Although it's a couple of months away, everyone in the industry is talking about it. And when I say talk I mean blogging and tweeting. A Google search of 'NADA convention and expo 2012' resulted in over 300k hits.

On Twitter when you search #NADA2012 that too also resulted in many posts about the event.

A great way to stay in the know is to follow those accounts who are Tweeting about anything related to your industry. An example would be the Digital Dealer conference-  #DD11- that took place this year. Since we did not attend, we still kept up with what was going on through blogs and tweets that attendees were posting. Not only did those posts make us feel as though we were there, but it also gave us the opportunity to interact with attendees, as well as gain more followers.

Keyword: followers! We gained about 40 new followers from #DD11 simply because we participated on a digital level, thus letting others know who we were. This year we plan to do the same with #NADA2012, except we will actually be in attendance allowing us to make personal and online connections.

So make sure you check us out in person @ booth #968, or on Twitter @Carloanco!

Although it's a couple of months away, everyone in the industry is talking about it. And when I say talk I mean blogging and tweeting. A Google search of 'NADA convention and expo 2012' resulted in over 300k hits.

On Twitter when you search #NADA2012 that too also resulted in many posts about the event.

A great way to stay in the know is to follow those accounts who are Tweeting about anything related to your industry. An example would be the Digital Dealer conference-  #DD11- that took place this year. Since we did not attend, we still kept up with what was going on through blogs and tweets that attendees were posting. Not only did those posts make us feel as though we were there, but it also gave us the opportunity to interact with attendees, as well as gain more followers.

Keyword: followers! We gained about 40 new followers from #DD11 simply because we participated on a digital level, thus letting others know who we were. This year we plan to do the same with #NADA2012, except we will actually be in attendance allowing us to make personal and online connections.

So make sure you check us out in person @ booth #968, or on Twitter @Carloanco!

With Thanksgiving and Black Friday approaching, MSN Autos have published aan interesting list of what they consider to be "automotive turkeys." 

So before you hit up the auto dealers on Friday looking for a good deal be sure to check out this top ten list of vehicles to avoid:

With Thanksgiving and Black Friday approaching, MSN Autos have published aan interesting list of what they consider to be "automotive turkeys." 

So before you hit up the auto dealers on Friday looking for a good deal be sure to check out this top ten list of vehicles to avoid:

When last we met, I wrote about the feedback I'd gotten on what some dealers think when I say "third party leads."  The bottom line was that anything that came from online advertising outside the dealer's direct control was considered to be a third party lead.

Following that line of discussion, I'd like to take a moment to make the distinction between an inventory lead and a finance lead. Both can be delivered from an online ad or other lead generation source, but they're fundamentally different in terms of the information delivered and the intent of the consumer.

In the broadest sense, an inventory lead from a vendor like our sister company GET AUTO® will deliver someone who has searched for a shiny blue 2009 Mustang and selected a matching vehicle from your dealership's online inventory. They are looking for that car in particular, regardless of whether they are qualified to buy that car.  (That being said, consumers these days are getting finance savvy and may do their homework to find out what they can afford before they go out and shop, whether virtually or on a dealer's lot.)

On the other hand, a consumer that comes in as a finance lead is at the other end of the process -- they've completed a full auto loan application and are just looking for someone who can put them in a car. In some cases they'll have a particular car in mind, too, but more often than not, the dealer will be able to match them to the inventory on hand.

By not having a make and model already established, it gives a dealer the flexibility to have a realistic discussion about what car the consumer can actually afford to buy on the dealer's lot.  In addition, the finance lead is that much further along in the process because the consumer has already supplied all of their personal information in order to try to qualify for credit.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm biased toward one over the other, but I can see the argument that both inventory and finance leads are an essential part of the mix for dealers who want to meet their revenue goals.

Where do these two breeds of internet lead fall in your marketing mix?

When last we met, I wrote about the feedback I'd gotten on what some dealers think when I say "third party leads."  The bottom line was that anything that came from online advertising outside the dealer's direct control was considered to be a third party lead.

Following that line of discussion, I'd like to take a moment to make the distinction between an inventory lead and a finance lead. Both can be delivered from an online ad or other lead generation source, but they're fundamentally different in terms of the information delivered and the intent of the consumer.

In the broadest sense, an inventory lead from a vendor like our sister company GET AUTO® will deliver someone who has searched for a shiny blue 2009 Mustang and selected a matching vehicle from your dealership's online inventory. They are looking for that car in particular, regardless of whether they are qualified to buy that car.  (That being said, consumers these days are getting finance savvy and may do their homework to find out what they can afford before they go out and shop, whether virtually or on a dealer's lot.)

On the other hand, a consumer that comes in as a finance lead is at the other end of the process -- they've completed a full auto loan application and are just looking for someone who can put them in a car. In some cases they'll have a particular car in mind, too, but more often than not, the dealer will be able to match them to the inventory on hand.

By not having a make and model already established, it gives a dealer the flexibility to have a realistic discussion about what car the consumer can actually afford to buy on the dealer's lot.  In addition, the finance lead is that much further along in the process because the consumer has already supplied all of their personal information in order to try to qualify for credit.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm biased toward one over the other, but I can see the argument that both inventory and finance leads are an essential part of the mix for dealers who want to meet their revenue goals.

Where do these two breeds of internet lead fall in your marketing mix?

In my last post, I wrote about the term "third party leads".  I shared it with the community here on DrivingSales.com, and I did get a few responses.

The bottom line was: according to the folks who commented, it's a lead that comes from properties outside their direct control and is the result of online advertising by someone other than their dealership or their OEM.  Think AutoTrader.com, Cars.com, KBB, etc.

That's borne out by our experience in the real world, where our sales reps talk to dealers about finance leads and where they fit in with their advertising strategy and budget.  On a good day, those discussions end up becoming more about us getting a piece of the marketing budget, comparing our programs to other online advertising programs and determining which one will best fit the structure of the store and the make up of their sales team.

The challenge comes in highlighting the difference between a consumer who's interested in the shiny blue Mustang (inventory lead) and the consumer who's applied for credit and can be influenced to pick the right car for them (finance lead).

I'll take a closer look at those in my next post.

In my last post, I wrote about the term "third party leads".  I shared it with the community here on DrivingSales.com, and I did get a few responses.

The bottom line was: according to the folks who commented, it's a lead that comes from properties outside their direct control and is the result of online advertising by someone other than their dealership or their OEM.  Think AutoTrader.com, Cars.com, KBB, etc.

That's borne out by our experience in the real world, where our sales reps talk to dealers about finance leads and where they fit in with their advertising strategy and budget.  On a good day, those discussions end up becoming more about us getting a piece of the marketing budget, comparing our programs to other online advertising programs and determining which one will best fit the structure of the store and the make up of their sales team.

The challenge comes in highlighting the difference between a consumer who's interested in the shiny blue Mustang (inventory lead) and the consumer who's applied for credit and can be influenced to pick the right car for them (finance lead).

I'll take a closer look at those in my next post.

In marketing and in your general life, appearance means everything!

People typically base their first impressions of you, right away, off of appearance. That usually will determine if they want to hear what you have to say. If you go into an interview with wrinkled slacks or scuffed shoes, you may lose your interviewers attention, and no matter how intelligent you are, their focus will remain on something other than your 'content' (like the huge coffee stain down the front of your shirt or the hot pink streak in your hair).

When interviewing, like marketing, you must always impress with your presence and your articulation. You must be confident, engaging, clean, and easy to understand. Here are 3 interview 'musts' that you can apply to your email marketing efforts.

1. Clean nails and face: is your database clean? Make sure you have current emails to avoid high bounce rates. Is the html in your template clean? This also is important so that the template is viewable in all browsers. As with a clean face, make sure your template's appearance matches your branding standards. If blue hues are your company's colors, keep it consistent. You wouldn't show up to a formal interview in clown makeup would you?

2. Basic suit and minimal jewelry: Like a basic suit your template should also be basic. With a basic suit, you are assured that they are paying more attention to the 'content' you speak as opposed to the bright orange suit jacket you decided to wear. Jewelry should be basic and kept to a minimum, similar to your images. A basic call to action button, logo, and image may suffice depending on the type of email being sent. Your audience will lose sight of the content if your images (like the 30 bangles on your wrist) are too flashy.

3. Confidence and knowledge: Like practicing for an interview you should 'practice' for an email send. Send tests to different email URL's to make sure the template looks the same in all of them.  And like researching the company you are interviewing for, you should also know your audience and cater your content to that demographic.

These are just a few of the many ways you can relate an interview to an email piece. Do you have any interesting ones you'd like to share? Post them below!

In marketing and in your general life, appearance means everything!

People typically base their first impressions of you, right away, off of appearance. That usually will determine if they want to hear what you have to say. If you go into an interview with wrinkled slacks or scuffed shoes, you may lose your interviewers attention, and no matter how intelligent you are, their focus will remain on something other than your 'content' (like the huge coffee stain down the front of your shirt or the hot pink streak in your hair).

When interviewing, like marketing, you must always impress with your presence and your articulation. You must be confident, engaging, clean, and easy to understand. Here are 3 interview 'musts' that you can apply to your email marketing efforts.

1. Clean nails and face: is your database clean? Make sure you have current emails to avoid high bounce rates. Is the html in your template clean? This also is important so that the template is viewable in all browsers. As with a clean face, make sure your template's appearance matches your branding standards. If blue hues are your company's colors, keep it consistent. You wouldn't show up to a formal interview in clown makeup would you?

2. Basic suit and minimal jewelry: Like a basic suit your template should also be basic. With a basic suit, you are assured that they are paying more attention to the 'content' you speak as opposed to the bright orange suit jacket you decided to wear. Jewelry should be basic and kept to a minimum, similar to your images. A basic call to action button, logo, and image may suffice depending on the type of email being sent. Your audience will lose sight of the content if your images (like the 30 bangles on your wrist) are too flashy.

3. Confidence and knowledge: Like practicing for an interview you should 'practice' for an email send. Send tests to different email URL's to make sure the template looks the same in all of them.  And like researching the company you are interviewing for, you should also know your audience and cater your content to that demographic.

These are just a few of the many ways you can relate an interview to an email piece. Do you have any interesting ones you'd like to share? Post them below!