De-Mystifying Your Consumer One Demographic at a Time

The modern dealership faces most of the same challenges of other brands in a competitive marketplace. And although it might sound daunting to figure out how to connect with every consumer, discovering your market is critical to helping your dealership market more effectively.  Knowledge isn’t just power, it has the potential to sell more cars, so let’s dive in and discover your market!

You already know you offer a great product, and you’ve got an outstanding sales team, and a fully-staffed service center that boasts highly-trained professionals. So now what do you do? How do you effectively spread the word about what makes your dealership great in a way that impacts your bottom line?

Discover Your Market to Win

If a store in the Midwest were to try to sell hurricane shutters, chances are, they wouldn’t fare very well simply due to geographic considerations. This is a simple example of how knowing your market can impact your sales. Buyer personas are helpful as you discover your consumer and the experience they seek when shopping for a vehicle. Developing buyer personas will help you focus your marketing efforts on every channel, and help avoid wasting marketing dollars on strategies that will never reach your consumer. Some of the consumer traits you’ll want to discover for each buyer persona in your market will include the following:

Geographic region. Do you live somewhere that requires drivers to use 4-wheel drive vehicles often? Are there close-by rural areas or work sites that would necessitate trucks or heavy-duty vehicles? Create a buyer persona for this customer. Imagine a day in the life of this consumer, and see if you are doing all you can to connect with this market segment.

Demographic growth and/or shifts. Is your dealership in an area where a change in demographics is impacting your market? Demographics shift as families grow, when certain businesses come and go, ethnic groups shift, and communities change. Consider whether you have a strategy for meeting the needs of bi-lingual consumers in your area. Is there a need for that? Or, is your dealership in a city with lots of commuters? Do the consumers in your area lean toward luxury or high-performance vehicles?

Shopper attitudes. By looking at consumers’ overall views regarding life, work, and purchases like homes and vehicles, you’ll be able to understand more about what’s driving their purchasing decisions. Do your consumers tend to be outdoorsy? Maybe a 4-wheel-drive is in their future. Are you in an eco-conscious city? Your shoppers may be looking for hybrids.

Shopper behavior. The way shoppers make the rest of their buying decisions can tell you a lot about what they will do when it comes time for their next vehicle purchase. Does your dealership engage consumers online via social media or a blog? Are you answering questions consumers as on your website? Do your homework to find out if shoppers tend to be brand-loyal or if they are adopters of new products when benefits or perks are offered.

Personas: The First Step to Discovering Your Market

After you’ve done your initial homework and discovered the various broad consumer groups that surround your dealership, it’s time to take your efforts a step further and evaluate how your products and services meet the specific needs of your customers.  The best way to do this is to develop buyer personas.  A persona is a detailed customer archetype, created by doing interviews with real customers, using research and drawing from your experience to better understand their process and decision points on the way to purchase.

A buyer persona is an incredibly powerful tool for many reasons.  Well-developed personas reveal the secrets to connecting with consumers as they evaluate your products, services and approach to doing business, on their own terms.  Personas tell you what your consumer wants, values and needs…and knowing this will help you deliver information about your dealership and services more effectively.

Below is a very simple buyer persona to use as a jumping off point as you begin to discover and define your market.  There are many more useful questions to ask and answer when you’re developing personas, and you might even want to include a quote to sum up the key traits of this consumer.

Sample Buyer Persona #1 – 

Customer: Sam Smith

Demographic: Young, urban male professional [age 25-35]

What does a day in the life of this persona look like? Sam works full-time at a bank downtown. He has a 30-45 minute commute from the suburbs every day. He takes his lunch from home and only eats out now and then. He is married with two children and spends as much time with his family as he can. On the weekends they like to take day trips or go to soccer games and other kid-focused activities.

What does this persona value above all else? Time. Sam wants to spend more time with his family. His weekends are very important to him, so he does a lot of research online before he makes any kind of purchase. Sam has bought everything from a wrench to a ladder on Amazon just to save time and avoid a trip to the store.

What are this persona’s pain points? Sam doesn’t like to negotiate. He is not a salesperson and doesn’t like dealing with them because he always worries he is not getting the best deal possible. He dreads having to shop for a car, so he wants his automotive shopping experience to be quick and painless. He doesn’t want to spend all day at the dealership. He will go where he is sure he’ll get a good deal, but he demands a certain customer experience and will defect to the brand that understands his priorities.

How does this persona get information for making a purchase? Sam does a lot of research online, particularly on his phone during his lunch break or at the kids’ soccer practices. He is active on social media and will likely post about his upcoming purchase or message his friends to ask for a recommendation before he buys. He knows the makes and models that fit his lifestyle. He doesn’t listen to TV or radio commercials. Sam has a DVR and streams his music or podcasts on his commute, so word of mouth and targeted digital interactions are the only way to reach him.

After the Personas, Evaluate

By now you’re probably beginning to see how helpful it can be to create personas.  Taking the time to discover and organize what you know about your customers will help you be more effective in capturing and keeping their business.

After you’ve developed at least 3 key personas, take an honest look at your marketing strategy and determine the best ways to reach each one of them to see if your current marketing spend makes sense. Are you effectively sharing the things about your dealership/brand that matter to your personas, or are you just blasting ads and hoping they stick? In a customer-centric economy you can’t afford not to continually re-evaluate what makes your brand fit into the story of your customer.

By defining your personas, and how your dealership solves their problems, you are setting your dealership firmly on the path to success and long-term growth. The days of the one-size-fits-all marketing plan are gone, but the good news is, the digital marketplace allows you the opportunity to continually put a human face to your dealership by sharing what you are doing in the community and demonstrating your understanding of your customer and what matters to them.

Every business, including automotive dealerships, can learn from brands like Adobe, Southwest Airlines, Starbucks, Zappos, Dell, IBM and many others who have discovered the powerful reach of their employees and the benefits of strategy aimed at authentic moments of connection.

De-Mystifying Your Consumer One Demographic at a Time

The modern dealership faces most of the same challenges of other brands in a competitive marketplace. And although it might sound daunting to figure out how to connect with every consumer, discovering your market is critical to helping your dealership market more effectively.  Knowledge isn’t just power, it has the potential to sell more cars, so let’s dive in and discover your market!

You already know you offer a great product, and you’ve got an outstanding sales team, and a fully-staffed service center that boasts highly-trained professionals. So now what do you do? How do you effectively spread the word about what makes your dealership great in a way that impacts your bottom line?

Discover Your Market to Win

If a store in the Midwest were to try to sell hurricane shutters, chances are, they wouldn’t fare very well simply due to geographic considerations. This is a simple example of how knowing your market can impact your sales. Buyer personas are helpful as you discover your consumer and the experience they seek when shopping for a vehicle. Developing buyer personas will help you focus your marketing efforts on every channel, and help avoid wasting marketing dollars on strategies that will never reach your consumer. Some of the consumer traits you’ll want to discover for each buyer persona in your market will include the following:

Geographic region. Do you live somewhere that requires drivers to use 4-wheel drive vehicles often? Are there close-by rural areas or work sites that would necessitate trucks or heavy-duty vehicles? Create a buyer persona for this customer. Imagine a day in the life of this consumer, and see if you are doing all you can to connect with this market segment.

Demographic growth and/or shifts. Is your dealership in an area where a change in demographics is impacting your market? Demographics shift as families grow, when certain businesses come and go, ethnic groups shift, and communities change. Consider whether you have a strategy for meeting the needs of bi-lingual consumers in your area. Is there a need for that? Or, is your dealership in a city with lots of commuters? Do the consumers in your area lean toward luxury or high-performance vehicles?

Shopper attitudes. By looking at consumers’ overall views regarding life, work, and purchases like homes and vehicles, you’ll be able to understand more about what’s driving their purchasing decisions. Do your consumers tend to be outdoorsy? Maybe a 4-wheel-drive is in their future. Are you in an eco-conscious city? Your shoppers may be looking for hybrids.

Shopper behavior. The way shoppers make the rest of their buying decisions can tell you a lot about what they will do when it comes time for their next vehicle purchase. Does your dealership engage consumers online via social media or a blog? Are you answering questions consumers as on your website? Do your homework to find out if shoppers tend to be brand-loyal or if they are adopters of new products when benefits or perks are offered.

Personas: The First Step to Discovering Your Market

After you’ve done your initial homework and discovered the various broad consumer groups that surround your dealership, it’s time to take your efforts a step further and evaluate how your products and services meet the specific needs of your customers.  The best way to do this is to develop buyer personas.  A persona is a detailed customer archetype, created by doing interviews with real customers, using research and drawing from your experience to better understand their process and decision points on the way to purchase.

A buyer persona is an incredibly powerful tool for many reasons.  Well-developed personas reveal the secrets to connecting with consumers as they evaluate your products, services and approach to doing business, on their own terms.  Personas tell you what your consumer wants, values and needs…and knowing this will help you deliver information about your dealership and services more effectively.

Below is a very simple buyer persona to use as a jumping off point as you begin to discover and define your market.  There are many more useful questions to ask and answer when you’re developing personas, and you might even want to include a quote to sum up the key traits of this consumer.

Sample Buyer Persona #1 – 

Customer: Sam Smith

Demographic: Young, urban male professional [age 25-35]

What does a day in the life of this persona look like? Sam works full-time at a bank downtown. He has a 30-45 minute commute from the suburbs every day. He takes his lunch from home and only eats out now and then. He is married with two children and spends as much time with his family as he can. On the weekends they like to take day trips or go to soccer games and other kid-focused activities.

What does this persona value above all else? Time. Sam wants to spend more time with his family. His weekends are very important to him, so he does a lot of research online before he makes any kind of purchase. Sam has bought everything from a wrench to a ladder on Amazon just to save time and avoid a trip to the store.

What are this persona’s pain points? Sam doesn’t like to negotiate. He is not a salesperson and doesn’t like dealing with them because he always worries he is not getting the best deal possible. He dreads having to shop for a car, so he wants his automotive shopping experience to be quick and painless. He doesn’t want to spend all day at the dealership. He will go where he is sure he’ll get a good deal, but he demands a certain customer experience and will defect to the brand that understands his priorities.

How does this persona get information for making a purchase? Sam does a lot of research online, particularly on his phone during his lunch break or at the kids’ soccer practices. He is active on social media and will likely post about his upcoming purchase or message his friends to ask for a recommendation before he buys. He knows the makes and models that fit his lifestyle. He doesn’t listen to TV or radio commercials. Sam has a DVR and streams his music or podcasts on his commute, so word of mouth and targeted digital interactions are the only way to reach him.

After the Personas, Evaluate

By now you’re probably beginning to see how helpful it can be to create personas.  Taking the time to discover and organize what you know about your customers will help you be more effective in capturing and keeping their business.

After you’ve developed at least 3 key personas, take an honest look at your marketing strategy and determine the best ways to reach each one of them to see if your current marketing spend makes sense. Are you effectively sharing the things about your dealership/brand that matter to your personas, or are you just blasting ads and hoping they stick? In a customer-centric economy you can’t afford not to continually re-evaluate what makes your brand fit into the story of your customer.

By defining your personas, and how your dealership solves their problems, you are setting your dealership firmly on the path to success and long-term growth. The days of the one-size-fits-all marketing plan are gone, but the good news is, the digital marketplace allows you the opportunity to continually put a human face to your dealership by sharing what you are doing in the community and demonstrating your understanding of your customer and what matters to them.

Every business, including automotive dealerships, can learn from brands like Adobe, Southwest Airlines, Starbucks, Zappos, Dell, IBM and many others who have discovered the powerful reach of their employees and the benefits of strategy aimed at authentic moments of connection.

Social Media News for the Week of July 27, 2015

New Facebook Video Tools for Businesses

This week Facebook delivered updates to make up for some of the limitations released earlier in the year. The new video library gives users a centralized location to store and organize videos.   Improved upload flow now offers users the ability to customize video distribution options in order to reach a more targeted audience. For automotive dealerships, this offers yet another opportunity to reach a specific audience when it comes to sharing straight-off-the-lot news and updates.

Facebook Secret Videos

Users now have the added capability to add secret videos accessible only through a direct URL and aren’t searchable on Facebook. This is great for users who want to use Facebook to host videos to embed on third-party site, or share them with anyone who has the URL.  Direct your audience to a private video containing special offers or upcoming events without having to post it anywhere else on Facebook.

Facebook for Business Creative Spotlight

Facebook is busting out tools for business, and we love it!  The numbers don…your consumers are engaging your brand using their mobile phones more often than not, so video marketing is a tool every brand must leverage to stay competitive.  This week Facebook introduced a ‘best of’ showcase highlighting brands getting it right.  Check out Castrol’s cool Mustang video topping the list in the Automotive category this week. Dealerships looking for creative ways to engage consumers via video advertising stand to gain valuable knowledge from the monthly updates.

YouTube 360-Degree Video Ads

YouTube has taken video ads to the next level with their new 360-degree video ads. This feature offers companies a new way to engage consumers with a true video experience.  This feature is activated by dragging your mouse or moving your phone in order to shift the point of view.  The 360-degree feature offers a different experience with every movement. Available in Chrome or on Android and iOS, this capability promises to deliver an unparalleled user experience. Imagine being able to give showroom shoppers the power to pan through a complete 360-degree view of the spotlight inventory you’re showing off in your video!

SlideShare Improvements for Lead Generation

Dealerships may not have considered SlideShare for lead generation, but now might be the time for you to take advantage of SlideShare’s 70 million unique visitors per month.  Slide Share hosts visual content, including videos and with SlideShare’s LinkedIn integration, a business profile may be one more way to connect with existing and potential customers.  SlideShare can serve as a host for articles featuring your dealership in local publications, presentations and more, and delivers SEO value as an added benefit.  Check out SlideShare and create targeted content for your audience. Business plans allow you the option to gather lead generation information before consumers view or download your content, providing one more way for you to deliver a positive customer experience.

Instagram Search on the Web

Recently, Instagram began offering internet users the capability to search on the web for people, places, and hashtags. It had previously added this feature to its smartphone app and is now offering it as a function for every platform.  Read our previous article on using hashtags to grow your brand and let hashtags fuel your dealership’s search engine results.

Tip of the Week—Responding to Complaints on Social Media

If you own a business, it’s only a matter of time before you read the first complaint about your brand on social media.  Social media call-outs are different than in-store complaints for one major reason: they have a much broader reach. So when it happens, and it will, here’s what to do to ensure your dealership earns social street cred:

Face the feedback head-on. Whatever you do, don’t ignore the complaint. Consumers appreciate being heard, and this is your moment to demonstrate you care.  Be authentic.  Apologize if you are wrong and offer to make it right.  Build credibility with a direct approach.

Respond quickly. If you aren’t monitoring your social media channels for consumer feedback, get a plan to start.  The longer a complaint goes unaddressed, the more opportunity it has to adversely impact your brand.  By monitoring your online reputation, you demonstrate your desire to connect with consumers where they are, in order to deliver on your brand promise.

Learn from experience. When you receive negative feedback, view it as an opportunity.  You’ve essentially been given a second chance to win your customer!  Negative feedback also offers the opportunity for leaders to re-engage employees and discover what needs to happen in order to avoid repeating the problem.

Explain your solution. Everyone wants to feel heard and understood.  Show your customer you are listening by clearly stating how you will address their concern.  When you clearly communicate your intentions and deliver results, you will earn the respect of everyone watching and hopefully, win back your customer.

Move forward. Finally, move past the error and continue to monitor your brand and engage your customers online. Respond to both positive and negative feedback and thank individuals for their input. Remember, everyone makes mistakes; it’s all about how you handle them that shapes the image consumers have of your dealership.

Social Media News for the Week of July 27, 2015

New Facebook Video Tools for Businesses

This week Facebook delivered updates to make up for some of the limitations released earlier in the year. The new video library gives users a centralized location to store and organize videos.   Improved upload flow now offers users the ability to customize video distribution options in order to reach a more targeted audience. For automotive dealerships, this offers yet another opportunity to reach a specific audience when it comes to sharing straight-off-the-lot news and updates.

Facebook Secret Videos

Users now have the added capability to add secret videos accessible only through a direct URL and aren’t searchable on Facebook. This is great for users who want to use Facebook to host videos to embed on third-party site, or share them with anyone who has the URL.  Direct your audience to a private video containing special offers or upcoming events without having to post it anywhere else on Facebook.

Facebook for Business Creative Spotlight

Facebook is busting out tools for business, and we love it!  The numbers don…your consumers are engaging your brand using their mobile phones more often than not, so video marketing is a tool every brand must leverage to stay competitive.  This week Facebook introduced a ‘best of’ showcase highlighting brands getting it right.  Check out Castrol’s cool Mustang video topping the list in the Automotive category this week. Dealerships looking for creative ways to engage consumers via video advertising stand to gain valuable knowledge from the monthly updates.

YouTube 360-Degree Video Ads

YouTube has taken video ads to the next level with their new 360-degree video ads. This feature offers companies a new way to engage consumers with a true video experience.  This feature is activated by dragging your mouse or moving your phone in order to shift the point of view.  The 360-degree feature offers a different experience with every movement. Available in Chrome or on Android and iOS, this capability promises to deliver an unparalleled user experience. Imagine being able to give showroom shoppers the power to pan through a complete 360-degree view of the spotlight inventory you’re showing off in your video!

SlideShare Improvements for Lead Generation

Dealerships may not have considered SlideShare for lead generation, but now might be the time for you to take advantage of SlideShare’s 70 million unique visitors per month.  Slide Share hosts visual content, including videos and with SlideShare’s LinkedIn integration, a business profile may be one more way to connect with existing and potential customers.  SlideShare can serve as a host for articles featuring your dealership in local publications, presentations and more, and delivers SEO value as an added benefit.  Check out SlideShare and create targeted content for your audience. Business plans allow you the option to gather lead generation information before consumers view or download your content, providing one more way for you to deliver a positive customer experience.

Instagram Search on the Web

Recently, Instagram began offering internet users the capability to search on the web for people, places, and hashtags. It had previously added this feature to its smartphone app and is now offering it as a function for every platform.  Read our previous article on using hashtags to grow your brand and let hashtags fuel your dealership’s search engine results.

Tip of the Week—Responding to Complaints on Social Media

If you own a business, it’s only a matter of time before you read the first complaint about your brand on social media.  Social media call-outs are different than in-store complaints for one major reason: they have a much broader reach. So when it happens, and it will, here’s what to do to ensure your dealership earns social street cred:

Face the feedback head-on. Whatever you do, don’t ignore the complaint. Consumers appreciate being heard, and this is your moment to demonstrate you care.  Be authentic.  Apologize if you are wrong and offer to make it right.  Build credibility with a direct approach.

Respond quickly. If you aren’t monitoring your social media channels for consumer feedback, get a plan to start.  The longer a complaint goes unaddressed, the more opportunity it has to adversely impact your brand.  By monitoring your online reputation, you demonstrate your desire to connect with consumers where they are, in order to deliver on your brand promise.

Learn from experience. When you receive negative feedback, view it as an opportunity.  You’ve essentially been given a second chance to win your customer!  Negative feedback also offers the opportunity for leaders to re-engage employees and discover what needs to happen in order to avoid repeating the problem.

Explain your solution. Everyone wants to feel heard and understood.  Show your customer you are listening by clearly stating how you will address their concern.  When you clearly communicate your intentions and deliver results, you will earn the respect of everyone watching and hopefully, win back your customer.

Move forward. Finally, move past the error and continue to monitor your brand and engage your customers online. Respond to both positive and negative feedback and thank individuals for their input. Remember, everyone makes mistakes; it’s all about how you handle them that shapes the image consumers have of your dealership.

Take Back Your Brand By Building Trust

The success of your business depends on the trust you are able to build for your brand. After all, consumers with confidence in specific brands will not only return and provide repeat business, but they will also spread word of mouth advertising to their friends, increasing the success of your business even more. Positive experiences drive them to return to the businesses that have been able to meet their needs and exceed their expectations. Most businesses and dealerships already know thatbuilding trust is a key component to creating lasting relationships, however, the specifics that lead up to gaining this trust sometimes need to be addressed. How do businesses and dealerships gain consumer trust and leverage brand influence so that shoppers return time and again to their preferred brands?

Creating trust in your brand is not something that happens overnight. It takes time, diligence, and patience to achieve the level of brand confidence your consumers seek in the marketplace. There are several factors at play when dealing with the issue of consumer trust-building, and companies must focus on many things at once in order to continuously strengthen the bond they are building with customers.

Strike a Balance

The landscape of the marketplace is in constant flux, and many consumers see their trusted dealerships and businesses as the constants in a sea of change. It is important to strike the right balance between changing with the marketplace and providing consumer assurance, so that your business is able to continue to thrive and build consumer trust. By being transparent, communicative, and collaborative, you will be able to grow and innovate at the same time you reaffirm your commitment to your customers. Some of the following tips will be helpful as you work to build trust in your brand:

1. Protect consumer data. Demonstrate your commitment to maintain privacy when it comes to handling personal information. Especially now, in an age when information theft and fraud are abundant, it is essential that shoppers recognize your dedication to protecting their valuable personal and financial information; your concern will go far in gaining their trust.

2. Know your customers. Show shoppers you have taken the time to understand their shopping preferences. Without a firm grasp on your market and consumer behavior, you will find it difficult to meet the needs of shoppers who come to you to make a purchase. Getting to know your target consumers means getting to know not only what they are looking for in products and services, but also what they are looking for in a business relationship.

3. Offer quality options and service. By demonstrating your ability to provide what your customers need with regard to convenience, flexibility, and expertise, you will emerge as a leader and an expert in your field. Provide unparalleled service and offer guarantees on your work, and soon customers will recognize your business as a trusted provider that stands behind the services it offers.

4. Be honest and upfront with customers. Just as you should let people know when your business is doing something great, you should also own up to it if your business makes a mistake. Being forthright is always the best way to handle things, and consumers will view you as trustworthy when you simply apologize and move forward if mistakes are made.

5. Be a leader; don’t wait for others to lead the way, but instead forge a path and show people—both customers and other businesses—that you are a trailblazer in the marketplace. Your forward thinking and vision will place you in the category of trusted businesses among consumers.

6. Ensure you have knowledgeable employees. While not every employee you hire may be knowledgeable about the business from the start, be sure you have a good training program in place so that your employees become experts at what they do. Their confidence and knowledge will be noticed by consumers and will drive consumer trust in your dealership.

7. Build relationships, and the sales will follow. Whether personal or business, relationships are built on trust. So while it is necessary to make sales to keep your business running, focus on the relationship factor, and the sales will come. Let your customers (and potential customers) know their importance and offer value-added extras like workshops, car-care clinics, or even online tutorials in order to solidify relationships.

8. Be a great communicator. Ensure you have easy ways for customers to get in touch with you, whether they are asking questions, lodging complaints, or providing positive feedback. Everything your customers have to say is something you need to hear, so be sure to have a presence online, post your contact information on your website, and make it easy for people to get in touch with you.

9. Let your customers help you. Previous customers are a great resource when you are building your reputation and gaining trust for your dealership, so don’t be afraid to ask for feedback and testimonials from those who have had great experiences at your dealership. Share their positive experiences with potential new customers as a way of creating confidence in your brand.

• Produce quality, compelling content. It’s one thing to call yourself the expert in your field, but if you are the one actually offering relevant and interesting content to your customers, you will give yourself and your dealership more credibility. Position yourself as a trusted source by providing information about your dealership, online articles, tutorials, infographics, and more to meet your customers’ needs and help inform them. Your content will keep you front of mind, which will, in turn, build trust in your brand.

While there are many ways you can go about building trust, the key can be found in a single underlying factor. You must be authentic. If you work hard and let your authentic self—both your brand personality and your own personality—shine through, you will position your dealership to gain the trust of your customers. With so many choices in the marketplace, it’s important to note that shoppers won’t stay with a dealership that doesn’t gain their trust, and for this reason it is absolutely imperative to make them feel valued from the very first point of contact.

When you do this, the results you see will be reflected in improved brand reputation, repeat customers, and ultimately, increased sales due to the trust and loyalty your brand has gained.

Take Back Your Brand By Building Trust

The success of your business depends on the trust you are able to build for your brand. After all, consumers with confidence in specific brands will not only return and provide repeat business, but they will also spread word of mouth advertising to their friends, increasing the success of your business even more. Positive experiences drive them to return to the businesses that have been able to meet their needs and exceed their expectations. Most businesses and dealerships already know thatbuilding trust is a key component to creating lasting relationships, however, the specifics that lead up to gaining this trust sometimes need to be addressed. How do businesses and dealerships gain consumer trust and leverage brand influence so that shoppers return time and again to their preferred brands?

Creating trust in your brand is not something that happens overnight. It takes time, diligence, and patience to achieve the level of brand confidence your consumers seek in the marketplace. There are several factors at play when dealing with the issue of consumer trust-building, and companies must focus on many things at once in order to continuously strengthen the bond they are building with customers.

Strike a Balance

The landscape of the marketplace is in constant flux, and many consumers see their trusted dealerships and businesses as the constants in a sea of change. It is important to strike the right balance between changing with the marketplace and providing consumer assurance, so that your business is able to continue to thrive and build consumer trust. By being transparent, communicative, and collaborative, you will be able to grow and innovate at the same time you reaffirm your commitment to your customers. Some of the following tips will be helpful as you work to build trust in your brand:

1. Protect consumer data. Demonstrate your commitment to maintain privacy when it comes to handling personal information. Especially now, in an age when information theft and fraud are abundant, it is essential that shoppers recognize your dedication to protecting their valuable personal and financial information; your concern will go far in gaining their trust.

2. Know your customers. Show shoppers you have taken the time to understand their shopping preferences. Without a firm grasp on your market and consumer behavior, you will find it difficult to meet the needs of shoppers who come to you to make a purchase. Getting to know your target consumers means getting to know not only what they are looking for in products and services, but also what they are looking for in a business relationship.

3. Offer quality options and service. By demonstrating your ability to provide what your customers need with regard to convenience, flexibility, and expertise, you will emerge as a leader and an expert in your field. Provide unparalleled service and offer guarantees on your work, and soon customers will recognize your business as a trusted provider that stands behind the services it offers.

4. Be honest and upfront with customers. Just as you should let people know when your business is doing something great, you should also own up to it if your business makes a mistake. Being forthright is always the best way to handle things, and consumers will view you as trustworthy when you simply apologize and move forward if mistakes are made.

5. Be a leader; don’t wait for others to lead the way, but instead forge a path and show people—both customers and other businesses—that you are a trailblazer in the marketplace. Your forward thinking and vision will place you in the category of trusted businesses among consumers.

6. Ensure you have knowledgeable employees. While not every employee you hire may be knowledgeable about the business from the start, be sure you have a good training program in place so that your employees become experts at what they do. Their confidence and knowledge will be noticed by consumers and will drive consumer trust in your dealership.

7. Build relationships, and the sales will follow. Whether personal or business, relationships are built on trust. So while it is necessary to make sales to keep your business running, focus on the relationship factor, and the sales will come. Let your customers (and potential customers) know their importance and offer value-added extras like workshops, car-care clinics, or even online tutorials in order to solidify relationships.

8. Be a great communicator. Ensure you have easy ways for customers to get in touch with you, whether they are asking questions, lodging complaints, or providing positive feedback. Everything your customers have to say is something you need to hear, so be sure to have a presence online, post your contact information on your website, and make it easy for people to get in touch with you.

9. Let your customers help you. Previous customers are a great resource when you are building your reputation and gaining trust for your dealership, so don’t be afraid to ask for feedback and testimonials from those who have had great experiences at your dealership. Share their positive experiences with potential new customers as a way of creating confidence in your brand.

• Produce quality, compelling content. It’s one thing to call yourself the expert in your field, but if you are the one actually offering relevant and interesting content to your customers, you will give yourself and your dealership more credibility. Position yourself as a trusted source by providing information about your dealership, online articles, tutorials, infographics, and more to meet your customers’ needs and help inform them. Your content will keep you front of mind, which will, in turn, build trust in your brand.

While there are many ways you can go about building trust, the key can be found in a single underlying factor. You must be authentic. If you work hard and let your authentic self—both your brand personality and your own personality—shine through, you will position your dealership to gain the trust of your customers. With so many choices in the marketplace, it’s important to note that shoppers won’t stay with a dealership that doesn’t gain their trust, and for this reason it is absolutely imperative to make them feel valued from the very first point of contact.

When you do this, the results you see will be reflected in improved brand reputation, repeat customers, and ultimately, increased sales due to the trust and loyalty your brand has gained.

The 99 Series: We’re Back!

Welcome to the Hope-Is-Not-a-Strategy post, where I remind everyone about the new way we generate buzz around our brand…hint: it’s not like the old way!  Social media strategy for businesses used to revolve around a lot of hope—and also a lot of funny cat memes, but that was before we learned about the metrics that really matter. As dealerships and businesses work toward reaching a customer base that is largely mobile and increasingly insistent on being educated about the products and services they purchase, content marketing is more important than ever. In fact, it’s so important that a full 77% of your online posts should be content marketing pieces.

When you post something on Facebook, it’s natural to check the numbers that appear alongside your post to see if everyone in your friend list has either liked, commented, or shared your social media brilliance. It’s pretty fulfilling to see you’ve been able to entertain a large portion of nearly every acquaintance you’ve had since Kindergarten with the latest video of your dog’s skateboarding adventures, but—and you’ll want to hold onto your seat for this one—those numbers don’t matter as much as you might think.

We used to judge our online success by the number of likes and shares a post received, but things have changed.Consumers are no longer interested in seeing the same funny memes, videos, and pictures everyone else is posting; instead, they are holding preferred businesses to a higher standard, and that’s where content marketing comes into play. By providing the high-quality material consumers are seeking, you will position your dealership as a thought leader, and consumers will keep you top of mind when it comes time to buy, service a vehicle, or simply get valuable information.

What Is Content Marketing?

Content marketing consists of materials that educate consumers and provide information regarding your brand, your culture, and the goods and services you provide. It is NOT a sales blitz, so when you’re considering content, don’t plan posts that will overload readers with inventory and sales-driven content. Instead, think of ways you can help shoppers by offering articles of interest. Consider, for example, educating new car buyers about the importance of following routine maintenance schedules or sharing information about the services you offer that make your dealership stand out from the crowd. If your dealership hosts charity events or is known in the community for supporting local schools or pet adoption organizations, be sure to post stories highlighting what you’ve been up to. Customers are interested in what your dealership is capable of professionally, and they also have an affinity for businesses that do good work in the community.

The key to providing the best content for your online followers is in posting material that is both relevant and valuable to them. Whatever you post should be useful and interesting—and it should place your dealership in the position of being a subject-matter expert. Content marketing is an integral piece of your overall brand voice, making everything you post a reflection of your business and your overall culture. You’ll want to post a mixture of pieces that are not only helpful to consumers, but also easily understood and not so overloaded with technical terminology and jargon that they become difficult to understand. Keep your posts friendly, interesting, and entertaining, and your online followers will be more likely to click, share, and interact.

What’s in a Click?

The content marketing you post will catch the attention of your online followers because they will quickly see you are giving them valuable material that adds to their knowledge base. You are essentially empowering consumers, allowing them to step into your dealership with the confidence they need to make informed decisions—whether it’s about a purchase, maintenance, or repairs. While online shoppers may not comment or like your post, if they find an article interesting or informative, they will click on it to get more information. A back-end feature, clickthroughs are a form of measurable success. Unseen on the Facebook homepage, your analytics will often show your clickthrough rate on successful content marketing pieces to far surpass the visible numbers of likes and shares. It’s for this reason the quality of your content marketing is extremely important—the more value your online followers see in your content, the more they will click and share.

In 2015, content marketing is expected to be the most important digital trend for businesses—impactful information for anyone looking to gain traction with consumers in the digital world. By providing your expertise and professional know-how to consumers about the products and services they are seeking, you will position your dealership as a leader in the industry. Content with real value will be clicked and shared by your followers, and in turn, traffic to your site will increase as awareness increases for your brand.

It’s important to have a content marketing strategy; if you don’t yet have a strategy, it’s time to get one. Just remember, aim for 77% of your posts to be content marketing, because we have learned with time, technology, and better analytics that hope is not a strategy. Posting online and then hoping for likes and shares is no longer enough to propel a brand toward success. But if you happen to have a funny cat video or two, feel free to share them; just make sure they fall into the much smaller 23% of your content. When you stay focused on your strategy, your brand will win!

The 99 Series: We’re Back!

Welcome to the Hope-Is-Not-a-Strategy post, where I remind everyone about the new way we generate buzz around our brand…hint: it’s not like the old way!  Social media strategy for businesses used to revolve around a lot of hope—and also a lot of funny cat memes, but that was before we learned about the metrics that really matter. As dealerships and businesses work toward reaching a customer base that is largely mobile and increasingly insistent on being educated about the products and services they purchase, content marketing is more important than ever. In fact, it’s so important that a full 77% of your online posts should be content marketing pieces.

When you post something on Facebook, it’s natural to check the numbers that appear alongside your post to see if everyone in your friend list has either liked, commented, or shared your social media brilliance. It’s pretty fulfilling to see you’ve been able to entertain a large portion of nearly every acquaintance you’ve had since Kindergarten with the latest video of your dog’s skateboarding adventures, but—and you’ll want to hold onto your seat for this one—those numbers don’t matter as much as you might think.

We used to judge our online success by the number of likes and shares a post received, but things have changed.Consumers are no longer interested in seeing the same funny memes, videos, and pictures everyone else is posting; instead, they are holding preferred businesses to a higher standard, and that’s where content marketing comes into play. By providing the high-quality material consumers are seeking, you will position your dealership as a thought leader, and consumers will keep you top of mind when it comes time to buy, service a vehicle, or simply get valuable information.

What Is Content Marketing?

Content marketing consists of materials that educate consumers and provide information regarding your brand, your culture, and the goods and services you provide. It is NOT a sales blitz, so when you’re considering content, don’t plan posts that will overload readers with inventory and sales-driven content. Instead, think of ways you can help shoppers by offering articles of interest. Consider, for example, educating new car buyers about the importance of following routine maintenance schedules or sharing information about the services you offer that make your dealership stand out from the crowd. If your dealership hosts charity events or is known in the community for supporting local schools or pet adoption organizations, be sure to post stories highlighting what you’ve been up to. Customers are interested in what your dealership is capable of professionally, and they also have an affinity for businesses that do good work in the community.

The key to providing the best content for your online followers is in posting material that is both relevant and valuable to them. Whatever you post should be useful and interesting—and it should place your dealership in the position of being a subject-matter expert. Content marketing is an integral piece of your overall brand voice, making everything you post a reflection of your business and your overall culture. You’ll want to post a mixture of pieces that are not only helpful to consumers, but also easily understood and not so overloaded with technical terminology and jargon that they become difficult to understand. Keep your posts friendly, interesting, and entertaining, and your online followers will be more likely to click, share, and interact.

What’s in a Click?

The content marketing you post will catch the attention of your online followers because they will quickly see you are giving them valuable material that adds to their knowledge base. You are essentially empowering consumers, allowing them to step into your dealership with the confidence they need to make informed decisions—whether it’s about a purchase, maintenance, or repairs. While online shoppers may not comment or like your post, if they find an article interesting or informative, they will click on it to get more information. A back-end feature, clickthroughs are a form of measurable success. Unseen on the Facebook homepage, your analytics will often show your clickthrough rate on successful content marketing pieces to far surpass the visible numbers of likes and shares. It’s for this reason the quality of your content marketing is extremely important—the more value your online followers see in your content, the more they will click and share.

In 2015, content marketing is expected to be the most important digital trend for businesses—impactful information for anyone looking to gain traction with consumers in the digital world. By providing your expertise and professional know-how to consumers about the products and services they are seeking, you will position your dealership as a leader in the industry. Content with real value will be clicked and shared by your followers, and in turn, traffic to your site will increase as awareness increases for your brand.

It’s important to have a content marketing strategy; if you don’t yet have a strategy, it’s time to get one. Just remember, aim for 77% of your posts to be content marketing, because we have learned with time, technology, and better analytics that hope is not a strategy. Posting online and then hoping for likes and shares is no longer enough to propel a brand toward success. But if you happen to have a funny cat video or two, feel free to share them; just make sure they fall into the much smaller 23% of your content. When you stay focused on your strategy, your brand will win!

Experience and Relationships are the Building Blocks of Your Brand

Ask most people what they think of walking into a dealership to buy a new car, and you’ll get a variety of reactions rangingfrom nervous jitters to hyperventilation all the way to a raging case of hives—not exactly promising conditions for anyone, let alone for the salesperson who is left to attempt to sell a vehicle.  There are many reasons for the extreme reactions peoplehave when it comes to buying cars, but they all relate in some way to the sales process and what people perceive as high-pressure sales tactics.  Traditionally, people have come to expect high-pressure tactics whenever they head to the dealership,so what would happen if you were to surprise them and instead offer an environment where shoppers felt comfortable and at ease while purchasing a vehicle? 

By leveraging your employees’ social contacts and reaching out to friends and family—not through high-pressure sales, but instead by way of offering support, information, and assistance when the time comes to purchase—you can provide a more comfortable car-buying experience for shoppers.  In addition to the friends and acquaintances your employees already have,they can work to create an even larger network by building a brand based on trust, reliability, and a good reputation.  Whenyour dealership places a greater emphasis on building relationships rather than solely on the high-pressure sale, you will begin to build a loyal customer base that will return for repeat vehicle purchases, repairs, and maintenance.

Building relationships is a task that takes dedication, time, and above all—a plan.  Now, more than ever, your focus should revolve around an online platform and reaching out to potential customers on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. When customers walk into your dealership after having formed an online relationship with you, they will feel more at ease.  If you’re not exactly sure how to get started, we’ve put together a list of best practices and helpful tips so you can begin to create the EPIC CAR-BUYING EXPERIENCE for your customers:

• Build an online community, starting with Facebook and Twitter.  Focus on these major game-changing sites first and ensureyou have profiles filled out for your dealership, complete with professional photos of your staff and information regardingyour business.  Don’t forget to link back to your website so that customers can easily navigate online.

• Deliver quality content.  Be prepared to provide content your potential customers will find useful as they research online.  Remember the 80/20 rule when it comes to planning your content calendar.  Plan so that 80% of your content includes poststhat don’t promote your dealership; in other words, post content that is enlightening, entertaining, and just plain fun for your readers, but don’t hit them in the face with selling vehicles or service.  Save the other 20% of your content for promoting yourbusiness; post service specials, financing offers, or new inventory that might be of interest.  Consumers will be more likely to tune in to your posts and stay connected when they aren’t overwhelmed by constant selling.

• Stay connected.  You are connecting with new people every day via your online social networks, and you will grow yourfollowing by continuing to post relevant content.  Be sure to post regularly.  One way to ensure this happens is to create and follow a content calendar, which can keep you organized and serve as a reminder to update your online networks.

• Interact with the people in your networks.  Instead of always talking toward your audience, why not interact and talk withyour network?  Consider taking a poll, starting a conversation about a popular topic, or getting people involved in a friendly online competition.  These are all ways of asking your audience to participate with you and showing them you are interestedin what they have to say.

• Read and engage with others’ posts.  Use your online networks as a resource and find out what people are thinking, whattheir opinions are on certain topics, and even what they are looking for when it comes to certain shopping experiences.  Occasionally even toss out some questions to get specific feedback—and listen intently to what consumers say.

You are making connections and maintaining friendships with your online social circles, and in turn, those individuals will feelmore comfortable when they set foot in your dealership because they will have a feeling they already know you.  Not to mention, every connection you make can result in word of mouth marketing that is priceless in the online marketing age.  Weall know that word spreads quickly, but especially online, it’s important to maintain your presence, be vigilant, and provide quality content so that consumers are able to share and drive even more shoppers to your site.

If you are a bit hesitant to jump into the social media realm and start planning your strategy, you need to remember that your competitors don’t share that hesitancy.  They are already using the power of social media to propel their dealerships to thenext level.  In fact, 8 out of 10 small businesses today are using social media to expand their business growth, with 3 out of 5of those respondents saying they have gained new customers by doing so.  Both from word of mouth advertising and by leveraging the already-existing relationships your employees have with their online connections, the possibilities are endlesswhen it comes to the business you can bring to your dealership.

With Facebook being the most visited social media site, you can be sure your presence there (or lack thereof) has a huge impact on your business.  Additionally, it’s important to note that businesses on Twitter are thriving, with 53% of peoplerecommending companies and products on this site alone.  By increasing your online presence, your dealership can focus on forming meaningful relationships with consumers and taking the necessary steps toward building a better bottom linethrough consumer trust and knowledge.  Remember, you are earning trust and building friendships, so that when potential customers step into your dealership, they will feel more at home, relaxed, and ready to do business.

Providing an epic buying experience is up to you.  In today’s social media marketing age, it starts by getting to know your customer online, becoming familiar with his or her needs, and offering relevant content that will educate and promote loyaltyto your brand.  But it doesn’t stop there.  It continues onto the showroom floor, and everything you do—from your initial online contact to your service at the dealership—must reflect your desire to provide the ultimate in customer care.  You are not just making a sale; you are building a relationship.

Experience and Relationships are the Building Blocks of Your Brand

Ask most people what they think of walking into a dealership to buy a new car, and you’ll get a variety of reactions rangingfrom nervous jitters to hyperventilation all the way to a raging case of hives—not exactly promising conditions for anyone, let alone for the salesperson who is left to attempt to sell a vehicle.  There are many reasons for the extreme reactions peoplehave when it comes to buying cars, but they all relate in some way to the sales process and what people perceive as high-pressure sales tactics.  Traditionally, people have come to expect high-pressure tactics whenever they head to the dealership,so what would happen if you were to surprise them and instead offer an environment where shoppers felt comfortable and at ease while purchasing a vehicle? 

By leveraging your employees’ social contacts and reaching out to friends and family—not through high-pressure sales, but instead by way of offering support, information, and assistance when the time comes to purchase—you can provide a more comfortable car-buying experience for shoppers.  In addition to the friends and acquaintances your employees already have,they can work to create an even larger network by building a brand based on trust, reliability, and a good reputation.  Whenyour dealership places a greater emphasis on building relationships rather than solely on the high-pressure sale, you will begin to build a loyal customer base that will return for repeat vehicle purchases, repairs, and maintenance.

Building relationships is a task that takes dedication, time, and above all—a plan.  Now, more than ever, your focus should revolve around an online platform and reaching out to potential customers on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. When customers walk into your dealership after having formed an online relationship with you, they will feel more at ease.  If you’re not exactly sure how to get started, we’ve put together a list of best practices and helpful tips so you can begin to create the EPIC CAR-BUYING EXPERIENCE for your customers:

• Build an online community, starting with Facebook and Twitter.  Focus on these major game-changing sites first and ensureyou have profiles filled out for your dealership, complete with professional photos of your staff and information regardingyour business.  Don’t forget to link back to your website so that customers can easily navigate online.

• Deliver quality content.  Be prepared to provide content your potential customers will find useful as they research online.  Remember the 80/20 rule when it comes to planning your content calendar.  Plan so that 80% of your content includes poststhat don’t promote your dealership; in other words, post content that is enlightening, entertaining, and just plain fun for your readers, but don’t hit them in the face with selling vehicles or service.  Save the other 20% of your content for promoting yourbusiness; post service specials, financing offers, or new inventory that might be of interest.  Consumers will be more likely to tune in to your posts and stay connected when they aren’t overwhelmed by constant selling.

• Stay connected.  You are connecting with new people every day via your online social networks, and you will grow yourfollowing by continuing to post relevant content.  Be sure to post regularly.  One way to ensure this happens is to create and follow a content calendar, which can keep you organized and serve as a reminder to update your online networks.

• Interact with the people in your networks.  Instead of always talking toward your audience, why not interact and talk withyour network?  Consider taking a poll, starting a conversation about a popular topic, or getting people involved in a friendly online competition.  These are all ways of asking your audience to participate with you and showing them you are interestedin what they have to say.

• Read and engage with others’ posts.  Use your online networks as a resource and find out what people are thinking, whattheir opinions are on certain topics, and even what they are looking for when it comes to certain shopping experiences.  Occasionally even toss out some questions to get specific feedback—and listen intently to what consumers say.

You are making connections and maintaining friendships with your online social circles, and in turn, those individuals will feelmore comfortable when they set foot in your dealership because they will have a feeling they already know you.  Not to mention, every connection you make can result in word of mouth marketing that is priceless in the online marketing age.  Weall know that word spreads quickly, but especially online, it’s important to maintain your presence, be vigilant, and provide quality content so that consumers are able to share and drive even more shoppers to your site.

If you are a bit hesitant to jump into the social media realm and start planning your strategy, you need to remember that your competitors don’t share that hesitancy.  They are already using the power of social media to propel their dealerships to thenext level.  In fact, 8 out of 10 small businesses today are using social media to expand their business growth, with 3 out of 5of those respondents saying they have gained new customers by doing so.  Both from word of mouth advertising and by leveraging the already-existing relationships your employees have with their online connections, the possibilities are endlesswhen it comes to the business you can bring to your dealership.

With Facebook being the most visited social media site, you can be sure your presence there (or lack thereof) has a huge impact on your business.  Additionally, it’s important to note that businesses on Twitter are thriving, with 53% of peoplerecommending companies and products on this site alone.  By increasing your online presence, your dealership can focus on forming meaningful relationships with consumers and taking the necessary steps toward building a better bottom linethrough consumer trust and knowledge.  Remember, you are earning trust and building friendships, so that when potential customers step into your dealership, they will feel more at home, relaxed, and ready to do business.

Providing an epic buying experience is up to you.  In today’s social media marketing age, it starts by getting to know your customer online, becoming familiar with his or her needs, and offering relevant content that will educate and promote loyaltyto your brand.  But it doesn’t stop there.  It continues onto the showroom floor, and everything you do—from your initial online contact to your service at the dealership—must reflect your desire to provide the ultimate in customer care.  You are not just making a sale; you are building a relationship.