Unlike my friend’s five cats, which he says simply do what they want, you can indeed get your Facebook fans to prefer your dealership and bring their business to it. This strategy – a swarm and herd social media technique – can steadily build a dealer’s Facebook fan base. Then, marketing ideas such as coupons, games, contests and other fan incentives on the page will start herding those fans into the dealership. This strategy is very effective in creating a sense of fun, community involvement and trust among your Facebook fans. It does so by breathing life into your Facebook pages through engaging conversations, monthly promotions, special coupons and local links to create business opportunities for the dealership. Dealers like Apple Chevrolet in Tinley Park, IL, use this strategy to empower their Facebook pages. “The strategy keeps our fans paying attention to our site,” says Tom Gorham, the dealership’s Internet Sales and Marketing Ma...

For consumers, there’s comfort for them engaging with your dealership on Facebook and other social media when others there have already talked about you positively. So how’s this different than past business experiences when a potential customer would hear about your business or its brand while visiting family, going to dinner with friends, or getting a haircut? The same word-of-mouth reviews exist today, but social media has expanded the reach of our ears exponentially. Before consumers will engage you on line – certainly before they’ll walk across your curb – they want to feel comfortable with you first. Therefore, the first role of your social media crew is to feed your Facebook visitors, friends and fans the comfort food of genuine socialization. Whether socializing at the local civic club or to a broader fan base via Facebook, the aim isn’t to sell but to socialize – with faith that interaction will one day result in new custom...