This Week in Social Media

News for the Week of December 5

Twitter Users Can Now Create Moments on Mobile

Not long ago, Twitter announced that all users could create Moments on the web, and now they’re offering even more.  Twitter users can now create Moments on their mobile devices.  Moments allow users to combine their favorite Tweets—their own and those of others—to share insights and perspectives on the topics of interest to them.  Simply by adding a Tweet, then clicking the downward arrow in the Tweet details, that Tweet can be added to Moments and published.  Dealerships, consider turning your on-the-lot interactions and showroom news into Moments you can use to drive engagement and capture the attention of your online audience.  Combine the best of your content with content being shared by others to provide your followers with great Moments to promote your dealership.

Promoted Pins Now Available in Canada

Pinterest has expanded its Promoted Pins to users in Canada, allowing businesses to seamlessly and creatively combine their ads with the rest of the content users see on the platform.  Since over 75% of Pins come from businesses, these Pins don’t distract from the content as a whole, and actually serve to offer users plenty of ways to interact with products and find great ideas.  For businesses, Promoted Pins work well, because they’re capturing consumers at a time when they’re already interested in acting upon the products and ideas they find.  Dealerships, help consumers discover great opportunities and drive traffic to your dealership by using images of current inventory, updating frequently, interacting with your followers, and giving them ways to quickly link back to your website. 

Pinterest Introduces Hand-Picked Showcase & Design Improvements

Businesses on Pinterest can now hand pick a rotating showcase of their best ideas to show viewers.  The rotating showcase will appear on the right-hand side of user profiles, making it one of the first things people see.  This gives Pinterest users more control over how they introduce themselves to customers and how they define their business to potential customers.  Up to 5 boards may be chosen as features, and they can be updated as often as needed.  On mobile, users will see the new showcase update sitting where the stack of their most recent Pins previously lived.  In addition to the rotating showcase, Pinterest has also done a refresh on its profile design, ensuring a consistent look and feel across iPhone, Android, and web platforms.  Now, no matter where viewers visit business profiles, their images will look the same.   Improvements have also been made regarding where certain things live on Pinterest.  When individuals visit profiles now, they’ll be able to see a tab for boards and a tab for Pins, allowing them to view only Pins (the things they’re typically most interested in).  At the same time, Pins individual users have Liked are only visible to that individual, avoiding clutter in the feeds of those who don’t want to see Likes of other users.  Dealerships, if you’ve got a Pinterest platform, take advantage of the latest updates and control what your followers see.  Show off your best products and services, and ensure you put your best foot forward by updating the rotating showcase with your latest and greatest.

Twitter Conversation Ranking and Direct Reply Count

Twitter is focused on showing its users the most relevant conversations first, and for this reason, it has added conversation ranking.  Users will notice conversations aren’t necessarily shown in chronological order, but rather, they are grouped based on the content Twitter thinks would be most interesting to the user.  Twitter factors in things like whether an original Tweet author has replied or whether a reply is from someone the user knows.  Additionally, Twitter has added a direct reply count, which allows users to see exactly how many people are participating in specific conversations.  A number appears next to the reply (arrow) icon, which indicates the number of direct replies the original Tweet has received; note, however, this number does not reflect the total number of replies in the entire conversation.  Dealerships, utilize Twitter’s latest updates to keep track of the engagement you’re creating.  You’ll be able to see which content is generating replies and conversations, and you’ll be able to keep track of your top conversations as they appear on your feed.  When you interact and remain part of the conversations consumers are having online, you’ll be more in touch with what’s needed when shoppers arrive on your lot.

Tip of the Week – Your Influencers Matter.  Big Time.

We’ve talked about them before, and you probably already interact with them.  But do you know exactly how much sway your influencers have over your business?  Over your sales?  Over your potential future customers?  A LOT.

Influencers are everywhere, so you can bet they are online and sharing on social sites where potential customers are researching.  Today, 92% of consumers read online reviews, and 88% say they trust reviews as much as personal recommendations.  This means you need influencers on your side letting shoppers know how great your dealership is!

Influencers are important people for your dealership, so let’s take a look at exactly who they are—and how you can get more of them, keep them happy, and keep them speaking up on your behalf.  Also known as brand advocates, they voluntarily share with others and talk about your professionalism, your products, your staff, and anything else that has impacted them.  They have the power to boost your brand reputation and bring in more business.  In short, these are pretty great people to have on your side, so here’s how you get them, keep them, and show them you appreciate them:

• Make your customers happy.  Your best advocates are your satisfied customers.  They are the people who have received great service and want to tell everyone about it, so your best route to accumulating eager influencers is to ensure everyone on your team is providing top-notch customer care.
• Look for positive reviews.  You likely have quite a few positive reviews and comments online you don’t even know about.  It’s time to get out there and actively look for them.  It’s smart to know who’s speaking up for you, where they’re interacting, and who they’re talking to.
• Keep your friends close.  Once you’ve identified the consumers who are posting on behalf of your dealership, begin building even stronger relationships with them by thanking them, initiating conversations, and encouraging them to talk even more about your dealership.
• Show your appreciation.  Although your online influencers aren’t paid for being proponents of your brand, nothing says you can’t give them a few incentives along the way.  Consider what you can do to let your advocates know their hard work matters to you.  Things like service coupons, special event invites, and exclusive sales opportunities are small gestures that can make a big impact to your loyal consumers.

Your community is full influencers who are ready to promote the brands they love.  When you leverage their social clout and encourage them to speak up for your dealership, you’ll build trust, boost sales, and grow your customer base.  In today’s fast-moving, social world, your online influencers are a powerful force that can drive your dealership toward increasing success.