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

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

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

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Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Brian Pasch

Jared Hamilton was honored this year with a 2011 AWA Lighthouse Award for his work with car dealers and his accomplishments with DrivingSales.com.

The Automotive Website Awards ceremony was conducted on Friday October 7, 2011 in Las Vegas.

Jared's tireless investments in educating dealers with innovative ways be be more profitable is without peer.

DrivingSales launched nationally in 2008, and is on track for its third consecutive year of triple digit revenue growth.

DrivingSales is the auto industry's fastest-growing, most influential trade media property and includes DrivingSales.com, the world's largest car dealer social network where thousands of dealership professionals collaborate and share best practices.

It also include DrivingSales University, an on-demand training platform where dealerships learn the latest web strategies from top e-commerce experts.

DrivingSales also invented the industry's first and only Vendor Ratings Platform designed to help auto dealers find and select the best vendor partners by allowing dealership employees to rate and review their vendors anonymously.

An estimated 1 in every 4 dealerships in the United States has a registered member in the DrivingSales community.

Congratulations to Jared and the entire DrivingSales team!

My son Connor called me on the phone moments ago.  He was shocked that Steve Jobs had died.  The depth of his reaction surprised me because first, he was not aware of Steve's battle with Cancer.  

It also was clear that Connor was a devoted fan and someone who appreciated ALL that Apple gave his life.

His reaction was if he lost a close friend.  Without knowing Steve, I also felt a great loss.

My Apple stories go back to writing BASIC software on the Apple II, IIe, and IIc computer for Prentice Hall.  I also remember looking puzzled the first time I saw the first Mac computer.  I did not know what to think about this vertical box with a small portal screen.

I have lots of fond memories about how Apple influenced my life.

As a former "lifetime PC" I switched completely to Mac hardware about 2 years ago and I have never looked back.

Share Your Tribute or Memory 

How has Steve Jobs and Apple impacted your life?  Take a minute to share with our community.

You most likely have heard the expression "Arranging The Chairs on The Tititanic"  before but I never found a use for this phrase before in my writings.

As I have been working with 20 Groups around the country, this phrase came to mind to describe the state of affairs regarding dealer awareness and action regarding online reviews.

I acknowledge that my expertise only covers a portion of all the tasks and responsibilities on the shoulder of dealer principals so I’m not implying that online reviews are the most important thing to worry about.

I will say that if a dealer principal created a top 10 list to check each week, online reviews would be on the list. 

The importance of online reviews is both a cultural phenomena and a search engine reality. Consumers are empowered to use social media and online review sites to share their experience when visiting a local dealership. Google Places and other review sites appear on Google Page One tens of thousands of times a month for basic auto shopping phrases and searches on a dealership name. 

The fact that search engines show your online reviews as an “Internet Scorecard” thousands of times a month reinforces the concepts outlined in Jim Lecinski’s book “Winning the Zero Moment of Truth”. Every day consumers are deciding not to shop at local dealers BEFORE they even visit the dealership, place a call, or submit a lead based on online reviews. 

I review hundreds of dealership Google Places a month and honestly over 50% of the dealers I score seem “content” that their negative online reviews are not important. This conclusion is based on two things.

First, they have not responded to any negative reviews. Second, they have not solicited any positive reviews.

Dealers who have not put in place an in-store reputation management process are very busy with the hundreds of tasks required to run a dealership and yet they are unknowingly defeating their own marketing efforts.

In fact, you could make the case that their ignorance or lack of action is helping send business to their nearest competitor.

In-Store Solutions For Googlized Consumers

How pervasive is this problem? Search your local market and find out for yourself.

If you live in Chicago, type in Google “Chicago Toyota Dealers”.

How many dealers have over 100 reviews? How many have over 50? How about 25?

Let’s see what the reasonable potential is for a dealership that sells 200 cars a month between new and used.

This dealership will normally see about 5x that number in service repair orders, so 1,000 service customers a month.

So every month a dealer of this size has 1,200 potential satisfied customers but let’s say that 5% were not really “happy”. 

That leaves us with 1,140 happy customers a month.

On average you will find that 25%+ of your customers will have a Google Gmail account or a registered business email address associated with a Google product.

That means this dealer has over 275 happy Googlized customers a month in their store that can post a review directly on Google Places in about 2 minutes.

So let’s just say that not all Googlized customers would post a review, and only half would say yes. That gives you over 130 reviews a month on Google Places alone.

In-Store Solutions For Non Googlized Consumers

Now what about the customers who don’t have a Google email address? You implement an in-store review collection process that allows you to OWN and SYNDICATE your customer reviews. It is 10x easier to get a review from a customer when everyone is hugging and kissing in the dealership.

When you chase reviews once customers leave the store, you have made the decision to increase calls and emails when they are at home or at work.

This may be annoying to the customer. It may impact your OEM CSI calls.

Why? Because the customer who leaves a review for you online based on an email or call, may not want to participate in an OEM CSI call.

They could easily confuse the nature of the call and say: “Hey, I already did a review!” and hang up.

In-store reputation management processes are vital to socializing your website, blogs, and marketing strategies. By owning some of your reviews they can be syndicated to blogs, portals, and even used for Automotive SEO.

In-store processes are cheaper, require less of your staff time, reduce customer irritation and can produce hundreds more reviews a month.  Reminder: In store processes also identify problems before a customer leaves the showroom.

Let’s face it, when consumers leave the “buzz” of the dealership they go back to their daily routine.

Yes, a fraction will post a review because they made a commitment in the store to the sales team. Post delivery reviews are nowhere near the volume you can obtain simply with in-store review collection processes.

The Value of Reviews

I recently published a case study showing what 278 reviews on Google Places was worth for a New Jersey BMW dealer.

The 278 reviews generated the equivalent of $9,000 a month of Google Adwords spending.

That does not include the 100+ phone calls that were generated without a click. So, while dealers make sure their showroom floors are clean, their staff are properly attired, their TV ads running and their website is updated with the latest specials, the reality is that hundreds of potential buyers have decided not to call, not to click to their website, or drive in to see that sparkling showroom floor.

The reviews that they found when searching the dealer’s name scared them away.

There were so many bad reviews compared to positive reviews. The owner didn’t respond to the negative reviews so the consumer decided they must be true.

Am I exaggerating? Check out 20 dealers in your area at random and count how many have responded to the negative reviews on Google Places.

Count how many dealers have fewer than 20 reviews and see what percentages of those reviews are less than flattering. Count how many dealers have recent reviews that are negative.

Reputation Management Must Be a Core Dealer Certification

It is time that the automotive industry understands the profound yet simple facts outlined in Jim Lecinski’s book “Winning The Zero Moment of Truth”.  Download this free book and read it.

If you like the book, DrivingSales members who are a dealer principal, GM, GSM, or Marketing Director have until Monday to join the Automotive ZMOT Study which starts this month. 

Online reviews for products and dealers are an important factor in the sales process. OEMs and NADA need to prioritize dealership understanding and training on proven reputation management processes.

There is just too much at stake to let the number of dealerships I see each day blow up their franchise opportunity in the local markets.

For some dealers, it also means getting back to the basics of providing great customer service. For many dealers, however, they just are not aware of the importance of asking their customers to write a review.

In absence of any proactive measure, the squeaky wheels are the ones that post, even for very good dealerships.

Digital Marketing Strategies

Dealers looking to educate their team on winning reputation management processes and hands on review collection role playing should attend the Digital Marketing Strategies Conference (DMSC) as well as 2012 NADA in Las Vegas.  

The DMSC is February 1-3rd and NADA directly follows so you can make one trip out of the dealership for the best training, inspiration, and collaboration in our industry.

If you register for DMSC by November 1st you will save $300 off registration fees.  Act quickly since only 150 tickets will be sold. We will have special workshops designed to build the knowledge and confidence to implement a powerful in-store reputation management process.  

We will be able to demonstrate in-store reputation management software tools and review syndication technology.

Of course, post sale processes are valuable and produce meaningful reviews, but an in-store process can reduce the nuisance factor to the majority of your customers and focus on only those that chose not to write a review in the store.

Isn’t that model the most efficient and effective to produce the greatest quantity and quality?

If you found this article helpful, please click on the +1 button (top of page) and share it on your social networks.

Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences

Brian Pasch

As the importance of online reviews becomes part of basic dealership operations, a number of companies have come to marketing with Internet Reputation Management tools and strategies.  

Dealerskins, Cobalt, and Dealer.com have all launched impressive tools and strategies to increase online reviews and to syndicate customer reviews on blogs, faceook, etc.  

If you haven't seen these new tools, check them out in Vegas at the DrivingSales Executive Summit, October 9-11th.

One IRM model includes sending emails out to consumers asking for a review.  Based on their response to the email and if they respond with a positive review, a second screen prompts them to cut-and-paste their review to a third party site.  Some consumers are responding and posting.

In addition to emails, some dealers are making thank you calls and asking/reminding customers to post a review.  This also has mixed results.

Impact on Existing CSI Processes

I would like to hear from the field on this topic.  I heard one dealer tell me that the OEM has prohibited them from asking for a satisfaction survey inside the store!

The more I dig into customer review processes, I'm convinced that the majority of effort should be in the store when everyone is hugging and kissing.  

This eliminates extra calls and emails and will not be confused with an OEM CSI follow-up process (call or email).  It is also a better use of your staff's time.

What do you have to say?

About the 1st Automotive ZMOT Study

I've been profoundly impacted by a free book called "Winning the Zero Moment of Truth" by Jim Lecinski.  As a result of reading this book, I have created training materials, online workshops, and planning materials for car dealers on this topic.

If you never heard about ZMOT, read the free book, and then decide if you want to be part of this exciting automotive study.

Before I launch our national ZMOT education campaign, I am inviting 100 dealers at no cost, to participate in the PCG six week educational program.   The program will consist of six, 1-hour webinars and follow-up conversations offline each week with each member,

The  Automotive Zero Moment of Truth study will take 100 dealers through an educational process that will guide their marketing and budgeting decisions based on the concepts shared by Jim Lecinski and the research of Google on online consumer shopping behavior.

The study members must be either a Dealer Principal, Dealership COO/CFO,  or General Manager and have the permission to share and discuss their marketing budgets with the study team at PCG Digital Marketing.  

Budgets will NOT be shared with study members unless permission is granted.  If budgets are discussed, they will not disclose the member dealership name.  Privacy is key, but actual data will power the members of this study to new heights of success.

PCG Digital Marketing will NOT include dealers that are direct competitors in local markets because of the confidential data or innovative strategies that will be discussed on conference calls, webinars, and on the private forums.  

Dealers will receive priority placement on a first come basis.

PCG will provide each member a set of proprietary budgeting models based on current consumer shopping models.  We have developed a series of tools that will guide dealers on restructuring their current advertising budgets.  If you want to have a powerful audit of your current spending, this is the study for you!

Dealers interested in joining this study should register at http://www.automotivezeromomentoftruth.com by November 1, 2011.  

Dealers who are accepted to the program will be notified by email or by phone.  We reserve the right to accept/deny participation in this study based on competitive conflicts with current PCG clients or existing members of this study group.

I look forward to working with 100 dealers and creating 100 powerful marketing strategies for dealers who want to WIN the Zero Moment of Truth.

Brian

Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences

Brian Pasch