PCG Digital Marketing recenty hosted a Dataium webinar for the automotive industry that featured co-founder Jason Ezell.

I had the opportunity to moderate the webinar and the dealer response was very strong so this product is striking a nerve in our industry.  

Over 142 people registered for the webinar and the attendees were very engaged with feedback and questions.  The webinar ran for about 80 minutes, 20 minutes longer than the scheduled time!

Dataium is set to revolutionize the way in which we operate our BDC or Internet departments.  

Dataium's cloud intelligence data will enrich chat sessions, website leads, and even phone calls with consumer shopping behavior.  The data that Dataium provides will allow dealers to better guide the conversation towards the consumer's perceived needs based on their actions online.

• - Imagine the power of knowing what cars and websites a consumer visited prior to submitting a lead on your website.
• - Imagine being notified that a lead that your BDC marked as "dead" is now back in the marketplace and showing strong buyer signals.
• - Imagine being able to know demand by model one month in advance so you can properly merchandize and purchase your inventory.
• - Imagine how your can merchandize your cars based on viewing demand on other dealer websites in your marketplace.

The business rules and actions that CRM companies will be able to build off of this data will be endless.   A number of CRM companies are already working with Dataium so look for announcements in the coming months.

Dataium has the support of many technology platforms as well as at least 5 OEM's.  The list of companies that will be integrating their API to tap this rich dataset will be growing rapidly.  

For many dealers, ther OEM required websites will include Dataium software which will allow the OEM's to better run their manufacturing plants, sales strategy, and operations.

Watch The Dataium Webinar

We recorded the Dataium webinar because a number of folks could not attend, no surprise in this industry.  Day to day demands and "fires" need to be put out quickly, but we got everyone covered with the recording.  The link is provided below and I encourage all reads to watch the video.

Free Dataium Software for PCG Clients and Friends

Most importantly, we have secured the Dataium base monitoring and reporting tool for no charge for PCG clients and community friends.  To secure the software without charge, you need to follow these steps.

1. Go to the Data Registration Page;  Sign-Up Page  (example above)
2. Use promo code:  PCGWEB
3. Install code on your website
4. You are all set to go and data will start to collect

Watch The Dataium Webinar Video

If you could not attend the webinar, please download the video.  

The follow link allows you to download the video and watch it on your PC: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4522977/dataium-youtube-video-pcg.mov

So enjoy the video and if you have questions, reach out to Jason Ezell at: jason@dataium.com

Please keep in mind that we will be conducting a workshop at the 2012 Digital Marketing Strategies Conference on how to use the Dataium Visicogn software and reporting data.  

Jason Ezell and Christy Roman will be showing dealers how Dataium reports can impact your sales and marketing strategy.  They will be sharing case studies from dealers that have been on Dataium for a number of months.

This will be a great opportunity to learn how to use Dataium cloud intelligence to improve your digital marketing strategy. See you in Vegas!

Brian

 
Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences

Brian Pasch

PCG Digital Marketing recenty hosted a Dataium webinar for the automotive industry that featured co-founder Jason Ezell.

I had the opportunity to moderate the webinar and the dealer response was very strong so this product is striking a nerve in our industry.  

Over 142 people registered for the webinar and the attendees were very engaged with feedback and questions.  The webinar ran for about 80 minutes, 20 minutes longer than the scheduled time!

Dataium is set to revolutionize the way in which we operate our BDC or Internet departments.  

Dataium's cloud intelligence data will enrich chat sessions, website leads, and even phone calls with consumer shopping behavior.  The data that Dataium provides will allow dealers to better guide the conversation towards the consumer's perceived needs based on their actions online.

• - Imagine the power of knowing what cars and websites a consumer visited prior to submitting a lead on your website.
• - Imagine being notified that a lead that your BDC marked as "dead" is now back in the marketplace and showing strong buyer signals.
• - Imagine being able to know demand by model one month in advance so you can properly merchandize and purchase your inventory.
• - Imagine how your can merchandize your cars based on viewing demand on other dealer websites in your marketplace.

The business rules and actions that CRM companies will be able to build off of this data will be endless.   A number of CRM companies are already working with Dataium so look for announcements in the coming months.

Dataium has the support of many technology platforms as well as at least 5 OEM's.  The list of companies that will be integrating their API to tap this rich dataset will be growing rapidly.  

For many dealers, ther OEM required websites will include Dataium software which will allow the OEM's to better run their manufacturing plants, sales strategy, and operations.

Watch The Dataium Webinar

We recorded the Dataium webinar because a number of folks could not attend, no surprise in this industry.  Day to day demands and "fires" need to be put out quickly, but we got everyone covered with the recording.  The link is provided below and I encourage all reads to watch the video.

Free Dataium Software for PCG Clients and Friends

Most importantly, we have secured the Dataium base monitoring and reporting tool for no charge for PCG clients and community friends.  To secure the software without charge, you need to follow these steps.

1. Go to the Data Registration Page;  Sign-Up Page  (example above)
2. Use promo code:  PCGWEB
3. Install code on your website
4. You are all set to go and data will start to collect

Watch The Dataium Webinar Video

If you could not attend the webinar, please download the video.  

The follow link allows you to download the video and watch it on your PC: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4522977/dataium-youtube-video-pcg.mov

So enjoy the video and if you have questions, reach out to Jason Ezell at: jason@dataium.com

Please keep in mind that we will be conducting a workshop at the 2012 Digital Marketing Strategies Conference on how to use the Dataium Visicogn software and reporting data.  

Jason Ezell and Christy Roman will be showing dealers how Dataium reports can impact your sales and marketing strategy.  They will be sharing case studies from dealers that have been on Dataium for a number of months.

This will be a great opportunity to learn how to use Dataium cloud intelligence to improve your digital marketing strategy. See you in Vegas!

Brian

 
Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences

Brian Pasch

I have written a number of articles which share my opinion that Dataium will dramatically change the way car dealers will operate their online business.

Here is one article: Dataium Business Intelligence Tools

Dataium’s cloud intelligence data and reporting tools will revolutionize CRM systems as we know them today. The first CRM companies that fully integrate Dataium’s API will have a distinct market advantage.

Why am I so bullish on Dataium? No, I am not an investor or being compensated for hosting a webinar.

I’m reaching out to dealers because they need to know about this new technology. Dealers who are early adopters will see why their CRM and lead handling will be greatly enhanced by Dataium’s business model.



I can’t think of ANY dealer who would not like to improve their lead closing ratio. I know dealers would love to be able to intelligently reactivate leads that were inappropriately marked as “closed”

Dealers who are looking to ride the next wave of automation in Internet/BDC operations need to attend this free webinar.

As a special bonus, the first 100 dealers to sign-up and attend will get a free trial of the Dataium base platform.

 

Webinar Scheduled November 7th at 2:00 PM EST

Reserve your Webinar seat now by clicking on the link below:
 

REGISTER FOR THE DATAIUM WEBINAR NOW!

Mark your calendar and get your team in the conference room so everyone can hear from Dataium Co-Founder Jason Ezell. I will lead the post webinar discussion and add his commentary on just how important the Dataium data pipeline will be for dealers.

See you November 7th!

Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences

I have written a number of articles which share my opinion that Dataium will dramatically change the way car dealers will operate their online business.

Here is one article: Dataium Business Intelligence Tools

Dataium’s cloud intelligence data and reporting tools will revolutionize CRM systems as we know them today. The first CRM companies that fully integrate Dataium’s API will have a distinct market advantage.

Why am I so bullish on Dataium? No, I am not an investor or being compensated for hosting a webinar.

I’m reaching out to dealers because they need to know about this new technology. Dealers who are early adopters will see why their CRM and lead handling will be greatly enhanced by Dataium’s business model.



I can’t think of ANY dealer who would not like to improve their lead closing ratio. I know dealers would love to be able to intelligently reactivate leads that were inappropriately marked as “closed”

Dealers who are looking to ride the next wave of automation in Internet/BDC operations need to attend this free webinar.

As a special bonus, the first 100 dealers to sign-up and attend will get a free trial of the Dataium base platform.

 

Webinar Scheduled November 7th at 2:00 PM EST

Reserve your Webinar seat now by clicking on the link below:
 

REGISTER FOR THE DATAIUM WEBINAR NOW!

Mark your calendar and get your team in the conference room so everyone can hear from Dataium Co-Founder Jason Ezell. I will lead the post webinar discussion and add his commentary on just how important the Dataium data pipeline will be for dealers.

See you November 7th!

Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences

In the past few weeks there has been commentary on DrivingSales about how members appreciate "unique content" as compared to articles that are posted on a number of automotive websites.

We all know that there are a handful of websites that are "popular" in the industry, with each site claiming some advantage over the other.  I find merit in all communities personally.

I was thinking about the desire for "unique content" and my own writing practices and had some thoughts to share.  

What Motivates Writers?

Articles posted on this community may fall into a few categories but I believe they are written to better the overal education, awareness, and strategy for the larger automotive community.  That includes vendors because some of the articles shared can help both dealers and vendors better market themselves online.

Other posts are Industry Press Releases which currently are mixed on the the home page timeline.  In any case, writers volunteer their time to write and share their ideas.  It's a considerable time investment for the most active writers.

When I write, it is related to something I am passionate about.  The kyrptonite for any writer on this community is to invest their time to write a well thought out article and have no comments.  

Engagement Needs Improvement

Yes, there could be an argument that some articles don't bear comments, but that is the exception rather than the rule on DrivingSales.  

For example, the last 25 posts on DrivingSales (excluding Industry Press Releases) had the following stats:

• 22 Articles
• 9 with no comments
• 13 with comments
• Of the 13 with comments, 6 had only 1 comment

So about 40% of the articles, written by good folks, had no feedback from this community.  

This of course is not new to those who are active writers but it may start to help readers understand the multiple posting phenomena by writers.

Who Will Connect?

When I write an article, I never know which community will connect with the message.  It is not always predictable.

There have been times that I posted an article on multiple sites and ADM would have 10 comments and DrivingSales had zero.  The reverse is also true where DS had the most responses.

So, as a writer that appreciates the feedback and to hear what people have to say about their advice, strategy, or experience you can start to see that if a community doesn't reward writers, they may be inclined to multi-post.

So this is where the Two Way Partnership comes in.  Members of the DrivingSales community have a responsibility to engage.  

I wish I had a dollar for every time someone told me in person or on the phone that they have been reading my articles for years but NEVER said anything.  Never posted a comment.  Never sent an email.

Community Are You Ready to Commit?

You see, if DrivingSales is to attract writers that will create and publish unique content, it will not be sustainable without member participation.  The last 6 days, there were 42 comments on 22 articles, and the more accurate number would be 31 comments.  

JD Rucker posted a similar themed article that asked people to check in and say "hey" which drew 11 responses, as of today.  

So we are rewarding our writers with about 6 comments a day.  That's not the formula to reward writers when thousands of people visit the site a week!

So the vision to have a community with unique content is a great goal but it will have to be supported by the membership of DrivingSales.

One of my favorite lines in the "Dune" series by Frank Herbert applies:  "The sleeper must awaken!" 

Now if no one responds, I'll know that I must be writing to myself...!  :))

P.S.  This is unique content.

Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences

Brian Pasch

In the past few weeks there has been commentary on DrivingSales about how members appreciate "unique content" as compared to articles that are posted on a number of automotive websites.

We all know that there are a handful of websites that are "popular" in the industry, with each site claiming some advantage over the other.  I find merit in all communities personally.

I was thinking about the desire for "unique content" and my own writing practices and had some thoughts to share.  

What Motivates Writers?

Articles posted on this community may fall into a few categories but I believe they are written to better the overal education, awareness, and strategy for the larger automotive community.  That includes vendors because some of the articles shared can help both dealers and vendors better market themselves online.

Other posts are Industry Press Releases which currently are mixed on the the home page timeline.  In any case, writers volunteer their time to write and share their ideas.  It's a considerable time investment for the most active writers.

When I write, it is related to something I am passionate about.  The kyrptonite for any writer on this community is to invest their time to write a well thought out article and have no comments.  

Engagement Needs Improvement

Yes, there could be an argument that some articles don't bear comments, but that is the exception rather than the rule on DrivingSales.  

For example, the last 25 posts on DrivingSales (excluding Industry Press Releases) had the following stats:

• 22 Articles
• 9 with no comments
• 13 with comments
• Of the 13 with comments, 6 had only 1 comment

So about 40% of the articles, written by good folks, had no feedback from this community.  

This of course is not new to those who are active writers but it may start to help readers understand the multiple posting phenomena by writers.

Who Will Connect?

When I write an article, I never know which community will connect with the message.  It is not always predictable.

There have been times that I posted an article on multiple sites and ADM would have 10 comments and DrivingSales had zero.  The reverse is also true where DS had the most responses.

So, as a writer that appreciates the feedback and to hear what people have to say about their advice, strategy, or experience you can start to see that if a community doesn't reward writers, they may be inclined to multi-post.

So this is where the Two Way Partnership comes in.  Members of the DrivingSales community have a responsibility to engage.  

I wish I had a dollar for every time someone told me in person or on the phone that they have been reading my articles for years but NEVER said anything.  Never posted a comment.  Never sent an email.

Community Are You Ready to Commit?

You see, if DrivingSales is to attract writers that will create and publish unique content, it will not be sustainable without member participation.  The last 6 days, there were 42 comments on 22 articles, and the more accurate number would be 31 comments.  

JD Rucker posted a similar themed article that asked people to check in and say "hey" which drew 11 responses, as of today.  

So we are rewarding our writers with about 6 comments a day.  That's not the formula to reward writers when thousands of people visit the site a week!

So the vision to have a community with unique content is a great goal but it will have to be supported by the membership of DrivingSales.

One of my favorite lines in the "Dune" series by Frank Herbert applies:  "The sleeper must awaken!" 

Now if no one responds, I'll know that I must be writing to myself...!  :))

P.S.  This is unique content.

Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences

Brian Pasch

Exclusive Breaking News

Google Adwords Express ads, those generated from information on your Google Places Page, will now be expanded in a limited run beta test for the Google Display Network.

A select group of dealers have received email notfication from Google on this new development.  

The program will create display ads from information provided on your Google Places page.

We have been find great success using Adwords Express ads and this latest development is something that will need to be explored.  

The key concern I have is the quality of the self generated banner ads.  The example that Google shows on their Q&A Page, is not attractive.

You can learn more about Google Adwords Express for the Google Display network on this information page.  Google Adwords Express Q&A

I'll keep the DrivingSales.com community updated as we go through the BETA testing period.

Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences

Brian Pasch

Exclusive Breaking News

Google Adwords Express ads, those generated from information on your Google Places Page, will now be expanded in a limited run beta test for the Google Display Network.

A select group of dealers have received email notfication from Google on this new development.  

The program will create display ads from information provided on your Google Places page.

We have been find great success using Adwords Express ads and this latest development is something that will need to be explored.  

The key concern I have is the quality of the self generated banner ads.  The example that Google shows on their Q&A Page, is not attractive.

You can learn more about Google Adwords Express for the Google Display network on this information page.  Google Adwords Express Q&A

I'll keep the DrivingSales.com community updated as we go through the BETA testing period.

Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences

Brian Pasch

Today Google reported blow-out earnings which surprised Wall Street.   It did not surprise me!

After hours trading had the shares up 35+ dollars and close to $600 a share. Just this past week, Google was at $500 a share so this stock has surged 100 points through the earnings week.

According to Google's press release:

...the company reported earnings excluding items of $9.72 a share, up from from $7.64 per share a year ago. Net income rose to $2.73 billion from $2.17 billion.

Net revenue, which excludes fees that Google shares with partner websites, increased 37 percent to $7.51 billion from $5.48 billion last year.

Aggregate paid clicks, which come from ads on Google sites and its AdSense partners, rose 28 percent from a year earlier and the average cost-per-click increased 5 percent from a year earlier.

Automotive Advertising Trends on Google

In the past year, automotive advertising clients of PCG Digital Marketing have been moving more of their budgets to online spending with Google.  

The biggest increases are in Google Adwords, Adwords Express, Mobile Adwords Campaigns, and Retargeting.

Auto dealers are also increasing spending on Facebook but to a lesser degree when compared to Google investments.

Google's  automotive advertising strategies are connecting dealers with in-market car buyers and increasing dealer sales and profits.  

This of course assumes that the campaigns are setup properly to track conversion and optimize results.

The shift by car dealers tracked by PCG is confirmed by today's earnings announcement from Google.  The upside earnings announcement was no surprise to me!

PCG Digital Marketing is assisting dealers review their advertising budgets and strategies and recommending changes to better connect with consumers during the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT), a phrase coined by Jim Leciniski at Google.

Readers can download a free copy of Jim Leciniski's book at www.zeromomentoftruth.com

Shifting from Stimulus to ZMOT Investments

Car dealers still are overweighted in stimulus spending; radio, TV, and print.   On average, car dealers have 75-80% of their budget investment in traditional stimulus advertising.

When I travel to 20 Group or dealerships across the country to educate dealers on consumer shopping trends and ZMOT, the shift to increase digital spending is clear.  

Investments in Google advertising are measurable and can be tested to improve conversion and ROI.  This is an opportunity not afforded by traditional stimulus investments.

Dealers looking for more information on the best mixture of traditional and online advertising investments are invited to join the Automotive Zero Moment of Truth study which begins October 25, 2011.  

The free study is open to Dealer Principals, General Managers, and Marketing Managers of automotive dealerships in the US and Canada.

More information on the Automotive ZMOT study can be found at: http://www.automotivezeromomentoftruth.com

Share This Article

If you found this article helpful, please click on the Google +1 button or Share Buttons at the top of this page.

Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Brian Pasch

Today Google reported blow-out earnings which surprised Wall Street.   It did not surprise me!

After hours trading had the shares up 35+ dollars and close to $600 a share. Just this past week, Google was at $500 a share so this stock has surged 100 points through the earnings week.

According to Google's press release:

...the company reported earnings excluding items of $9.72 a share, up from from $7.64 per share a year ago. Net income rose to $2.73 billion from $2.17 billion.

Net revenue, which excludes fees that Google shares with partner websites, increased 37 percent to $7.51 billion from $5.48 billion last year.

Aggregate paid clicks, which come from ads on Google sites and its AdSense partners, rose 28 percent from a year earlier and the average cost-per-click increased 5 percent from a year earlier.

Automotive Advertising Trends on Google

In the past year, automotive advertising clients of PCG Digital Marketing have been moving more of their budgets to online spending with Google.  

The biggest increases are in Google Adwords, Adwords Express, Mobile Adwords Campaigns, and Retargeting.

Auto dealers are also increasing spending on Facebook but to a lesser degree when compared to Google investments.

Google's  automotive advertising strategies are connecting dealers with in-market car buyers and increasing dealer sales and profits.  

This of course assumes that the campaigns are setup properly to track conversion and optimize results.

The shift by car dealers tracked by PCG is confirmed by today's earnings announcement from Google.  The upside earnings announcement was no surprise to me!

PCG Digital Marketing is assisting dealers review their advertising budgets and strategies and recommending changes to better connect with consumers during the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT), a phrase coined by Jim Leciniski at Google.

Readers can download a free copy of Jim Leciniski's book at www.zeromomentoftruth.com

Shifting from Stimulus to ZMOT Investments

Car dealers still are overweighted in stimulus spending; radio, TV, and print.   On average, car dealers have 75-80% of their budget investment in traditional stimulus advertising.

When I travel to 20 Group or dealerships across the country to educate dealers on consumer shopping trends and ZMOT, the shift to increase digital spending is clear.  

Investments in Google advertising are measurable and can be tested to improve conversion and ROI.  This is an opportunity not afforded by traditional stimulus investments.

Dealers looking for more information on the best mixture of traditional and online advertising investments are invited to join the Automotive Zero Moment of Truth study which begins October 25, 2011.  

The free study is open to Dealer Principals, General Managers, and Marketing Managers of automotive dealerships in the US and Canada.

More information on the Automotive ZMOT study can be found at: http://www.automotivezeromomentoftruth.com

Share This Article

If you found this article helpful, please click on the Google +1 button or Share Buttons at the top of this page.

Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Brian Pasch