What Every Boat Dealer Should Know About Running Facebook & Instagram Ads

Facebook and Instagram ads are essential tools for boat dealerships looking to generate more leads, promote inventory, and stay competitive in today’s digital-first world. More than ever, boat buyers are researching online — often long before they step foot into a dealership.

But running successful social media ads for the marine industry isn’t as simple as boosting a post or throwing together a campaign without a strategy. Marine marketing requires a thoughtful approach — including precise local targeting, strong creative, and strict attention to co-op compliance if you want to maximize manufacturer reimbursement.

Whether you’re new to social ads or looking to improve your results, here’s what every boat dealership should know before launching a paid campaign.

1. Focus on Hyper-Local Targeting

The most common mistake we see in marine advertising is targeting too broadly. As a dealership, your goal should be to reach potential buyers within a reasonable driving distance of your location — not across the entire state or region.

Facebook and Instagram offer detailed targeting tools that allow you to set zip codes, radius targeting, and even specific interests like “boating,” “saltwater fishing,” or “luxury yachts.”

A well-defined audience will help you avoid wasted ad spend and ensure your budget is going towards reaching people who are most likely to convert.

2. Leverage Video Content

In the marine industry, seeing is believing — and nothing sells a boat like video. Short videos showcasing your inventory, boat walkthroughs, drone footage, or clips of boats on the water consistently drive higher engagement and better ad performance than static images alone.

Even quick smartphone videos can work if they’re clear and authentic. Facebook and Instagram prioritize video content in their algorithms, which means your ads are more likely to reach the right audience at a lower cost per click.

Need content ideas? Check out: 10 Social Media Content Ideas Every Boat Dealer Should Be Posting

3. Retarget Website Visitors

Not every customer is ready to buy the first time they visit your website — and that’s okay. Retargeting ads allow you to stay in front of those potential buyers, reminding them about specific boats they viewed or offers they may have missed.

With Facebook Pixel or Meta’s Conversion API installed on your website, you can serve ads specifically to people who viewed inventory pages, downloaded brochures, or filled out a contact form but didn’t convert. These warm leads are more likely to take action when reminded of what caught their interest.

4. Stay Co-Op Compliant

If your dealership is leveraging co-op advertising funds from manufacturers (OEMs), compliance is non-negotiable. Every ad must follow specific guidelines provided by your brand partners — including using approved logos, brand colors, disclaimers, and sometimes pre-approved creative.

Failure to follow these guidelines can result in reimbursement denial or a strained relationship with your manufacturer rep. Working with a marketing partner who understands marine co-op requirements — like Dolomites Consulting Group — ensures your campaigns stay fully compliant while still driving real results.

Learn more about this in: Co-Op Advertising 101: How to Maximize Your Dealer Reimbursement

5. Monitor & Optimize Campaigns

Launching your ads is just the beginning — the best results come from monitoring performance and making regular optimizations. Focus on key metrics like:

• Cost per lead (CPL)

• Click-through rate (CTR)

• Landing page conversion rate

• Cost per website click

Continually test different creative formats (video vs. image), ad copy variations, and audience segments to find what performs best for your dealership. Regular reporting and analysis will help you make smarter decisions and improve your return on ad spend (ROAS) over time.

Running Facebook and Instagram ads for boat dealerships is one of the most powerful ways to generate leads, build brand awareness, and drive sales — but only when done with strategy and industry expertise.

From hyper-local targeting to video content creation and full co-op compliance, marine marketing requires more than a “set it and forget it” approach.

Dolomites Consulting Group offers done-for-you ad management and lead generation services built specifically for boat dealers and marine businesses. We handle strategy, creative, compliance, and optimization — so your team can focus on what they do best: selling boats.

Contact us today for a free consultation or download our Marine Marketing Audit for more insights and actionable strategies.