SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Edmunds has launched Edmunds Ad Solutions, a mobile-optimized ad product designed to help dealers target in-market car shoppers on Facebook and Instagram.

The ad solutions uses the firm's first-party shopping data to target shoppers with relevant native ads on those social media sites and then drive them back to the dealer's website. The data can also be used to identify and target shoppers with similar shopping behavior on those premium partner sites, the company added.

“Edmunds Ad Solutions is proving to be an indispensable tool for a dealer’s comprehensive digital marketing strategy,” said Scott Fanelli, Edmunds vice president of dealer sales. “Not only does it get dealer inventory in front of Edmunds’ rich audience of in-market shoppers, it also gives them exposure to other shoppers who perform similar ready-to-buy behaviors on other sites. There’s no better way for a dealership to expand its inventory’s digital footprint to an audience of relevant shoppers.”

The solution, Edmunds noted, is specifically optimized for mobile devices, which have become a popular tool for car shoppers. According to a Facebook IQ study, 71% of all respondents used mobile during the purchase process. Fifty-eight percent said their smart phone would be the only device they use for all their vehicle research. Early Edmunds Ad Solutions testing showed that 90% of traffic for the solution derived from mobile devices.