Kruse Control Inc.
You're Doing It Wrong! Why Your Facebook Ads Aren't Working
Everybody loves to hate Facebook.
You may or may not have caught some of the talk surrounding GM’s Facebook Ads decampment. GM does not understand Facebook marketing. There, I said it. To that point, this post from AdAge’s B.L. Ochman on 11 boring things GM posted on Facebook says it all. GM’s Facebook marketing is a shining example of a company that wants to broadcast instead of listen, ignore instead of engage. Frankly, I’m glad they pulled their Facebook Ads budget. It was a waste of money.
I’m a Facebook lover…especially for marketing and generating leads for business. Automotive News ran an article this week saying (for 100th time) that Facebook is ineffective at selling cars. Really? They don’t have all the facts. They even quoted a guy from Honda who got his Facebook user stats wrong by 400+ million! Nice.
To those that read the article: please consider another opinion before you pass judgment. There’s a lot of negative noise out there about Facebook Ads. Most of it’s coming from those that are doing it wrong. Calling out Facebook as the culprit in your failed advertising is like blaming the golf course for your lousy game.
Meanwhile, back in reality…Michael Scissons of AdAge writes that automotive will be a big Facebook Ad spending category if marketers can get it right. The opportunity for Facebook Ads success is huge at the dealer level. Why? Successful dealership Social marketing is local because sales are local. How the dealers and their salespeople promote themselves and interact with their local community will become a competitive advantage to the companies who get it right. Private dealers and large auto groups alike should be spending money on locally-targeted Facebook advertising to drive local relationships, events and test drives.
Right now, the focus is upside down. Dealers are making Facebook too complicated in one area and too simplistic in another.
They’re complicating things by bringing expectations based on the antiquated view of “Mad Men” era advertising. Confusion sets in when the results they were looking for never materialize. Give up trying to “get the word out”. You can’t interrupt everyone just so you can talk about your stuff. You used to be able to grab attention and turn it into money. But now, attention is scarce. People are interrupted by more interruptions. We must earn attention and trust and turn that into money.
Dealers must cease this simplistic idea that anyone can “do” Facebook. Successful advertising has ALWAYS required skill, experience and talent. Facebook Ads call for that and much, much more. Most businesses don’t set goals for Social Media or Facebook Ads. A typical goal is “we just want people to buy our stuff”. Hire a skilled expert to train your marketing manager. Grow your own “in-house Social marketer” to write great content to engage people and increase your sales by designing, managing and monitoring Facebook Ads.
Display ads are over, folks. They have morphed into something more relevant called Social Engagement Ads. In the Automotive News article, Ford had it right, “Our Facebook ads are effective when strategically combined with engaging content and innovation.” Owned and earned media now have the fire power of paid advertising. This is confusing for many who think in terms of display advertising. Display used to be the dominant way to make sales because it stole attention. Now, it’s a delicate balance between paid, owned and earned media. It’s the savvy marketer who can unite all three and win.
Facebook and other Social Media platforms came along and replaced this idea of stealing attention. Instead, Facebook gives you a platform with which to earn your customers’ attention. You earn attention, build trust and turn it into profit. It’s not easy but it does work when you do it right.
For dealers, successful Facebook Ads will help you meet your sales goals. You laser-target to those that will most likely buy from you. But coming to the table with the mindset of display ads and trying to apply it to socially-engaging Facebook Ads is useless. Embrace Social Engagement Ads and put them to work for your business. “Get the word out” will take on a whole new meaning: The good word spreads from person to person and that’s how sales happen.
Kathi Kruse
Social Media Coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com
Kruse Control Inc.
You're Doing It Wrong! Why Your Facebook Ads Aren't Working
Everybody loves to hate Facebook.
You may or may not have caught some of the talk surrounding GM’s Facebook Ads decampment. GM does not understand Facebook marketing. There, I said it. To that point, this post from AdAge’s B.L. Ochman on 11 boring things GM posted on Facebook says it all. GM’s Facebook marketing is a shining example of a company that wants to broadcast instead of listen, ignore instead of engage. Frankly, I’m glad they pulled their Facebook Ads budget. It was a waste of money.
I’m a Facebook lover…especially for marketing and generating leads for business. Automotive News ran an article this week saying (for 100th time) that Facebook is ineffective at selling cars. Really? They don’t have all the facts. They even quoted a guy from Honda who got his Facebook user stats wrong by 400+ million! Nice.
To those that read the article: please consider another opinion before you pass judgment. There’s a lot of negative noise out there about Facebook Ads. Most of it’s coming from those that are doing it wrong. Calling out Facebook as the culprit in your failed advertising is like blaming the golf course for your lousy game.
Meanwhile, back in reality…Michael Scissons of AdAge writes that automotive will be a big Facebook Ad spending category if marketers can get it right. The opportunity for Facebook Ads success is huge at the dealer level. Why? Successful dealership Social marketing is local because sales are local. How the dealers and their salespeople promote themselves and interact with their local community will become a competitive advantage to the companies who get it right. Private dealers and large auto groups alike should be spending money on locally-targeted Facebook advertising to drive local relationships, events and test drives.
Right now, the focus is upside down. Dealers are making Facebook too complicated in one area and too simplistic in another.
They’re complicating things by bringing expectations based on the antiquated view of “Mad Men” era advertising. Confusion sets in when the results they were looking for never materialize. Give up trying to “get the word out”. You can’t interrupt everyone just so you can talk about your stuff. You used to be able to grab attention and turn it into money. But now, attention is scarce. People are interrupted by more interruptions. We must earn attention and trust and turn that into money.
Dealers must cease this simplistic idea that anyone can “do” Facebook. Successful advertising has ALWAYS required skill, experience and talent. Facebook Ads call for that and much, much more. Most businesses don’t set goals for Social Media or Facebook Ads. A typical goal is “we just want people to buy our stuff”. Hire a skilled expert to train your marketing manager. Grow your own “in-house Social marketer” to write great content to engage people and increase your sales by designing, managing and monitoring Facebook Ads.
Display ads are over, folks. They have morphed into something more relevant called Social Engagement Ads. In the Automotive News article, Ford had it right, “Our Facebook ads are effective when strategically combined with engaging content and innovation.” Owned and earned media now have the fire power of paid advertising. This is confusing for many who think in terms of display advertising. Display used to be the dominant way to make sales because it stole attention. Now, it’s a delicate balance between paid, owned and earned media. It’s the savvy marketer who can unite all three and win.
Facebook and other Social Media platforms came along and replaced this idea of stealing attention. Instead, Facebook gives you a platform with which to earn your customers’ attention. You earn attention, build trust and turn it into profit. It’s not easy but it does work when you do it right.
For dealers, successful Facebook Ads will help you meet your sales goals. You laser-target to those that will most likely buy from you. But coming to the table with the mindset of display ads and trying to apply it to socially-engaging Facebook Ads is useless. Embrace Social Engagement Ads and put them to work for your business. “Get the word out” will take on a whole new meaning: The good word spreads from person to person and that’s how sales happen.
Kathi Kruse
Social Media Coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com
No Comments
Kruse Control Inc.
3 Things Social Media Will Never Do For You
What happened? It seems like it was just yesterday that our world was filled with unicorns and rainbows. We heard lots of advice on love your customers, engage them in conversation and poof! they would magically appear in your showroom. There was a lot of unsubstantiated ideas about Social Media put forth on the unaware audience. Expectations grew, thinking the medium was free.
Today, we’ve all come down to earth. The dreams of fluffy clouds and rainbows with unicorns jumping over them are over. Facebook is now a public company and we’ve recognized that the consumer is in charge. Dealerships get educated more and more every day and reality has started sinking in. The concept of “free” Social Media has vanished. We know now it takes time, a budget and hard work, including integrating Social business across your entire company.
I see some dealers still with expectations. This is due mainly to avoidance and not spending time on Social networks as a user. There are a lot of things Social Media can do for your company but today, let’s talk about 3 things it will never do:
1. Make up for a bad customer experience. As the saying goes, “If you suck in real life, you will suck on Social Media”. Nielsen just reported that the most trusted form of advertising is a “recommendation from someone I know”. The close second is “Consumer opinions posted online”. (Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising Survey Q3 2011). If your business is delivering a less-than-stellar customer experience, be prepared to have that amplified on Social Media.
2. Drive traffic to your door by simply announcing how great you are. The old model of advertising was to broadcast to the masses. An audience would hear your message and eventually someone would buy from you. The advertising noise is deafening now. Consumers are bombarded with marketing messages every minute of their day. People have become apathetic to what you have to sell and keenly interested in who you are. If you’re broadcasting boring stuff, your messages get lost in all the other noise. Don’t be the only one talking about your store. Deliver interesting, relevant content to your audience so they feel a connection to you. Motivate your happy customers to talk about you. That’s where you have the most impact.
3. Deliver immediate sales. Building relationships takes time. However, leads from those relationships are far more ready to buy than the ones you typically see. I hear a lot of dealers say, “You can’t sell cars on Social Media”. Don’t believe that for a minute. When you’re doing it right, you generate leads. It just doesn’t happen the way you’re used to. Dealers are always chasing the next new customer. I propose slowing down, taking a look at your established community and engage them with your store (like you do in real life). You won’t believe what you can find out by just listening.
Social Media is not for amateurs anymore. This is a whole different way of interacting with people and it’s time to get familiar. Find a person who’s immersed in Social marketing to help guide you and your staff.
What Social Media WILL do for you is genuinely connect you with customers in your market area on a regular basis. Email inboxes get bombarded. Voicemail goes into never-never land. But your customer is available on Social Media all the time so take advantage of that opportunity. The old adage of “touch the prospect 7 times before they buy” is true. When people like your Facebook page or follow you on Twitter, they’re choosing to spend time with you. Each and every time counts.
Kathi Kruse
Social Media Coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com
No Comments
Kruse Control Inc.
3 Things Social Media Will Never Do For You
What happened? It seems like it was just yesterday that our world was filled with unicorns and rainbows. We heard lots of advice on love your customers, engage them in conversation and poof! they would magically appear in your showroom. There was a lot of unsubstantiated ideas about Social Media put forth on the unaware audience. Expectations grew, thinking the medium was free.
Today, we’ve all come down to earth. The dreams of fluffy clouds and rainbows with unicorns jumping over them are over. Facebook is now a public company and we’ve recognized that the consumer is in charge. Dealerships get educated more and more every day and reality has started sinking in. The concept of “free” Social Media has vanished. We know now it takes time, a budget and hard work, including integrating Social business across your entire company.
I see some dealers still with expectations. This is due mainly to avoidance and not spending time on Social networks as a user. There are a lot of things Social Media can do for your company but today, let’s talk about 3 things it will never do:
1. Make up for a bad customer experience. As the saying goes, “If you suck in real life, you will suck on Social Media”. Nielsen just reported that the most trusted form of advertising is a “recommendation from someone I know”. The close second is “Consumer opinions posted online”. (Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising Survey Q3 2011). If your business is delivering a less-than-stellar customer experience, be prepared to have that amplified on Social Media.
2. Drive traffic to your door by simply announcing how great you are. The old model of advertising was to broadcast to the masses. An audience would hear your message and eventually someone would buy from you. The advertising noise is deafening now. Consumers are bombarded with marketing messages every minute of their day. People have become apathetic to what you have to sell and keenly interested in who you are. If you’re broadcasting boring stuff, your messages get lost in all the other noise. Don’t be the only one talking about your store. Deliver interesting, relevant content to your audience so they feel a connection to you. Motivate your happy customers to talk about you. That’s where you have the most impact.
3. Deliver immediate sales. Building relationships takes time. However, leads from those relationships are far more ready to buy than the ones you typically see. I hear a lot of dealers say, “You can’t sell cars on Social Media”. Don’t believe that for a minute. When you’re doing it right, you generate leads. It just doesn’t happen the way you’re used to. Dealers are always chasing the next new customer. I propose slowing down, taking a look at your established community and engage them with your store (like you do in real life). You won’t believe what you can find out by just listening.
Social Media is not for amateurs anymore. This is a whole different way of interacting with people and it’s time to get familiar. Find a person who’s immersed in Social marketing to help guide you and your staff.
What Social Media WILL do for you is genuinely connect you with customers in your market area on a regular basis. Email inboxes get bombarded. Voicemail goes into never-never land. But your customer is available on Social Media all the time so take advantage of that opportunity. The old adage of “touch the prospect 7 times before they buy” is true. When people like your Facebook page or follow you on Twitter, they’re choosing to spend time with you. Each and every time counts.
Kathi Kruse
Social Media Coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com
No Comments
Kruse Control Inc.
Social Media Success So Close You Can Taste It!
A master teacher grew tired of his apprentice complaining, and so, one morning sent him for some salt. When the apprentice returned, the master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it.
“How does it taste?” the master asked.
“Bitter,” spit the apprentice.
The master chuckled and asked the young man to take the same handful of salt and put it in the lake. The two walked in silence to the nearby lake, and once the apprentice swirled his handful of salt in the water, the master said, “Now drink from the lake.”
As the water dripped down the young man’s chin, the master asked, “How does it taste?”
“Fresh,” remarked the apprentice.
“Do you taste the salt?” asked the master.
“No,” said the apprentice.
At this, the master sat beside this serious young man who so reminded him of himself, and took his hand, offering, “The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the amount of bitterness we taste depends on the container we put the pain in. So when you’re in pain, the only thing you can do is enlarge your sense of things. Stop being a glass. Become a lake.“ ~From “The Book of Awakening” by Mark Nepo
I’m contacted daily by enthusiastic and frustrated individuals working in auto retail who desperately want to know more about Social Media marketing. They’ve taught themselves some basics and now they’re stuck. I can hear the pain in their voices when they say their boss wants nothing to do with Facebook, Twitter, Blogging or any other Social platform. Some say their bosses give them the opportunity to market the store on Social Media but give them no budget for training or the actual marketing and advertising that comes after that.
In today’s auto retail, the customer demands a different way to buy. They’re connected to other buyers and they share information through word of mouth using Social networks.
Dealerships need to be part of those conversations. We have the ability to reach the buyer in so many cool ways but there are many dealers who still want to live inside the glass. They feel the pain when the old ways of advertising aren’t working any more but avoid opening up to new media.
To my friends who struggle everyday to make the most of their time and effort on Social Media: stay the course and take action. Devise ways to convince your boss that nothing is free in business. These Social platforms were designed to have people visit them, spend their time and that’s where dealerships need to be. Everything worthwhile costs something. Once you’ve got the basics down, you have to face the music and get expert Social marketing guidance.
You CAN sell cars and service on Social Media; you just have to know how to do it right. You can walk on water, you just have to know where the rocks are!
Instead of staying stuck, consider these 5 questions and answer them thoughtfully:
- What would success on Social Media look like?
- Which components need to be in place to get us where we want to go?
- How much would my budget need to be?
- What training is available so I can do the best job for my boss and our store?
- What am I willing to do to achieve my goal?
There is no reason your struggle needs to be contained in the glass. Sprinkle the salt in the lake. There is a path to every goal. Be willing to do what it takes to get there. Identify who can help you and develop your plan for success. Ask your boss for a meeting and unveil your plan. Use the language and phrases your boss will warm to, that are familiar to him. Show how the budget he’s going to spend will make sense on the bottom line.
You’re so close! It’s time to move past your pain and go directly to successful Social Media. Show your boss (and your customers) how Social Media engages your community, fosters lasting sales relationships, improves your online reputation and closes more sales.
Kathi Kruse
Social Media Coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com
No Comments
Kruse Control Inc.
Social Media Success So Close You Can Taste It!
A master teacher grew tired of his apprentice complaining, and so, one morning sent him for some salt. When the apprentice returned, the master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it.
“How does it taste?” the master asked.
“Bitter,” spit the apprentice.
The master chuckled and asked the young man to take the same handful of salt and put it in the lake. The two walked in silence to the nearby lake, and once the apprentice swirled his handful of salt in the water, the master said, “Now drink from the lake.”
As the water dripped down the young man’s chin, the master asked, “How does it taste?”
“Fresh,” remarked the apprentice.
“Do you taste the salt?” asked the master.
“No,” said the apprentice.
At this, the master sat beside this serious young man who so reminded him of himself, and took his hand, offering, “The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the amount of bitterness we taste depends on the container we put the pain in. So when you’re in pain, the only thing you can do is enlarge your sense of things. Stop being a glass. Become a lake.“ ~From “The Book of Awakening” by Mark Nepo
I’m contacted daily by enthusiastic and frustrated individuals working in auto retail who desperately want to know more about Social Media marketing. They’ve taught themselves some basics and now they’re stuck. I can hear the pain in their voices when they say their boss wants nothing to do with Facebook, Twitter, Blogging or any other Social platform. Some say their bosses give them the opportunity to market the store on Social Media but give them no budget for training or the actual marketing and advertising that comes after that.
In today’s auto retail, the customer demands a different way to buy. They’re connected to other buyers and they share information through word of mouth using Social networks.
Dealerships need to be part of those conversations. We have the ability to reach the buyer in so many cool ways but there are many dealers who still want to live inside the glass. They feel the pain when the old ways of advertising aren’t working any more but avoid opening up to new media.
To my friends who struggle everyday to make the most of their time and effort on Social Media: stay the course and take action. Devise ways to convince your boss that nothing is free in business. These Social platforms were designed to have people visit them, spend their time and that’s where dealerships need to be. Everything worthwhile costs something. Once you’ve got the basics down, you have to face the music and get expert Social marketing guidance.
You CAN sell cars and service on Social Media; you just have to know how to do it right. You can walk on water, you just have to know where the rocks are!
Instead of staying stuck, consider these 5 questions and answer them thoughtfully:
- What would success on Social Media look like?
- Which components need to be in place to get us where we want to go?
- How much would my budget need to be?
- What training is available so I can do the best job for my boss and our store?
- What am I willing to do to achieve my goal?
There is no reason your struggle needs to be contained in the glass. Sprinkle the salt in the lake. There is a path to every goal. Be willing to do what it takes to get there. Identify who can help you and develop your plan for success. Ask your boss for a meeting and unveil your plan. Use the language and phrases your boss will warm to, that are familiar to him. Show how the budget he’s going to spend will make sense on the bottom line.
You’re so close! It’s time to move past your pain and go directly to successful Social Media. Show your boss (and your customers) how Social Media engages your community, fosters lasting sales relationships, improves your online reputation and closes more sales.
Kathi Kruse
Social Media Coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com
No Comments
Kruse Control Inc.
Why Putting Social Technology Before Strategy is Risky Business
For the past few years, I’ve been either a participant or an attendee in just about every automotive retail marketing conference. There are a lot of great minds today helping dealers acclimate to the ever-changing world of Social Media. The one drawback to all of this information that’s being thrust on dealers is that very little of it focuses on the core component to Social Media success.
I’ve seen countless dealership Facebook pages that have a steady stream of updates talking about themselves. Users are bored with this. They’re bombarded with so much noise already so it’s a challenge to get people to like your page and engage with your posts. You feel it personally too, right? It’s not very likely that you’re ever compelled to like or comment on some advertising message.
Technology is what makes Social Media available.
Strategy is what makes you successful.
Technology is simply the tools you need to build your Social presence. Strategy is the design, chassis and the materials that get people to buy. You won’t see much interaction on Social Media without a clear content strategy. All the tools in the world won’t help you have meaningful conversations with your customers. You cannot achieve full marketing potential (ie: sell cars, parts and service) without these 4 deliberate and strategic steps. And they must be in this order:
Culture
The world of auto retail, like many other businesses, is shifting into Social Business. Customers are voicing their opinions on Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and Google Places about the products they buy. In his book, “Smart Business, Social Business” Michael Brito writes that social business forces an organization’s cultural change. We’re seeing now the increase in sales when a company truly cares about the community and wants to meet the demands of the customer. Cultural change must come from the top down and meet in the middle from a bottom up approach.
People
Employees at every level need to change their thinking, embrace new technologies and shift their focus from traditional advertising messages to building relationships. Of course there will be resistance. Some will rush to defend the status quo, and this is normal. The key is designing and implementing an internal process that welcomes feedback and rewards participation. Social Media marketing cannot truly succeed without employee buy-in. They are your conduit to your customer. They are your first resource for awesome content.
Process
Get a system that works for you, not against you. Provide targeted education so your staff feels comfortable about Social networks. It’s revolutionary but so were the telephone and email when they first appeared. Help your staff learn how to communicate with the customer on the platforms where the customer is. Institute a process so front-line personnel understand 2 things:
- How to be aware of relevant content when it comes their way
- How to foster sales relationships by asking for online reviews and referrals.
In addition, implement a Social Media policy to ensure marketing consistency, employee and protect the organization.
Technology
Now we can talk about the tools you’ll need to expedite your Social marketing campaigns. Here are a few I use:
- Google Reader helps you consolidate relevant, recent and local content to share.
- Bitly.com shortens URLs so you can post them on Twitter. (They provide QR codes and cool analytics too!)
- Hootsuite is a Social Media dashboard that allows you schedule out posts at optimal times for best engagement–freeing you up to devote your time to listening and interacting with your fans/followers and write blog posts.
- Post Planner offers a white-label Facebook App to schedule your posts right inside Facebook! Your posts are branded with your dealerships’ ID, you can post photos, and they give you engagement-rich status update suggestions.
- Refollow is a tool to help you grow your Twitter following.
- TweetAdder also grows your Twitter following using more advanced automation tools.
You can’t automate conversations on Social Media. Human interactions happen spontaneously. How do you want to be known online? Your well-planned strategy carries out your mission. Technology is only the facilitator.
Kathi Kruse
Social Media Coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com
No Comments
Kruse Control Inc.
Why Putting Social Technology Before Strategy is Risky Business
For the past few years, I’ve been either a participant or an attendee in just about every automotive retail marketing conference. There are a lot of great minds today helping dealers acclimate to the ever-changing world of Social Media. The one drawback to all of this information that’s being thrust on dealers is that very little of it focuses on the core component to Social Media success.
I’ve seen countless dealership Facebook pages that have a steady stream of updates talking about themselves. Users are bored with this. They’re bombarded with so much noise already so it’s a challenge to get people to like your page and engage with your posts. You feel it personally too, right? It’s not very likely that you’re ever compelled to like or comment on some advertising message.
Technology is what makes Social Media available.
Strategy is what makes you successful.
Technology is simply the tools you need to build your Social presence. Strategy is the design, chassis and the materials that get people to buy. You won’t see much interaction on Social Media without a clear content strategy. All the tools in the world won’t help you have meaningful conversations with your customers. You cannot achieve full marketing potential (ie: sell cars, parts and service) without these 4 deliberate and strategic steps. And they must be in this order:
Culture
The world of auto retail, like many other businesses, is shifting into Social Business. Customers are voicing their opinions on Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and Google Places about the products they buy. In his book, “Smart Business, Social Business” Michael Brito writes that social business forces an organization’s cultural change. We’re seeing now the increase in sales when a company truly cares about the community and wants to meet the demands of the customer. Cultural change must come from the top down and meet in the middle from a bottom up approach.
People
Employees at every level need to change their thinking, embrace new technologies and shift their focus from traditional advertising messages to building relationships. Of course there will be resistance. Some will rush to defend the status quo, and this is normal. The key is designing and implementing an internal process that welcomes feedback and rewards participation. Social Media marketing cannot truly succeed without employee buy-in. They are your conduit to your customer. They are your first resource for awesome content.
Process
Get a system that works for you, not against you. Provide targeted education so your staff feels comfortable about Social networks. It’s revolutionary but so were the telephone and email when they first appeared. Help your staff learn how to communicate with the customer on the platforms where the customer is. Institute a process so front-line personnel understand 2 things:
- How to be aware of relevant content when it comes their way
- How to foster sales relationships by asking for online reviews and referrals.
In addition, implement a Social Media policy to ensure marketing consistency, employee and protect the organization.
Technology
Now we can talk about the tools you’ll need to expedite your Social marketing campaigns. Here are a few I use:
- Google Reader helps you consolidate relevant, recent and local content to share.
- Bitly.com shortens URLs so you can post them on Twitter. (They provide QR codes and cool analytics too!)
- Hootsuite is a Social Media dashboard that allows you schedule out posts at optimal times for best engagement–freeing you up to devote your time to listening and interacting with your fans/followers and write blog posts.
- Post Planner offers a white-label Facebook App to schedule your posts right inside Facebook! Your posts are branded with your dealerships’ ID, you can post photos, and they give you engagement-rich status update suggestions.
- Refollow is a tool to help you grow your Twitter following.
- TweetAdder also grows your Twitter following using more advanced automation tools.
You can’t automate conversations on Social Media. Human interactions happen spontaneously. How do you want to be known online? Your well-planned strategy carries out your mission. Technology is only the facilitator.
Kathi Kruse
Social Media Coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com
No Comments
Kruse Control Inc.
10 Crucial Steps to Successful Facebook Ads
Let’s talk about the unique challenges today for car dealers and other small businesses when it comes to Social Media. Many still believe Social Media is “free”. I don’t have to remind you that nothing in life or business is ever free. Social Media takes all the time and money that other forms of marketing and advertising do, with the added layer of needing new skills and manpower to master it.
Facebook is one of the hubs to your Social marketing strategy. You need these 2 basics in place to build your hub:
- An in-house digital/Social Media manager. Nobody communicates your brand on Facebook like your own staff. Those dealers that have made the investment are seeing much higher engagement and closing more sales.
- A budget for Facebook ads. Facebook ads complete your strategy. Your Social marketing manager stimulates engagement by curating valuable, relevant content for all your platforms. Facebook ads amplify your reach and increase your sales.
These 10 steps will help you understand how it all works and if you need any further assistance, hire a Social strategy expert to guide you.
Identify Your Goals. Do you want to grow your fan base? Are you promoting an event? Are you ready to make Facebook ads a significant source of leads for your business? Define your goals first. You must have clear goals so you can measure your ad’s effectiveness later!
Facebook is Local. Facebook is the place where you can build an online community that mirrors your offline community. Facebook ads target your local area in ways like never before. You reach those people who will most likely buy from you.
Facebook Ad or Sponsored Story? Sponsored Stories are about your Pages’ activities on Facebook. If you have a post with particularly high engagement, spotlight it with an ad. These types of ads reflect Social proof to other users; evidence that people are engaging with your Page. Facebook Ads are more traditional. You create a message you want to share and choose who you want to reach.
Landing Pages. A staple of internet marketing, landing pages drive visitors to do what you want them to do. When used with Facebook ads, design your ad so that people will click and be taken to your landing page. Once on that landing page, you have an opportunity to create more value and carry visitors further down the sales funnel.
Target the Right People. Let’s say that the buyer demographic for one of your vehicles is women aged 35-54. What are the interests of this group? Perhaps topics relating to family, work/life balance, shoes? Facebook ads allow you to choose specific audience interests and target those people who are most likely to buy.
Design an Engaging Ad. You’ll need a catchy headline, marketing language for the body of the ad and a compelling photo or graphic. I’ve talked about the misconception that, since Facebook provides free real estate to build your community, everything else is free and easy. No dice. Facebook ads take skill, training and money to develop and design. Facebook is a new medium but the age-old components of successful marketing and advertising are still very much alive and kicking. If you don’t have it, get help.
Connections. It’s important to note that Facebook ads are Social. Ads can be customized to reach people who are already connected with you or not at all connected with you. You choose if you want to reach friends of your fans or not. Identify what kind of connection users have to your page so you can reach your optimal audience.
Location. This is where you can laser target your surrounding community. Choose a city, include surrounding cities, or target specific zip codes.
Objective. You have a choice now to reach people you want to “like my page” or “click on my ad or sponsored story”. Page Like Ads are a great way to build audience size. Page Post Ads will drive deeper engagement. Your choice governs whether you’ll pay per 1,000 impressions (CPM) or per click (CPC). CPM, according to Facebook, is the cost per 1000 times your ad or sponsored story is displayed. In the past, impressions were not always effective. Now, with Timeline stats showing higher page engagement, I’m seeing good results with CPM.
Manage Your Budget. Set a maximum amount you want to pay each day and start off slow. $5-10 is plenty. A daily limit guarantees you’ll never spend more than you want to. If you’re paying per click (CPC), be sure to review the “bid price” regularly as it changes often (Yes, you’re actually bidding along with others, similar to Google pay-per-click). Facebook ads are the most time-consuming ads you’ll ever run so set time aside everyday. You must review and improve at least twice daily to make sure your budget is spent wisely.
Your Turn: I’m curious, have you used Facebook ads yet to drive sales or grow likes? What results are you seeing?
Kathi Kruse
Social Media Coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com
No Comments
Kruse Control Inc.
10 Crucial Steps to Successful Facebook Ads
Let’s talk about the unique challenges today for car dealers and other small businesses when it comes to Social Media. Many still believe Social Media is “free”. I don’t have to remind you that nothing in life or business is ever free. Social Media takes all the time and money that other forms of marketing and advertising do, with the added layer of needing new skills and manpower to master it.
Facebook is one of the hubs to your Social marketing strategy. You need these 2 basics in place to build your hub:
- An in-house digital/Social Media manager. Nobody communicates your brand on Facebook like your own staff. Those dealers that have made the investment are seeing much higher engagement and closing more sales.
- A budget for Facebook ads. Facebook ads complete your strategy. Your Social marketing manager stimulates engagement by curating valuable, relevant content for all your platforms. Facebook ads amplify your reach and increase your sales.
These 10 steps will help you understand how it all works and if you need any further assistance, hire a Social strategy expert to guide you.
Identify Your Goals. Do you want to grow your fan base? Are you promoting an event? Are you ready to make Facebook ads a significant source of leads for your business? Define your goals first. You must have clear goals so you can measure your ad’s effectiveness later!
Facebook is Local. Facebook is the place where you can build an online community that mirrors your offline community. Facebook ads target your local area in ways like never before. You reach those people who will most likely buy from you.
Facebook Ad or Sponsored Story? Sponsored Stories are about your Pages’ activities on Facebook. If you have a post with particularly high engagement, spotlight it with an ad. These types of ads reflect Social proof to other users; evidence that people are engaging with your Page. Facebook Ads are more traditional. You create a message you want to share and choose who you want to reach.
Landing Pages. A staple of internet marketing, landing pages drive visitors to do what you want them to do. When used with Facebook ads, design your ad so that people will click and be taken to your landing page. Once on that landing page, you have an opportunity to create more value and carry visitors further down the sales funnel.
Target the Right People. Let’s say that the buyer demographic for one of your vehicles is women aged 35-54. What are the interests of this group? Perhaps topics relating to family, work/life balance, shoes? Facebook ads allow you to choose specific audience interests and target those people who are most likely to buy.
Design an Engaging Ad. You’ll need a catchy headline, marketing language for the body of the ad and a compelling photo or graphic. I’ve talked about the misconception that, since Facebook provides free real estate to build your community, everything else is free and easy. No dice. Facebook ads take skill, training and money to develop and design. Facebook is a new medium but the age-old components of successful marketing and advertising are still very much alive and kicking. If you don’t have it, get help.
Connections. It’s important to note that Facebook ads are Social. Ads can be customized to reach people who are already connected with you or not at all connected with you. You choose if you want to reach friends of your fans or not. Identify what kind of connection users have to your page so you can reach your optimal audience.
Location. This is where you can laser target your surrounding community. Choose a city, include surrounding cities, or target specific zip codes.
Objective. You have a choice now to reach people you want to “like my page” or “click on my ad or sponsored story”. Page Like Ads are a great way to build audience size. Page Post Ads will drive deeper engagement. Your choice governs whether you’ll pay per 1,000 impressions (CPM) or per click (CPC). CPM, according to Facebook, is the cost per 1000 times your ad or sponsored story is displayed. In the past, impressions were not always effective. Now, with Timeline stats showing higher page engagement, I’m seeing good results with CPM.
Manage Your Budget. Set a maximum amount you want to pay each day and start off slow. $5-10 is plenty. A daily limit guarantees you’ll never spend more than you want to. If you’re paying per click (CPC), be sure to review the “bid price” regularly as it changes often (Yes, you’re actually bidding along with others, similar to Google pay-per-click). Facebook ads are the most time-consuming ads you’ll ever run so set time aside everyday. You must review and improve at least twice daily to make sure your budget is spent wisely.
Your Turn: I’m curious, have you used Facebook ads yet to drive sales or grow likes? What results are you seeing?
Kathi Kruse
Social Media Coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com
No Comments
No Comments