Long gone are the days you would run around to every dealership and test out all the different cars until you found the perfect one. Your consumers are forming their own opinions and decisions before they even step foot on the lot of your dealership. According to David Mogensen, Google’s head of YouTube ads marketing and former automotive marketer, the average car shopper only makes two visits to the dealership. It’s because car shoppers are using the internet to find great deals, research different vehicles and more. 

The digital age says goodbye to dealership visits and hello to micro-moments. Micro-moments occur when people reflexively turn to a device to act on a need to learn something, do something, discover something, watch something, or buy something. How can you take advantage of these micro-moments? YouTube.

YouTube is a major touchpoint for the modern car buyer’s path to purchase. 92.4% of the U.S. population who plan to buy a new vehicle within 6 months, use YouTube. According to a Google Vehicle Shopper Path to Purchase Study, 49% of shoppers visited a dealership after watching a video. Here’s how you can harness the power of video content for your dealership.

Which-car-is-best moments

According to TNS Media Consumption Report, 69% of car buyers who use YouTube to research are influenced by it. This is more than all other mediums including TV, newspapers or magazines. YouTube has multiple advantages including,

1. Efficiency: YouTube is 10% to 80% more efficient to reach audiences. You only pay if they choose to engage.

2. No Bumps: With YouTube, it’s auction model and targeting flexibility means your ad will run in the designated flight period. Unlike TV, where they can bump your ads depending on the time of year.

3. Targeting: You can use advanced targeting with YouTube to target to specific consumers with things like In-market SUV Targeting or In-Market for Toyota targeting.

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• When consumers are deciding which car is best for them, they’re searching for car reviews on YouTube. They’re viewing videos like model comparisons, expert reviews and everything in between. According to Google, only 22% of buyers go on to purchase the make and model of the car they first searched on. This is where many can take advantage of video marketing to reach potential customers. Video advances brand discovery and consideration by introducing new brands and releasing knowledgeable information.
  
   
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Is-it-right-for-me moments

This is the moment when consumers need to see if the car will actually accommodate their lifestyle and needs. Video content ranks high in this stage by allowing consumers to view all the details of a car. Videos can include test drives, car feature highlights and walkthroughs. According to Google Internal data, YouTube schedules 2x the amount of test drives for dealerships. Also, 56% of In-Market shoppers can be convinced to buy a car from 360 online video without ever test driving the car.
 

Can-I-afford-it moments

So your consumers are hooked on the car your dealership is selling, they now need to ask themselves if they can afford it. Google Internal data shows 7 out of 10 consumers get buying relevant information out of online video. Also, 18-34-year-olds say YouTube is the best place to learn about a product or service that they’re interested in buying. Google released two recent ad formats in response to its rising popularity and potential reach with online shoppers.

• TrueView for Reach

TrueView for Reach ads are optimized to raise brand awareness. You can create ads that run before or during videos that users can skip after 5 seconds if they aren’t interested (you don’t pay for the view if the consumer skips the ad). The videos can be as short as 6 seconds, or up to 30 seconds in length.  Google’s testing saw a 20% increase of Ad Recall with the brands they tested.

• TrueView for Action

TrueView for Action ads have one goal: to convert more leads. Advertisers can include a customizable CTA banner either during the video or at the end, and Google will be adding lead forms later this year. They’re still working out the details for customer experience, but these ads will be globally available soon.

This would be perfect to attract potential customers viewing YouTube with specific models your dealership is selling. For example, you can use TrueView for Action to customize a CTA Banner to shows deals on a specific vehicle to get consumers in the door. If you’re trying to build brand awareness for your dealership, opt for TrueView for Reach and only pay for ads that are viewed.

YouTube is vital for the micro-moments in the modern car buyer’s path to purchase. Dealerships need to start working with their agencies and content partners to think about how best to create content for video that is quickly digested, gets the point across, and makes a consumer want to purchase a car from their dealership. If you don’t harness the power of video content, another dealership will. If you want to learn about how to attract consumers near the end of the car-buying journey, read here.

If you spend a bit of time at auto conferences and around the social media watering holes where auto folks hang out, you’ll find that there’s a family in this industry. We may compete vigorously for customers and customer budgets, but I count so many people in this industry amongst my closest friends. Auto is a family and when a family member has a good day, it demands acknowledgement.

Cars.com announced yesterday morning that it has acquired Dealer Inspire. I’m excited for my friends Joe Chura (Dealer Inspire’s founder and CEO), Alex Vetter (Cars.com CEO) and Greg McGivney (now Dealer Inspire’s COO) on an amazing outcome, and I wish them well as they begin the often difficult process of integrating their companies.

The market declares value with its dollars and an investment of this magnitude in a competitor is both great news for the Dealer Inspire team and great news for DealerOn! This acquisition is not only a vote for Dealer Inspire, but a vote for the insurgency that DealerOn has long led: to provide the auto industry with innovative and compelling next generation alternatives to the entrenched interests that have dominated the space for years — CDK Global and Cox Automotive’s Dealer.com.

Congratulations Joe, Alex, and Greg! And GAME ON!

DealerOn.com, the premier auto dealer website provider is expanding its executive team to further accelerate the steady growth trajectory of its business.  DealerOn, Inc., a leading online marketing company serving the retail automotive industry – today announces the appointment of Gerard J. (Jerry) Petrotto to the newly-created position of Chief Sales Officer.

In announcing his appointment, Ali Amirrezvani, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are delighted that Jerry is joining the DealerOn family.  Jerry brings a wealth of industry experience from his tenure at Black Book as Vice President of Retail Sales at the Online Division.  In his five years with Black Book, Petrotto was an integral member of an executive team that drove the meteoric growth of Black Book Online in the retail automotive sector.  His expertise with online sales distribution strategy, sales management, and product merchandising will be indispensible to DealerOn’s continued growth.  In the role of Chief Sales Officer, Petrotto will oversee all aspects of sales and sales strategy/management for the company.”

DealerOn, Inc. is known as the premier online marketing companies serving the retail automotive industry.  DealerOn was named to the 2011 Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies with a three-year sales growth of 127%.  DealerOn has pioneered the analytics-based marketing approach in the retail auto industry with their DealerOn Digital Marketing Dashboard.  The Digital Dashboard helps to document the precise impact of their services for every new customer.  Since creating this process in 2009, DealerOn has documented an average increase of over 200% in lead volume for their auto dealer clients.

DealerOn.com, the premier auto dealer website provider is expanding its executive team to further accelerate the steady growth trajectory of its business.  DealerOn, Inc., a leading online marketing company serving the retail automotive industry – today announces the appointment of Gerard J. (Jerry) Petrotto to the newly-created position of Chief Sales Officer.

In announcing his appointment, Ali Amirrezvani, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are delighted that Jerry is joining the DealerOn family.  Jerry brings a wealth of industry experience from his tenure at Black Book as Vice President of Retail Sales at the Online Division.  In his five years with Black Book, Petrotto was an integral member of an executive team that drove the meteoric growth of Black Book Online in the retail automotive sector.  His expertise with online sales distribution strategy, sales management, and product merchandising will be indispensible to DealerOn’s continued growth.  In the role of Chief Sales Officer, Petrotto will oversee all aspects of sales and sales strategy/management for the company.”

DealerOn, Inc. is known as the premier online marketing companies serving the retail automotive industry.  DealerOn was named to the 2011 Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies with a three-year sales growth of 127%.  DealerOn has pioneered the analytics-based marketing approach in the retail auto industry with their DealerOn Digital Marketing Dashboard.  The Digital Dashboard helps to document the precise impact of their services for every new customer.  Since creating this process in 2009, DealerOn has documented an average increase of over 200% in lead volume for their auto dealer clients.

DealerOn, the premier car dealer website provider, has been named to 2011 Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies at #2002, based on a three-year sales growth of 127%.  "DealerOn is thrilled to be a part of such an elite group of companies," said DealerOn co-founder and CEO, Ali Amirrezvani.  "This recognition means so much to the DealerOn family.  It is confirmation of, and a testament to, our employees’ hard work, dedication, and willingness to go above and beyond for our customers."

The Inc. 5000 List ranks the fastest growing private American companies by the percentage of revenue growth over a three year period.  To be considered, a company must have generated at least $100,000 in revenue by March 31, 2007, have $2 million in revenue in 2010, and be an independent, privately held U.S. for-profit company.

DealerOn, Inc. is one of the premier online marketing companies serving the retail automotive industry. They provide a full spectrum of online marketing solutions to car dealer customers including car dealer websites, automotive service websites, SEO, paid search, social media, and online reputation management (including managed blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and press releases).

DealerOn was founded in 2003 by auto industry veterans to help auto dealers leverage online marketing best practices and technology to maximize the return on their marketing time and resources.  Their executive team combines 30 years of auto industry expertise with 30 years of online marketing leadership.

DealerOn continues to utilize their unique combination of auto industry and online ecommerce experience to pioneer tools like their analytics-based marketing tool designed for the retail auto industry, the Digital Marketing Dashboard^TM.  Since its inception, DealerOn’s Digital Dashboard process has provided a documented lead volume increase of over 250% for their clients.

Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures LLC, Inc. is the only major business magazine dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies that deliver real solutions for today’s innovative company builders. With a total paid circulation of 712,647, Inc. provides hands-on tools and market-tested strategies for managing people, finances, sales, marketing, and technology. Visit them online at www.inc.com.

DealerOn, the premier car dealer website provider, has been named to 2011 Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies at #2002, based on a three-year sales growth of 127%.  "DealerOn is thrilled to be a part of such an elite group of companies," said DealerOn co-founder and CEO, Ali Amirrezvani.  "This recognition means so much to the DealerOn family.  It is confirmation of, and a testament to, our employees’ hard work, dedication, and willingness to go above and beyond for our customers."

The Inc. 5000 List ranks the fastest growing private American companies by the percentage of revenue growth over a three year period.  To be considered, a company must have generated at least $100,000 in revenue by March 31, 2007, have $2 million in revenue in 2010, and be an independent, privately held U.S. for-profit company.

DealerOn, Inc. is one of the premier online marketing companies serving the retail automotive industry. They provide a full spectrum of online marketing solutions to car dealer customers including car dealer websites, automotive service websites, SEO, paid search, social media, and online reputation management (including managed blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and press releases).

DealerOn was founded in 2003 by auto industry veterans to help auto dealers leverage online marketing best practices and technology to maximize the return on their marketing time and resources.  Their executive team combines 30 years of auto industry expertise with 30 years of online marketing leadership.

DealerOn continues to utilize their unique combination of auto industry and online ecommerce experience to pioneer tools like their analytics-based marketing tool designed for the retail auto industry, the Digital Marketing Dashboard^TM.  Since its inception, DealerOn’s Digital Dashboard process has provided a documented lead volume increase of over 250% for their clients.

Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures LLC, Inc. is the only major business magazine dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies that deliver real solutions for today’s innovative company builders. With a total paid circulation of 712,647, Inc. provides hands-on tools and market-tested strategies for managing people, finances, sales, marketing, and technology. Visit them online at www.inc.com.

In addition to rolling out Google+ and the Google +1 button, Google has also recently rolled out a new version of Google Analytics.  Google Analytics 5 includes a complete user interface re-design which allows users to create multiple dashboards, more easily search across multiple accounts, create custom reports (and goals), and Analytics Intelligence, a tool that allows for automatic alerts.

One of the more exciting new features of Google Analytics 5 is the ability to track Google +1 clicks.  To get this functionality on your site, you need to make sure you are using the updated tracking code.  If you've recently added Google Analytics to your site, you should have the right code.  If not, make sure when you sign into your Google Analytics account, you're using the "New Version".  If your page looks like this:

you aren't.  So click "New Version" and you're set.

Now, click the Gear icon in the orange toolbar.  Click "Tracking Code" and you'll have the latest version of the code for your site.

Make sure that when you put the code on your site you get it before the closing of the </head> tag of your HTML file.

It's important to make sure your dealership website has this updated Google Analytics code on your site, so check with your dealer site provider to make sure they've added them.  If you have any questions beyond that, feel free to contact DealerOn at clientresults@dealeron.com and check out our post from last week on how to get Google Analytics on your dealership website.

In addition to rolling out Google+ and the Google +1 button, Google has also recently rolled out a new version of Google Analytics.  Google Analytics 5 includes a complete user interface re-design which allows users to create multiple dashboards, more easily search across multiple accounts, create custom reports (and goals), and Analytics Intelligence, a tool that allows for automatic alerts.

One of the more exciting new features of Google Analytics 5 is the ability to track Google +1 clicks.  To get this functionality on your site, you need to make sure you are using the updated tracking code.  If you've recently added Google Analytics to your site, you should have the right code.  If not, make sure when you sign into your Google Analytics account, you're using the "New Version".  If your page looks like this:

you aren't.  So click "New Version" and you're set.

Now, click the Gear icon in the orange toolbar.  Click "Tracking Code" and you'll have the latest version of the code for your site.

Make sure that when you put the code on your site you get it before the closing of the </head> tag of your HTML file.

It's important to make sure your dealership website has this updated Google Analytics code on your site, so check with your dealer site provider to make sure they've added them.  If you have any questions beyond that, feel free to contact DealerOn at clientresults@dealeron.com and check out our post from last week on how to get Google Analytics on your dealership website.