The year 2025 is nearly through – and you haven’t even started yet? If you want to be visible in the automotive aftermarket, you need a clear plan. Between new platforms and constantly changing SEO algorithms, the question arises: 

Which online marketing actions really work this year?

Here are our top recommendations for successful online marketing actions that you can implement immediately. 

1️⃣ Video-first strategy

Short videos in B2B? Yes! Whether product insights, how-to clips, or event highlights – moving images also dominate in the professional environment.

2️⃣  SEO: User intent first

In 2025, Google rewards not only keywords, but also content that exactly matches search intentions. Invest in in-depth content analysis and adjust your page structure accordingly. An example: How to become visible in an OE number search

3️⃣ Branding

Visuals on news portals such as AMupdate.de increase brand awareness in the long term. More awareness = more sales! Find out more here: Why is branding so crucial in the aftermarket?  

4️⃣  Social media

Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook Feed can generate inquiries and increase brand awareness—provided that the content delivers real added value. Want to learn more about content marketing? Here are the advantages of content marketing

💡 Our tip: The most successful 2025 campaigns combine several of these measures in a clear customer journey – from initial visibility to completion. Brand awareness as a service – it’s that simple

👉 Want more insights?
Aftermarket Online Marketing

Brand awareness is not a “nice-to-have” – it is a crucial performance factor! If you want to stand out in Google searches, you first have to get into the minds of your target audience. And this is precisely where the big opportunity lies for aftermarket brands in the B2B environment. 🔍💥

📈 Branded search = the new performance KPI

How often is your brand actively searched for? The volume of brand-specific search queries (“branded search”) is a clear indicator of your brand strength. This is particularly relevant for wholesalers and workshop relationships, because:

➡️ Technicians specifically google suppliers and brands.
➡️ Every percentage point of increased awareness directly increases your search volume.

🧠 Nielsen: Awareness contributes to sales

A meta-analysis by Nielsen sums it up:

👉 For every point of increase in awareness, sales increase by approx. 1%.

A clear ROI factor when it comes to marketing efficiency – especially in highly competitive aftermarket niches.

🚘 Study from the automotive industry: Visibility generates demand

Current research from the automotive sector proves:

✅ Correlation between brand awareness & purchase interest.
➡️ Meaning: Those who are visible become the active choice.

And that applies not only to TikTok – but also to Google, Facebook, and AMupdate.de

Conclusion: Visibility on Google starts with brand strength.

If you want to win digitally, you must first invest in brand awareness – not just keywords.

👉 And best of all, branded traffic often converts better, is cheaper, and strengthens your market position at the same time. 🏁

Curious to see what that might look like for you?
👉 Get started now

Many marketing teams focus everything on performance – but that’s not enough. If you want to grow in the long term, you need both: brand building and activation. The solution? The 60:40 rule.  In complex purchasing processes, branding is crucial in order to remain top-of-mind and in the relevant set. At the same time, performance campaigns ensure short-term action.

💡 60% for brand building: strengthens your image, builds trust – and has a lasting impact on your sales.

✨ 40% for activation: Brings quick sales peaks – but only efficient if the brand is strong.

🎯 Thinking short-term = losing impact.

If you only activate, you burn through budget in the long term. Only with a strong brand behind you can ads & campaigns develop their full power. Read also: 60/40 rule – The perfect marketing mix

👉 This is exactly where we come in:

With Brand Awareness as a Service, we provide you with a ready-to-use package that reflects precisely this balance – measurable, scalable, efficient.

What’s inside?

✅ Visibility on AMupdate.de

✅ Content & newsletter marketing

✅ Visual & social pushes

✅ Campaigns with reporting & expert support

📊 Want to know if your budget mix fits the 60:40 rule?

Let’s take a look together.

👉 Secure your package now & grow visibly

Own brands from manufacturers, re-packers and parts distributors have long been part of everyday life in the aftermarket.

But how do you manage to position your own brand correctly and gain the trust of your target group e.g. car technicians? 🤔

Here are some tips to help you successfully establish your brand in the aftermarket and get the most out of it:

1. your brand is unique – Show it!

Private labels offer you the chance to stand out from the crowd. Develop a clear brand identity with a memorable logo and a story that conveys your values. Authenticity is the key to building a bond with your customers.

2. digital first – expand your online presence

A strong online presence = a strong brand! 🌐 Use the power of SEO and content marketing to bring your own brand to the fore. Invest in relevant content that informs your target group and offers them real added value – whether via blogs, videos or social media.

3. social proof: build trust

Customer reviews, case studies and testimonials can make all the difference. Show your potential buyers that your products are already being used successfully and are trustworthy. 💬 Nothing is more powerful than the recommendation of satisfied customers.

4. use omnichannel strategy

Your own brand should be present wherever your target group is. Whether in your online store, marketplaces or in specialist media such as AMupdate.de – make sure that you offer a seamless and consistent experience across all channels. 📱💻

5. brand awareness: targeted advertising

Use targeted advertising measures to increase the visibility of your brand and strengthen brand awareness. Whether display ads, Facebook campaigns or content marketing – it is important that you pick up your target group exactly where they are.

Private labels offer enormous potential in the aftermarket – but only with the right strategy and the right marketing boost! 💡

To all brand strategists and those who want to become one:

Why is branding so crucial to your success in the aftermarket?

Most automotive technicians do not immediately need the advertised product when they see your ad. This means that lead generation measures in the online aftermarket often come to nothing. Especially if sufficient brand awareness has not yet been built up.

Without brand marketing, there is no basis for trust and subsequent conversion, e.g. to sign up for a newsletter, register for an online store and ultimately become a happy buyer of your product.

💡 The solution:

Brand marketing first, then performance marketing. This leads to 6x better results in lead generation activities. This is the result of a study: “Marketing Effectiveness in the Digital Era” by the renowned IPA – Institute of Practitioners in Advertising.

🔍 How is it done?

First of all, advertising messages for continuous brand awareness. In particular for brand positioning, e.g. quality leader or problem solver. After a certain time, additional, more prominent advertising spaces are used to increase the click rate in the short term and ideally generate new contacts.

On AMupdate.de there are exemplary packages for long-term awareness and short-term penetrating measures.

💡 Tip: Without sufficient brand marketing, you will miss out on important buyers when the part is really needed.

Parts number enthusiasts take note.

Our penultimate newsletter How to become visible when searching for an OE number triggered a number of questions. Basically about one topic:

Why are OE numbers googled at all?

The answer is simple – because there is a need:

📦 The part is not available from the main supplier

🔍 To identify an IAM part

💰 Price comparison with B2C webshops

🧑‍🔧 Drivers google themselves

Yes, that’s right. More and more end users are searching for spare parts on their own – often based on the OE number given to them by the workshop. Sounds like the garage is cutting itself off, doesn’t it?

Not at all! A garage that supports its customers in financial distress gains trust. And trust is the most valuable asset in automotive service.

If you order a part yourself today and visit your trusted mechanic tomorrow to have it fitted, you’re sure to come back for the next tire change, oil change and emergency.

👉 For marketers, this means that part numbers are not “dry catalog data”, but search terms with purchase intent. If your website or landing pages are optimized for these numbers, you will be visible when it counts.

Display ads – everyone knows them, many use them, but do they really bring the desired success? 🤔

In a world where ad blockers are on the rise, AMupdate.de can still display banners. 

The only question that remains is: do display ads still make sense or are they just a budget grab?

When display ads make sense ✅

Display advertising can be extremely effective – if used correctly:

✔ Branding & awareness: perfect for making brands visible and memorable.

Retargeting: Retargeting visitors who have already shown interest and leading them to conversion.

✔ Visual storytelling options: Animated banners or interactive ads attract more attention than static images.

When display ads burn money 🔥

🚫 Incorrectly selected target groups: If you place ads indiscriminately, you are burning your budget without any effect. AMupdate.de is home to automotive technicians and parts distributors. 

🚫 Lack of creativity: Boring banners get lost in the crowd and are simply ignored. Read also: Which banner is the best?

🚫 Lack of strategy: Without a clear goal and measurability, display advertising remains a blind flight. 

Conclusion: Use display ads with a strategy!

Display ads are not a sure-fire success – but with a clever choice of target group, an appealing design and a well thought-out retargeting strategy, they can be a powerful online marketing tool.

➡ Want to get more performance out of your display ads? We’ll show you how! 🚀 

Parts number enthusiasts take note! 

Imagine someone googles an OE number – and BOOM 💥 your IAM brand comes up first:

“We know your problem, we are the IAM quality leader, you can buy here!”

A dream for every marketing manager. But why does it often remain unfulfilled?

Quite simply because many websites do not align their SEO strategy with the reality of the car technicians. Technicians don’t have time for long searches – they want to quickly find an option for the OE number mentioned!  

If your brand doesn’t come up, the buyer will go to another brand. Read also: More visibility, more trust, more sales.

🔥 The solution: in pole position with SEO

Do you want your brand to be at the top of OE number searches? Then you need a clear strategy:

✅ Use OE numbers cleverly: Every product page must contain the relevant OE numbers – technically cleanly stored & easy for Google to read.

✅ Snippets & structure: Use structured data to signal to Google: “Here’s exactly the part you’re looking for!”.

✅ Fast loading times & mobile optimization: Workshops often search via smartphone/tablet – if your site is too slow, you’re out.

💡 Marketing Tip: If your brand remains invisible in a typical OE number search, you’re losing out. Time to change that!

👉 How visible is your brand really? Let’s have a chat. More Aftermarket Online Marketing Learnings: Click here!