Dealerships that are winning in today’s marketplace have one thing in common.  They embrace innovation with enthusiasm.

Why?  Because they know that to edge out the competition and capture the attention of modern consumers, they need to consistently be a step ahead.  A step ahead of those who resist change.  A step ahead of those who insist on doing it the way it’s always been done.  A step ahead of those who are still leaning against the building and waiting for ups to wander onto the lot.  Successful dealerships have figured out that getting ahead takes drive, ambition, and a fearless willingness to innovate and give consumers what they’re looking for.

Innovation Drives Success

The automotive industry is known for standing at the forefront of innovation, and it’s imperative dealerships continue down this path.  Consumers are looking for ways to gain more control over their purchases, as well as improve their overall buying experiences, and they’ll gravitate toward dealerships that are actively working to offer them great experiences.  By keeping your eyes open for the latest in innovative technology and consumer-focused platforms, your dealership will be able to ensure success with modern consumers.

Based on candid shopper feedback, we know there are pain points throughout the car-buying process that merit your time and attention.  In fact, although the industry has been focused on improving the shopping experience, as well as offering state-of-the-art vehicle technology, many consumers are still hesitant to enter the market and shop for new vehicles.  34% of millennials would prefer to wait in line at the DMV rather than visit a dealership, and 56% say they would prefer to clean their homes.  Astoundingly, 24% would even choose a root canal over the dealership experience.  All of this tells us there’s still work to be done.

The good news is a majority of emerging technology is aimed at addressing specific shopper pain points and improving the overall dealership experience.  From advanced communication platforms to streamlined processes to online applications and preliminary financing paperwork, the industry is thinking outside the box to meet the needs of busy shoppers who are looking for better ways to interact with dealerships.

As we round out the year—and as AutoAlert gears up to take its latest state-of-the-art consumer-focused technology to NADA100 in New Orleans in January 2017—we’ll be focusing on ways dealerships can satisfy consumers and offer valuable time- and money-saving opportunities.  AutoAlert’s latest product line-up includes the revolutionary Pando communication and collaboration platform, designed specifically to meet the unique challenges dealerships face by streamlining processes and connecting entire teams.  As communication improves between every dealership department, collaboration, productivity, and accuracy will increase—resulting in higher levels of customer satisfaction.

The data scientists at AutoAlert have also been hard at work developing the One-to-One Intelligent Marketing platform, a comprehensive data-driven solution focused on offering dealerships a 360-degree view of their customers.  Offering targeted and individualized communication at strategic customer ownership milestones, this platform gives dealers a competitive advantage in the marketplace by allowing them to reach the right customer with the right offer—at exactly the right time.

These and other innovations are taking the automotive marketplace by storm, and dealerships that leverage the insights and technology available to them are the ones making giant strides ahead of the competition.  It’s not enough to wait for customers to find you; instead, it’s imperative to seek out your customers and get to know them—before they ever show up on your lot.

Today’s shoppers expect businesses to know them, understand their preferences, and be able to predict the products and services that will meet their needs.  Your dealership can do this by leaning in to the latest innovations and thinking outside the box for modern solutions.  Customers will see you’re working on providing more streamlined and efficient shopping experiences—and you’ll win their approval every time.

This Week in Social Media

News for the Week of November 28

Instagram Lets Users Know When Screenshots Are Taken

Following in Snapchat’s footsteps, Instagram has added a feature that lets users know when someone screenshots an image or message they’ve posted.  This feature works with the app’s latest disappearing photo and message capability, which is highlighted below—and it has some users perplexed.  Since users can send messages that, by definition, “disappear,” it’s a bit baffling to some why they’re receiving messages that recipients have subsequently taken screenshots of those messages. 

Instagram Adds Disappearing Photos and Videos While Releasing Live Video

Instagram now allows users to share disappearing photos and videos to groups and individuals, offering an even more creative and visual way for users to connect with their closest friends. Additionally, live video has been added to Instagram Stories, allowing users to connect with friends and followers instantly—at any time in real time. Once a live video has ended, it disappears from a story—a feature that lets users feel more comfortable sharing. While live, friends can get notifications so they can watch, users can pin comments for everyone to view, or comments can be turned off completely. The live-video experience is directed completely by the person recording the video. With this feature, dealerships can get creative and provide customers with real-time information about everyday happenings or consider sharing customer testimonials with followers.  Live video is a great way to grow your audience and get more leads, so grab some attention for your dealership by leveraging the latest updates.

DriveTribe App and Social Platform for Car Lovers

Dubbed as “Facebook for Petrolheads,” DriveTribe—the social media platform and app for car and bike lovers everywhere—just launched for iOS and Android.  Driven by the hosts of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, this platform is designed to be simple and easy-to-use for anyone who’s interested in car or bike topics.  Described as “Pinterest meets Reddit meets cars and bikes,” it’s yet to be seen how the platform will stand up to public scrutiny, but there’s plenty of optimism.  Dealerships, keep your eyes on the newest social platforms and emerging news outlets, as you’ll be able to share the latest and greatest with your followers when you are on top of what’s happening in the social media world.  And who knows?  You may just run across something that piques your interest and becomes a trusted resource!

Facebook Updates Page Layout for Desktop

The new Facebook page layouts allow users to have a more customizable desktop experience, with customizable sections in the middle column, the ability to add new templates for business types with various new tab options, and the ability to see and share URLs more easily. Still in the test phase, these changes have not yet been released to everyone—but users around the globe should keep their eyes open because updates will soon be available worldwide. Dealerships, appearance is everything, so consider customizing your Page to appeal to your followers and capture attention.  You’ll generate more leads and keep people interested when you create a customized look and feel, and you’ll convey the personality of your dealership.  Take advantage of Facebook’s latest updates to add appealing personalization to your Page!

Facebook Getting Rid of Media Buying Specialty

Facebook Marketing Partners is a program that was designed to recognize excellence in a variety of categories of digital expertise.  Piloted in 2015 with eight different categories, this program has reached a point in which is now needs to be streamlined.  Effective December 31, 2016, Facebook will phase out the Media Buying specialty, which is one of the original eight categories in the 2015 pilot program.  Facebook has determined that, in its place, the Blueprint Certification, recognizing individual buyer competency with both Facebook and Instagram products, more fully meets the needs of agency partners.  Dealerships, be sure to capture attention by targeting specific audiences and directing relevant content toward your audience.  Remember to customize your headlines and utilize your ads to promote a variety of things, like Pages, apps, and events!  You’ll get more traction when you think outside the box and creatively appeal to a variety of consumers.

Tip of the Week – Find Your Niche & Get Good at What You Do

Whether you’ve been on social media for a while or you’re just getting started, it’s important to remember you can’t tackle every platform at once.  You’re working to build a social presence for your dealership and build an audience that recognizes you for your industry expertise—and that means you need to master one area before adding several others to the mix.  It’s much easier to be responsive, offer relevant content, and build a consistent following on a single platform, rather than jumping in and spreading yourself too thin on several platforms.

Think of it this way.  Anytime you want to become an expert in something, it’s important to start small.  If you want to learn how to cook, it’s probably going to turn out better if you tackle a project like eggs before attempting to make coq au vin or complicated soufflés!  Master scrambled eggs, move on to hard-boiled, and then, when you’re ready, tackle the bigger projects.

The same goes for building your social platform.  Give yourself time to become an expert—and give your followers time to recognize your presence and learn to expect your posts.  You’ll build a following and earn trust.  Check out a few quick tips to help you incrementally build your dealership’s social presence:

• Identify the platform.  Decide where you’re going to post and stick to that platform.  If most of your intended audience is on Facebook, then become an expert in the tools Facebook offers to help you reach and grow your audience.
• Make a plan.  Plan your content and the times you’ll post.  When you’re consistent with your posts, followers will expect your content, and they’ll look forward to your contributions.
• Post relevant information.  Get to know your audience by interacting, having online conversations, and listening to what’s important to them.  Then, post content that resonates and reflects what matters to them in the moment.
• Build relationships.  Rather than being solely focused on posting content, be sure you strike a good balance of interacting with your followers.  Be sure to answer questions in a timely manner—and ask frequently about what’s important to them.  You’ll build trust and get plenty of great ideas for future posts!
• Share, share, share.  The content you share doesn’t always have to be original content created by you.  Instead, be open to sharing great content your followers post—and keep your eyes open for valuable information from trusted sources you can share with your audience.  When you contribute helpful advice, guidance, and tips, you’ll build lasting relationships.
• Measure and evaluate.  Don’t be afraid to take a step back and really focus on what’s working—and what’s not.  Change things up and try different ways of doing things.  That’s how you’ll be able to fine-tune your strategy and become great at managing your social presence. 

Take time to get great at one platform before you dive into several different platforms.  You’ll still be able to build a large social following, and you’ll learn even more by truly focusing on all the tools available to you as you reach out to consumers.

You already know your customers are online learning about the products and services they’re considering.  And you’re probably ready to jump in the ring and share some of your own dealership content to hook them on your brand—which is awesome.  But before you start throwing articles, pics, and videos online, there are a few things to remember.  First, and most importantly, it’s up to you to create the best content possible to build consumer engagement and grow your online community.  Today’s consumers are fickle and demanding, so be sure to streamline and offer your best content, including only what’s relevant and interesting to your audience.

It may sound simple enough, but figuring out what your audience is looking for can be one of the trickiest parts of creating content that resonates.  It’s safe to say every business is looking for engaged consumers; that’s how sales are made and life-long brand relationships are built.  Everyone wants customers who are excited about their brands and who want to share that excitement with their online social circles.  After all, that’s the way social media works its magic.  But do you know how to make that work for your dealership?

Here are a few important things you can do to engage your online consumers and get them fired up for your brand:

• Know your audience.

It’s ok if you’re still building your audience.  In fact, it means you’re starting from a fairly blank canvas, and that can be fun.  Be sure you continue to include those who already follow you as you get to know new target consumers you want to reach.

Start getting to know what consumers want by being a great social listener.  Be sure you dedicate time to creating a presence on big social networks like Facebook and Twitter, and don’t just focus on creating content.  Instead, search industry keywords, your own brand, competitors, and anything else that relates to your dealership in the marketplace.  Pay close attention to the things consumers are saying and how they’re interacting with specific posts and types of content.  What are their interests, likes, needs?  What motivates them to comment, interact, shop?  The answers to these questions are important, because they will guide you as you select content that’s authentic and truly speaks to your consumers.

• It’s not all about selling.

Of course you want to sell cars.  And you want to get customers to come in for service and maintenance, too.  But when you’re planning content to engage consumers and build relationships, you’ll gain more traction by steering clear of the hard sell.  We’ve all seen the people who come across our social feeds (you know the ones) who post incessantly about selling the next great mascara or diet potion.  After a while, we either become immune to them—or worse, we block them and ignore them altogether.  No one wants to end up in the blocked category.

This may tough to accept for those who are hard-wired to sell, but you’ll gain more online followers when you contribute meaningful content that entertains, educates, and informs—rather than trying to convince online followers to buy.  And when you build your online audience, you’ll build trust, which will bring more customers onto your lot in the long run.

• Tell a compelling story.

Stories have been around since the beginning of time.  They’re our way of communicating who we are, what we stand for, and where we’ve been.  Your brand story makes your dealership unique, so look for ways to share relatable moments with consumers so they’ll feel more connected to you.  You’ll build engagement and loyalty when you’re able to let shoppers know what your dealership stands for in a way that resonates and creates a meaningful experience.

Stories are full of details, so when you’re choosing the details to share with consumers, focus on what drives them in the marketplace, what inspires them, and what causes them to pause and reflect.  Offer solutions that make their lives easier, and you’ll end up being the hero of the story every time.

• Interact and leverage user-generated content.

Your audience wants to know they’re appreciated—and that you’re listening to what they’re saying.  So be sure you have a regular social presence and engage in the conversations that are important to your followers.  Additionally, keep in mind your audience is full of great ideas when it comes to content.  They continuously post pics, links, and other valuable information, so when appropriate and when you have permission, take advantage of the additional content opportunities available to you.  Share what your audience shares and interact to let them know you care about what’s important to them.

Remember to thank your online audience and show your appreciation by calling out their contributions.  When you let them know how valuable their input and feedback are, you’ll create an atmosphere where more people want to interact and share with you—ensuring you grow your online audience and end up with even more content and potential customers.

Remember, you are creating a community.  Much like the community that surrounds your brick-and-mortar store, your online community looks to you to provide the information and insights they are looking for.  As a smart business owner and marketer, you hold the keys when it comes to engaging your consumers—and in today’s digital world, consumer engagement is key.

This Week in Social Media

News for the Week of November 21

Facebook Updates Metrics and Reporting

Facebook had reportedly been having some issues with the metrics it provided, so they have released several updates to help ensure the accuracy of their reports. They added updates that will increase third-party verification to validate and review data on impressions and views. A new Measurement Council has also been created to better standardize measurements tied to business outcomes. Additionally, a new internal process has been put in place to ensure all metrics released by Facebook are clear and up to date. Many bugs blamed for inaccurate data over the past few months have also been fixed. Dealerships, it’s important to collect all the data available to you, both pre- and post-campaign.  When looking at what did and didn’t work in a campaign, you’ll be able to see what needs to be changed based on audience reactions. Taking all metrics and measurements into account when making decisions for upcoming campaigns will help you ensure the best future responses.

Pinterest Adding New Video Pins and Discovery Feature

Just 3 months ago, Pinterest launched Promoted Video, a way to bring together the very best content for platform users, and now it’s recently added another new feature called Explore—a new auto-play version of the Promoted Video experience. Brands advertising with this tool can have a primary video playing with a list of their other videos running alongside it. Once the initial video is finished playing, the next will start playing automatically, essentially creating an episode of ideas from a single brand, making it easier for Pinners to view and try more ideas. Pinterest Explore will contain content from industry experts, top tastemakers, and even some of Pinterest’s own employees, who combine the favorites of Pinners today, as well as what is happening around the world. This is a location where Pinners can go to catch up on the latest and greatest of Pinterest. Dealerships, tell your story in a compelling way via Pinterest!  Now, with this newest feature, viewers can automatically see more of what they’re interested in as videos continue to the next idea in the line-up.  Be sure to update your content regularly and keep your posts organized so consumers can view your posts and browse at their leisure.

Periscope.tv Moments Now Shareable

Periscope has added a new share feature allowing users to share specific moments from broadcasts. When users are watching Periscope.tv a share button now appears in the bottom-left corner of the broadcast screen. By clicking this button, users can bring up the Share Broadcast menu, giving them the option to share it on Twitter or Facebook with a custom start time, matching the time the share button was clicked. Periscope also allows for another share option, giving users the ability to copy custom replay links and share them anywhere they please. Dealerships, make it easy for your viewers to share, and ensure they want to share your content, by offering information that is helpful, engaging, and entertaining.  Don’t forget to include a call to action if you want viewers to do something.  For example, “If you enjoyed this video, click here to share with your friends!”  This will go a long way to increase the number of people viewing and sharing your content.

Facebook Inbox Now Showing Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram

With the new update added to Facebook’s inbox, businesses can now link their Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram into one channel, allowing them to easily browse all three channels. This is aimed at keeping users from missing out on important messages as they flip back and forth between these platforms.  Now, users can simply click on a person’s name in the Facebook inbox, use basic information to personalize, and then choose the best way to communicate with that person based on previous interactions that person has had with the business. This update will be available to those who use the Pages manager mobile app, with availability for other devices coming soon. Dealerships, seeing every customer message is important, and it’s imperative nothing is missed.  You’ll be able to respond more quickly and efficiently to messages when you implement this new tool and streamline your incoming messages from these three channels.

Facebook Adding Analytics and Developer Tools for Messenger Bot

Facebook Analytics for Apps is a tool that helps businesses measure, understand, and optimize their customers’ journeys across both mobile and desktop devices. Facebook has just extended its analytics support to businesses that are building bots within the Messenger platform, a feature that adds the ability to see the number of messages sent, messages received, and people who have blocked or unblocked user apps—all without having to add any additional code. Users will also have the ability to access aggregated and anonymized demographic reports, giving them the opportunity to see exactly who is engaging with their bots. Dealerships, knowing your audience is key when it comes to personalizing campaigns and interactions with your customers. Being able to see who is communicating with your brand through your bots will allow you to tailor your messages and interactions to specific groups of people, increasing the amount of engagement throughout your audience.

Snapchat and Foursquare Partner up on Location-Based Geofilters

Foursquare is best known for its location and discovery app, having compiled a database of more than 87 million real-life places, including businesses, bars, restaurants, and markets. The platform has recently signed a deal with Snapchat, allowing them to use their data to power their geofilters—location-based graphics that can be overlaid onto images and videos throughout the visual messaging app. Before this partnership, Snapchat’s geofilters were tied to more general locations like cities, major sports arenas, or events. This newest capability will open up geofilters to a lot more people and services. Dealerships, be sure to stay up to date with the latest social technology and updates.  Remember, your customers are sharing and talking about you online, and it’s ok to occasionally have a little fun with geofilters, emojis, and fun text language when you’re sharing via online social sites.  Make it easy for your customers to share and increase your social reach by providing a link to your website and ensuring your profile and location information is up to date and easy to find!

Tip of the Week – Leverage Your Customer Data to Sell More Cars

Building a detailed database of your customers and their information is important in order to offer shoppers what they’re looking for in the marketplace.  When your dealership invests in a quality system to integrate and organize customer data, you’ll gain an advantage, because you’ll continuously have access to consumer needs and preferences, allowing you to have the right conversations at the right times—ultimately resulting in selling more cars.  The data you already have is valuable, but it’s important to ensure you’re leveraging it to its full capacity to position your dealership for ultimate success.  Check out a few tips to help you along the way:

• Know your customers. When you invest in a comprehensive marketing platform like AutoAlert’s One-to-One Intelligent Marketing, you’ll be able to gather the most important data about your customers and leverage it at just the right time to ensure you’re contacting the right people when they’re in market and ready to buy.  It’s worth the investment to know when consumers are shopping, where they’re shopping, what they’re interested in, and even who they’ve shopped with in the past.  When you know what your customers are looking for, you can be better prepared to offer exactly what they need.
• Consolidate into a trusted platform. Dealerships often have shopper information stored in many different locations.  Rather than rely on old ways of storing and looking up customer data, sync all your records into one convenient and innovative platform that aggregates intelligent shopper information to give you up-to-date, actionable insights.  You’ll have more time to dedicate to customers, and your sales team will always have relevant information at hand.
• Create an action plan.  Once you’ve begun compiling and organizing consumer data, create an action plan to strategically reach out to in-market shoppers with comprehensive campaigns.  AutoAlert’s One-to-One Intelligent Marketing offers a powerful format that includes offer letters, email campaigns, and personalized URLs for every lead.  When you formulate a plan and follow through with a variety of consumer touchpoints, you’ll remain top of mind and be successful in closing more deals.
• Follow up. It’s important to stay in touch with shoppers who have expressed interest in your dealership, and a powerful, comprehensive platform can help you do that.  By ensuring all your data is organized and kept up to date, it’s easy to see when it’s time to reach out to shoppers and touch base.

In today’s modern market, the importance of a comprehensive data solution can’t be overstated.  It’s worth the investment on the front end for your dealership to have access to consumer data and be able to have the right conversations about the right products—at exactly the right times.  After all, when you know your customers and present them with what they need, they’ll end up buying from you.

Today’s automotive consumers are more educated than ever, and that plays an enormous role in how they interact with your dealership.  Shoppers expect even more from your team, and it’s important everyone is prepared to interact with the newest consumer generations—savvy, connected individuals with access to endless information that helps them research and make buying decisions before they ever visit your showroom.

Reaching Your Consumers

Today, consumers are setting the pace for businesses in general, and this rings true for dealerships across the country.  To reach the largest audience and ensure your message resonates with as many potential buyers as possible, it’s important to understand how consumers are educating themselves in the marketplace:

·      28% of online activity is spent on social networks, so developing and maintaining a social presence for your dealership is key to growing consumer relationships.

·      Online reviews impact 67% of purchasing decisions, which means it’s imperative to stay on top of your online reputation.

·      Adults in the U.S. spend 5.5 hours each day viewing video content, and when your dealership leverages the power of video, you’ll reach more potential shoppers.

·      54% of shoppers would buy from a dealership that offers a great experience—even if the price is higher.  For your dealership, this means it’s essential to focus on providing the ultimate consumer experience.

·      While dealer average response time to consumer requests is 9.2 hours, today’s modern shoppers expect businesses to offer 24/7 real-time responses.  Dealerships offering instant online communication are building strong relationships with consumers who are looking for timely interactions.

The way your dealership works with educated and informed consumers is key in determining how shoppers will react.  It can be the deciding factor when it comes to turning shoppers into customers.  AutoTrader.com’s Vice President of Research and Market Intelligence, Isabelle Helms, says, “Since the majority of millennials are decided on which vehicle they want to purchase by the time they get to the dealership, the opportunity for dealers and OEMs to influence their purchase decisions is online—where millennials spend the majority of their shopping time.” By shifting a portion of your focus to online consumers and interacting with them where they’re doing a majority of their research, your dealership has the opportunity to begin building relationships earlier in the buyer journey, allowing you to impact crucial shopper decisions earlier in the research phase.  Being present during this stage is as important as addressing the needs of your customers once they’re on the showroom floor.

Work Smarter Not Harder

Your dealership can do several things to appeal to today’s shoppers and ensure you’re able to influence them and provide them with exactly what they’re looking for:

·      Use intelligent marketing. Most shoppers are already online, and that means there’s a wealth of information out there about them.  Your dealership can take advantage of this and implement platforms like AutoAlert’s One-to-One Intelligent Marketing to help you leverage valuable data and convert more opportunities.  Now, more than ever, intelligent data-mining solutions are integral to help you get to know your consumers and provide high-quality, personalized solutions.

·      Provide useful, relevant content. Consumers are hungry for knowledge, and when your dealership provides content that educates, offers helpful advice, and resonates in some way with the journey they’re on, you’ll grow your audience.  Create a schedule you can stick to and post consistently to gain attention and trust.

·      Don’t oversell on social platforms. Focus on offering helpful information, rather than sales pitches, when sharing content.  When searching online, consumers are primarily looking for insights and advice—so be a positive contributor by steering clear of hard pitches and instead using your platforms for sharing what’s new and informative.

When you understand how shoppers are approaching vehicle purchases, your dealership can be prepared to meet them in the marketplace and provide exactly what they’re looking for.  As mobile usage, online searches, and social sharing have continued to grow in popularity, consumers have adopted these methods for carrying out much of their shopping research.  For successful dealerships, this means shifting perspective to include reaching out to shoppers well before they arrive at your lot—because when you get to know your shoppers early in their buying journeys, you’ll be able to better meet their needs when they arrive in your showroom.

Knowing your audience is important when it comes to creating engaging content. A recent study revealed that those aged 55 and older are more than twice as likely to engage with branded content than those age 28 or younger.  Yep, you read that right, Baby Boomers are beating millennials—by a long shot—when it comes to interacting with your branded content!

Boomers tend to get a rap for being less-than-savvy when it comes to online know-how, but surprisingly, a recent poll found they actually represent the largest generational group that spends an hour or more per day online.  What differs with this generation, however, is the way they use online resources.  While they may not be big social media users, they do place quite a bit of value on being independent, and they’ve found online connectivity helps them reach out to business, get products they need, and contract services.  And don’t forget, some pretty major names are associated with both developing the internet and the desktop computer; some memorable Boomers include Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Steve Wozniak, and Steve Jobs.

Know Your Audience

When you appeal to your audience, you keep everyone engaged.  It’s not all about Boomers.  But it’s not all about millennials either.  There are plenty of generational groups to consider, as well as consumers from a variety of cultural backgrounds, with different income levels, and with infinite personalities.  The list could go on forever, but the main idea is you need to focus your messaging on the needs of your target audience.  And you need to know who makes up your local demographic before you can successfully target them.

Why?  Because you won’t stand a chance of gaining advocates who will share your brand message if you don’t connect with them in a way that resonates.  When you share content that adds value and meaning, you’ll capture consumer interest, and in turn, you’ll gain a larger audience.  Your dealership might be creating the best content in the world, BUT if it doesn’t ring true for your specific audience, it won’t stick.  Check out the following tips to help you create content consumers will want to interact with and share:

• Surprise them or make them curious. Creative, well-designed content is a great start, but go beyond that to capture and keep consumer attention.  You can have a more impactful emotional effect and make your followers feel important when you offer unexpected perks, such as invitations to exclusive events or discounts on services.  And you can make them more curious about your dealership by creating teaser content that leads intrigues them regarding new makes and models, features, or upcoming dealership specials.
• Make sharing quick and easy. Remove obstacles between viewing and sharing your content, so your audience can reach out and engage even more consumers.  Make it easy by adding share buttons to your website!  If this seems easy to you, that’s great; however, many businesses still haven’t done this, and it’s a missed opportunity.  And keep in mind, placement of these buttons is important. Make sure they’re in an easy-to-spot location.  Visitors to your page should be able to spot them easily without having to search.
• Ask for shares. Once you’ve completed successful transactions with your customers, don’t be afraid to ask them to share their experiences or leave feedback!  When you send a follow-up email, it’s easy to add a share button, but be sure to clearly ask customers to share.  (Often they’ll skim right past the button if you don’t ask.)  Additionally, keep in mind the importance of maintaining and staying active on your review sites.  It’s key to getting to know your customers and ensuring you provide exactly what they’re looking for in a dealership experience.  You’ll also be showing potential future customers your dealership is a great place to shop.
• Balance images and text. Your online audience is more likely to stop and read a post with an image that stands out. Online posts with images in color increase consumer willingness to engage by 80%, and consumers are 65% more likely to remember information if it’s paired with an image.  So it’s critical you do a good job of balancing your posts.  Images can accentuate great writing content and help it resonate you’re your audience.

It’s a big undertaking to get to know your audience, understand what they’re looking for in the marketplace, and ensure you provide content that resonates for everyone.  But when you take the time to get it right, it will pay off big-time for your dealership. When consumers are intrigued and engaged, they’ll be more invested in your brand—and they’ll share what you have to say with others.  You’ll increase your reach exponentially.  Take advantage of the ease of online access, as well as the fact that multiple generations are online, and create great content that spreads like wildfire.

This Week in Social Media

News for the Week of November 14

Instagram Adds More Features to Stories

New Instagram Stories features, including Boomerang, Mentions, and Links have been added to enhance the user experience and make things even more fun. Boomerang mode allows users to take bursts of photos, stack them together in video format, play them forward and backward, and share them on their Stories. Mentions is a new feature for Instagram, which allows users to share who they’re with or who they might be thinking of in their stories. Like other platforms, simply by placing @ before a username, they can mention another user, ensuring the username will appear in the Story being shared.  That username can then be clicked to take users directly to that person’s profile. “See More” Links allow verified accounts to add more links to the bottom of their stories. The links can then be viewed directly from inside the app. Dealerships, utilize this to mention and provide links to your website or blog; you can get more content to your followers and interact in new and innovative ways. It’s a great way to keep followers interested in your brand and drive traffic to your website.

LinkedIn Now Providing Sponsored InMail to All Marketers

This newest LinkedIn tool is aimed at solving the issue B2B marketers have when trying to deliver relevant and engaging ads to the right person. Sponsored InMail is now joining the group of self-service LinkedIn products available through the Campaign Manager. Sponsored InMail allows users to create a personalized and direct message meant to engage specific target audiences. With this new tool, users will be able to “personalize outreach to prospects, drive conversions with mobile-optimized features and reach members when they’re most engaged.” This latest update is aimed at optimizing user marketing strategies and helping businesses and individuals reach their fullest potential on this platform. Dealerships, timing is essential when it comes to ad campaigns. Engaging your target audience at the right time can be difficult, but with LinkedIn’s newest tool, you can see when users are the most engaged and reach out to them at optimal times to get their full attention.

Sponsored Messages Added to Facebook’s Messenger

Facebook Messenger just got a huge overhaul, but the biggest feature update seems to be the addition of Sponsored Messages. Facebook has made this feature available to all advertisers, giving them the opportunity to more easily interact with their target audiences. Facebook advertisers can reach people in their News Feeds and direct them to a conversation in Messenger. Users have been leveraging the News Feed ads to open Messenger conversations and raise brand awareness to increase sales. The new Sponsored Messages are available to businesses and developers who have an experience built on Facebook’s Send/Receive API. These messages can only be sent to people with whom these users have already created an existing conversation.  Dealerships, provide customers with a quick and easy way to contact you so they can remain engaged with your brand.  When followers see your content come up on their News Feeds, they’ll have the opportunity to jump right in on conversations, get their questions answered, as well as give you feedback. This helps build trust and long-term relationships with consumers, which lead to more sales for your dealership.

Periscope Offers More Ways to Connect With Audience

Periscope has released three new ways for users to connect with their audiences: Superfans, Groups, and Hearts. Superfans displays a list of up to ten people who are a user’s most engaged followers. This allows broadcasters to interact with the most dedicated audience members and gain insights into what works best. Superfans also allows users to see who has them listed as Superfans, giving even more insight and allowing for great relationship building. Groups allows users to broadcast and share videos with more granular sets of people. In other words, users can broadcast videos specifically to groups of their most loyal fans or to specific groups or communities with common interests. Additionally, the Hearts feature has been added to Periscope.tv, allowing viewers to add hearts and comments during live videos.  This can be done by logging in to their accounts and joining as a member of the audience in any live video. Dealerships, use Periscope’s newest updates to better pinpoint specific audiences and provide more personalized messages. Try creating videos for shoppers who love a specific vehicle make and model, or try broadcasting maintenance tips to new-car owners.  Personalization is BIG right now, and when you define consumer subsets and share relevant content based on their needs, you’ll be letting your customers know their needs are important to you.

Tip of the Week – Calls-to-Action Are Essential

When it comes to advertising and content, your focus should be on engaging your audience and getting them to act.  That’s why calls-to-action (CTAs) are so important.  They are the way you ask potential customers to do something.  Especially for online content, CTAs are the way you gather consumer information, but to do so, you first need to convince shoppers it’s worth their while to click the button.  In other words, the payoff needs to be convincing.

There are a variety of techniques when it comes to writing and implementing calls-to-action, and there are about a million different word combinations you could use.  The important thing, however, is to find what works for your dealership, what resonates with your customers, and what—in the end—incites them to act.  Below are some quick tips when it comes to finding and using the best calls-to-action:

• Capture attention.  Think of what interests your consumers the most and focus on that when creating your CTAs.  Consider asking a question, giving special discounts or rebates, and let them know there’s more to learn by clicking.
• Make it easy.  When creating your CTAs, keep in mind the need today’s consumers have for convenience and efficiency.  Don’t overcomplicate things with long forms or hard-to-follow instructions.  Instead, keep it minimal and make it painless for them to follow through.
• Don’t overload.  The old saying “there can never be enough” doesn’t apply with CTAs. Too many can make your page look busy and unorganized; not to mention, you stand the change of overwhelming or confusing potential customers.  Exercise restraint and strategically use your best CTAs to capture the most attention.
• Create a sense of urgency.  When you create your CTAs with a timeline, you’ll let consumers know they need to act quickly to take advantage of what you’re offering.  Try a “Contact us today for your $1000 rebate!” CTA—you’ll get shoppers to prioritize their actions and check out what you’re offering.
• Use creative placement.  CTAs aren’t just for web pages, so remember to place them in your other marketing materials as well.  Use them in blog posts, email campaigns, and on sidebars.  Run some placement tests to see what gets the most attention and generates the most leads. And once you find the sweet spot, be sure to put it to good use.

The best strategies are focused on what resonates with consumers.  Unorganized or irrelevant content won’t carry you very far—especially with today’s savvy and intuitive shoppers.  Be smart with your CTAs, let customers know what you’d like them to do, and appeal to them with convincing messaging.  By implementing great CTAs in your marketing, you’ll reach more shoppers in their online research phases, you’ll capture more consumer information, and you’ll gain more in-market leads. 

Just about everything we buy now has some sort of smart technology—and as soon as new products are created, safeguards must be put in place to protect consumers and their purchases.  While we’re excited when new technology is introduced, we’re wary of those who wait on the sidelines and try to sneak their way in.  When it comes to automotive, however, today’s consumers are protected by a progressive industry that continues to rise to the occasion when it comes to security, as well as in-vehicle innovations.

Consumers Want More Tech

The newest cars come equipped with incredible capabilities—including powerful computers that control things like automatic parallel parking and automatic brake application, allowing a vehicle to brake when an imminent crash is detected.  Because of the importance of maintaining driver safety with these advanced features, automakers know that security during the development of these newest features cannot be an afterthought.

In addition to autonomous vehicle features, consumers also demand more connectivity between their smartphones and their vehicles.  A recent AutoTrader study confirmed the importance of in-vehicle technology to consumers:

• 77% of those surveyed said tech features are more important than vehicle color.
• 65% said they would switch brands to get the tech they’re looking for.
• 39% prefer the navigation systems on their smartphones over those in their vehicles.
• 46% would pay up to $1,499 for an interactive dashboard.
• 57% want auto manufacturers to place more focus on integrating smartphones with all vehicles.

And all these things are happening.  Automakers like BMW and Tesla are pushing the limits of technology to offer consumers everything they’re looking for in vehicle autonomy and connectivity—and others won’t be far behind.  While focusing on all the latest technology, automakers continue to seek new ways to safeguard consumer information as they connect to their vehicles.

Most consumers know smartphones are vulnerable to attacks from hackers, but they may not think of the possibility of their vehicles being hacked once they connect.  This concern is so real, in fact, that recently, the FBI and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration made a joint Public Service Announcement to caution drivers regarding potential hacking situations and how to avoid them. 

To date, well-intentioned hackers experimenting to determine the extent to which they could control autonomous and connected vehicles have successfully made attempts to take control of vehicles from outside devices, resulting in altered braking and turning patterns, as well as incidents of information gathering.  This demonstrates the level of advanced manipulation that can occur when hackers access vehicles—and highlights exactly why automakers are so vigilant about safeguarding their latest innovations.

Your Dealership Can Help

Does this stop consumers from wanting these cars?  Absolutely not.  And that’s good for your bottom line.  These are the cars of the future, and as more automakers develop and produce new models, your lot will fill with them.  Today’s shoppers are savvy online researchers, but they’ll still have plenty of questions, and there are some things your dealership can do to ensure everyone is confident and informed.

Your customers will feel excited and prepared to drive the latest, most innovative cars off the lot when you take the following tips into consideration:

• Help customers prioritize.  Determine which features are most important for your customers and move forward from there.  Many shoppers are now prioritizing safety-related technology, such as collision warning or lane departure features, ahead of infotainment systems and other options, so it’s important to get to know individual shoppers and their vehicle needs before you begin to sell.  A well-informed sales staff can easily outline the benefits of every feature, ensuring customers get exactly what they’re looking for.
• Help shoppers understand the vehicles.  Because of changing vehicle capabilities, 57% of shoppers now believe they should spend at least 30 minutes inside cars they’re interested in buying to fully understand all their features.  For your sales team, this means ensuring shoppers feel comfortable taking their time, test driving, and asking plenty of questions.  Your team should be knowledgeable about the features and safeguards of every car; this way, they can help shoppers decide exactly what’s right for them.
• Help buyers get synced. Once cars are sold, go the extra mile and ensure your customers get all their devices synced.  You’ll give them a better overall experience if you help them through the entire experience, rather than just handing them the instruction manuals and leaving them to figure things out on their own.  Also, be sure to let customers know about safeguards that are in place to restrict access, protect their logons, or grant permissions to specific users.  By helping protect them from potential safety breaches, you’ll be showing them their safety and overall satisfaction truly matter to you.
• Educate shoppers about third-party applications. Many consumers don’t realize it, but third-party applications pose one of the biggest risks for connected cars today. Because automakers have no control over them, aftermarket plug-ins are just one more channel hackers use to gain access to vehicle computer systems. By educating your customers, you’re helping protect them and their personal information.  This is also a great time to reassure them that your in-house service and maintenance is the best route when it comes to ensuring their vehicles get the latest updates as they’re released.

For automotive professionals, one of the best moves you can make is to stay informed and educated about current and upcoming vehicle innovations.  Your customers will want to know exactly what’s coming their way, and when you can educate them regarding technology—as well as safeguards—you’ll stand out as an industry leader.  By staying up to date and sharing your knowledge, you’ll gain more customers, earn repeat business, and end up with advocates who share their positive dealership experiences with others.  It’s a win-win!

This Week in Social Media

News for the Week of November 7

Twitter Beefs Up Customer Service Efforts

Twitter announced they have added two new features to Direct Messages: welcome messages and quick replies. These new features allow businesses to provide customers with a better overall service experience. Welcome messages let businesses greet customers as soon as they enter a Direct Message Conversation and set expectations for how the interaction will play out. Quick Replies is a way for businesses to reply to customer messages in a timely manner, cutting wait times down to a minimum. These latest updates allow for a simpler way to handle customer interactions and provide them with the help they need more quickly and efficiently. Dealerships, there are always new and improved ways to help you communicate and monitor customer needs.  Be sure you stay on top of shopper needs and concerns to keep them happy and ensure they return to your dealership for all their automotive needs.  By staying in contact via multiple channels and providing consumers with top-quality customer service, you’ll win over life-long advocates.

YouTube Listens, Adding New Comment Features

YouTube took the comments and feedback left by their viewers to heart and added some new comment features, including Pinned Comments, Creator Hearts, and Creator Usernames. Pinned Comments give viewers the option to pin a specific comment to the top of their feeds, meaning the those comments are promted over the rest. The Creator Hearts feature allows viewers to pick and show their favorite comments by “hearting” them, while the Creator Usernames feature changes the way usernames appear under comments made by specific creators, showing viewers which comments were made by specific creators. These new tools create a more personalized and involved interaction experience, and they offer users more options when it comes to utilizing and viewing comments. Dealerships, make your presence known after the initial posting of your content. Viewers want to see you are there and reading their comments, and you can ensure you’re recognized with the newest YouTube enhancements. It is good idea to go through comments on your videos and interact with the feedback; you’ll demonstrate your willingness to interact, and you’ll keep your viewers engaged with your continued presence.

New Image Tools and Features Added to Medium

Medium added some new features to improve the story-telling experience on all platforms. Image grids can now be viewed on iOS and Android apps, as well as on any mobile device via the web. Images will appear as thumbnails that can be viewed as full versions when tapped and swiped. Medium also included the ability to format inline code. This was consistently one of their top requests, so they worked to offer the ability to include code blocks in user text that will be rendered automatically whenever code is pasted in the text. Also, users now have the option to click and drag images around in their stories simply by clicking on an image with the cursor and dragging it to a new location, preserving all formatting and layout options throughout editing. Dealerships, don’t discount the importance of mobility in today’s marketplace.  Your customers are on the go, and they’re looking for content they can easily access from any device.  To get the best interaction and traction with everything you post, ensure your content is compatible for all mobile devices.  You’ll avoid potentially being passed by simply because shoppers can’t get to your information.

Facebook Adds Resources to Help Business Influencers

Facebook has added a way to help business leaders get started, build a strategy, and connect with their audiences on Facebook. They have even added a downloadable Business Influencer Guide in their new resource center. Facebook is aware that businesses use their social media platforms to interact and connect with their customers and employees, so they aim to provide the best experience possible. Therefore, they have added these new features so businesses can communicate directly, control their messages, target specific audiences, and access their publishing tools so they can offer their communities a great experience as well. Dealerships, it’s a great idea to go above and beyond for your customers as well.  When you provide this kind of extra information and aim to educate and guide shoppers through every experience, you’ll be seen as a thought leader. On your website, consider posting car-shopping guide, a new-car maintenance guide, or even a financing guide.  You’ll be helping potential buyers, and you’ll give them more reasons to visit your site.

Tip of the Week – Help Your Customers, and They’ll Help You

Building customer relationships that last is important for your dealership to survive and remain on top. There are some quick and easy things that can be done to turn customers into life-long advocates, and advocates are important to you because they help spread the word about your dealership and extend your reach to even more shoppers.  Here’s what you can do:

• Always be ahead. By staying on top of every situation, you can provide a great customer experience for everyone. Work to keep shoppers informed throughout the buying process and be sure those who are waiting for service know what to expect in advance.  This helps everyone get the experience they’re looking for, and it helps earn trust for your dealership.  The more your customers know, the more they’ll trust you—and the more they’ll brag about you to all their friends.
• Interact on social media. Looking on social media to find brand advocates is like shooting fish in a barrel. Consumers who are already interacting with brands on social media are eager for brands to reach out to them. Look for positive comments from customers and thank them for choosing you and for their feedback. Be sure to interact with everyone, however.  Offer solutions and answer questions whenever you can, and you’ll build solid relationships that will lead to brand advocacy in no time.
• Personalize the experience. You’ll help your dealership stand out when you offer a personal experience for every shopper, and this means getting to know your consumers, what they’re looking for, and offering specific solutions that meet their needs.  By utilizing data and actionable insights, you’ll be letting shoppers know their needs are important to you, and you’ll win loyal advocates with your personalization efforts.
• Gather shopper opinions. When you ask customers for their feedback, you’re letting them know their opinions matter to you.  Especially online, your followers will likely be more than willing to share insights regarding products and services at your dealership.  Not only will this build trust between you and existing customers, it also gives you a way of gauging shopper needs and understanding ways you can improve the dealership experience.

Building brand advocates isn’t extremely difficult; it simply takes a little extra time and attention directed toward your customers.  It’s well worth the effort you’ll put in, however, when you realize the benefits you’ll get from creating life-long customer relationships that help you boost your dealership’s reputation and extend your reach to countless consumers.

Great brands differentiate themselves through storytelling.  Not the “once upon a time” kind, but rather the kind that gives consumers an inside view of what the brands are really all about.  Instead of simply telling shoppers what they do or what they sell, the secret behind their successful brand strategies lies in telling their stories—who they are, why they are, what they are—in a way that resonates and is meaningful to consumers.  When you take the time to get to know your audience, find out what clicks with them, and how they want to connect with you, you’ll be able to tell great brand stories that hit home with your shoppers.  The WAY you tell your story will stick with people and determine the success of your dealership.  It’s up to you, and it’s all about the story you tell.

There is a Native American proverb that states, “Those who tell the stories rule the world.”  This rings true in business, especially as the marketplace becomes more crowded with businesses working to be seen by consumers.  Consider the fact that most dealerships offer the same products and services as many of their competitors.  So with everything else being equal, what’s left to make them stand out from the crowd?

Stories define your dealership.

Stories form the backbone of your business, and best of all, they are unique to you.  You offer a wide range of products, services, and capabilities; and by weaving experiences together into a brand story, you create relationships with customers and earn their trust.  Rather than simply selling, you are building a brand presence and connecting with customers.

What’s in a Story?

If you’re wondering how to go about the actual storytelling, think back to the stories that have stuck with you over time.  You want your brand story to be as riveting as your all-time favorite—the story you never got tired of hearing.  And the great stories all have a few things in common: they have a hero, plenty of excitement, and they capture the audience’s attention.  For your dealership, it’s all about sharing meaningful moments in a way that resonates with consumers and makes them want to choose you.  When you think about how you’ll tell your story, keep in mind the things you most want your customers to know.

Show them how you are unique.  What does your dealership do that makes it stand out in the community?  Do you support local high school teams?  Do you regularly hold events like car-care clinics to educate shoppers?  Are you active with a local pet adoption program?  Share the things that make you an original and be sure to invite your customers to join in when you host events.  Your story is unique, so let it shine!

Use social media to broadcast your story.  Most of your customers are probably active on social platforms, so if you want your story to be heard, you’ll need to meet them where they are.  Hone your brand voice and take to your online forums—because that’s where your audience is hanging out.  Start with Facebook and Twitter and be sure to change things up and offer a variety of content to keep everyone interested.  You’ll boost interaction and gain recognition as you consistently interact.

Inspire customers with your culture.  When customers walk into a business that has a great culture, they know it.  How?  Because they can feel it.  They are immediately greeted by engaged employees who are happy to be doing their jobs, and instead of walking into a dealership where everyone is simply going through the motions, they walk into a car-buying experience.  When the foundation of your dealership is a culture of excellence and engagement, it’s evident to everyone who walks through the doors.  This is part of your story, and it’s told by the people who show up to work every day.

Share your dealership’s history.  Is your dealership family-owned?  Does it come from a long line of hard-working local men and women?  Whatever the history of your dealership, be proud to share it with your customers.  They will find a bond with the feeling of family and the reminder that you are a part of the hometown history they share.

Be ready with solutions.  Customers appreciate it when you lend an understanding ear, and often, they just want to know they’re heard when they have feedback for your dealership.  You become a part of their story when you empathize and understand where they’re coming from.  So whether they’re dealing with repairs, maintenance, financing, or other dealership details, you’ll forge a positive piece of your own story when you’re there to offer support and solutions.

Stand for something.  What does your dealership stand for?  Do you unequivocally offer the fastest tire rotations in town?  Then stand for that!  Does your service department have early hours for the rush-hour crowd?  The best wi-fi and workstations for customers who are waiting?  If your dealership offers a customer experience that is out-of-this-world, then stand for that.  Whatever it is, make it known.  The thing you stand for should be woven into every aspect of your dealership; it’s your story, so talk about it.

Tell it here, tell it there, tell it everywhere.  Your story is something you are proud of; in fact everyone in your dealership should be proud of it.  It should be shared with everyone who sets foot in the dealership, and every employee should be encouraged to shout it from the mountaintops—or at least on Facebook and Twitter.  Your employees have a MUCH greater online reach than your dealership alone, so encourage them to spread your story and be proud of the dealership where they work.  After all, it’s not just a dealership; it’s a story.

Remember, your brand is your story—and for a story to be interesting and engaging, there are important elements to consider.  Don’t forget the details and don’t forget your brand’s unique personality.  Remember to surround your customers with the experiences and culture of your dealership, and you’ll be giving them a way to emotionally connect.  When you tell an epic story, your dealership will be unforgettable!