Social Media Update

Signal for Facebook and Instagram

News junkies, you’re in for a treat.  Facebook recently introduced Signal for Facebook and Instagram, a free and easy way to make Facebook a part of your news-

gathering process.  Signal offers users the ability to newsworthy, photos, videos, and posts on both Facebook and Instagram.  This added feature makes staying on top of trending news stories easier for those reporting and reading the news, since these days, news reporting happens in real time on social media.  With the embed code feature, bloggers and reporters can add Facebook and Instagram posts to their own sites and link readers to the source. Signal offers dealerships the opportunity to become news sources for their audience.  Share trending, industry-related news on your dealership blog to draw in-market customers to your website.

Periscope Web Profiles

Users can now see all recent broadcasts for specific Periscopers simply by searching Periscope Profiles. Newly launched, Periscope now offers desktop web profiles for its users, allowing viewers to easily find links to other broadcasts. Keep in mind, however, Periscope still enforces the 24-hour expiration date on all videos, so unless you’re posting quite a bit, your profile screen will look fairly empty. Dealerships regularly posting videos of lot walkthroughs, events, and other broadcasts will now have a branded Periscope home, making it easier for viewers to find your content.

Pinterest Gets Faster for New iPhone

The newest iPhone offers even faster searching and Pinning for Pinterest fans, and users will be able to access their saved Pins more quickly as well. The iOS 9 update expands users’ access to Pinterest via iPhone.  Pinterest links will automatically open in the app rather than your browser, and phones with 3D touch offer users even more features. From inside the app, simply press and hold to make Pins larger and quickly Pin, like, or send.  Most consumers begin their search for a new vehicle on their mobile...  This makes having a solid Pinterest presence a critical part of your dealership content strategy.  Pinterest launched buyable pins a while back, transforming this idea place into a shopping mecca.  See what other dealerships are doing to promote their pages and start pinning! 

Introducing Pinterest Palettes

Pinterest continues to innovate, and their recent partnership with Topshop lets their creativity shine through. The Pinterest Palettes tool’s smart functionality discovers personal user color palettes by taking a look at personal Pins and revealing predominant color schemes to create an overall theme. Users start at Topshop.com and login with their Pinterest account. They then choose one of their boards to see what color palette it reveals. Topshop will give recommendations based on color palettes that are revealed in the specific user’s pins. For dealerships and businesses looking to stand out and present a creative front, give Pinterest Palettes a try! 

Snapchat Replay

Snapchat is all about user expression, and up until now, Snaps have always disappeared. Snapchat Replay is a brand-new way to share photos and moments, allowing users to choose the option of Replay for those Snaps that deserve a little extra attention. While it’s been around for almost two years, this option was limited to one Replay per user per day, however Snapchat recently reconsidered this option and is now offering more. Users can now purchase extra Replays starting at 3 for $0.99, and they can be used on any Snap received. The only catch is that each Snap can only be Replayed one time. Trophies are a bonus feature that come along with this upgrade. Snapchat gives businesses a chance to put a human face to their dealership. Consider using Snapchat to capture your millennial audience with behind the scenes snaps.   

Facebook Ad Views and Reporting

Facebook recently introduced a new ad-buying option which offers 100% in-view impression buying and ad analytics via a partnership with Moat, an ad analytics company. The partnership with Moat will independently measure Facebook video ads to give advertisers accurate video ad metrics. The in-view ad buying gives advertisers the option to purchase ad impressions where the entire ad has passed through a person’s screen in News Feed. Facebook continues to guide brands toward a more effective use of their Facebook pages.  The Facebook audience is the end user, so paying to play is becoming more necessary.  The alternative is leveraging employee advocates for or dealerships working to increase visibility with online and mobile consumers, keep your eyes on Facebook’s continual improvements. Set yourself apart by continually monitoring the success of your online efforts and improving with the help of reliable analytics.

Social Media Tip of the Week—Streamlining Your Process

Many of us learned early in life that you get back the equivalent of what you give. In other words, the results you get depend on the effort you put forth. This is true at work, in life, and it’s true when it comes to building your online social media presence as well. The quality of the content you put in will determine the results you net. It’s important to make your brand visible on social media, but how do you find the time?

There are nearly as many social media sites as there are online success stories, so how do you know where to start, how to spend your time, and dedicate your resources? You’re balancing a busy dealership, and you need to ensure your brand is visible where consumers are shopping and researching—which means you need to spend some time on social media. Unfortunately, if you’re not careful, social media can take you on a bit of a “rabbit chase.” To stay focused and do the best work for your brand, try the following tips:

• Find your people. Don’t blindly post words of industry wisdom if you’re not sure there are people who are listening. Do your research, find out where your potential shoppers are researching and interacting, and focus your time on those sites. This will cut down on lost time talking to consumers who really aren’t your target audience.

• Give them great content. You don’t have to spend all day wiping sweat from your brow and pounding at a keyboard (that’s what copywriters are for!). Instead, look for relevant content that aligns with your business and share it with your online followers. They’ll appreciate what you share, and you’ll save time.

• Befriend the calendar. Social media gets the best of all of us. One minute we’re researching marketing best practices, and the next, there’s an adorable puppy picture staring back from a friend’s Facebook page. It’s easy to get lost, so book some time during the week to schedule your posts rather than updating every single day. You’ll save time in the long run.

• Recycle and rework. Great content is great content, so unless something catastrophic—like the end of the internet FOREVER—happens, chances are good you can repurpose, reuse, and recycle much of your online content. If you have a message that’s worth sharing, be sure you use it to the max by sharing it across platforms and updating it whenever necessary. Often, a few simple updates and a little recycling can save you hours when it comes to sharing content.

• Engage your network. When you interact on social media, your followers will know you’re tuned in to them, but an additional bonus is the fact that your increased reach will begin to create a base of consumer advocates who will also interact with each other. Your social platforms will become more dynamic when you put in the time it takes to build relationships with people who can participate in discussions, give feedback, and influence others.

• Monitor what works. Not everything will work out the way you plan—and just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, new technology or platforms will come along to shake things up. Stay on top of what works so you’ll know where to invest your time and where your content is best received.

Diving into social media can feel a bit like walking into a life-sized maze; one twist and turn leads to another, and pretty soon, instead of focusing on your initial goal, you find yourself reading a tutorial on how to make homemade butter.   Tackle your social media campaigns and take control of the time you’re investing by zeroing in on exactly what needs to be accomplished; then, start planning ahead for posts, engaging your network, and working to get the most out of the great content you provide. You’ll save time and be able to focus on other dealership priorities as you streamline your social media process.

Social Media Update

Signal for Facebook and Instagram

News junkies, you’re in for a treat.  Facebook recently introduced Signal for Facebook and Instagram, a free and easy way to make Facebook a part of your news-

gathering process.  Signal offers users the ability to newsworthy, photos, videos, and posts on both Facebook and Instagram.  This added feature makes staying on top of trending news stories easier for those reporting and reading the news, since these days, news reporting happens in real time on social media.  With the embed code feature, bloggers and reporters can add Facebook and Instagram posts to their own sites and link readers to the source. Signal offers dealerships the opportunity to become news sources for their audience.  Share trending, industry-related news on your dealership blog to draw in-market customers to your website.

Periscope Web Profiles

Users can now see all recent broadcasts for specific Periscopers simply by searching Periscope Profiles. Newly launched, Periscope now offers desktop web profiles for its users, allowing viewers to easily find links to other broadcasts. Keep in mind, however, Periscope still enforces the 24-hour expiration date on all videos, so unless you’re posting quite a bit, your profile screen will look fairly empty. Dealerships regularly posting videos of lot walkthroughs, events, and other broadcasts will now have a branded Periscope home, making it easier for viewers to find your content.

Pinterest Gets Faster for New iPhone

The newest iPhone offers even faster searching and Pinning for Pinterest fans, and users will be able to access their saved Pins more quickly as well. The iOS 9 update expands users’ access to Pinterest via iPhone.  Pinterest links will automatically open in the app rather than your browser, and phones with 3D touch offer users even more features. From inside the app, simply press and hold to make Pins larger and quickly Pin, like, or send.  Most consumers begin their search for a new vehicle on their mobile...  This makes having a solid Pinterest presence a critical part of your dealership content strategy.  Pinterest launched buyable pins a while back, transforming this idea place into a shopping mecca.  See what other dealerships are doing to promote their pages and start pinning! 

Introducing Pinterest Palettes

Pinterest continues to innovate, and their recent partnership with Topshop lets their creativity shine through. The Pinterest Palettes tool’s smart functionality discovers personal user color palettes by taking a look at personal Pins and revealing predominant color schemes to create an overall theme. Users start at Topshop.com and login with their Pinterest account. They then choose one of their boards to see what color palette it reveals. Topshop will give recommendations based on color palettes that are revealed in the specific user’s pins. For dealerships and businesses looking to stand out and present a creative front, give Pinterest Palettes a try! 

Snapchat Replay

Snapchat is all about user expression, and up until now, Snaps have always disappeared. Snapchat Replay is a brand-new way to share photos and moments, allowing users to choose the option of Replay for those Snaps that deserve a little extra attention. While it’s been around for almost two years, this option was limited to one Replay per user per day, however Snapchat recently reconsidered this option and is now offering more. Users can now purchase extra Replays starting at 3 for $0.99, and they can be used on any Snap received. The only catch is that each Snap can only be Replayed one time. Trophies are a bonus feature that come along with this upgrade. Snapchat gives businesses a chance to put a human face to their dealership. Consider using Snapchat to capture your millennial audience with behind the scenes snaps.   

Facebook Ad Views and Reporting

Facebook recently introduced a new ad-buying option which offers 100% in-view impression buying and ad analytics via a partnership with Moat, an ad analytics company. The partnership with Moat will independently measure Facebook video ads to give advertisers accurate video ad metrics. The in-view ad buying gives advertisers the option to purchase ad impressions where the entire ad has passed through a person’s screen in News Feed. Facebook continues to guide brands toward a more effective use of their Facebook pages.  The Facebook audience is the end user, so paying to play is becoming more necessary.  The alternative is leveraging employee advocates for or dealerships working to increase visibility with online and mobile consumers, keep your eyes on Facebook’s continual improvements. Set yourself apart by continually monitoring the success of your online efforts and improving with the help of reliable analytics.

Social Media Tip of the Week—Streamlining Your Process

Many of us learned early in life that you get back the equivalent of what you give. In other words, the results you get depend on the effort you put forth. This is true at work, in life, and it’s true when it comes to building your online social media presence as well. The quality of the content you put in will determine the results you net. It’s important to make your brand visible on social media, but how do you find the time?

There are nearly as many social media sites as there are online success stories, so how do you know where to start, how to spend your time, and dedicate your resources? You’re balancing a busy dealership, and you need to ensure your brand is visible where consumers are shopping and researching—which means you need to spend some time on social media. Unfortunately, if you’re not careful, social media can take you on a bit of a “rabbit chase.” To stay focused and do the best work for your brand, try the following tips:

• Find your people. Don’t blindly post words of industry wisdom if you’re not sure there are people who are listening. Do your research, find out where your potential shoppers are researching and interacting, and focus your time on those sites. This will cut down on lost time talking to consumers who really aren’t your target audience.

• Give them great content. You don’t have to spend all day wiping sweat from your brow and pounding at a keyboard (that’s what copywriters are for!). Instead, look for relevant content that aligns with your business and share it with your online followers. They’ll appreciate what you share, and you’ll save time.

• Befriend the calendar. Social media gets the best of all of us. One minute we’re researching marketing best practices, and the next, there’s an adorable puppy picture staring back from a friend’s Facebook page. It’s easy to get lost, so book some time during the week to schedule your posts rather than updating every single day. You’ll save time in the long run.

• Recycle and rework. Great content is great content, so unless something catastrophic—like the end of the internet FOREVER—happens, chances are good you can repurpose, reuse, and recycle much of your online content. If you have a message that’s worth sharing, be sure you use it to the max by sharing it across platforms and updating it whenever necessary. Often, a few simple updates and a little recycling can save you hours when it comes to sharing content.

• Engage your network. When you interact on social media, your followers will know you’re tuned in to them, but an additional bonus is the fact that your increased reach will begin to create a base of consumer advocates who will also interact with each other. Your social platforms will become more dynamic when you put in the time it takes to build relationships with people who can participate in discussions, give feedback, and influence others.

• Monitor what works. Not everything will work out the way you plan—and just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, new technology or platforms will come along to shake things up. Stay on top of what works so you’ll know where to invest your time and where your content is best received.

Diving into social media can feel a bit like walking into a life-sized maze; one twist and turn leads to another, and pretty soon, instead of focusing on your initial goal, you find yourself reading a tutorial on how to make homemade butter.   Tackle your social media campaigns and take control of the time you’re investing by zeroing in on exactly what needs to be accomplished; then, start planning ahead for posts, engaging your network, and working to get the most out of the great content you provide. You’ll save time and be able to focus on other dealership priorities as you streamline your social media process.

Receta for a Relationship: 5 Special Ingredients to Help You Connect With Hispanic Consumers

As marketers, we are often guilty of planning, thinking, structuring—and then planning some more.  After all, it’s part of our jobs to analyze the consumer market and deliver targeted messaging in a way that will effectively resonate with a specific audience.  But what if we stepped back a moment and took a look at the bigger picture?  What if, instead of leaning on our knowledge of marketing statistics and data, we took a look at Hispanic consumers and considered the things that are really important to them when it comes purchasing products and services?

When it comes down to it, all we really want to do as marketers is make a connection with our consumers, but for many, that’s easier said than done.  We’ve all seen the brands that have either tried too hard—or not hard enough—when it comes to connecting with Hispanic consumers.  And just as clearly, we’ve taken note of the winners who stand out clearly when they really hit the mark with their messaging, their imagery, and their overall campaigns.  So what’s the difference?  What makes one brand or marketing strategy more successful than another?  What makes one message ring true while others hit a sour note?

Family, Traditions, and Culture

When it comes to connecting with Hispanic consumers, dealerships first need to understand how to make the marketing journey more about people and connections and less about numbers, business, and data.  Take a few moments to let that sink in.

If you’re still reading (and hopefully you are), it’s a good sign you already know a little—or a lot—about the Hispanic culture and you’re anxious to make an authentic connection with the consumers your dealership serves.  If you’re in shock at the mere thought of setting numbers aside and focusing on feelings, rest assured we’re not asking you to throw business sense out the window; we’re simply going to take a look at things from a different perspective.  And in order to do that, we’ll need to first take a look at the Hispanic culture as seen through a less data-driven lens.

Every modern dealership knows the importance of marketing to Hispanic consumers.  After all, they represent an economic powerhouse, with current spending reaching over $1.5 trillion per year.  This amount continues to increase, and Hispanic shoppers have shown us their preferences lean unequivocally toward businesses that present them with authentic, meaningful solutions that take into consideration the richness of their culture, the importance of their traditions, and the strength of the bonds that link families and friends in Hispanic communities.  As the singer and cultural icon Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Perez, said, “You can try to invade, but it’s not a culture you invade.  It’s a culture that lets you in.”

The Receta—Your Recipe for Success

There’s no question as to whether dealerships should be focused on multicultural marketing strategies.  The answer is a resounding “Yes!”  The Hispanic population in the U.S. continues to grow, and companies not marketing to this demographic will see themselves flounder as a multicultural and multifaceted marketplace moves swiftly past them.  But as you’ve just read, the relationship with your Hispanic consumers is one that can’t be forced; instead it’s one that must be created over time and cultivated to reflect trust and a respect for the importance of culture and customs.

While the Hispanic population in the U.S. is now primarily second-generation, it’s important to note some similarities between first-generation and second-generation Hispanic consumers that affect the way companies choose to communicate.  For example, although second-generation Hispanic shoppers tend to be U.S. born and bilingual, they are very focused on the role of their ethnicity in advertising and how they are portrayed when targeted in marketing campaigns.  It’s common for businesses to set a primary goal of providing Spanish-language translation, but it’s key to note that while primarily first-generation Hispanic consumers are focused on seeking content in Spanish, bilingual second-generation consumers are less focused on language and more focused on overall identity.

So, what should you do?  What’s the secret sauce?  The secret is there is no one single secret.  Every individual is unique, and every Hispanic community is unique.  There are 21 countries in the world that list Spanish as the official language, each of which is represented to some degree within the U.S., which makes for a variety of diverse Hispanic communities throughout the country.  There is no ONE right way to communicate and connect; however, there are5 Special Ingredients you can keep in mind to help you along the way:

• Celebrate heritage and history.  Hispanic consumers appreciate businesses that recognize the importance of their cultural background.  The efforts you put in when it comes to including what’s important and taking the time to celebrate their individuality and values will go a long way toward earning shopper trust.

• Be authentic.  The time you spend getting to know your intended audience will shine through in your authenticity, which is a huge determining factor when it comes to consumer decision making, especially in the Hispanic community.  Authentic messages will reach consumers on an emotional level and connect with them to deliver an experience, rather than simply selling them products and services.

• Language is important.  Whether your intended audience prefers Spanish, English, or a combination of both, the choice of language is key to your marketing message.  This is why it’s extremely important for you to get to know your audience and learn their preferences.  No matter the language, it’s important to ensure your content is culturally relevant and helps you connect with shoppers on their comfort level.

• Don’t try too hard.  That’s the fastest way to sound inauthentic, and it’s also usually a quick road to launching marketing messages that don’t resonate.  When you sound natural and interact conversationally with your consumers, they’ll understand you truly want to be there and are making an effort to understand what they need.  Get to know your consumers—and then interact, engage, and share with them via social media platforms.

• Embrace diversity.  Only 34% of U.S. Hispanics are foreign-born, which means the remaining percentage are U.S.-born; and while 35 million Hispanic individuals claim Spanish is their dominant language, there is still a solid 25% who are English-dominant, and a higher percentage still—36%—who are bilingual.  Add to that the diversity that comes from different countries of origin, a passionate spirit for innovation and change, and various cultural celebrations—and it’s easy to see the diversity in the U.S. Hispanic population.  Successful marketers will embrace this diversity, rather than attempt to group individuals into one large population segment.

Multicultural Marketing Is Innovation

You would never place stock in a person who told you to turn your back on innovation; in fact, you’d know immediately it would be the wrong thing for your business.  Innovation keeps businesses moving forward; it keeps things from stagnating.  And that’s why it’s important to continually be aware of key elements that drive innovation for your business.  In order to stay ahead and thrive in the marketplace, you must innovate—and planning your multicultural marketing strategy is part of innovation.

As multicultural groups throughout the U.S. continue to grow and flourish, it’s important to ensure your dealership is working toward an inclusive marketing plan that embraces the traditions and history that are woven throughout various cultures.  Only by doing this will you create a meaningful relationship with your Hispanic audience.  Every day, professionals and businesses look to leaders in the marketplace for examples of great ways to empower and encourage consumers who are looking for authentic brands.  This is your opportunity to be a leader, to innovate, and to encourage others to reach out to consumers with strong multicultural marketing plans.  The mainstream market in the U.S. has quickly transformed into a multicultural opportunity for businesses who are ready to innovate and reach out to form meaningful consumer relationships.

Back to the Drawing Board

No company gets everything right on the first try; you’ll likely go back to the drawing board multiple times as you work to convey timely, relevant, and meaningful messages.  But here’s the thing: you’re moving in the right direction, and as your business moves forward, you’ll find consumers gravitating toward you because of your thoughtful approach and because of the relationships you’re creating.  Mistakes will be made, and you’ll learn in the process.  Do your best to really—REALLY—get out there and get to know your audience.  Learn who will be hearing your message, learn the things that matter to them, learn what’s needed when it comes to the products and services you offer, and then meet consumers with the very best version of your brand.  That is authenticity.

It can be difficult to step back and let it be about the feelings that accompany our marketing messages, and it’s tougher still to set aside the graphs and spreadsheets and take a look at relationships.  However, when it comes to Hispanic consumers and creating a bond that will earn loyal shoppers, it really is all about getting to know our consumers and building solid, lasting relationships based on trust and authenticity.   

Article written by: Janelle Stahl, Senior Content Manager

Receta for a Relationship: 5 Special Ingredients to Help You Connect With Hispanic Consumers

As marketers, we are often guilty of planning, thinking, structuring—and then planning some more.  After all, it’s part of our jobs to analyze the consumer market and deliver targeted messaging in a way that will effectively resonate with a specific audience.  But what if we stepped back a moment and took a look at the bigger picture?  What if, instead of leaning on our knowledge of marketing statistics and data, we took a look at Hispanic consumers and considered the things that are really important to them when it comes purchasing products and services?

When it comes down to it, all we really want to do as marketers is make a connection with our consumers, but for many, that’s easier said than done.  We’ve all seen the brands that have either tried too hard—or not hard enough—when it comes to connecting with Hispanic consumers.  And just as clearly, we’ve taken note of the winners who stand out clearly when they really hit the mark with their messaging, their imagery, and their overall campaigns.  So what’s the difference?  What makes one brand or marketing strategy more successful than another?  What makes one message ring true while others hit a sour note?

Family, Traditions, and Culture

When it comes to connecting with Hispanic consumers, dealerships first need to understand how to make the marketing journey more about people and connections and less about numbers, business, and data.  Take a few moments to let that sink in.

If you’re still reading (and hopefully you are), it’s a good sign you already know a little—or a lot—about the Hispanic culture and you’re anxious to make an authentic connection with the consumers your dealership serves.  If you’re in shock at the mere thought of setting numbers aside and focusing on feelings, rest assured we’re not asking you to throw business sense out the window; we’re simply going to take a look at things from a different perspective.  And in order to do that, we’ll need to first take a look at the Hispanic culture as seen through a less data-driven lens.

Every modern dealership knows the importance of marketing to Hispanic consumers.  After all, they represent an economic powerhouse, with current spending reaching over $1.5 trillion per year.  This amount continues to increase, and Hispanic shoppers have shown us their preferences lean unequivocally toward businesses that present them with authentic, meaningful solutions that take into consideration the richness of their culture, the importance of their traditions, and the strength of the bonds that link families and friends in Hispanic communities.  As the singer and cultural icon Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Perez, said, “You can try to invade, but it’s not a culture you invade.  It’s a culture that lets you in.”

The Receta—Your Recipe for Success

There’s no question as to whether dealerships should be focused on multicultural marketing strategies.  The answer is a resounding “Yes!”  The Hispanic population in the U.S. continues to grow, and companies not marketing to this demographic will see themselves flounder as a multicultural and multifaceted marketplace moves swiftly past them.  But as you’ve just read, the relationship with your Hispanic consumers is one that can’t be forced; instead it’s one that must be created over time and cultivated to reflect trust and a respect for the importance of culture and customs.

While the Hispanic population in the U.S. is now primarily second-generation, it’s important to note some similarities between first-generation and second-generation Hispanic consumers that affect the way companies choose to communicate.  For example, although second-generation Hispanic shoppers tend to be U.S. born and bilingual, they are very focused on the role of their ethnicity in advertising and how they are portrayed when targeted in marketing campaigns.  It’s common for businesses to set a primary goal of providing Spanish-language translation, but it’s key to note that while primarily first-generation Hispanic consumers are focused on seeking content in Spanish, bilingual second-generation consumers are less focused on language and more focused on overall identity.

So, what should you do?  What’s the secret sauce?  The secret is there is no one single secret.  Every individual is unique, and every Hispanic community is unique.  There are 21 countries in the world that list Spanish as the official language, each of which is represented to some degree within the U.S., which makes for a variety of diverse Hispanic communities throughout the country.  There is no ONE right way to communicate and connect; however, there are5 Special Ingredients you can keep in mind to help you along the way:

• Celebrate heritage and history.  Hispanic consumers appreciate businesses that recognize the importance of their cultural background.  The efforts you put in when it comes to including what’s important and taking the time to celebrate their individuality and values will go a long way toward earning shopper trust.

• Be authentic.  The time you spend getting to know your intended audience will shine through in your authenticity, which is a huge determining factor when it comes to consumer decision making, especially in the Hispanic community.  Authentic messages will reach consumers on an emotional level and connect with them to deliver an experience, rather than simply selling them products and services.

• Language is important.  Whether your intended audience prefers Spanish, English, or a combination of both, the choice of language is key to your marketing message.  This is why it’s extremely important for you to get to know your audience and learn their preferences.  No matter the language, it’s important to ensure your content is culturally relevant and helps you connect with shoppers on their comfort level.

• Don’t try too hard.  That’s the fastest way to sound inauthentic, and it’s also usually a quick road to launching marketing messages that don’t resonate.  When you sound natural and interact conversationally with your consumers, they’ll understand you truly want to be there and are making an effort to understand what they need.  Get to know your consumers—and then interact, engage, and share with them via social media platforms.

• Embrace diversity.  Only 34% of U.S. Hispanics are foreign-born, which means the remaining percentage are U.S.-born; and while 35 million Hispanic individuals claim Spanish is their dominant language, there is still a solid 25% who are English-dominant, and a higher percentage still—36%—who are bilingual.  Add to that the diversity that comes from different countries of origin, a passionate spirit for innovation and change, and various cultural celebrations—and it’s easy to see the diversity in the U.S. Hispanic population.  Successful marketers will embrace this diversity, rather than attempt to group individuals into one large population segment.

Multicultural Marketing Is Innovation

You would never place stock in a person who told you to turn your back on innovation; in fact, you’d know immediately it would be the wrong thing for your business.  Innovation keeps businesses moving forward; it keeps things from stagnating.  And that’s why it’s important to continually be aware of key elements that drive innovation for your business.  In order to stay ahead and thrive in the marketplace, you must innovate—and planning your multicultural marketing strategy is part of innovation.

As multicultural groups throughout the U.S. continue to grow and flourish, it’s important to ensure your dealership is working toward an inclusive marketing plan that embraces the traditions and history that are woven throughout various cultures.  Only by doing this will you create a meaningful relationship with your Hispanic audience.  Every day, professionals and businesses look to leaders in the marketplace for examples of great ways to empower and encourage consumers who are looking for authentic brands.  This is your opportunity to be a leader, to innovate, and to encourage others to reach out to consumers with strong multicultural marketing plans.  The mainstream market in the U.S. has quickly transformed into a multicultural opportunity for businesses who are ready to innovate and reach out to form meaningful consumer relationships.

Back to the Drawing Board

No company gets everything right on the first try; you’ll likely go back to the drawing board multiple times as you work to convey timely, relevant, and meaningful messages.  But here’s the thing: you’re moving in the right direction, and as your business moves forward, you’ll find consumers gravitating toward you because of your thoughtful approach and because of the relationships you’re creating.  Mistakes will be made, and you’ll learn in the process.  Do your best to really—REALLY—get out there and get to know your audience.  Learn who will be hearing your message, learn the things that matter to them, learn what’s needed when it comes to the products and services you offer, and then meet consumers with the very best version of your brand.  That is authenticity.

It can be difficult to step back and let it be about the feelings that accompany our marketing messages, and it’s tougher still to set aside the graphs and spreadsheets and take a look at relationships.  However, when it comes to Hispanic consumers and creating a bond that will earn loyal shoppers, it really is all about getting to know our consumers and building solid, lasting relationships based on trust and authenticity.   

Article written by: Janelle Stahl, Senior Content Manager

Social Media Update for the Week of September 7, 2015

Meerkat Live Hashtags

A brand-new approach to stream discovery, Meerkat welcomes live hashtags this week. By including a hashtag in stream titles, user posts will be added to the user-generated feed of hashtags at the top of the app. Hashtags that appear with an underscore include both scheduled and live streams. By adding a hashtag, users can boost their titles and reach brand-new audiences with their videos, increasing exposure and growing their online communities. Savvy dealerships that are already taking advantage of live streaming can now boost their videos and stream directly to categories matching their topics. Keep a regular stream going and reach even more customers by creating your own dealership hashtag!

New Messaging on LinkedIn

LinkedIn just made it easier for users to message each other. Recognizing the need for more casual, short conversations, the social media site for professionals now offers a new “messaging experience” that promises to make it easier to have light, meaningful conversations. As professional lives evolve and the ways people work together continue to change, LinkedIn has worked to change with them, now offering a cleaner look, a chat-style interface for easy messaging, and easily-referenced messages. Included in this latest upgrade are improvements to push and email notifications, making it even easier to stay up-to-date with important conversations. Look for new features like being able to add stickers, emojis, and GIFs to messages to add a little pizzazz. Dealerships working their social media connections can stay in touch with business connections using LinkedIn’s newly updated features. Don’t forget to add inventory pics or shots from the showroom floor to make your message more meaningful.

Improvements to Instagram Direct

With more than 85 million users, Instagram Direct was due for some updates. Users can look forward to features like threaded messages and the ability to send content from their feed as a Direct message. Threaded messages allow conversations to flow more naturally by creating threads based on the people who appear in user photos or videos. This feature, combined with the ability to now name groups, gives Instagram users more control when it comes to responding and interacting with posts. With the newest update, users will note an arrow next to the like and comment icons under every post; simply by tapping it, the post can be sent to a friend or a group as a message. Create new connections and foster existing connections with Instagram Direct’s newest updates. Dealerships can reach out to contacts, create real connections, and keep messages for future reference.

Twitter Self-Service Ads

Twitter recently announced its self-service ad expansion—from availability in 33 countries to now over 200 countries. Target audiences for businesses all over the world can now be reached in 15 languages on Twitter, with the number of advertisers on Twitter sitting at approximately 100,000. With businesses using Twitter to drive engagement through leads, website clicks, and conversions, the social media app continues assist advertisers in reaching potential clients. Dealerships looking to get the most out of Twitter ads can use the Lead Generation Card to collect leads within tweets or the Website Card to drive traffic to their own website.

Tumblr Improves Reblog Comments

Tumblr users can now rest their eyes. Starting this week, instead of the old way of reading reblog comments—the indent-and-then-indent-some-more method—comments will now actually be readable. It may seem like a small change, but for users who have been battling fatigue just trying to keep up with all the indented comments, the new in-line reblog comments are refreshing. If your dealership is looking to add another social media site to its repertoire, take a look at Tumblr. Home to almost 65 million blogs and boasting nearly 17 billion page views per month, not only is it another powerful outlet for spreading brand awareness, you’ll also be able to integrate your Tumblr posts into your Facebook timeline.

Native Gmail Ads for All Advertisers

Beginning September 1, Gmail ads became available to all advertisers, directly in AdWords. Offering interactive formats that have been tested to engage users, improvements include removing standard text ads from Gmail and showing fewer, higher-quality native ads. Evolving Gmail ads allow advertisers the opportunity to reach a larger audience with advanced display targeting, and customizable ad templates allow advertisers to feature a single image, a call-to-action button, combine an image and a description, or showcase various products. Additionally, users will experience more overall control over the ads they see. Dealerships looking to propel an event or promotion toward success can look toward AdWords for a broad online reach. The flexibility of being able to stop, resume, restart, and rework campaigns can help you keep your information up-to-date and performing well with your audience.

Skype 6.0 Is Here

With a newly redesigned platform and brand-new updates, Skype 6.0 for Android and iOS hit the ground running. Designed to be more natural and intuitive, Skype offers new capabilities that will keep just about every user happy. Android users can look forward to custom ringtones, photo sharing, web link previews, a floating action button, and improved messaging. For iOS users, look for easy-to-use apps with swipe gestures for calling and managing messages, easier photo sharing, web links, and emoticons. Enhanced search, for both Android and iOS users, will make it easier for everyone to find things simply by using the new recents tab. If your dealership is using Skype to stay connected, things just got easier! Share video calls, audio calls, chats, or messages with the newly updated features and keep everyone in touch and on the same page.

Tip of the Week—Keeping Your Content in Context

The phrase du jour is “Content Marketing.” We hear it everywhere, and all the cool kids are doing it; but there’s more to content marketing than simply tossing copy, pictures, and videos online for potential customers to see. Successful content marketing takes time and careful consideration on your part in order to provide targeted information your audience will find useful and relevant. Content that educates and hits the “sweet spot” when it comes to resonating with shoppers is more likely to hit its mark than content that’s pushed onto your platform without regard to consumer needs and usage preferences.

Keeping in mind the context of your marketing and the mindset of your audience is a great way to ensure your message sticks. It’s important to note different audiences receive information differently and value varying features of your product or service, and that makes it extremely important for you to do some legwork before you do your marketing work. For example, be able to answer the following questions about your audience so you’ll know exactly how to address their questions, concerns, and interests with your best marketing foot forward:

• Are you speaking to early adopters of technology? What tech products do they lean toward using most?
• How will your product fit into these consumers’ lifestyles?
• How is this group of consumers most likely to get the greatest benefit from your product?
• If your product has multiple facets or uses, which aspects of it will apply most to your targeted audience?
• What age groups are you targeting? How does this affect the way consumers research, learn about, and ultimately purchase your product?
• Are there things preventing these consumers from purchasing your product? If so, what are the roadblocks, and how can you deconstruct them?
• Do you have competitors going after this same audience? How do you distinguish yourself from them?
• What are the cultural, social, age, and socioeconomic demographics of your audience?

These are just a few questions to get you started. It’s impossible to quantify the number of interactions, questions, and answers it would take to get to know a consumer fully, however, what’s important is that you work toward gaining the greatest possible understanding of your audience. When you can relate to the way consumers feel—and when you can predict some of their marketplace needs—you’ll be better able to present marketing that makes sense to them. By offering messages within a context that’s understood by your target market, your brand will reap the benefits.

Social Media Update for the Week of September 7, 2015

Meerkat Live Hashtags

A brand-new approach to stream discovery, Meerkat welcomes live hashtags this week. By including a hashtag in stream titles, user posts will be added to the user-generated feed of hashtags at the top of the app. Hashtags that appear with an underscore include both scheduled and live streams. By adding a hashtag, users can boost their titles and reach brand-new audiences with their videos, increasing exposure and growing their online communities. Savvy dealerships that are already taking advantage of live streaming can now boost their videos and stream directly to categories matching their topics. Keep a regular stream going and reach even more customers by creating your own dealership hashtag!

New Messaging on LinkedIn

LinkedIn just made it easier for users to message each other. Recognizing the need for more casual, short conversations, the social media site for professionals now offers a new “messaging experience” that promises to make it easier to have light, meaningful conversations. As professional lives evolve and the ways people work together continue to change, LinkedIn has worked to change with them, now offering a cleaner look, a chat-style interface for easy messaging, and easily-referenced messages. Included in this latest upgrade are improvements to push and email notifications, making it even easier to stay up-to-date with important conversations. Look for new features like being able to add stickers, emojis, and GIFs to messages to add a little pizzazz. Dealerships working their social media connections can stay in touch with business connections using LinkedIn’s newly updated features. Don’t forget to add inventory pics or shots from the showroom floor to make your message more meaningful.

Improvements to Instagram Direct

With more than 85 million users, Instagram Direct was due for some updates. Users can look forward to features like threaded messages and the ability to send content from their feed as a Direct message. Threaded messages allow conversations to flow more naturally by creating threads based on the people who appear in user photos or videos. This feature, combined with the ability to now name groups, gives Instagram users more control when it comes to responding and interacting with posts. With the newest update, users will note an arrow next to the like and comment icons under every post; simply by tapping it, the post can be sent to a friend or a group as a message. Create new connections and foster existing connections with Instagram Direct’s newest updates. Dealerships can reach out to contacts, create real connections, and keep messages for future reference.

Twitter Self-Service Ads

Twitter recently announced its self-service ad expansion—from availability in 33 countries to now over 200 countries. Target audiences for businesses all over the world can now be reached in 15 languages on Twitter, with the number of advertisers on Twitter sitting at approximately 100,000. With businesses using Twitter to drive engagement through leads, website clicks, and conversions, the social media app continues assist advertisers in reaching potential clients. Dealerships looking to get the most out of Twitter ads can use the Lead Generation Card to collect leads within tweets or the Website Card to drive traffic to their own website.

Tumblr Improves Reblog Comments

Tumblr users can now rest their eyes. Starting this week, instead of the old way of reading reblog comments—the indent-and-then-indent-some-more method—comments will now actually be readable. It may seem like a small change, but for users who have been battling fatigue just trying to keep up with all the indented comments, the new in-line reblog comments are refreshing. If your dealership is looking to add another social media site to its repertoire, take a look at Tumblr. Home to almost 65 million blogs and boasting nearly 17 billion page views per month, not only is it another powerful outlet for spreading brand awareness, you’ll also be able to integrate your Tumblr posts into your Facebook timeline.

Native Gmail Ads for All Advertisers

Beginning September 1, Gmail ads became available to all advertisers, directly in AdWords. Offering interactive formats that have been tested to engage users, improvements include removing standard text ads from Gmail and showing fewer, higher-quality native ads. Evolving Gmail ads allow advertisers the opportunity to reach a larger audience with advanced display targeting, and customizable ad templates allow advertisers to feature a single image, a call-to-action button, combine an image and a description, or showcase various products. Additionally, users will experience more overall control over the ads they see. Dealerships looking to propel an event or promotion toward success can look toward AdWords for a broad online reach. The flexibility of being able to stop, resume, restart, and rework campaigns can help you keep your information up-to-date and performing well with your audience.

Skype 6.0 Is Here

With a newly redesigned platform and brand-new updates, Skype 6.0 for Android and iOS hit the ground running. Designed to be more natural and intuitive, Skype offers new capabilities that will keep just about every user happy. Android users can look forward to custom ringtones, photo sharing, web link previews, a floating action button, and improved messaging. For iOS users, look for easy-to-use apps with swipe gestures for calling and managing messages, easier photo sharing, web links, and emoticons. Enhanced search, for both Android and iOS users, will make it easier for everyone to find things simply by using the new recents tab. If your dealership is using Skype to stay connected, things just got easier! Share video calls, audio calls, chats, or messages with the newly updated features and keep everyone in touch and on the same page.

Tip of the Week—Keeping Your Content in Context

The phrase du jour is “Content Marketing.” We hear it everywhere, and all the cool kids are doing it; but there’s more to content marketing than simply tossing copy, pictures, and videos online for potential customers to see. Successful content marketing takes time and careful consideration on your part in order to provide targeted information your audience will find useful and relevant. Content that educates and hits the “sweet spot” when it comes to resonating with shoppers is more likely to hit its mark than content that’s pushed onto your platform without regard to consumer needs and usage preferences.

Keeping in mind the context of your marketing and the mindset of your audience is a great way to ensure your message sticks. It’s important to note different audiences receive information differently and value varying features of your product or service, and that makes it extremely important for you to do some legwork before you do your marketing work. For example, be able to answer the following questions about your audience so you’ll know exactly how to address their questions, concerns, and interests with your best marketing foot forward:

• Are you speaking to early adopters of technology? What tech products do they lean toward using most?
• How will your product fit into these consumers’ lifestyles?
• How is this group of consumers most likely to get the greatest benefit from your product?
• If your product has multiple facets or uses, which aspects of it will apply most to your targeted audience?
• What age groups are you targeting? How does this affect the way consumers research, learn about, and ultimately purchase your product?
• Are there things preventing these consumers from purchasing your product? If so, what are the roadblocks, and how can you deconstruct them?
• Do you have competitors going after this same audience? How do you distinguish yourself from them?
• What are the cultural, social, age, and socioeconomic demographics of your audience?

These are just a few questions to get you started. It’s impossible to quantify the number of interactions, questions, and answers it would take to get to know a consumer fully, however, what’s important is that you work toward gaining the greatest possible understanding of your audience. When you can relate to the way consumers feel—and when you can predict some of their marketplace needs—you’ll be better able to present marketing that makes sense to them. By offering messages within a context that’s understood by your target market, your brand will reap the benefits.

There are basic human motivators that encourage us to perform all tasks, every single day. Humans either want to feel smart, successful, and socially valued, or want to be the best at what they do and change the world. The most successful products are developed with these common motivators in mind. A company’s management team should constantly research to understand what could improve their engagement (their relationship with community and staff.) Unless a company has been living under a rock for the last few years, they will know gamification strategies are skyrocketing in the business world and can certainly benefit employee relations as well as customer engagement.

Gamification is a speedy, effective, and fun way to train and motivate employees.

What is Gamification?

Gamification is the application of game elements and digital game design techniques to non-game problems, such as business and social impact challenges. Catherine Clifford, Entrepreneur Staff, declares that gamification is the business equivalent of “mixing broccoli into mac and cheese. It’s a way of making predictable, boring workplace tasks more engaging for employees and customers.”

It’s more than just awarding badges and leaderboard placement; it requires a company to thoughtfully understand motivation and tactics. With video games remaining popular even as technology evolves, businesses realize they can be utilized as powerful tools for motivating behavior, tracking demographics, and increasing social sales. Effective games influence both psychology and skill in ways that can leave an impression on the external environment. Organizations apply it in areas such as marketing, human resources, productivity enhancement, sustainability, training, health and wellness, innovation, and customer engagement.

Gamification and Employees

In its relatively short existence, gamification has proven itself to be a successful tool in improving companies’ employee engagement. According to Gallup Employee Engagement Index, the average 1,000 agent contact center loses $2 million per year due to disengaged employees. Businesses who have made an effort to reverse that statistic with the use of gamification have had great success. Companies that use gamification have reduced on-boarding or training time up to 90%, increased employee skills by more than 70%, and retained their top talent by 78%. If businesses aren’t yet convinced that gamification is worth the hassle, here are five more reasons gamification is sure to improve employee engagement.

Growing Their Expertise

Humans have functions in the brain that freely work toward problem solving. Gaming takes this natural process and makes it fun and rewarding. Games normally require the player to retain information, rules, and procedures as well as make judgments and work toward certain outcomes. Knowledge retention is a big part of an employee’s daily life, especially while dealing with customers, so implementing the most effective methods of learning isn’t just important for the employee, it’s essential to an organization’s success. Jeanne Meister, author of Corporate Universities, states that “interactive learning games can increase long-term retention rates by up to 10 times—a significant statistic when considering knowledge retention.” Retaining information is a skill that is obtained with practice. With gamification, practicing is a fun and enjoyable way to broaden an employee’s knowledge base.

Actively Gauging Performance

Annual evaluations are an essential way for employees to discover what areas they need to improve and help managers understand what aspects of the job their employees struggle with. Leaders increasingly find that employees perform better, learn more quickly, and resolve their incorrect behaviors when they receive immediate, real-time feedback. Gaming offers an instant cause and effect as well as a real-time report of accomplishments or defeats. If an employee makes a wrong choice in a game, the individual will be immediately corrected before being able to move forward. If the employee makes a deliberate, smart move, he or she will receive immediate positive reinforcement in the form of badges, points, leveling up, or unlocking certain achievements.

It fosters transparent information regarding employees’ performance. Imagine if all businesses used gamification to streamline that information so employees could know exactly how their skills are advancing or diminishing instead of wondering where they really stand. In 2007, IBM generated a game for their employees called Innov8. It gave IT and business players a better understanding of how their success in their specific line of work could impact their entire business ecosystem. At its core, Innov8 was created to help people work smarter so they can help build a smarter planet. Because Innov8 is a real-time game, employees quickly saw how their personal practical process improvements can help meet profitability, customer satisfaction, and environmental goals while addressing real problems businesses face.

Boosting Achievement

Companies spend thousands of dollars annually sending their employees to seminars, conferences, and targeted development sessions. Displaying accomplishments of a business’ employees can go further than certificates, learning achievement plagues, and LinkedIn accounts. People enjoy competition. And they like to win and receive validation regarding their skill. Competition is prevalent, especially in the workplace. Competition for a promotion, a raise, and a sale are just a few examples of competition that can get out of hand and nasty in a hurry. These situations may also lead to a hostile work environment and disengaged employees. That’s why a controlled competitive game can be so useful in the workplace.

A game where employees feel they are learning, being awarded for doing the right things, and being noticed for their hard work is a prime example of friendly and healthy competition. There’s little to no room for employees to be angry over a game in which they can easily put forth more effort. In addition to encouraging a climate of entertaining, laidback improvement, allowing employees to become skilled in their particular roles at a business, and openly recognizing their accomplishments will facilitate even more development and ultimately help a business meet its goals.

Connecting with Others

Most people appreciate a sense of community and social interaction in the workplace. Team building doesn’t always have to be getting together after work to go to happy hour, playing kickball, or going to a karaoke bar on the weekend. People want to feel connected to their co-workers. They want to be able to count on them as well as help them through problems of their own instead of feeling detached. What drives loyalty and comradery is not giving away free stuff, but status and recognition. Gamification creates a virtual world where employees can be productive and still have a good time, side-by-side. Incorporating fun into the workplace makes for a thriving business because it fosters productivity, thus creating an enhanced work environment.

Encouraging Innovation

Many companies are beginning to embrace gamification as a way to encourage innovation and inspire new ideas among their employees. At a 2012 Consumerization of IT in the Enterprise conference, Zichermann described the crowd-sourcing game Foldit, developed by the University of Washington. In 2011, the structure of a key protein that scientists believe may help cure HIV was discovered. Scientists had been working on the problem for 15 years and in just 10 days, 46,000 people using Foldit discovered a possible solution.3 Many companies may not be trying to cure a deadly disease, but nurturing innovation in the workplace can mean life or death in today’s marketplace.3 Highlighting all kinds of progress within a business fosters a productive work environment, improves knowledge, and keeps a company in business. Times are changing and if businesses aren’t willing to adapt to the constantly changing needs of the market, they won’t last, especially if their top competitors quickly adjust to consumers’ preferences.

In all cases, gamification seems to be working. By taking business processes such as compliance training and converting it into participatory, competitive games, employees tend to be more receptive to tasks that need to be done anyway. If businesses are committed to rewarding employees for a job well done, employees start getting better at their jobs. It’s as simple as that.

1 https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2014/12/supercharge-your-customer-success-team-with-gamification-gp.html

2 http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235876

3 http://ww.w.cedma-europe.org/newsletter%20articles/Clomedia/Five%20reasons%20you%20Cannot

There are basic human motivators that encourage us to perform all tasks, every single day. Humans either want to feel smart, successful, and socially valued, or want to be the best at what they do and change the world. The most successful products are developed with these common motivators in mind. A company’s management team should constantly research to understand what could improve their engagement (their relationship with community and staff.) Unless a company has been living under a rock for the last few years, they will know gamification strategies are skyrocketing in the business world and can certainly benefit employee relations as well as customer engagement.

Gamification is a speedy, effective, and fun way to train and motivate employees.

What is Gamification?

Gamification is the application of game elements and digital game design techniques to non-game problems, such as business and social impact challenges. Catherine Clifford, Entrepreneur Staff, declares that gamification is the business equivalent of “mixing broccoli into mac and cheese. It’s a way of making predictable, boring workplace tasks more engaging for employees and customers.”

It’s more than just awarding badges and leaderboard placement; it requires a company to thoughtfully understand motivation and tactics. With video games remaining popular even as technology evolves, businesses realize they can be utilized as powerful tools for motivating behavior, tracking demographics, and increasing social sales. Effective games influence both psychology and skill in ways that can leave an impression on the external environment. Organizations apply it in areas such as marketing, human resources, productivity enhancement, sustainability, training, health and wellness, innovation, and customer engagement.

Gamification and Employees

In its relatively short existence, gamification has proven itself to be a successful tool in improving companies’ employee engagement. According to Gallup Employee Engagement Index, the average 1,000 agent contact center loses $2 million per year due to disengaged employees. Businesses who have made an effort to reverse that statistic with the use of gamification have had great success. Companies that use gamification have reduced on-boarding or training time up to 90%, increased employee skills by more than 70%, and retained their top talent by 78%. If businesses aren’t yet convinced that gamification is worth the hassle, here are five more reasons gamification is sure to improve employee engagement.

Growing Their Expertise

Humans have functions in the brain that freely work toward problem solving. Gaming takes this natural process and makes it fun and rewarding. Games normally require the player to retain information, rules, and procedures as well as make judgments and work toward certain outcomes. Knowledge retention is a big part of an employee’s daily life, especially while dealing with customers, so implementing the most effective methods of learning isn’t just important for the employee, it’s essential to an organization’s success. Jeanne Meister, author of Corporate Universities, states that “interactive learning games can increase long-term retention rates by up to 10 times—a significant statistic when considering knowledge retention.” Retaining information is a skill that is obtained with practice. With gamification, practicing is a fun and enjoyable way to broaden an employee’s knowledge base.

Actively Gauging Performance

Annual evaluations are an essential way for employees to discover what areas they need to improve and help managers understand what aspects of the job their employees struggle with. Leaders increasingly find that employees perform better, learn more quickly, and resolve their incorrect behaviors when they receive immediate, real-time feedback. Gaming offers an instant cause and effect as well as a real-time report of accomplishments or defeats. If an employee makes a wrong choice in a game, the individual will be immediately corrected before being able to move forward. If the employee makes a deliberate, smart move, he or she will receive immediate positive reinforcement in the form of badges, points, leveling up, or unlocking certain achievements.

It fosters transparent information regarding employees’ performance. Imagine if all businesses used gamification to streamline that information so employees could know exactly how their skills are advancing or diminishing instead of wondering where they really stand. In 2007, IBM generated a game for their employees called Innov8. It gave IT and business players a better understanding of how their success in their specific line of work could impact their entire business ecosystem. At its core, Innov8 was created to help people work smarter so they can help build a smarter planet. Because Innov8 is a real-time game, employees quickly saw how their personal practical process improvements can help meet profitability, customer satisfaction, and environmental goals while addressing real problems businesses face.

Boosting Achievement

Companies spend thousands of dollars annually sending their employees to seminars, conferences, and targeted development sessions. Displaying accomplishments of a business’ employees can go further than certificates, learning achievement plagues, and LinkedIn accounts. People enjoy competition. And they like to win and receive validation regarding their skill. Competition is prevalent, especially in the workplace. Competition for a promotion, a raise, and a sale are just a few examples of competition that can get out of hand and nasty in a hurry. These situations may also lead to a hostile work environment and disengaged employees. That’s why a controlled competitive game can be so useful in the workplace.

A game where employees feel they are learning, being awarded for doing the right things, and being noticed for their hard work is a prime example of friendly and healthy competition. There’s little to no room for employees to be angry over a game in which they can easily put forth more effort. In addition to encouraging a climate of entertaining, laidback improvement, allowing employees to become skilled in their particular roles at a business, and openly recognizing their accomplishments will facilitate even more development and ultimately help a business meet its goals.

Connecting with Others

Most people appreciate a sense of community and social interaction in the workplace. Team building doesn’t always have to be getting together after work to go to happy hour, playing kickball, or going to a karaoke bar on the weekend. People want to feel connected to their co-workers. They want to be able to count on them as well as help them through problems of their own instead of feeling detached. What drives loyalty and comradery is not giving away free stuff, but status and recognition. Gamification creates a virtual world where employees can be productive and still have a good time, side-by-side. Incorporating fun into the workplace makes for a thriving business because it fosters productivity, thus creating an enhanced work environment.

Encouraging Innovation

Many companies are beginning to embrace gamification as a way to encourage innovation and inspire new ideas among their employees. At a 2012 Consumerization of IT in the Enterprise conference, Zichermann described the crowd-sourcing game Foldit, developed by the University of Washington. In 2011, the structure of a key protein that scientists believe may help cure HIV was discovered. Scientists had been working on the problem for 15 years and in just 10 days, 46,000 people using Foldit discovered a possible solution.3 Many companies may not be trying to cure a deadly disease, but nurturing innovation in the workplace can mean life or death in today’s marketplace.3 Highlighting all kinds of progress within a business fosters a productive work environment, improves knowledge, and keeps a company in business. Times are changing and if businesses aren’t willing to adapt to the constantly changing needs of the market, they won’t last, especially if their top competitors quickly adjust to consumers’ preferences.

In all cases, gamification seems to be working. By taking business processes such as compliance training and converting it into participatory, competitive games, employees tend to be more receptive to tasks that need to be done anyway. If businesses are committed to rewarding employees for a job well done, employees start getting better at their jobs. It’s as simple as that.

1 https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2014/12/supercharge-your-customer-success-team-with-gamification-gp.html

2 http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235876

3 http://ww.w.cedma-europe.org/newsletter%20articles/Clomedia/Five%20reasons%20you%20Cannot

News for the Week of August 31

Guest Blogger today: Kristin Huntley, Director of Content and Marketing

You Don’t Have to Be Square!  Thanks Instagram!

This week, Instagram announced they are expanding their format to allow for portrait and landscape photos and videos, as well as the traditional square posts users are accustomed to. Instagram stated that one in five posts shared is not in square format, prompting this update in order to make posting easier and more fun for all users. To maintain its clean grid feel, posts will appear as center-cropped squares. For video formats on Instagram, this newest update allows for an even more cinematic experience than ever before. Dealerships can now take advantage of panoramic views to display all of the curves and features of their vehicles, or showcase more inventory for consumers.

Clipping on LinkedIn/SlideShare

LinkedIn and SlideShare recognized the fact that it’s difficult to keep track of all the content that’s available today; but now users can keep everything organized in topic-based clibboards. Clipping make it easy to clip, save and share the content you want in Evernote, or right on your profile to view and share now or later. Dealerships with an active LinkedIn presence should take advantage of this feature to build a library of useful information for every area of their dealership.   

LinkedIn eBook, 10 Ways to Drive Killer ROI with your Sponsored Updates

LinkedIn is offering their new eBook as a brand-new resource for those looking to improve ROI. Citing brands that are succeeding in the marketplace today and giving real-world examples of ways you can succeed by tailoring content that speaks directly to your audience, creating effective campaigns, and extending the life of already-existing content, this new eBook is a valuable tool that helps businesses take their marketing efforts to the next level and reach even more consumers.Facebook page managers will gain valuable insights for marketing via LinkedIn with a behind the scenes look at the successful strategies of more than 200 top brands.

Facebook Admin’s Guide to Page Messaging

Users can now find Facebook’s new admin's guide to using page messaging, which helps users connect with people when it comes to everything from customer service to product questions. The admin’s guide includes step-by-step recommendations for using Pages most effectively, as well as new and upgraded features. Recommendations are included for admins handling messaging and saved replies, and admins are now able to reply privately to sensitive questions. For dealerships interacting with consumers and participating in online platforms, leveraging all of Facebook’s features to authentically connect with consumers is a smart move. Take difficult conversations offline, and when possible, use your Facebook presence to build trust with transparent communication.

Facebook Video Rights Management Tools Updated

Video creators now have more say when it comes to how their videos are shared on Facebook. With newly-updated cideo rights management tools, the social media giant is meeting the upsurge in recent video with much-needed tools that empower users and give them control, thereby cutting down on “freebooting,” or other users uploading their videos to Facebook without their permission. This protection goes into place to benefit video creators and ensure those who have worked to create the content end up getting credit for their creations. Alternately, Facebook’s IP policies ensure posters who repeatedly post content without permission will be held responsible for their actions. Dealerships and individuals alike are now able to protect their original content.  Facebook is committed to ensuring that only users with permissions are able to post video content to your page, and that no one else can claim ownership of your hard work.

Facebook Adds “Donate Now” Button

Facebook for Business has added a new "Donate Now" call-to-action button, providing an even easier way for brands to connect with individuals who share an interest in the same causes. Brands that support a specific nonprofit can now encourage customers to join the cause with the “Donate Now” button that appears on both link ads and Pages. The Facebook Help Center can help you get started. Dealerships are leaders in supporting their communities and nonprofits. This new feature is an indirect reminder of the work they’re doing, and one more way your dealership can give back.

Facebook Moments App

Facebook Moments has been updated for iOS and Android and can automatically “create a video of your shared photos which you can customize, personalize and share back to Facebook.” Available in many countries, it has also now been translated to 34 languages, making it a user-friendly, universal app and a fun way to turn collected photos into music videos. Once an automatic video compilation has been made, users have the opportunity to customize by selecting from a variety of music backgrounds. Dealerships can now customize and personalize Facebook Moments videos and engage more consumers in a meaningful way.

Tip of the Week—Think Like a Customer to Win at Mobile

It’s not a stretch to say just about everyone knows mobile is where it’s at right now. That said, having a responsive, mobile-friendly website isn’t enough to capture the market anymore. Want to sell more cars via mobile?  Here are some tips designed to supercharge your mobile success:

• Think Like a Customer. Don’t just guess what the customer wants; instead place yourself in the position of a customer and deliver the customer experience you’d like to have.

• Offer valuable communication. The value of communication lies not in its frequency, but instead in its quality and the consumer need it meets. Overwhelming consumers with messages they don’t care about will drive them to your competitors. Instead of overselling, provide engaging content that answers questions consumers ask, and captures buyers early in the sales cycle.  Reduced foot traffic in the showroom means your customers begin their shopping journey online.  Make sure you’re leveraging the latest technology to give your self the competitive edge this market demands.

• Market Smarter. Take advantage of emerging technology to market intelligently to your consumer. You don’t need to guess what your consumers want.  We are able to identify exactly what your consumer cares about, and answer the questions they are asking, well before you lose them to a competitor.

Mobile is not just a trend; with more and more consumers relying on mobile devices for shopping, research, and daily social interactions, your dealership must know how to leverage data insights to capture more in-market shoppers as early as possible.  Today’s consumer demands a more efficient purchase cycle.  How easy is it for you to capture in-market buyers via mobile?  A recent study by Internet Retailer revealed that are 71% more likely to be influenced by digital advertising across multiple retail categories than the average consumer.   And a new Edmunds study identified the top five behaviors of automotive mobile shoppers:

News for the Week of August 31

Guest Blogger today: Kristin Huntley, Director of Content and Marketing

You Don’t Have to Be Square!  Thanks Instagram!

This week, Instagram announced they are expanding their format to allow for portrait and landscape photos and videos, as well as the traditional square posts users are accustomed to. Instagram stated that one in five posts shared is not in square format, prompting this update in order to make posting easier and more fun for all users. To maintain its clean grid feel, posts will appear as center-cropped squares. For video formats on Instagram, this newest update allows for an even more cinematic experience than ever before. Dealerships can now take advantage of panoramic views to display all of the curves and features of their vehicles, or showcase more inventory for consumers.

Clipping on LinkedIn/SlideShare

LinkedIn and SlideShare recognized the fact that it’s difficult to keep track of all the content that’s available today; but now users can keep everything organized in topic-based clibboards. Clipping make it easy to clip, save and share the content you want in Evernote, or right on your profile to view and share now or later. Dealerships with an active LinkedIn presence should take advantage of this feature to build a library of useful information for every area of their dealership.   

LinkedIn eBook, 10 Ways to Drive Killer ROI with your Sponsored Updates

LinkedIn is offering their new eBook as a brand-new resource for those looking to improve ROI. Citing brands that are succeeding in the marketplace today and giving real-world examples of ways you can succeed by tailoring content that speaks directly to your audience, creating effective campaigns, and extending the life of already-existing content, this new eBook is a valuable tool that helps businesses take their marketing efforts to the next level and reach even more consumers.Facebook page managers will gain valuable insights for marketing via LinkedIn with a behind the scenes look at the successful strategies of more than 200 top brands.

Facebook Admin’s Guide to Page Messaging

Users can now find Facebook’s new admin's guide to using page messaging, which helps users connect with people when it comes to everything from customer service to product questions. The admin’s guide includes step-by-step recommendations for using Pages most effectively, as well as new and upgraded features. Recommendations are included for admins handling messaging and saved replies, and admins are now able to reply privately to sensitive questions. For dealerships interacting with consumers and participating in online platforms, leveraging all of Facebook’s features to authentically connect with consumers is a smart move. Take difficult conversations offline, and when possible, use your Facebook presence to build trust with transparent communication.

Facebook Video Rights Management Tools Updated

Video creators now have more say when it comes to how their videos are shared on Facebook. With newly-updated cideo rights management tools, the social media giant is meeting the upsurge in recent video with much-needed tools that empower users and give them control, thereby cutting down on “freebooting,” or other users uploading their videos to Facebook without their permission. This protection goes into place to benefit video creators and ensure those who have worked to create the content end up getting credit for their creations. Alternately, Facebook’s IP policies ensure posters who repeatedly post content without permission will be held responsible for their actions. Dealerships and individuals alike are now able to protect their original content.  Facebook is committed to ensuring that only users with permissions are able to post video content to your page, and that no one else can claim ownership of your hard work.

Facebook Adds “Donate Now” Button

Facebook for Business has added a new "Donate Now" call-to-action button, providing an even easier way for brands to connect with individuals who share an interest in the same causes. Brands that support a specific nonprofit can now encourage customers to join the cause with the “Donate Now” button that appears on both link ads and Pages. The Facebook Help Center can help you get started. Dealerships are leaders in supporting their communities and nonprofits. This new feature is an indirect reminder of the work they’re doing, and one more way your dealership can give back.

Facebook Moments App

Facebook Moments has been updated for iOS and Android and can automatically “create a video of your shared photos which you can customize, personalize and share back to Facebook.” Available in many countries, it has also now been translated to 34 languages, making it a user-friendly, universal app and a fun way to turn collected photos into music videos. Once an automatic video compilation has been made, users have the opportunity to customize by selecting from a variety of music backgrounds. Dealerships can now customize and personalize Facebook Moments videos and engage more consumers in a meaningful way.

Tip of the Week—Think Like a Customer to Win at Mobile

It’s not a stretch to say just about everyone knows mobile is where it’s at right now. That said, having a responsive, mobile-friendly website isn’t enough to capture the market anymore. Want to sell more cars via mobile?  Here are some tips designed to supercharge your mobile success:

• Think Like a Customer. Don’t just guess what the customer wants; instead place yourself in the position of a customer and deliver the customer experience you’d like to have.

• Offer valuable communication. The value of communication lies not in its frequency, but instead in its quality and the consumer need it meets. Overwhelming consumers with messages they don’t care about will drive them to your competitors. Instead of overselling, provide engaging content that answers questions consumers ask, and captures buyers early in the sales cycle.  Reduced foot traffic in the showroom means your customers begin their shopping journey online.  Make sure you’re leveraging the latest technology to give your self the competitive edge this market demands.

• Market Smarter. Take advantage of emerging technology to market intelligently to your consumer. You don’t need to guess what your consumers want.  We are able to identify exactly what your consumer cares about, and answer the questions they are asking, well before you lose them to a competitor.

Mobile is not just a trend; with more and more consumers relying on mobile devices for shopping, research, and daily social interactions, your dealership must know how to leverage data insights to capture more in-market shoppers as early as possible.  Today’s consumer demands a more efficient purchase cycle.  How easy is it for you to capture in-market buyers via mobile?  A recent study by Internet Retailer revealed that are 71% more likely to be influenced by digital advertising across multiple retail categories than the average consumer.   And a new Edmunds study identified the top five behaviors of automotive mobile shoppers: