Depending on your industry, determines the type of social media you should focus on. We never really focused on social media until recently, and have had many successes. Our primary B2C social media tools include Facebook and Twitter and on the B2B side blogging and YouTube. This works for us and here are some tips to make it work for you.

Facebook:

-          Interact with your fans. If they post comments on your wall or complaints, respond to them in a timely manner. Encourage them to enter a contest, read an article, etc.

-           Post something daily or every other day. Relevant news articles work. Pose a question with the article as well to get reactions. Do not post too much though as you don’t want to take over their news feed and cause them to delete you.

-          Create contests. A monthly drawing perhaps. It can be as simple as a giveaway for liking your page, or subscribing to your newsletter. People like FREE things.

Twitter:

-          Tweet:  It’s that simple. Tweet about anything. Contests, promotions, new websites, specials, and anything else that your followers may find interesting.

-          Retweet: Read an interesting article? An industry expert say something repeat worthy? Well retweet it and share it.

-          Tweet pictures: are you at a conference? Industry related event? Take pictures and share them with your followers so they can feel included.

-          Use #hashtags: Know your hash tags. They are all over Twitter. By using the right hash tags, other people searching for that tag will find your tweet and may end up following you.

Blogs:

-          Post: Post at least once a week. The more you blog the more your website is recognized in searches.  Basically you get higher search engine positions and more backlinks if you blog regularly.

-          Write: Blog on your website. Topic can be anything related to the industry you’re in. Top ten lists, how to blogs, commentary, tips, etc.

-          Content: Use short and enticing titles.  Hyperlink wherever relevant.  Post tags and keywords for SEO. Add alternate text to your attached photos as well for SEO.

YouTube:

-          Create a channel on YouTube for your company and link it to your website.

-          Videos: videos do not have to be fancy. They can be as simple as a PowerPoint with a voice over or a 2 minutes introduction via webcam from your CEO/General Manager.

-          Do you email market? If so, this is also another great opportunity to attach your videos.

Do you have any social media tools or ideas that you would recommend we try?

Depending on your industry, determines the type of social media you should focus on. We never really focused on social media until recently, and have had many successes. Our primary B2C social media tools include Facebook and Twitter and on the B2B side blogging and YouTube. This works for us and here are some tips to make it work for you.

Facebook:

-          Interact with your fans. If they post comments on your wall or complaints, respond to them in a timely manner. Encourage them to enter a contest, read an article, etc.

-           Post something daily or every other day. Relevant news articles work. Pose a question with the article as well to get reactions. Do not post too much though as you don’t want to take over their news feed and cause them to delete you.

-          Create contests. A monthly drawing perhaps. It can be as simple as a giveaway for liking your page, or subscribing to your newsletter. People like FREE things.

Twitter:

-          Tweet:  It’s that simple. Tweet about anything. Contests, promotions, new websites, specials, and anything else that your followers may find interesting.

-          Retweet: Read an interesting article? An industry expert say something repeat worthy? Well retweet it and share it.

-          Tweet pictures: are you at a conference? Industry related event? Take pictures and share them with your followers so they can feel included.

-          Use #hashtags: Know your hash tags. They are all over Twitter. By using the right hash tags, other people searching for that tag will find your tweet and may end up following you.

Blogs:

-          Post: Post at least once a week. The more you blog the more your website is recognized in searches.  Basically you get higher search engine positions and more backlinks if you blog regularly.

-          Write: Blog on your website. Topic can be anything related to the industry you’re in. Top ten lists, how to blogs, commentary, tips, etc.

-          Content: Use short and enticing titles.  Hyperlink wherever relevant.  Post tags and keywords for SEO. Add alternate text to your attached photos as well for SEO.

YouTube:

-          Create a channel on YouTube for your company and link it to your website.

-          Videos: videos do not have to be fancy. They can be as simple as a PowerPoint with a voice over or a 2 minutes introduction via webcam from your CEO/General Manager.

-          Do you email market? If so, this is also another great opportunity to attach your videos.

Do you have any social media tools or ideas that you would recommend we try?

Everyday I can count on hearing the following song line blare through my TV: “Call Mack Mack if your credit is wack wack!” Yes it is a real line from a cheesy commercial. But it works for that brand. I know as soon as I hear that line I will see a man dressed in a bull dog costume hip hop dancing in a car lot.

Whether it sticks in my head because the song is catchy or the dog is adorable- the point is that it stuck with me and I recognize it. Mission accomplished on their part.

Commercials are another obvious way to market your business. You don’t have to be fancy or have a six figure budget. A flip cam and YouTube post have made many people famous and many brands popular. Although you may not have a six figure budget, you can still have six figure ideas.

Some of my favorite national car commercials that you all will recognize and can take ideas from include:

At this years superbowl one of my favorite commercials had to be the Star Wars VW commercial. With almost 40 million YouTube hits, little Darth Vader touched many people. You couldn’t watch this commercial and not smile or say “awww.”

Another favorite is the This or That Kia Soul commercial. The ad is fun, urban, and different which is what appealed to enough viewers to help Kia, for the second year in a row, roll home with The Nielsen Company’s 5th Annual Nielsen Automotive Ad of the Year award.

Another car commercial that touches us in a different way, that makes us want to root for Detroit, is the Chrysler commercial featuring Eminem. With almost 11 million YouTube plays, this commercial was definitely ambitious and re-introduced us to why Detroit is iconic.

A last commercial that debuted in 2011 was that of the Nissan Leaf featuring the polar bear. The music was right, the message was clear, and the final hug brought nature and human kind together. Great commercial for getting a message across.

Although viewing these commercials didn’t result in the purchase of any of the vehicles shown,  they stood out and made you “think.” Whether it was about saving the environment, visiting Detroit, watching Star Wars for the first time, or buying a hamster. When you think of these things, you will think of the brand from which they came.

Do you have a car commercial that you absolutely love? Share it below!

Everyday I can count on hearing the following song line blare through my TV: “Call Mack Mack if your credit is wack wack!” Yes it is a real line from a cheesy commercial. But it works for that brand. I know as soon as I hear that line I will see a man dressed in a bull dog costume hip hop dancing in a car lot.

Whether it sticks in my head because the song is catchy or the dog is adorable- the point is that it stuck with me and I recognize it. Mission accomplished on their part.

Commercials are another obvious way to market your business. You don’t have to be fancy or have a six figure budget. A flip cam and YouTube post have made many people famous and many brands popular. Although you may not have a six figure budget, you can still have six figure ideas.

Some of my favorite national car commercials that you all will recognize and can take ideas from include:

At this years superbowl one of my favorite commercials had to be the Star Wars VW commercial. With almost 40 million YouTube hits, little Darth Vader touched many people. You couldn’t watch this commercial and not smile or say “awww.”

Another favorite is the This or That Kia Soul commercial. The ad is fun, urban, and different which is what appealed to enough viewers to help Kia, for the second year in a row, roll home with The Nielsen Company’s 5th Annual Nielsen Automotive Ad of the Year award.

Another car commercial that touches us in a different way, that makes us want to root for Detroit, is the Chrysler commercial featuring Eminem. With almost 11 million YouTube plays, this commercial was definitely ambitious and re-introduced us to why Detroit is iconic.

A last commercial that debuted in 2011 was that of the Nissan Leaf featuring the polar bear. The music was right, the message was clear, and the final hug brought nature and human kind together. Great commercial for getting a message across.

Although viewing these commercials didn’t result in the purchase of any of the vehicles shown,  they stood out and made you “think.” Whether it was about saving the environment, visiting Detroit, watching Star Wars for the first time, or buying a hamster. When you think of these things, you will think of the brand from which they came.

Do you have a car commercial that you absolutely love? Share it below!

In the past week I have come across several articles related to dealerships and social media. One article was about where to draw the line and another focusing on social media presence at dealerships.

Social media is booming right now, and it’s never been more apparent than with social media giant Facebook which has over 500 million users.

I always hear that some dealers don’t use the Internet or prefer to sell cars the ‘old fashioned’ way… well if that’s the route you choose, then good luck staying afloat – because in 2011 everyone is online. Word of mouth is great, but a blog, Tweet, or Facebook promotion is even better because it reaches tens of thousands more.

Here’s how social media can help your:

Reputation:
I am not a dealer nor do I work in a dealership, but I do know social media. All it takes is one person to post a negative review on Facebook or Twitter for your reputation to be compromised. That one person could have 300 friends, and if one of those 300 friends re-tweeted or re-posted that comment, it could reach thousands more.

With an ACTIVE Twitter feed, Facebook page, and blog you can cover a lot of ground. You could keep current and prospective customers in the loop on what’s going on at your dealership, respond to consumer issues if they were posted on Facebook, and Tweet any news that you would like to share to keep your name in front of them in a positive way.

Business:
Besides the importance of social media to your reputation it is also helpful for business. For instance:

Facebook:

• Facebook is a great tool for personal networking, professional networking, posting ads, contests, campaigns, getting feedback, posting lot pictures, etc. Facebook is a lot more personal than Twitter and allows you to be more interactive with your fans. Post pictures of your inventory, sales team, and/or specials.

• Converse with your customers/prospects and answer questions they may have. Facebook is a great way to make consumers feel closer to a brand or product, especially when they have that interaction. It lets them know that someone cares about what they have to say.

Blogs:

• Did you know that blogging regularly is critical if you want to maximize search engine traffic? It builds inbound links and drives click-through traffic from other blogs. As you increase your exposure around the blogosphere, and you help to boost your search engine rankings.

• It isn’t necessary to post everyday but once or twice a week is a good start. And the blogging can be from anyone about anything related to your business. Our account executives and marketing team usually write the blogs for our sites. You do not need a professional or even an ‘expert,’ just someone who knows their ‘stuff’ and is willing to share it.

Twitter:

• Dealerships are on Twitter! Not to say you should be because they are, but they understand that Twitter is a good networking tool, as well as a way to share information and get feedback.

• If you’re blogging, even better, you can tweet your blog URL to Twitter whenever you post. Tweet articles or news stories that may be relevant to your dealership or brand that you sell. As with blogging, if you are going to join Twitter, you must be an ACTIVE user. Tweet daily.

You may not have time to implement all three suggestions, but starting with maybe one or two out of the three could tremendously help your dealership. Try it out and let us know how it works out for you!

Have another social media platform that I should have mentioned? Feel free to enter it below in the comment box.

In the past week I have come across several articles related to dealerships and social media. One article was about where to draw the line and another focusing on social media presence at dealerships.

Social media is booming right now, and it’s never been more apparent than with social media giant Facebook which has over 500 million users.

I always hear that some dealers don’t use the Internet or prefer to sell cars the ‘old fashioned’ way… well if that’s the route you choose, then good luck staying afloat – because in 2011 everyone is online. Word of mouth is great, but a blog, Tweet, or Facebook promotion is even better because it reaches tens of thousands more.

Here’s how social media can help your:

Reputation:
I am not a dealer nor do I work in a dealership, but I do know social media. All it takes is one person to post a negative review on Facebook or Twitter for your reputation to be compromised. That one person could have 300 friends, and if one of those 300 friends re-tweeted or re-posted that comment, it could reach thousands more.

With an ACTIVE Twitter feed, Facebook page, and blog you can cover a lot of ground. You could keep current and prospective customers in the loop on what’s going on at your dealership, respond to consumer issues if they were posted on Facebook, and Tweet any news that you would like to share to keep your name in front of them in a positive way.

Business:
Besides the importance of social media to your reputation it is also helpful for business. For instance:

Facebook:

• Facebook is a great tool for personal networking, professional networking, posting ads, contests, campaigns, getting feedback, posting lot pictures, etc. Facebook is a lot more personal than Twitter and allows you to be more interactive with your fans. Post pictures of your inventory, sales team, and/or specials.

• Converse with your customers/prospects and answer questions they may have. Facebook is a great way to make consumers feel closer to a brand or product, especially when they have that interaction. It lets them know that someone cares about what they have to say.

Blogs:

• Did you know that blogging regularly is critical if you want to maximize search engine traffic? It builds inbound links and drives click-through traffic from other blogs. As you increase your exposure around the blogosphere, and you help to boost your search engine rankings.

• It isn’t necessary to post everyday but once or twice a week is a good start. And the blogging can be from anyone about anything related to your business. Our account executives and marketing team usually write the blogs for our sites. You do not need a professional or even an ‘expert,’ just someone who knows their ‘stuff’ and is willing to share it.

Twitter:

• Dealerships are on Twitter! Not to say you should be because they are, but they understand that Twitter is a good networking tool, as well as a way to share information and get feedback.

• If you’re blogging, even better, you can tweet your blog URL to Twitter whenever you post. Tweet articles or news stories that may be relevant to your dealership or brand that you sell. As with blogging, if you are going to join Twitter, you must be an ACTIVE user. Tweet daily.

You may not have time to implement all three suggestions, but starting with maybe one or two out of the three could tremendously help your dealership. Try it out and let us know how it works out for you!

Have another social media platform that I should have mentioned? Feel free to enter it below in the comment box.