasing its distinctive grille design and headlights, parked on a brick-patterned surface
Step 2: Strategy and Positioning
Based on the insights, we built a digital strategy. No more scattered efforts—we designed a complete marketing ecosystem, where every element amplifies the rest.

Positioning was key. Interviews and user behavior showed that Car2Sell’s strongest asset was solving complex, non-standard problems: helping clients with low credit scores, no SSN, or urgent needs.

We focused on transparency, support, and a human-first approach—something most competitors lacked.

We moved away from generic messages like "best prices" and tested real, honest lines:

— No SSN? No problem — we’ll match you with banks that say yes
— Trade in today, drive out in a new ride — all in one day
— No need to be a car expert — we’ll walk you through everything
Diagram illustrating 'OFFER TESTING' with speech bubbles showing different marketing messages and their corresponding Click-Through Rates (CTR). 'No SSN? No Problem' achieved 7.5% CTR, 'Drive out today' 3.8%, and 'We help, not sell' 2.5%
We A/B tested them across ads, email, and social. Clear, specific language outperformed vague slogans.

The result was a clear brand statement: Car2Sell is an honest, helpful dealership for people buying a car in the U.S. for the first time, or dealing with credit uncertainty.

We turned the funnel into a conversation:
  • Not sure where to start? Just message us.
  • We’ll get it done in one day.
  • No SSN? We’ll help you get approved.

This tone built trust and long-term loyalty.
Black Kia K5 sedan parked outside a modern dealership with reflective windows and green foliage. Text overlay promotes 'a clear, and friendly car dealer,' ideal for first-time US buyers or those with uncertain credit history. Car2Sell logo is visible
Step 3: Brand Identity and Content
Website redesign: sales-first, not just a brochure.

The old site was a bottleneck: poor structure, outdated visuals, no landing pages, messy checkout.

We ran heatmaps and analytics to see where users got stuck. Then we redesigned the site based on the AIDA model.
Diagram titled 'WE REBUILT THE WEBSITE LOGIC FROM THE GROUND UP', showing a four-stage funnel: 01. Awareness (Homepage, brand intro), 02. Interest (Inventory listings, Trade-in page), 03. Desire (Financing options, Reviews), and 04. Action (Application form, 'Book a test drive' CTA), illustrating a revamped user journey
Key goals:

  • Fast, stable performance across devices
  • Smart filters by brand and model
  • Visual storytelling: cars, reviews, benefits
  • Highlight the value of buying from Car2Sell
  • Reduce friction and make the site the main sales hub

The result:

  • High-converting site with loan calculator
  • Segmented landing pages
  • Clear navigation and sticky CTAs
  • SEO-ready pages for ads and search
Side-by-side comparison of Car2Sell's 'before' and 'after' website designs for a car listing page, demonstrating an improved, cleaner, and more visually engaging layout for 'NATIVE CONTENT WINS: FAST, REAL, PERSONAL
Before and after comparison of a financing calculator on the Car2Sell website, demonstrating improved user experience and clearer presentation of payment options under the theme 'NATIVE CONTENT WINS: FAST, REAL, PERSONAL
Before and after comparison of a financing calculator on the Car2Sell website, demonstrating improved user experience and clearer presentation of payment options under the theme 'NATIVE CONTENT WINS: FAST, REAL, PERSONAL
Before us, there was no content system. We built one.

We developed a visual style: bold but minimal colors, legible fonts, consistent patterns. Then we launched a full content plan across Instagram and Facebook:

  • Customer interviews and testimonials
  • Meme content and interactive formats
  • Real inventory promotions
  • Facebook Marketplace as a channel
Content and social media: visual identity and brand voice
We didn’t just post. We built brand awareness and trust in the local community.
Ad strategy: funnel-first thinking
Step 4: Advertising Funnel and Channels
Instead of "pushing budget," we built a real funnel:

  • Capture: Google Search + Performance Max
  • Warm-up: Meta Ads, Reels, TikTok
  • Retarget: CRM, email, remarketing
Diagram illustrating 'MARKETING ECOSYSTEM = COMPOUNDING GROWTH' for Car2Sell. It shows a cyclical flow of marketing channels: Instagram, Website, Email, UGC/Reels, Google Search, Landing Pages, and Facebook Ads, all orbiting around the Car2Sell logo, symbolizing integrated marketing.
An 'OMNI-CHANNEL PERFORMANCE FUNNEL' diagram. It features three main stages: Awareness (Meta, TikTok), Consideration (Google Search, Landing Pages), and Conversion (CRM, Email, Remarketing), visually representing the flow of a customer journey across various channels
Google Search became the top lead source. We built campaigns around:

  • Branded and model-specific keywords
  • Credit options ("no SSN car loan")
  • Local areas (New Jersey ZIP codes)
  • Pain points (trade-in, urgent car purchase)

Search brought over 60% of all leads. We also ran Performance Max for reach and discovery.

We used dynamic visuals (cars, interiors, real buyers) and benefit-driven offers.
Google Shopping was tested with live inventory to capture comparison shoppers.
Google Ads: high-intent traffic
Infographic showing 'METRICS — GOOGLE ADS'. It highlights 'LEADS GENERATED OVER 12 MONTHS' with 2024 showing a '7x' increase over 2023. 'AVERAGE COST PER LEAD' is displayed as $21, next to an illustrated face
We dropped static car posts and moved into storytelling:

  • Real customer videos and team delivery moments
  • Explainers: how to buy without SSN
  • Offers with urgency (limited-time trade-in deals)
Meta Ads: engagement and education
Collage of diverse native content examples for car sales, including a dealer interacting with a customer, car listings (white Toyota Supra, red BMW Z4, white Audi A4), and short video clips of people with cars. The title reads 'NATIVE CONTENT WINS: FAST, REAL, PERSONAL
Collage of diverse digital advertising creatives for Car2Sell, including a woman with a car promoting a $200 offer, ads for fast approvals, and various car models (Nissan Altima, Hyundai Santa Fe, Nissan Versa, Toyota Camry) with starting prices. The title claims 'CTR UP TO 12%: 200+ CREATIVES, 40+ TESTS
Over 200 creatives tested across 40+ hypotheses. CTR reached 10−12% in top segments.
We started with a full tech audit and Core Web Vitals. Then we:

  • Built 40+ landing pages (brands, loans, reviews)
  • Clustered keywords and internal linking
  • Worked on backlinks

Result: 3x growth in organic traffic, 5x growth in keywords in Google Top 10.
SEO: sustainable traffic growth
Bar chart titled 'VISIBILITY OF SEO KEYWORDS' showing growth from September 2023 to November 2024. The bars steadily increase, with the last bar indicating a '5.4X' improvement in visibility. PKLS logo is in the top right
Line graph titled 'TRAFFIC GROWTH' showing a significant upward trend from 2023 to 2024, indicating a '+311%' increase, or '3.11X' growth in website traffic
We built email marketing from the ground up:

  • Welcome flows with personalized offers
  • Reactivation campaigns for abandoned leads
  • Segmentation by behavior and purchase stage
Email & referrals: a new channel from scratch
Diagram illustrating 'EMAIL-REFERRAL FLOWS'. It shows a sequence: 'WELCOME' leads to 'TRADE-IN FOLLOW-UP'. 'REFERRAL' leads to an 'action' that results in 'GET $300', with connections indicating steps and letters
Referral offer: $300 for every friend. → Result: 70+ purchases in year one. Email now drives 7–15% of monthly leads.
Email marketing metrics: 47% Open rate and 7% Click-through rate. Text indicates 'Email campaigns generated nearly 100 new purchases in 12 months,' accompanied by a cool cat illustration
We produced native mini-scenarios:
  • "Got it done in 1 day"
  • "How to buy without SSN"

Shot with team members or clients to boost authenticity. Best clips were boosted with paid reach.
Reels, TikTok, Shorts: human-first content
Collage of six visual examples of Car2Sell's content, demonstrating a 'CONTENT SYSTEM WITH PERSONALITY.' Images include a woman driving, luxury cars, happy customers, car service, a salesperson, and a financing offer for those without ID or credit, all aiming for engaging, personal communication
One challenge: fake followers from previous giveaway campaigns. We did a phased cleanup and doubled down on real organic engagement.

In 6 months:
  • Organic reach returned to stable levels
  • Engagement grew 6x
  • Socials became a reliable traffic channel
Line graph showing 'REAL FOLLOWER GROWTH' over 9 months, indicating a '+145%' increase, or '1.45x' growth in social media followers for SMM
Line graph for 'METRICS — SMM ENGAGEMENT GROWTH', showing a 43% increase over 9 months, with a hand illustration making a 'shaka' sign
The Car2Sell case is proof that systematic marketing works. In 18 months, we built an entire ecosystem that performs without relying on third-party platforms.

A strong website + full-funnel content strategy = dozens of leads daily.
Conclusion
Table titled 'CAR2SELL VS LOCAL COMPETITORS: PERFORMANCE GAPS (AFTER STRATEGY)'. It lists Car2Sell's improved performance across channels like Google Ads (active and optimized), Facebook Ads (launched and scaled), SEO (fully launched), Mobile UX (redesigned), Social Media (launched vertical video), Email Marketing (welcome flow, reactivations), and Reviews (4.7/5)
With flexible, analytics-driven execution, we didn’t just increase sales. We rebuilt trust, created real connection with customers, and delivered a brand that speaks their language.
Infographic showing 'OVERALL METRICS'. Key results include an 'Average ROI across marketing channels: 420%', '+70% increase in revenue from digital channels', '400-500 monthly leads generated with an average CPL of $27', and 'more than 100 sales are made through the referral program
Performance — Ksenia Shchankina, Mikhail Burlakin, Ksenia Yachmeneva
Designer — Dinara Danilova
Project Manager — Alexander Lee
Art Director — Dmitry Lee
Marketing Director — Leonid Tokarev

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