Believe it or not, school is starting again. Along with everything classroom-bound kids need before they hit the books, parents are looking to send them back to campus with cars.

This is a cohort that’s definitely driven to drive. While Gen Xers have been less likely to buy cars, the next group in line – Generation Z – is much more inclined to get behind the wheel.

According to the National Retail Federation, back-to-school spending is expected to climb to $75.8 billion this year. That’s an increase of more than $7 billion over last year. The NRF also explains that spending for high school and college students peaks anywhere from one month to three weeks before classes begin, and college spending continues after the start date.

That schedule clearly means now is the time to VINvertise™ the cars in your inventory that are most appealing to students, and to their parents. (Kelly Blue Book has developed a helpful tool that lists the 10 most popular back-to-school models, based on ZIP code.)

When you know which cars in your inventory back-to-school shoppers are looking for, you can use the LotLinx VIN View Optimizer™ to determine which of those cars need additional online attention to sell. From there, it’s simple to create VIN-specific campaigns that will bring purchase-ready shoppers right to the VDPs of the cars they’re interested in.

For dealers with any level of digital marketing involvement, there’s simply no more effective strategy than VIN-specific marketing. A LotLinx digital consultant would be happy to tell you more, and help you set campaigns for your own back-to-school inventory. Contact us to schedule your consultation today.

While students may not be thrilled to head back to the classroom, it’s a sales opportunity no dealer will want to flunk.