Fun and informative day at the Seattle PCG Pitstop.  Just as he did in Florida, Brian Pasch and his excellent speakers presented informative, thought provoking tactical advice and examples to improve the digital strategies and tactics at the local dealership level.  Especially interesting was the update on all the changes surrounding Google Places.  Also the google "zero moment of truth". Cobalt presented a nice event for local dealerships the previous evening.  Good number of  local dealers attended and in chatting with some of them, they too felt the event to be worthwhile.  Great to make new connections and thanks all for a good event here in Seattle.

Fun and informative day at the Seattle PCG Pitstop.  Just as he did in Florida, Brian Pasch and his excellent speakers presented informative, thought provoking tactical advice and examples to improve the digital strategies and tactics at the local dealership level.  Especially interesting was the update on all the changes surrounding Google Places.  Also the google "zero moment of truth". Cobalt presented a nice event for local dealerships the previous evening.  Good number of  local dealers attended and in chatting with some of them, they too felt the event to be worthwhile.  Great to make new connections and thanks all for a good event here in Seattle.

If you publish videos on the YouTube you need to be aware of a change from Google and YouTube that affects who can view, share, or edit your videos.  This change affects any video originally posted to You Tube including any links or embedding content provided from YouTube to your website or social media sites.

Google just recently announced the introduction of Creative Commons licenses for YouTube.  Individual users MUST decide at they time they upload video -whether to publish their content under the new CC license. If they do so, the video then becomes accessible to every YouTube user for use in their own videos via the YouTube Video Editor.  The new feature will give users a large selection of video clips from all types of subject areas.  Adding Creative Commons tags will also help YouTube on the copyright front by clearly distinguishing what clips users can use freely and what they cannot.

Users who want to check out the Creative Commons selection right now can go to  www.youtube.com/editor and select the CC tab.

Should your dealership use the Creative Commons option?

Creative Commons licenses provide a standard way for content creators to grant someone else permission to use their work. By marking your original video with a Creative Commons license, you are granting the entire YouTube community the right to reuse and edit that video. . You retain your copyright and other users get to reuse your work subject to the terms of the license. Remember, you may ONLY mark your uploaded video with a Creative Commons license if it consists ENTIRELY of content made and licensable by you under the CC-BY license.

Unless you have a specific reason to NOT want your content to be shared or reutilized, it is our view that you should choose YES to the Creative Commons license option.  Choosing the ‘standard license’ now means you are NOT granting permission for your work to be shared or re-used.

How to mark your video as Creative Commons

1. Click the radio button next to "Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed)" while uploading, or
2. Go to My Videos, select edit next to the video you wish to include in Creative Commons. Scroll down until you reach License under Broadcasting and Sharing Options. Click the radio button next to "Creative Commons Attribution License (reuse allowed)".

Want to Know More?

For more information on the CC-BY license and a summary of the full Legal Code with the full license accessible at the bottom of the page—please visit CreativeCommons.org.

If you publish videos on the YouTube you need to be aware of a change from Google and YouTube that affects who can view, share, or edit your videos.  This change affects any video originally posted to You Tube including any links or embedding content provided from YouTube to your website or social media sites.

Google just recently announced the introduction of Creative Commons licenses for YouTube.  Individual users MUST decide at they time they upload video -whether to publish their content under the new CC license. If they do so, the video then becomes accessible to every YouTube user for use in their own videos via the YouTube Video Editor.  The new feature will give users a large selection of video clips from all types of subject areas.  Adding Creative Commons tags will also help YouTube on the copyright front by clearly distinguishing what clips users can use freely and what they cannot.

Users who want to check out the Creative Commons selection right now can go to  www.youtube.com/editor and select the CC tab.

Should your dealership use the Creative Commons option?

Creative Commons licenses provide a standard way for content creators to grant someone else permission to use their work. By marking your original video with a Creative Commons license, you are granting the entire YouTube community the right to reuse and edit that video. . You retain your copyright and other users get to reuse your work subject to the terms of the license. Remember, you may ONLY mark your uploaded video with a Creative Commons license if it consists ENTIRELY of content made and licensable by you under the CC-BY license.

Unless you have a specific reason to NOT want your content to be shared or reutilized, it is our view that you should choose YES to the Creative Commons license option.  Choosing the ‘standard license’ now means you are NOT granting permission for your work to be shared or re-used.

How to mark your video as Creative Commons

1. Click the radio button next to "Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed)" while uploading, or
2. Go to My Videos, select edit next to the video you wish to include in Creative Commons. Scroll down until you reach License under Broadcasting and Sharing Options. Click the radio button next to "Creative Commons Attribution License (reuse allowed)".

Want to Know More?

For more information on the CC-BY license and a summary of the full Legal Code with the full license accessible at the bottom of the page—please visit CreativeCommons.org.

Hi all. I waited a day to post my wrap up on Boot Camp.  Three days of workshops, speakers, and networking was intense and I wanted to get back to Seattle, sit at my desk, and think about the real world ‘takeaways’ from the event.  

Here are my three:

Takeaway #1:  ‘The Plan Doesn’t Have to be Perfect For You to Start It’.  

This may seem counterintuitive but the fact is this is fast moving landscape and there are lots of vendors (and dealers) out there trying many different things.  In fact during the course of Boot Camp I heard two ‘expert opinions’ on one piece of SEO that were actually exactly 180 degrees of each other.  Fact is, contrary to what we learned in school, sometimes there actually is more than one right answer. The practical approach I recommend is to grab whatever piece of the digital universe that makes the most sense TO YOU and start there.  Then build from that piece. 

Takeaway #2: ‘We’re all Learning This Together’.

The vendors at Boot Camp were generous with providing ‘free samples’ of their knowledge and expertise and some of them made the offer to continue to provide information if you contacted them.  In addition there are many places (like this fine publication and Dealer Marketing Magazine which I contribute monthly for) as well as forums where you can submit your question solicit your questions and get answers.  We’re ALL learning this together and while I noticed some vendors at the event who thought it was important for you to view them as ‘experts’ (but not all of them by any means), really in the long view someone might have a five minute head start on you, while you already have a two-and-a-half minute head start on the dealer down the street (who isn’t reading this), so it’s all a matter of perspective.

Takeaway #3: ‘At The End of the Day It’s Still About the Message’.  

Sure this year, VSEO and QR Codes might be the thing, but next year it’ll be about something we’ve never even heard of yet.  The TOOLS will change, but behind it all, the core marketing message about who your dealership is and what you stand for MUST STILL BE the over-riding piece.  Liken it to a new movie out that might have the coolest special effects ever, but still has a lame plot compared to an ‘old school movie’ that is low tech but has a beautiful story.  Jimmy Vee and Travis Miller probably hit this piece the best in my view. You gotta ask yourself truly what makes your store different from the guy down the street and it has to be more that a dealer principal standing out on his (or her) lot next to a car talking about the ‘deal of the day’.  I’m personally a believer in using humor, but whatever your thing is, make it YOUR THING.  The sniff test?  If you can substitute your competitors name for yours on your marketing and have it still work, then you’re not there yet.  Brian Pasch hit this same idea on the final night from a different direction as he spent some time talking about himself and how he lost weight and upped his fitness goals with the idea that ‘all this’ isn’t just about numbers and technology, it’s about becoming a better person on all levels.  Your dealership works the same way.

Good stuff. A sincere thank you again to everyone I had the opportunity to meet there (and apologies if you were there and I didn’t get to meet you).

And now I will most humbly ask for YOUR help. DMM is planning a follow up edition for the event and has asked me to write a piece for that, so any and all feedback from any vendor or dealer that was there and wants to offer up ‘their take-aways’ (or comment on mine) would be most appreciated.

Stay tuned and live well.

Hi all. I waited a day to post my wrap up on Boot Camp.  Three days of workshops, speakers, and networking was intense and I wanted to get back to Seattle, sit at my desk, and think about the real world ‘takeaways’ from the event.  

Here are my three:

Takeaway #1:  ‘The Plan Doesn’t Have to be Perfect For You to Start It’.  

This may seem counterintuitive but the fact is this is fast moving landscape and there are lots of vendors (and dealers) out there trying many different things.  In fact during the course of Boot Camp I heard two ‘expert opinions’ on one piece of SEO that were actually exactly 180 degrees of each other.  Fact is, contrary to what we learned in school, sometimes there actually is more than one right answer. The practical approach I recommend is to grab whatever piece of the digital universe that makes the most sense TO YOU and start there.  Then build from that piece. 

Takeaway #2: ‘We’re all Learning This Together’.

The vendors at Boot Camp were generous with providing ‘free samples’ of their knowledge and expertise and some of them made the offer to continue to provide information if you contacted them.  In addition there are many places (like this fine publication and Dealer Marketing Magazine which I contribute monthly for) as well as forums where you can submit your question solicit your questions and get answers.  We’re ALL learning this together and while I noticed some vendors at the event who thought it was important for you to view them as ‘experts’ (but not all of them by any means), really in the long view someone might have a five minute head start on you, while you already have a two-and-a-half minute head start on the dealer down the street (who isn’t reading this), so it’s all a matter of perspective.

Takeaway #3: ‘At The End of the Day It’s Still About the Message’.  

Sure this year, VSEO and QR Codes might be the thing, but next year it’ll be about something we’ve never even heard of yet.  The TOOLS will change, but behind it all, the core marketing message about who your dealership is and what you stand for MUST STILL BE the over-riding piece.  Liken it to a new movie out that might have the coolest special effects ever, but still has a lame plot compared to an ‘old school movie’ that is low tech but has a beautiful story.  Jimmy Vee and Travis Miller probably hit this piece the best in my view. You gotta ask yourself truly what makes your store different from the guy down the street and it has to be more that a dealer principal standing out on his (or her) lot next to a car talking about the ‘deal of the day’.  I’m personally a believer in using humor, but whatever your thing is, make it YOUR THING.  The sniff test?  If you can substitute your competitors name for yours on your marketing and have it still work, then you’re not there yet.  Brian Pasch hit this same idea on the final night from a different direction as he spent some time talking about himself and how he lost weight and upped his fitness goals with the idea that ‘all this’ isn’t just about numbers and technology, it’s about becoming a better person on all levels.  Your dealership works the same way.

Good stuff. A sincere thank you again to everyone I had the opportunity to meet there (and apologies if you were there and I didn’t get to meet you).

And now I will most humbly ask for YOUR help. DMM is planning a follow up edition for the event and has asked me to write a piece for that, so any and all feedback from any vendor or dealer that was there and wants to offer up ‘their take-aways’ (or comment on mine) would be most appreciated.

Stay tuned and live well.

Great first day at bootcamp.  Strong round table discussion on a variety of topics including integrated marketing solutions, BDC structures and processes, internet lead management, automotive advertising, video seo, social media, and more.  These round table panels were hosted by a good mix of industry experts, and attended by a welcoming group of dealers.  Following the roundtable, there was a spirited customer retention management panel led by Gary May.

My takeaways from Day 1.  Yes, it’s about technology which is a fast moving landscape.  The tools are going to change and it’s important to stay abreast of the technology – and ahead of your competitors.  But the technology of the day is ever changing, so it’s about something more.  It’s about people and processes that create success. 

An example occurred during the roundtable.  As the Customer Retention Management discussion evolved, a question was asked to the dealer about the relationship between CRM use and sales.  Among the dealership in the room, it was shown that those that had the highest use of the CRM system also reported the highest sales performance.  However, in delving into this further, the answer really became that this happened not due to the CRM product itself, but rather that the stores that had the best processes in place, were most able to effective use them.

Best one line takeaway from today; “treat people like customers and they might become one."

More to come.

Great first day at bootcamp.  Strong round table discussion on a variety of topics including integrated marketing solutions, BDC structures and processes, internet lead management, automotive advertising, video seo, social media, and more.  These round table panels were hosted by a good mix of industry experts, and attended by a welcoming group of dealers.  Following the roundtable, there was a spirited customer retention management panel led by Gary May.

My takeaways from Day 1.  Yes, it’s about technology which is a fast moving landscape.  The tools are going to change and it’s important to stay abreast of the technology – and ahead of your competitors.  But the technology of the day is ever changing, so it’s about something more.  It’s about people and processes that create success. 

An example occurred during the roundtable.  As the Customer Retention Management discussion evolved, a question was asked to the dealer about the relationship between CRM use and sales.  Among the dealership in the room, it was shown that those that had the highest use of the CRM system also reported the highest sales performance.  However, in delving into this further, the answer really became that this happened not due to the CRM product itself, but rather that the stores that had the best processes in place, were most able to effective use them.

Best one line takeaway from today; “treat people like customers and they might become one."

More to come.