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Social Media Success Video 
Many times we are asked by dealers “Should we really do that?” when we are designing dealer micro sites for them. We will work to have a marketing property show up for competing dealers names and other market areas. The type of content that we use to do this is neither offending nor do we try to confuse the surfer on the source of the content, they know which dealer sponsored the site.
We were amazed when we found a property that was obviously created by someone close to one dealer slamming another, despite the denials in the content. Below is a screen capture of one of the post with the names and cities of the innocent and guilty changed to protect their identity.
The title of the site was “Bad Rep Nissan” and the url was www.badrepnissian.popularfreehostingplatform.com. Some of the other content was republished Rippoff Reports, Bad Testimonials and the slogan was “We will, we will srew you” as well as a blanket denial stating “I am in NO WAY affiliated with Dirtbag Nissan, Another Nissan Store part of Dirtbag Nissan’s Group, or any of the XXX stores I cited in my original article.”
As a professional who practices Automotive SEO and creates marketing properties for dealers I would never condone or participate in a scheme such as this. I am willing to publish something when I disagree with others in this space, I will do it in my name and give the reasons why. It generates business for my company and meets acceptable standards recognized by many, other automotive vendors do it too they just do it in emails, on the phone and in their pitches to dealers.
It is fairly obvious which dealership created the property as there are several anchor text pointing to micro sites and the dealers main site using keywords they wish to optimize for, a very basic SEO practice.
From wikipedia on “Anchor Text“ - Webmasters may use anchor text to procure high results in search engine results pages. Google’s Webmaster Tools facilitate this optimization by letting website owners view the most common words in anchor text linking to their site.
The content that was found on this slam site would not encourage anyone to do business with either dealer. It will not help the dealer, which sponsored the content, sell more cars other than optimizing other marketing properties of the “Dirtbag Nissan Dealer” and it goes to further tarnish the online reputation of “Bad Rep Nissan Dealer”. A consumer who lands on the site would probably chose to avoid both dealers.
How far are we willing to go?
I have my opinion of this type of content, stated above, and have even been a victim of it on more than one occasion. While this may be an extreme example it is not far fetched to realize that it is happening across the space, false ripoff reports, fake slam sites and bad reviews.
Other forms of bad marketing:
- “Video Search Engine Optimization” by confusing search engine users as to what type of content they are going to see at free video hosting sites. ie : Camry vs Accord content that is nothing more than cheap video commercials to get people to test drive an Accord when they are looking for a Camry.
- Dealers using hidden text in free and paid classified sites.
- Asterisk pricing * saying “price listed is after down payment or trade equity of $x,xxx”.
- Dealers flagging other dealers craigslist ads.
What is happening from this type of activity is compounding the negative perception of car dealers that the public already holds and demonstrates a lack of maturity in our online marketing efforts. Even if the dealer is not aware, someone at their store who has a vested interest in online marketing is. As a marketing professional its bothersome as a dealer advocate I see it as unscrupulous. In either case the problem lies in what can be done about it?
Things that could be done:
- Good for the goose good for the gander - If we see dealers participating in this type of activity we call them out on it publicly and create a database site outlining their indiscretions for the public to see?
- OEM Involvement - Like in the example above Nissan is the real loser when the consumer chooses to buy another brand because the dealers are both looked at less than desirable. Should the OEM allow this to go on without repercussions?
- State Attorney Generals - This makes for unfair competition and probably violates many state laws. Should we ask that they take a more aggressive stance, do we really need more government involvement?
- “It is what it is” - Do nothing and keep our heads in the sand?
Personally I like the options outlined in 1 and 2.
What is your opinion? Leave comments below..
Paul Rushing912-266-1629
www.ismintraining.com
SEGA Systems, LLC
“Without Traffic Everything Fails”
Google Talk: parushing 
Skype: parushing
People will do anything to one up the next person. The internet can make this even easier to do. Some people see through the deception, but some easily fall for it. I think most good businesses and people try to follow the “do no evil” principle and take the higher roads. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and cheating doesn’t count!
Great advice! Black hat SEO and slandering techniques will never lead to anything good long term. It’s much easier to boost your word-of-mouth marketing through improving your own customer service dept. then to wage cyber warfare.
Paul,
Consumers recognize these tactics.
I’d like to think that most will quickly realize that if this is how they treat their competition, their customers probably won’t get the royal treatment either…
If this type of campaign was facilitated by an industry vendor, shame on them for contributing such shoddy workmanship.
@Eric - I would surely hope that consumers realize it to bad many dealership personnel do not!!
I do not believe a vendor did this. IMO it was a rogue employee who has observed how us “vendors” have utilized this particular platform.
Here is an analogy (however poor of one it may be).
In high school, it was commonplace to find yourself interested in a girl who already had a boyfriend. There are two ways to handle this situation - one bad and one good.
Many people will talk negative about said boyfriend, hoping to change the female’s opinion about her chosen partner. We have all partaken, one time or another, in a smear campaign against another in an attempt to win the heart of someone.
The RIGHT way to behave however, is to simply prove - through both words AND actions, why you are the right person for the job. Don’t drag anyone through the mud, but demonstrate all of the characteristics that make you the smart choice. The girl (or in this case, customer) will do their own comparison and make the decision that is best for them.
It is a shame some dealers continue to wield this high-school mentality of tearing down the opposition, but a smart customer will look past it.
@Joe Thank for breaking it down in a way that helps clarify the phenomenon
haha, words of wisdom from Joe Webb, great comment! Funny but accurate and right on. Way to put this into terms for the rest of us.
@paul, nice job covering a complex topic. The truth is, because there is no clear drawn line when it comes to ethics some people have difficulty determining between what is right and wrong Our actions becomes a judgment call. Clearly, in my opinion, the dealer you referenced way crossed the line. As far as your question goes about how to handle it, i would vote number 2. The loser really is Nissan in this situation, and they have a vested interested to police it. My 2 cents.
Dealers should show as much restraint as they would want a competitor to show to them.
@Jared - We see this all the time. It really is a shame that OEM’s do not tighten down on this behavior. Then again independents do it too..
Great post Paul. It’s a sad state that some people can come to when they are completely void of character. The common practice of those without skill, will or vision is to destroy rather than build. The only consolation in this situation is that they will ultimately destroy themselves in their attempt to destroy others.
I would fire this person immediately. I would counsel whoever is responsible for supervising this person as well. I don’t think you can have a person like this in your dealership and not know exactly the type of person you have. People like this have no place in our industry.
A dealership I recently consulted with hired a person who had been fired from his last 4 dealerships against my advice. In all cases he had been fired for stealing from the dealership or cheating customers. But I suppose getting $6,000 to $9,000 grosses on an Accord from 70 year old customers is ok. “I can control him, I know how to manage him” is how they justified it. Funny, no one is asking how he gets those grosses. Sorry, got off track a little.
1. Do everything honestly and ethically every time and you won’t give anyone anything to write about. I believe “printing lies” is considered liable and grants you the right to legal action. Let me know if I’m wrong about that.
2. I like 1, 2 and 3. Expose them for who they are and take legal action if you are able. In the absence of legal action go through the OEM. I don’t think they want their names associated with this type of material.
3. Don’t allow anyone who would use these tactics work for you.
“Do everything honestly and ethically every time and you won’t give anyone anything to write about.”
Very poignant that adults have to be reminded of this but rings loud and true.
Paul,
This topic of “Black Hat” digital marketing or in some cases, such as what I did while employed at Courtesy Chevrolet, “Guerrilla Marketing” is near and dear to my heart. The example you showcased certainly reflects poor judgement from the perspective of how it helps achieve the dealer’s marketing objectives. However, I believe the real issue is something that goes beyond the specifics of the example you illustrated… We are seeing this a lot in the area of Social Marketing and Reputation Management. It is the issues around who is designated/responsible/allowed/encouraged to represent the dealership in the world of online advertising and more significantly User Generated Content (UGC) sites. In many cases we are seeing dealers represented and portrayed in questionable ways by well meaning employees who take it upon themselves to go online and start winging it. In other cases, we see Internet Sales Managers who have little supervision by the General Manager or dealer setting up various online sites and content everywhere from Squidoo to Blogger to YouTube to Twitter, all of which is entirely under their personal control without being monitored or integrated into the dealer’s overall marketing strategy.
What dealers need to do, and the best ones already have in place is to develop policies, guidelines and reporting processes that cover all online representation of the dealership by the store’s employees. This should be incorporated into employee manuals and as a separate document signed by every employee in the dealership with the signed document inserted in the employee’s personnel folder. I have several examples of these “Digital Media Policy” documents if anyone wants a copy, with one important disclosure; NO dealer should use any such document without having it reviewed and edited by the dealership’s legal counsel.
Without an effectively written policy implemented by dealers, there are several areas of UGC site and online media utilization that are quite simply “out of control” for the dealership. The goal is not to stymie online participation, rather it is quite the opposite… To encourage and condone employee participation in online social media and all UGC sites by recognizing those that recommend the dealership and showcasing positive examples. By setting the right policies in place, the dealer can not only control what employees are publishing online, he/she can provide guidelines and examples of what is encouraged and condoned by the dealership. Because ALL online contributuions by employees are reported and brought to the attention of the GM, Dealer or Marketing Director, the likelihood of undesirable content creation is reduced, and if it is, the content can be removed by issuing a written order to the employee who generated it.
One important recommendation: Dealers implementing UGC policies should NOT require that online references to the dealership be preapproved. This will have an undesirable negative impact that takes form in several ways, not the least of which is the reduction of employee participation in representing the dealership online. Reward employees who help promote the dealership using Social Marketing, UGC and Reputation Management sites… Encourage all employees to go online and write about the dealership in a positive way… Do NOT stifle them by requiring preapproval, but insist and require that all and any mention of the dealership, or use of the dealership’s logos, name, photos, videos and the names of fellow employees be logged by sending an email with a link to the online content to the designated email address.
When I worked at Courtesy, we had a designated email address for all employees to send links and content references to. An example might be something like “webcontent@abcmotors.com” or “socialmedia@abcmotors.com”. Better yet, set up a Catch-All email service at Network Solutions, which is what we did at Courtesy using “anything@ChevyMail.com” which allowed us to instruct employees to send links to any and all online mention of the dealership to the web site’s name @ChevyMail.com, as in “Facebook@ChevyMail.com” or “Twitter@ChevyMail.com” because emails sent to ANYTHING@ChevyMail.com all went to the same email account. During Friday AM sales meetings we would go into the @ChevyMail.com account and showcase the best online marketing examples promoting the dealership. I would also spiff Internet Sales Specialists when they did something really powerful online. By setting all this in place, the likelihood of content being generated online without the dealer or management being aware of it is vastly reduced.
By encouraging dealership employees to make positive and frequent mention of the dealership online, the dealer is harnessing the most effective tool in their online marketing arsenal, the social impact of the 50, 75, 100 or more employee on that dealership’s payroll.
Ultimately, the only way to effectively control online content generation by employees is to implement policies around what is allowed and encouraged. Then reward the employees who generate positive online references, while insisting that 100% of any and all online reference to the dealership be brought to management attention and subject to the dealership requesting that unacceptable content be deleted.
I suspect that the Nissan dealer whose employee created the example you have showcased would have insisted that it be removed had it been brought to his/her attention.
@Ralph - Unfortunately the process you outlined may be the only way to keep things in check. I see a new position coming into dealerships now. “Online Marketing Compliance Officer”
Now that a good shared project: http://www.onlinemarketingcomplianceofficer.com
Paul, great article and great discussion and particpation for the automotive marketing community.
This example represents the worst of style but these tactics are what we all have to deal with.
This would be a good seminar break-out at an upcoming conference. Developing a dealer online marketing ethics guidebook for employees.
[...] Traffic is how they monetize their site and to me it looks like they are putting dollars in before decency. They defiantly do not have a “Do no evil” policy apparently the dealer in question does not either. I did a post about this at Drivingsales.com and the feedback received there by other professionals in the auto industry pretty much aligned with my views. “Is All Fair in Love and Business?” [...]