Discover Your Market: Your Hispanic Consumer Part II

Marketing to Various Acculturation Levels

Everyone knows they need to market to Hispanic consumers, and if you don’t know, here’s a little secret: You need to market to Hispanic consumers!

Here’s quick run-down of why: 

• There are over 56 MILLION people in the U.S. today who identify as Hispanic, and this diverse group of people holds in their hands $1.5 TRILLION in purchasing power. (No business should be willing to turn its back on marketing to approximately 18% of the population.)

• In 2020, the U.S. Census estimates the Hispanic population will be around 94 million people.

Defining Acculturation

Acculturation refers to the process by which an individual or group of people adapts to or borrows traits from another culture.For marketers targeting the Hispanic population, acculturation is a way of segmenting according to factors such as language, income level, and even purchasing behaviors. Before creating content for an audience, businesses should study their target market and determine the level(s) of acculturation present in the groups that will receive their messages in order to allow them to present the most effective marketing campaign possible.

Levels of acculturation can be defined in various ways, so for the sake of keeping the definitions straightforward, three levels of acculturation are outlined:

• Highly Acculturated
• Partially Acculturated
• Unacculturated

Simply by reading the above-listed levels of acculturation, readers are probably able to begin identifying traits that might place individuals in one level or another. In order to successfully market to the Hispanic population in any given area, it is necessary to understand, among many other things, the level of acculturation of the audience being targeted. Once you have done that, you’ll be able to more effectively speak to a particular group, keeping their level of acculturation in mind.

The Acculturated Hispanic Consumer

This consumer is English-dominant and was either born in the U.S. or has been living in the U.S. for at least 10 years. Marketers will note that highly acculturated consumers will enjoy doing business mostly in English and will prefer to receive their communication and marketing materials in English. They likely don’t participate in many Hispanic traditions, and their behavior in the marketplace is similar to that of the general market. Approximately 11% of Hispanic adults fall into this category.

The Partially Acculturated Hispanic Consumer

Meet your bilingual consumer. This consumer was either born in the U.S. or has lived in this country for several years and is comfortable with either Spanish or English. Marketers will note this consumer will not specifically lean toward products that are distinctly Hispanic. This shopper remains dedicated to keeping traditions alive and remains loyal to his or her native country’s history and customs.

The Unacculturated Consumer

This consumer is Spanish-dominant and typically foreign-born, preferring to only speak Spanish when conducting business. He or she uses mostly Spanish at home and will seek out products that are familiar and that have been used in the native country. New U.S. cultures and traditions are acquired more slowly, as this consumer surrounds himself or herself with Spanish-speaking friends and family and retains a high level of Hispanic traditions and customs.

Acculturation is merely one level of segmentation, however it can be quite helpful to marketers and businesses who are working to connect and extend their reach within the Hispanic community. By knowing more about your audience, you will be able to connect on a more personal and meaningful level to deliver content that is relevant in the language and style your consumers desire. Knowing the level of acculturation, for example, will keep professionals from making the mistake of blasting English-only content to a Spanish-dominant audience. Remember never to treat an entire population segment as a whole, but instead, analyze it and decide what the best approach would be for that particular audience when it comes to disseminating your company’s message. In some cases, just a little bit of homework can save an entire marketing campaign!

Aside from defining acculturation levels, if marketers are unsure of how to approach their Hispanic market, they should focus on other unifying factors that appeal to the Hispanic audience in general, such as family, food, entertainment, and music. As covered in the previous article, Cultural Relevancy and Your Market, there are many things that define a culture—language can be an anchor and a common theme, but many other things go into the mix when creating a true connection.

You will be able to market to your Hispanic audience with confidence after you’ve done your research so that you can create the best and most meaningful cultural connection possible. So get out there and speak loudly and clearly for 56 million people to hear. Just make sure you know your audience and say it in just the right way.

Connecting With Your Hispanic Consumer

Hispanic consumers in the U.S. have spoken; they are shopping for brands that affirm their culture and empower them as individuals. Over 56 million strong, this is a population that does not want to be sold to and highlighted, but rather included. Proud of a rich culture, background, history, and language, the Hispanic demographic is an economic powerhouse for businesses trying to reach new and growing markets, but as businesses and marketers know, creating relevant content for their Hispanic audiences is more easily said than done.

Marketing professionals have learned with the general market in the U.S. that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and the same goes for the Hispanic population. The diversity that defines the Hispanic population of the U.S. is broad, and it can’t be defined simply with a word or with a language translation. It is a diversity that lives in Hispanic communities throughout the country and can be attributed to many things, such as country of origin, language of preference, age demographic, living circumstances, level of education, level of acculturation, and many other factors that form the layers of a culture. These nuances form the Hispanic culture marketers are targeting, and they are also the source of confusion for marketers who are trying to reach the Hispanic market. Some are hitting the mark when it comes to delivering relevant content—and many are missing by a long shot.

With $1.5 trillion in purchasing power, the Hispanic population is a force to be reckoned with in the market, and marketers who want to win with this demographic need to tune in to cultural relevanc

y in order to gain traction. Hitting a homerun with this market will require businesses to delve into what makes the Hispanic population tick, what their likes and dislikes are, and what drives them as a culture. The following ideas should point your business in the right direction:

Focus on Hispanic passion points. They typically differ from those of other consumers. For example, Hispanic consumers are typically interested in entertainment, music, sports, and news from their home countries. Provide content that is meaningful and relevant to their needs and interests, and you will get more traction with your posts.

Focus on language. While there are 16% of Hispanic individuals the U.S. who don’t speak Spanish, there are another 25% who don’t speak English. The rest possess some level of bilingualism. Your messaging plan should revolve around your target market and the preferred language of that market, which means you will need to do your homework in order to decide which language is best.

The landscape continues to change, and as marketers and businesspeople, we must change along with it in order to be successful. Hispanic communities around the country are attracting our attention, and rightly so, because of their booming numbers and their increased buying power. Not only are these consumers shopping and looking for new and varying products, but they are also influencing the purchases of others with their early adoption and frequent use of technology. It is integral to the success of growing companies and dealerships to get to know the Hispanic communities and consumers of today—they are growing, they are changing, and they are the demographic that is dominating the scene when it comes to buying power.

Social News for the Week of August 3, 2015

Google+ Gets Focused

With more and more people flocking to Google+, the site continues to improve the user experience.  With its latest improvements, Google is rethinking some things and making important changes to help users interact and use the site more efficiently.  Users can look forward to new features like Google+ Collections that will allow them to share posts organized by topic, a new Google Photos App that will house several elements from Google+ Photos, and newly-house location sharing in Hangouts.  With all of these changes happening in planned stages, users will notice a more engaging and easy-to-navigate Google+ over the next few months.  As Google+ shows off a more organized and user-friendly experience, dealerships will want to take note and be ready to take advantage of features like the photos app to share inventory and showroom news with customers.

LinkedIn Campaign Management Tool

Sponsored updates and text ads are getting a fresh, new face on LinkedIn.  The LinkedIn Campaign Manager has been redesigned and rebuilt, allowing customer the control and visibility they need throughout a campaign.  The new look and feel will be seen immediately by users, and there also are major tech considerations that have taken place behind the scenes, too, which will allow for future capabilities.  Several advertisers already have access to the newest version of the tool, and LinkedIn expects to allow all advertisers access in the near future.  Dealerships should take advantage of this updated LinkedIn tool to easily track and follow specific campaigns, as well as view the dynamic reporting that can be filtered to satisfy specific criteria.

Periscope Mute Button & Broadcast Stats

Not to be outdone in the updates and improvements category, Periscope also continues to improve its user capabilities.  Its newest updates for iOS, and soon to be available for Android, include a “Mute” option for notifications.  This allows you to mute individual Periscope users while still receiving their broadcasts in your feed; you simply won’t receive push notifications when they go live.  Additionally, Periscope has added broadcast stats via a pop-up panel which appears at the end of a broadcast.  Previously only available after stopping your broadcast, these stats are now always available.  With more shoppers being highly in tune with new online tools, dealerships should consider reaching customers via short Periscope broadcasts.

Facebook Security Checkup

The new Facenbook Sercurity Checkup tool offers users peace of mind and an easy way to enhance safety when it comes to their online experiences.  Boasting “dedicated teas and intelligent security systems working around the clock,” Facebook means business when it comes to protecting users from online breaches.  They also offer optional added protection controls, allowing users to decide which features they want to use.  Starting within the next few weeks, users will see a reminder in their newsfeeds, telling them to click to “Get Started.”

Twitter Event Targeting

Twitter recently introduced its Event Marketing capability, which activates around events that take place worldwide.  Including three primary tools, the event calendar, event insights, and event activation, users can quickly and easily learn about and plan for specific moments.  Event Targeting reaches audiences interested in various events and keeps them abreast of specifics as events progress.  Once users have identified events they wish to target via the event calendar, they can get more information about the specified events via insights.  Finally, after gathering all the necessary information regarding selected events and audiences, the event activation tool allows users to create campaigns targeting chosen events.  This is a great tool for dealerships that sponsor local events like charity fundraisers and workshops.  Consider Twitter event targeting to boost your online visibility and increase engagement!

Twitter Native App for Windows 10

Continuing with its updates, Twitter announces Windows users will have a newely-optimized experience.  Created especially for Windows 10, the app launches in tandem with Windows 10 for PCs and Tablets and gives users instant access to top tweets, pics, and videos without logging in.  Users will also be able to see tweets in live tiles from the Start menu.  Enhance your dealership’s posts with this newest Twitter experience by uploading up to four pics per tweet, sharing private photos with your customer base via Direct Messages, and even tweeting with Vine videos directly from your showroom floor.  

Fewer LinkedIn Emails

Users will be seeing fewer emails from LinkedIn due changes resulting from member feedback.  Now focusing on making emails more “infrequent and more relevant,” LinkedIn promises it has received the message being sent from consumers.  Instead of an overload of individual emails, users will now see a single weekly digest that contains invitations to connect.  In addition, users who subscribes to several LinkedIn Groups will see aggregated updates from all groups into a single email.  According to LinkedIn, for every 10 emails they used to send, these changes have resulted in removing 4 of those emails.  As you position your dealership a subject matter expert and build your credibility throughout the industry, your visibility on LinkedIn will help you make new connections and maintain the solid connections you already have.

Google Search Shows Busy Times for Businesses

Thanks to Google Search, everyone can now avoid long lines at their favorite venues.    Users can search millions of businesses worldwide and dertermine the busiest business times is selected, users will see how busy it gets during certain times throughout the day, allowing them to avoid the long lines and crowded waiting rooms.  As more consumers become aware of this app, your dealership can take advantage of busy times leveling out throughout the week, providing a steadier stream of business.

Google Dynamic Search Ads

Introduced three years ago, Google is enhancing their Dynamic Search Ads (DSA).  Now available to all advertisers globally, DSA is an indexing tool that searches your website and determines which searches should contain ads.  With its newest update, DSA organizes website content into recommended categories in order to target ads.  Offering extended reach and ease of use, the updated tool is powerful and boasts a less-than-10-minute-setup for a user’s first campaign.  The enhanced version of DSA allows users more transparency regarding how ads will show, and users will see samples of targeted search queries, as well as customer landing pages.  Your dealership can be more powerful than ever when you leverage the recommendations, insights, and previews offered by the newest Dynamic Search Ads.

Yahoo Livetext

Yahoo recently introduced Livetext for iOS and Android, a one-to-one video texting app.  Encouraging users to include real-time reactions in their daily text conversations, Livetext is billed as a new way to stay in touch.  Yahoo claims it “blends the convenience and ease of texting, with the immediacy and vividness of live video.”  Audio-free, Livetext allows users to include things like a smile, a smirk, or an eye roll into the middle of a text conversation.  Much like a real-life conversation, these snippets are quick and fleeting.  Dealerships on the cutting edge can consider integrating Livetext as they target specific customer lists.  Capture a smile or a wave and sent it your customers’ way!

Tip of the Week—Make Social Media Special

Although your dealership’s social media platform is an extension of your business, you’ll want to make it stand out and be unique for several reasons, one of the most important being the fact you want to increase your online reach and you want people to keep coming back for more.  When you give your followers something they can’t find anywhere else and something they enjoy when they visit your site, that’s exactly what they’ll do…they’ll keep coming back!  Here are a few tips to help you stand out, stay ahead of the competition, and shine when it comes to providing what your consumers are looking for:

You can only chew so much.  Or, there are numerous social media sites out there; the first thing you should do is choose the ones that are right for your dealership, and be sure to select a manageable number of platforms.  Once you start posting and updating your followers, they will expect you to continue on a regular basis.

Offer something fun.  Consider offering a variety of different things on your social media sites that are only available to those who follow you online.  Think about special coupons, offers, or even giveaways directed toward those who follow you on Facebook or Twitter.

Don’t be shy.  Don’t forget to reach out to people on social media and start conversations.  Remember, social media is all about being social, so have some fun, ask thought-provoking questions, get your audience involved and engaged.  By giving more to your audience, you will end up getting more.  It takes an investment of your time, but you’ll soon find consumers looking to you as a thought leader in your areas of expertise.

Post like it’s your job.  The more visible you are on social media, the more people will seek you out and want to interact with you.  If you commit to engage people on your social media channels, go ahead and plunge into the deep end—engage on a daily basis!  Be the person everyone counts on seeing when they login to their accounts.

By following just a few quick tips, you’ll soon start to feel more comfortable creating your dealership’s social media presence, and you’ll also notice people starting to look to you as a thought leader in your industry.  Your social media platforms should serve as a reflection of your dealership as a whole, but they should also have their own flair that helps your dealership extend its reach even further.  Engage, Share and Get Social!

Millennials as Social Influencers: DO Talk to Strangers

Despite the instruction of their parents, today’s youngsters have discovered that talking to strangers may not be a bad idea. Now in their mid-teens to mid-30s, millennials have grown into adult consumers and discovered that the most valuable information about products and services comes from the very people they were warned about—strangers.

Millennials shop for cars differently than any other generation. They make up the largest generation in the United States and have an estimated purchasing power of $1.68 trillion, higher than any other generation. Effectively marketing to today’s youngest consumers means understanding how they research, who they trust, and how to make them trust your dealership. Soon your dealership will depend on them.

Research Habits

Because they were raised during the birth of social media, they are constantly connected to their friends, acquaintances, and even to strangers. Out of the millennial generation, about 80% use Facebook, 49% use YouTube, 18% use Twitter, and 25% use Google+. They are more likely to share both positive and negative car-buying experiences with brands via social channels rather than complaining directly to the dealership, which makes it even more imperative that your dealership be in tune with this generation via social media. Curious about what others are doing, buying, and enjoying, 84% of millennials report that user-generated content (UGC) from strangers has influence on what they buy. Only 3% of millennials say UGC has no influence on their purchase decisions.

This new way of learning about products and services is the reason 71% of millennials share opinions about products and services online. With so much of their time and energy going into research before car buying, they know their opinions will be an influence on others’ purchase decisions.

In addition, 64% of millennials feel companies should offer more ways for them to share their opinions online. Believing this fosters an environment for authentic content, 62% of millennials say they are more likely to purchase a product if the brand asks for their opinion. They view companies that include customer feedback on their websites as honest and credible sources, and the majority also say they feel more loyal to brands that take the time to ask their opinions.

Distrust in the Market

About 51% of millennials say they are influenced more by user-generated content produced and posted by strangers, compared with recommendations from friends, family, and colleagues. This feeling of trust toward strangers’ opinions is attributed to the fact that 65% of millennials believe user-generated content offers a more honest and genuine product or service review. 86% believe the content from these posts is a good indicator of brand quality, service, or products because strangers don’t have a reason to misrepresent the products or services they review.

The majority of millennials do not trust businesses. 71% of millennials say companies care about customer opinions simply because they impact how other consumers will view the brand, rather than truly caring what their customers think. Only 1% of millennials said a compelling advertisement would make them trust a brand more.

Win Millennials Over

Winning over millennials takes a new approach to selling, and it starts with access to authentic information. Millennials value authenticity more than content itself when consuming news. As a result, they rely on new ways to consume media, with fewer than 3% ranking television news, magazines, and books as decision-making influencers. They have been exposed to a variety of information, facts, and opinions from an early age, and with ease of access to information comes the ability to spot inauthentic advertisements and edited reviews fairly quickly, which is why truthful and transparent advertising is a must. By providing straightforward advertising that speaks to millennials in an authentic way, your dealership will be on the road to winning with this generation.

Dealerships can also implement a forum on their website where customers can freely discuss and share opinions about products and services. This is an indication that a dealership is confident in the products and services offered and is not worried about the possibility of a disgruntled customer posting a bad review. It creates opportunities for consumer opinions to be voiced but also for concerns or bad experiences to be promptly addressed by the dealership. Seeing how customers view your product, services, and dealership experience is a perfect opportunity to prove to millennials, and all other demographics, that your business is one that cares about the consumer.

When it comes to creating a lasting relationship with your consumers, being a brand people can trust is imperative to your success. Establishing trust with millennials means creating an amazing product, offering stellar service, and fostering authentic consumer discussions. Doing all of these things will lead to satisfied millennial customers and a plethora of positive user-generated content for your dealership.

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.

Take Back Your Brand: Secret Strategies for a Thriving Dealership

Every dealership depends on certain resources to be successful, but thriving dealerships know the secrets to long-term, bottom line success depends on investing time and money in core areas of the dealership to stay on top and build a solid, recognizable and profitable brand.

Employees

The success of a dealership hinges on its employees for obvious reasons, but there are ways to maximize the impact your employees have on your bottom line.  Great dealership's managers understand the importance of seeing their employees as individuals. Successful managers are able to pinpoint the unique talents and strengths of individuals on their team, empowering them to function at a higher level and deliver a better return on investment for their dealership. Gallup’s data shows that when an employee simply learns his or her strengths, that employee becomes 7.8% more productive, and teams that focus on strengths daily have 12.5% greater productivity.

Dealerships can easily access Gallup’s StrengthsFinder assessment, an assessment that has helped more than 9 million people worldwide discover their greatest talents. After these talents are discovered, it is important to find ways to help employees align their greatest talents to the expectations and responsibilities of their job. This includes applying strengths in a team setting to achieve common goals, holding team meetings to help co-workers learn how their talents complement others, posting employees’ top five themes in their offices or cubicles, having employees set goals based on their strengths, and incorporating strengths into performance conversations and reviews.

All employees have strengths—the unique combinations of talents, knowledge, and skills that assist them in doing what they do best every day. Understanding and better utilizing their strengths will provide employees and employers with the optimum opportunity for success.

Customer Experience

Although dealerships try to keep loyalty at the forefront of their minds, it’s always difficult to find a balance between customers and potential customers. Of course, gaining new customers is an ever-pressing goal of every dealership, but part of a successful strategy will focus on the customers they already have.

Dealerships gain new customers daily through marketing efforts. These efforts are for nothing if a loyal customer is lost because he or she is feeling ignored in the process. Even if a dealership were to add one customer to offset every loyal customer lost, the business would still lose money because of increased marketing costs and the reduced chance of a return sale.

Existing customers are also important to dealerships because it is far easier to sell products and services to someone the dealership already has a relationship with rather than to a new customer that does not yet have that relationship. If dealerships have taken care of a customer in the past and there is business-customer trust, these customers are more willing to give new products and additions a try. With a relationship in place, far less selling is required, saving time and money.

Social Networking

The rise of Facebook and Twitter have led to an enormous dealership interest in social networking. Dealerships understand that customers expect a much more interactive experience at a fast pace, which is why many of them have adopted a social media plan. Because of this social media craze, every significant business now gets feedback spread across the web, wanted or not. With the easy accessibility of online platforms, dealerships need to be efficiently utilizing their social outlets by responding quickly to customer feedback.

Although having user-generated reviews of products and services on their site can seem like a hassle for businesses, this is actually a big opportunity for companies to correct mistakes and mend relationships. This feedback provides management with information and brings problems quickly to the surface, enabling them to be fixed before they get out of hand.

Additionally, when feedback through social media is handled in the right way, it can attract potential customers to a dealership. A dissatisfied customer interaction posted to Facebook can be combated and solved for everyone to see. If a potential customer sees this “bad review” and the dealership responds promptly and in a professional manner, he or she may actually want to do business with them knowing how highly they regard customer feedback.

Mobile Technology

Most everyone at a dealership has a mobile phone they take everywhere. There’s no arguing that mobile devices have become an essential part of our lives and they often cause distractions at work. Instead of trying to combat the inevitable cell phone use in the workplace, dealerships can capitalize on this by giving employees the chance to be on their phones while being productive and engaging customers.

Something that is very easy to do and that can make a great difference to a business is permitting mobile devices in the office to have an internet connection. This will not only make an employee’s life easier, but will also help maintain a reputation of efficiency for a dealership. For example, if businesses are able to follow up with a client by email immediately after a meeting, it shows the client the business is accessible, timely, and professional. Another option for leveraging mobile devices in the workplace revolves around business applications. There are tens of thousands of applications designed for businesses that help streamline workflow, save time, improve co-worker communication, keep data accessible, and automate daily tasks. These apps are also great for improving customer service by allowing questions and inquiries about their service and products to be accessed through a mobile phone anywhere, rather than only at a desktop.

Successful dealerships focus on leveraging the tools they already possess such as their employees, customers, social media plans, and mobile devices. When all of these tools are leveraged, dealerships improve the customer experience and increase employee productivity, leading to higher levels of performance, productivity, and profitability.

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!

Social Media Update – Week of 7/20

Hey, it’s Joey Little, VP of Social Strategy with the MotoFuze Weekly Social Media Update.  This week we’ve got some great news for those of us who want more from our mobile social media experience!

Twitter Summary Cards

Twitter users will now see more web content detail in their timelines thanks to the newest Summary Card update.   Both iOS and Android mobile users will see this updated functionality, which now allows users to see an image, title, and a summary of the tweet. Previously, users had to click on the tweet in order to see the details. Twitter publishers are happy with the increase in information that is shared, as well as the more attractive format that rolled out with this update. For automotive dealerships that want to connect with consumers online, this is a great new way to share even more detail with shoppers and get them interested in what you’re posting.

Twitter Data Dashboard

Twitter has had a busy week, as it also unveiled a new data dashboard for users which allows improved monitoring and management of accounts. The new tool is accessible via the settings menu and shows account activation details, devices that have accessed your account, as well as recent login history. This makes it easy to quickly review an account to ensure everything looks as it should. Allowing users a quick glance at all logins, Twitter is making it even easier to recognize security breaches with this new tool. For businesses, this adds an extra degree of security as you branch into the mobile world and connect with your customers where they are researching, shopping, and sharing information.

Vine Suggestions

If you’re a dedicated Viner, you’ll be happy to know Vine has recently added feature that will help users out by suggesting accounts to follow. Simply by tapping the Find People icon in the top left corner, users are able to see hand-picked suggestions and choose new accounts to follow. Along with this newest update also comes a quality setting that offers users the option of posting their Vines in HD. Dealerships who are branching out in the social media realm can really have some fun with Vine as they enhance their brand recognition with this app. In fact, automotive ranks in the top five features sharing on Vine, so get creative and share some Vines with potential customers!

Google Purchases Button

Google is testing a new purchase button which will allow smartphone shoppers to click on a Google ad when searching for items on their mobile devices. A ‘Buy on Google’ text ad may appear with alongside items that are being shopped, which will take consumers to a retailer-branded product page hosted by Google. With a seamless and secure checkout, shoppers are sure to like Google’s latest update. Keep your eyes open, automotive dealerships; this feature may be handy in the future for getting customers to your parts and services pages.

Facebook “Watch Later” Button

No time to watch a video now? Facebook is testing a new "water Later" desktop function for videos that allows users the option of saving videos and viewing them at a more convenient time. Simply by scrolling over the upper right-hand corner of a video, users are able to select “Watch Later” in order to view videos that appear in their feeds at a later time. With 4 billion daily views, video is one of the fastest-growing categories on Facebook, and with continued user capabilities, this category will likely grow even more. Opportunity exists for businesses and dealerships that take advantage of the newest convenience features for users; consider an inventory walk-through or an on-the-lot promotion update to invite shoppers to your location.

Tip of the Week—How to Grow Your Engagement

Dealerships are smart to focus resources and energy on building a stellar online presence.  What you may or may not realize is how the definition of successful social engagement has changed in the past few years.  Advances in analytics have delivered in-depth insights into true engagement.  Successful online engagement involves user interaction with your content.  When individuals click on your content and want to read more about what you’ve posted, you’ve truly engaged them…and that’s the opportunity to influence you’re after!

So, how do you get online followers to click on your content? To get you started, follow the quick tips below, and you’ll begin to get clickthroughs faster than you can say “Facebook”:

• Share interesting and relevant content that helps consumers learn about your industry. Instead of going for the hard-sell, for example, post an interesting article about why it’s imperative to follow a routine vehicle maintenance schedule.
• Use visuals. You’ll draw your online followers in and be more likely to captivate them with pictures, videos, and infographics. People absorb and understand visual input more quickly, and they’ll be more likely to click to learn more if you give them something interesting to look at.
• Get to the point. While some social media sites keep you to specific character counts, others will let you type paragraphs. Your followers will be more likely to click and continue to read if your posts are easy to understand and concise.