I recently read an article published by Forbes titled “The Death of SEO: The Rise of Social, PR and Real Content.” Of course, being a “social media guy”—one who is also very interested in SEO—I was curious to read author Ken Krogue’s hypothesis. The headline is provocative, to be sure, but Krogue wasn’t trying to say that SEO—or, more accurately, rankings on search engine results pages—are any less important than we already know them to be. Rather, he was saying that external SEO strategies as we know them (backlinking, etc.) are becoming less and less relevant as Google places more value on social media, online relationships, and quality content.

You might be wondering how all this relates to online reputation management, which is after all the theme of this month’s newsletter. The answer is simple, and it has everything to do with integration. Search engines are integrating social media, review sites, and location-based services; social media companies are integrating search engine-like services, location-based functionality, and online review features; and reputation sites are continuously adding social media, location-based, and review features.

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of reputation management? My guess is online review sites and the reviews they host. No doubt, they are the bread and butter of online reputation. But do you consider Facebook when you’re looking at online reputation? What about Twitter? Foursquare?

Consider these facts:

•    The search engine Bing! is integrating tips left on foursquare into its online maps. If you’re unfamiliar with foursquare, it is a location-based application with some game mechanics in which people “check-in” at locations. They are also able to leave “tips” for other foursquare users who go on to check-in at the same locations. These tips can be anything from “Try the meatloaf. It’s great!” to “This dealership is horrible!” Sounds like a review to me. Do you know what ‘tips’ people have left for your dealership on foursquare? You better find out, because they’re being integrated by a search engine.

•    Apple has ditched Google’s maps in favor of an Apple-developed map product powered by the well-known GPS company, TomTom.  In doing so, Apple has teamed with Yelp and will be integrating Yelp reviews and check-ins into its maps. Of course, both Apple and Yelp already have deep social media integration in their own rights.

•    Google Now (which will be part of the Android 4.1 Jellybean OS) is so spooky in the features it brags about that people are calling it “creepy” – and these are tech guys. Based on your search behavior, Google Now will try to figure out your schedule and interests and use it feed you information it deems relevant or useful, from the scores of your favorite sports teams to the estimated time it will take you to reach your driving destination—all based on its own inferences. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if you pulled up to a car dealership and your phone informed you of the star rating for the dealer as well as provided a couple of recent reviews.

•    Every major upcoming mobile OS release – Android 4.1, iOS6, Windows 8 Mobile, etc—are all focusing heavily on social media and location-based service integration.

I’m sure you’re getting the point. Up until recently, we’ve been looking at three different industries handling three different services that encompassed different sites and functionalities—search engine optimization (SEO), online reputation management, and social media. Now of course, the lines between these industries have blurred. The integration isn’t just as superficial as making features available to its users. We’re talking deep integration into the operating systems themselves, which makes these features available for use by any program or app that supports them.

As all the key sites and companies increase the integration of services across the board, it’s time to change our perspective. At the same time, the pursuit of SEO, social media, and online reputation management must be viewed as interrelated pieces of a synthetic whole; you can’t touch one piece without affecting the others.

Online reputation management isn’t just about what’s being said about you on review sites. It’s what’s being said about you EVERYWHERE, and as the integration between disciplines and platforms deepens, it won’t matter if the review was left on your Google Places site, as a tip on your foursquare place, as a tweet about your business, or as a post on Facebook.

My prediction is that soon, no matter where consumers go to access information about your dealership (via the computer or via their mobile phones), everything written about your business will be aggregated together, coexisting for the consumer’s reading convenience.

Which begs the question: are you ready for everything being said about you online—everywhere—to be consolidated?

Originally posted in the August 2012 edition of the 3 Birds Marketing newsletter.

I've been seeing a lot of posts lately about upcoming fall conferences and events. These posts are typically not altruistic. They're written by people with vested interests in specific events, whether that's because they're a speaker or they're the host. Now it's our turn.

For people interested in learning and are considering attending one of these events and aren't sure which to attend, I've created a graphic comparison of the three events specifically being held in October 2011 that may assist people in deciding which event to attend.

In the interest of full disclosure, I work for Dealer Communications who own and put on the Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition. Previously, I was worked for DrivingSales who put on the DrivingSales Executive Summit. While some of the attendance numbers may not be exact, they're not far off. These numbers were based on multiple sources that actually attended these events. With the exception of the Digital Dealer Conference numbers (which are accurate), I've given the other events the benefit of the doubt when presented with conflicting attendance reports and used the higher number. If I'm considerably wrong, please let me know and I'll happily correct it.

There are many claims made in some of these conferences marketing that are erroneous, whether that's on purpose or not. As should be plainly apparent, the Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition has everything that the other two events has and more. There is nothing unique about any of these other events.

Why go to a mini-Digital Dealer conference when you can go to the real thing? Nobody has more advanced sessions, more progressive dealers, more sessions to choose from (90), more networking/problem solving opportunities (1,000+ dealers and managers) or a fraction of the vendors to meet with (90+).

The fact of the matter is, you could combine every other dealership technology-centric event and they STILL will pale in comparison to what you can experience at just one Digital Dealer Conference. Because while these various other events contain elements of what you find at Digital Dealer, only Digital Dealer HAS IT ALL.

Every one of these lesser events is run by someone who used to attend, speak and/or exhibit at Digital Dealer. Very similar format as Digital Dealer and they get most of their speakers from the past Digital Dealer events. But while imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and try as they might, they can't replica the winning formula for attendees that is Digital Dealer.

Digital Dealer isn't by far the best technology-centric event for dealers and managers because it's the biggest. It is the biggest because it is the BEST. There is a reason that these events that pop-up can't get any real traction...that none can even come close in dealership attendance to DD3, which was 300 dealers and managers FOUR YEARS AGO!

The reason Digital Dealer has more than tripled in attendance in three years while others are flat or fade away is because attendees keep coming back. This is what separates the growth of Digital Dealer from the others. And WHY do they keep coming back? Because they found Digital Dealer is worth spending three days away from the dealership. And they not only come back, they bring more people with them.

Don't waste valuable time out of your store(s) at copy-cat events. Come to Las Vegas for the REAL thing. The 11th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition. If you're like most attendees, you will be back...probably bringing others with you.

You can get more information and register by visiting our website. Hope to see you in Vegas! 

(This post is meant to be informational and the opinion of the author. The stats included in the info-graphic are as accurate as I could find and based not only on my personal knowledge but also reports from multiple attendees. The "rules" for blog posts within  the DS community have been followed. Seeing as this is an open forum and similar posts have been made by others, there should be no reason to remove this post. Being a former employee of DS, I should know.)

I've been seeing a lot of posts lately about upcoming fall conferences and events. These posts are typically not altruistic. They're written by people with vested interests in specific events, whether that's because they're a speaker or they're the host. Now it's our turn.

For people interested in learning and are considering attending one of these events and aren't sure which to attend, I've created a graphic comparison of the three events specifically being held in October 2011 that may assist people in deciding which event to attend.

In the interest of full disclosure, I work for Dealer Communications who own and put on the Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition. Previously, I was worked for DrivingSales who put on the DrivingSales Executive Summit. While some of the attendance numbers may not be exact, they're not far off. These numbers were based on multiple sources that actually attended these events. With the exception of the Digital Dealer Conference numbers (which are accurate), I've given the other events the benefit of the doubt when presented with conflicting attendance reports and used the higher number. If I'm considerably wrong, please let me know and I'll happily correct it.

There are many claims made in some of these conferences marketing that are erroneous, whether that's on purpose or not. As should be plainly apparent, the Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition has everything that the other two events has and more. There is nothing unique about any of these other events.

Why go to a mini-Digital Dealer conference when you can go to the real thing? Nobody has more advanced sessions, more progressive dealers, more sessions to choose from (90), more networking/problem solving opportunities (1,000+ dealers and managers) or a fraction of the vendors to meet with (90+).

The fact of the matter is, you could combine every other dealership technology-centric event and they STILL will pale in comparison to what you can experience at just one Digital Dealer Conference. Because while these various other events contain elements of what you find at Digital Dealer, only Digital Dealer HAS IT ALL.

Every one of these lesser events is run by someone who used to attend, speak and/or exhibit at Digital Dealer. Very similar format as Digital Dealer and they get most of their speakers from the past Digital Dealer events. But while imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and try as they might, they can't replica the winning formula for attendees that is Digital Dealer.

Digital Dealer isn't by far the best technology-centric event for dealers and managers because it's the biggest. It is the biggest because it is the BEST. There is a reason that these events that pop-up can't get any real traction...that none can even come close in dealership attendance to DD3, which was 300 dealers and managers FOUR YEARS AGO!

The reason Digital Dealer has more than tripled in attendance in three years while others are flat or fade away is because attendees keep coming back. This is what separates the growth of Digital Dealer from the others. And WHY do they keep coming back? Because they found Digital Dealer is worth spending three days away from the dealership. And they not only come back, they bring more people with them.

Don't waste valuable time out of your store(s) at copy-cat events. Come to Las Vegas for the REAL thing. The 11th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition. If you're like most attendees, you will be back...probably bringing others with you.

You can get more information and register by visiting our website. Hope to see you in Vegas! 

(This post is meant to be informational and the opinion of the author. The stats included in the info-graphic are as accurate as I could find and based not only on my personal knowledge but also reports from multiple attendees. The "rules" for blog posts within  the DS community have been followed. Seeing as this is an open forum and similar posts have been made by others, there should be no reason to remove this post. Being a former employee of DS, I should know.)

Happy Valentine's Day from everyone at DrivingSales!

Happy Valentine's Day from everyone at DrivingSales!

Join us on DrivingSalesTV.com for the live stream of the keynotes from the Digital Marketing Strategies Conference LIVE from Napa, CA. Below is the broadcast schedule:

Wed

Thurs

8:00 – 9:00 General Session III – Integrating Online Digital Marketing Education (Jared Hamilton)
3:00 – 4:00 General Session IV – The Evolution of Social Media Strategies for 2011 (JD Rucker)

Join us on DrivingSalesTV.com for the live stream of the keynotes from the Digital Marketing Strategies Conference LIVE from Napa, CA. Below is the broadcast schedule:

Wed

Thurs

8:00 – 9:00 General Session III – Integrating Online Digital Marketing Education (Jared Hamilton)
3:00 – 4:00 General Session IV – The Evolution of Social Media Strategies for 2011 (JD Rucker)

DrivingSales presents the Digital Marketing Strategies Conference Live Twitter Feed

DrivingSales presents the Digital Marketing Strategies Conference Live Twitter Feed

Hot topics and discussions from DrivingSales - Week of 1/17 through 1/23/2011

Joe Webb introduces us to Beauford Beauregard, Car Sales Comedian from the South - LINK

Members respond to an article in Automotive News - "AutoTrader Should Be Paying Us" - LINK

Over 25 comments from people discussing "Running an Ethical PPC Campaign" - LINK

The conversation is still going strong regarding The CarDoll with over 40 comments - LINK 

The CarDoll responds with a message for her fans with a video - LINK

Glenn Pasch says you should "Embrace your Online Reputation - LINK