What would you do if the FTC came knocking on your door? How would you handle what started out as a simple oversight from one employee and turned into a Social Media firestorm?  This is the age of quick-trigger reactions from the buying public.  If you don’t have an already-established Social presence AND a crisis management strategy in place, you could get hung out to dry.

Take for instance these 3 examples of Social Media debacles.  Are you prepared for something like this to happen to your business?

Belvedere Vodka Goes Down

We all know sex sells, but it appears somebody forgot to tell Belvedere Vodka that forced sex doesn’t come under that rule.  Harrison Painter, well-known digital/Social Media marketer, covered this well in his article recently. Belvedere posted an ad on their Facebook page showing what appears to be a very frightened woman being grabbed by a possible rapist. The tag line added to the startling image stating “Unlike Some People, Belvedere Always Goes Down Smoothly“.  Instant firestorm. Did they have a crisis plan? No.  Belvedere’s response was a canned written statement out of the corporate policy handbook. It should’ve been a video; it should’ve been human.

Tesco’s iPad Typo

Large British supermarket chain Tesco offered iPads for $79.  Someone finally discovered the “error” in pricing as their website crashed.  Their response? Tesco sent this email to their customers:

“Thank you for your recent Tesco Direct order for an IPAD WI-FI 4G 64GB. Unfortunately, there was an error in the price at the time that you placed your order, and as a result we have had to cancel your order.”

As Harrison points out so powerfully, customers saw it as a PR stunt and took to Twitter to voice their complaints.

Honda San Marcos Auction Blunder

An employee posts a car for auction on Ebay and neglects to put a reserve price.  The car sells for $10K less than they were in it.  Dealership tells the buyer the transaction is void; buyer takes his case to Social Media.  Honda San Marcos’ reaction? Delete all Social Media accounts and run like hell.  Yep, that’s gonna do it. Their Yelp and Google Places accounts of course couldn’t be deleted so, today, 7 months later, Yelp shows 1.5 stars with 33 reviews–27 of those are ONE star.  Honda San Marcos eventually made things right with the buyer but since they deleted their Social networks, no one knows that.  What’s worse? They have no internal process to capture positive reviews so, all these months later, their networks’ reaction is still harming their business.

We all know what’s posted on the Internet is for keeps so removing your Social Media accounts only looks like you’re guilty and running from responsibility.  Besides, it’s highly probable that you can turn a negative into a positive with the right marketing finesse.

How could these stories have had a happy ending? The presence of these 2 fundamentals:

• An established, engaged Social Media community
• A well-strategized Crisis Management Plan.

Social Media Crisis Management Done Right

Tracy Myers is a car dealer in North Carolina.  He bought the dealership from his dad 6 years ago.  Suddenly last Fall, he got call from the FTC. They made it clear they were making an example of 5 dealers in the US and Tracy’s store was one of the lucky ones.

There’s a very common 10+ year old advertising practice which car dealers use saying “We’ll pay off your trade, no matter how much you owe.” Many dealers use it regularly because one of the obstacles to a car sale is the customer’s worry about their trade-in.  Paying off the trade-in on any car deal is actually required by law. The FTC felt that these ads were misleading so they slapped 5 to send a message to all the rest.

Tracy Myers is a well-respected businessman in his community. His family has been doing business in North Carolina for 83 years. He enjoys regular repeat business and genuinely cares about every customer that walks into his store.  Frank Myers Auto Maxx has 131 Google Places reviews for 4.5 stars.

Tracy’s store also has a well-established presence on Social Media.  He saw the value early and it’s that foresight that helped save him.  The time and effort he’s spent engaging with his community on Social Media is clearly a contributing factor to how he’s been able to weather this potential debacle.

What does a guy like Tracy do when faced with a crisis?

First, remarkably, he handled every call, every concern with style, grace and honor. At the end of the 48 hours it took, at 8:00 pm, he recorded an 11-minute response video that’s raw, authentic, transparent and genuine.  As a business owner or as one of Tracy’s customers, one can feel the emotions he’s feeling and empathize with him.  He looked down the barrel of a potential nightmare, stood firm in his core beliefs and integrity, and went to work righting the ship, remaining positive throughout the ordeal.

What would you have done if this had happened to you? Do you have an established community, online and off, to support you and be your advocates when a crisis occurs?  Take action now.  Build your store’s Social presence, including online reputation, and implement a solid Social Media Crisis Management Plan. 

Your turn: Have you or someone you know weathered a Social Media crisis? What would you have done differently?

Kathi Kruse
Social Media Coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com

What would you do if the FTC came knocking on your door? How would you handle what started out as a simple oversight from one employee and turned into a Social Media firestorm?  This is the age of quick-trigger reactions from the buying public.  If you don’t have an already-established Social presence AND a crisis management strategy in place, you could get hung out to dry.

Take for instance these 3 examples of Social Media debacles.  Are you prepared for something like this to happen to your business?

Belvedere Vodka Goes Down

We all know sex sells, but it appears somebody forgot to tell Belvedere Vodka that forced sex doesn’t come under that rule.  Harrison Painter, well-known digital/Social Media marketer, covered this well in his article recently. Belvedere posted an ad on their Facebook page showing what appears to be a very frightened woman being grabbed by a possible rapist. The tag line added to the startling image stating “Unlike Some People, Belvedere Always Goes Down Smoothly“.  Instant firestorm. Did they have a crisis plan? No.  Belvedere’s response was a canned written statement out of the corporate policy handbook. It should’ve been a video; it should’ve been human.

Tesco’s iPad Typo

Large British supermarket chain Tesco offered iPads for $79.  Someone finally discovered the “error” in pricing as their website crashed.  Their response? Tesco sent this email to their customers:

“Thank you for your recent Tesco Direct order for an IPAD WI-FI 4G 64GB. Unfortunately, there was an error in the price at the time that you placed your order, and as a result we have had to cancel your order.”

As Harrison points out so powerfully, customers saw it as a PR stunt and took to Twitter to voice their complaints.

Honda San Marcos Auction Blunder

An employee posts a car for auction on Ebay and neglects to put a reserve price.  The car sells for $10K less than they were in it.  Dealership tells the buyer the transaction is void; buyer takes his case to Social Media.  Honda San Marcos’ reaction? Delete all Social Media accounts and run like hell.  Yep, that’s gonna do it. Their Yelp and Google Places accounts of course couldn’t be deleted so, today, 7 months later, Yelp shows 1.5 stars with 33 reviews–27 of those are ONE star.  Honda San Marcos eventually made things right with the buyer but since they deleted their Social networks, no one knows that.  What’s worse? They have no internal process to capture positive reviews so, all these months later, their networks’ reaction is still harming their business.

We all know what’s posted on the Internet is for keeps so removing your Social Media accounts only looks like you’re guilty and running from responsibility.  Besides, it’s highly probable that you can turn a negative into a positive with the right marketing finesse.

How could these stories have had a happy ending? The presence of these 2 fundamentals:

• An established, engaged Social Media community
• A well-strategized Crisis Management Plan.

Social Media Crisis Management Done Right

Tracy Myers is a car dealer in North Carolina.  He bought the dealership from his dad 6 years ago.  Suddenly last Fall, he got call from the FTC. They made it clear they were making an example of 5 dealers in the US and Tracy’s store was one of the lucky ones.

There’s a very common 10+ year old advertising practice which car dealers use saying “We’ll pay off your trade, no matter how much you owe.” Many dealers use it regularly because one of the obstacles to a car sale is the customer’s worry about their trade-in.  Paying off the trade-in on any car deal is actually required by law. The FTC felt that these ads were misleading so they slapped 5 to send a message to all the rest.

Tracy Myers is a well-respected businessman in his community. His family has been doing business in North Carolina for 83 years. He enjoys regular repeat business and genuinely cares about every customer that walks into his store.  Frank Myers Auto Maxx has 131 Google Places reviews for 4.5 stars.

Tracy’s store also has a well-established presence on Social Media.  He saw the value early and it’s that foresight that helped save him.  The time and effort he’s spent engaging with his community on Social Media is clearly a contributing factor to how he’s been able to weather this potential debacle.

What does a guy like Tracy do when faced with a crisis?

First, remarkably, he handled every call, every concern with style, grace and honor. At the end of the 48 hours it took, at 8:00 pm, he recorded an 11-minute response video that’s raw, authentic, transparent and genuine.  As a business owner or as one of Tracy’s customers, one can feel the emotions he’s feeling and empathize with him.  He looked down the barrel of a potential nightmare, stood firm in his core beliefs and integrity, and went to work righting the ship, remaining positive throughout the ordeal.

What would you have done if this had happened to you? Do you have an established community, online and off, to support you and be your advocates when a crisis occurs?  Take action now.  Build your store’s Social presence, including online reputation, and implement a solid Social Media Crisis Management Plan. 

Your turn: Have you or someone you know weathered a Social Media crisis? What would you have done differently?

Kathi Kruse
Social Media Coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com

I see a disturbing trend happening in dealership Facebook Pages and I’ve got to call it out.  I’m watching these pages acquire 100′s of Likes in a matter of a few days. In the name of all that is sacred, please stop buying likes!  I know the temptation is there and our culture supports those that get the most of anything, but please, it’s a waste of time and money. Ultimately, it harms your business.

There are plenty of “like pimps” on the Web.  You only have to Google it and all those pretty ladies will promise you 100′s of likes for a few hundred dollars (or more).  I’m sure those of you that have purchased them had a little voice inside sounding a lot like your mother, warning you it was wrong.

Our culture promotes winning at all cost and, to many Social Media newbies, I’m sure a lot of Facebook fans looks like success.  My friend, Cindy Morrison blogged about this subject recently in the Washington Post.  With any marketing campaign, the end goal is to sell something.  Developing fans through successful content and Facebook advertising campaigns is how you grow your fan base and that’s the only way to reach your goal of selling something.

You must resist the temptation to buy fake fans.  Here are 4 momentous reasons why:

1. Fake Likes NEVER Buy From You. Have you seen where these likes come from? Malaysia, Egypt, Ukraine, Sudan, Iraq, Iran and my personal favorite, Tunisia.  I’m pretty sure you’re never going to deliver a car to any of these places.  I doubly sure you won’t see any of them in your Service Drive.

2. You Get ZERO Engagement.  Sure, they’ve promised to like your page for the .0006 cents they’re paid to do it but it’s a whole other story getting them to engage with you.  Let me be crystal clear on this: You’ll never hear from them again.  Further, you’ll get no love from Facebook’s EdgeRank, the algorithm Facebook uses to filter each user’s news feed.  In other words, your content goes into the ether.

3. Your REAL Customers Will Notice.  It’s just plain weird to visit a store’s Facebook page that has 5,000+ fans and see nobody taking the time to like, comment or interact.  When you do something that’s artificial, at some point you get caught.  Do you really want to be known as the store that bought Facebook fans?

4. You Can’t BUY Relationships.  Haven’t we already proven this fact with the “race to the bottom” on pricing?  Absent of trust, all someone has left is price.  You become unremarkable and the transaction (if you’re able to close it) is an empty experience–for both sides.  Building a quality community on Social Media takes time, effort and there is no magic bullet.  It’s always that way with anything worthwhile.  The effort you put in, shows in the results.

Social Media is an awesome platform to connect with your true customer.  Create a multi-pronged Social Media marketing strategy that uses a variety of means to attract prospects, and relies on steady, relevant content to keep them. That’s always best done from the inside, by an employee dedicated to keeping your store connected to customers and prospects via Social Media.

Buying fake fans will get you a false sense of success.  A win with a big *.  Wouldn’t you rather win the authentic way?

Kathi Kruse
Social Media Coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com
 

I see a disturbing trend happening in dealership Facebook Pages and I’ve got to call it out.  I’m watching these pages acquire 100′s of Likes in a matter of a few days. In the name of all that is sacred, please stop buying likes!  I know the temptation is there and our culture supports those that get the most of anything, but please, it’s a waste of time and money. Ultimately, it harms your business.

There are plenty of “like pimps” on the Web.  You only have to Google it and all those pretty ladies will promise you 100′s of likes for a few hundred dollars (or more).  I’m sure those of you that have purchased them had a little voice inside sounding a lot like your mother, warning you it was wrong.

Our culture promotes winning at all cost and, to many Social Media newbies, I’m sure a lot of Facebook fans looks like success.  My friend, Cindy Morrison blogged about this subject recently in the Washington Post.  With any marketing campaign, the end goal is to sell something.  Developing fans through successful content and Facebook advertising campaigns is how you grow your fan base and that’s the only way to reach your goal of selling something.

You must resist the temptation to buy fake fans.  Here are 4 momentous reasons why:

1. Fake Likes NEVER Buy From You. Have you seen where these likes come from? Malaysia, Egypt, Ukraine, Sudan, Iraq, Iran and my personal favorite, Tunisia.  I’m pretty sure you’re never going to deliver a car to any of these places.  I doubly sure you won’t see any of them in your Service Drive.

2. You Get ZERO Engagement.  Sure, they’ve promised to like your page for the .0006 cents they’re paid to do it but it’s a whole other story getting them to engage with you.  Let me be crystal clear on this: You’ll never hear from them again.  Further, you’ll get no love from Facebook’s EdgeRank, the algorithm Facebook uses to filter each user’s news feed.  In other words, your content goes into the ether.

3. Your REAL Customers Will Notice.  It’s just plain weird to visit a store’s Facebook page that has 5,000+ fans and see nobody taking the time to like, comment or interact.  When you do something that’s artificial, at some point you get caught.  Do you really want to be known as the store that bought Facebook fans?

4. You Can’t BUY Relationships.  Haven’t we already proven this fact with the “race to the bottom” on pricing?  Absent of trust, all someone has left is price.  You become unremarkable and the transaction (if you’re able to close it) is an empty experience–for both sides.  Building a quality community on Social Media takes time, effort and there is no magic bullet.  It’s always that way with anything worthwhile.  The effort you put in, shows in the results.

Social Media is an awesome platform to connect with your true customer.  Create a multi-pronged Social Media marketing strategy that uses a variety of means to attract prospects, and relies on steady, relevant content to keep them. That’s always best done from the inside, by an employee dedicated to keeping your store connected to customers and prospects via Social Media.

Buying fake fans will get you a false sense of success.  A win with a big *.  Wouldn’t you rather win the authentic way?

Kathi Kruse
Social Media Coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com
 

These days of blinding authenticity and transparency are causing everyone, brands and individuals, to sit up and take notice.  What you say today makes it to the Internet tomorrow. We all know that’s for keeps. Your store’s brand and your employee’s personal brand are on stage every minute. Reputations can be shot with one misplaced remark or an unexpected recording.

Anthony Iannarino of The Sales Blog wrote a great piece recently on Greg Smith, the employee who resigned from Goldman Sachs by publishing his “resignation” in the New York Times.  Anthony points out some very valuable lessons for dealers, sales managers and salespeople.  At the core of Mr. Smith’s letter is the very heart and soul of what it means to sell and serve your clients. His indictment of his former employer reads like a manifesto for those who sell with integrity, respect and aspirations of being a long-term trusted advisor.

In his article, “Why I’m Leaving Goldman Sachs”, Greg Smith tells of how his bosses lost hold of the firm’s long-standing stellar reputation and integrity on their watch. He says, “I truly believe that this decline in the firm’s moral fiber represents the single most serious threat to its long-run survival.”

Greg goes into how callously his fellow employees talk about ripping off their clients.  Managing directors referring to their own clients as “Muppets” (which has since gone viral) in company emails.

This was a wake up call for me because haven’t we all been flippant in creating our own inside names to describe customers?  In car sales, it’s an up, be-back, mooch, grape, laydown, second-baseman, roach, grinder, walk-in, appointment, gold balls…and those are just the ones off the top of my head! But I digress…

Take notice: Caveat Venditor (Let the Seller Beware).

Imagine the conversations that took place in the boardroom when Greg Smith’s article went viral!  I bet no one ever expected their words to be published in the NY Times, jumping off their screen that morning, to bite them in their naughty bits.

The Internet has reversed the balance of power.

Especially as it pertains to those who would cheat others. Caveat Venditor, or “seller beware” is the basis for buying now. When those you harm are going to immediately and permanently post your name, your company’s name, a picture of your store, and their story for all the world to see (courtesy of Social Media and online ratings), the shoe is most definitely on the other foot.

The charlatans and snake oil salesmen to whom Caveat Emptor, or “buyer beware” applies have always been tremendous transactional marketers who’ve never really been concerned about their client’s outcomes. These people may sell, but they have never been salespeople.

True sales professionals know that future sales have always depended on the buyer not having to beware!

I had the pleasure of working with the #1 BMW Salesperson in the world.  She has a trust with her clients that is unsurpassed.  Every one of her transactions is repeat and referral business.  While not all salespeople can be #1, I know many who strive for that everyday.  They’re finding their way in this new Social Media world, working to develop lasting sales relationships with their clients.

It’s a fact: auto retail will have to continue to fight the stereotype.

However, some salespeople (and dealerships) are poised to truly re-invent themselves.  They never have to think about buyer or seller beware because their customers are repeats and referrals. They’ve built their online reputations and Social presence through trust.  Their community thinks of only them when it’s time to do business and it shows in their bottom line.

What steps have you taken to lead your team into Social Business?

Kathi Kruse
Kruse Control Social Media Coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com

These days of blinding authenticity and transparency are causing everyone, brands and individuals, to sit up and take notice.  What you say today makes it to the Internet tomorrow. We all know that’s for keeps. Your store’s brand and your employee’s personal brand are on stage every minute. Reputations can be shot with one misplaced remark or an unexpected recording.

Anthony Iannarino of The Sales Blog wrote a great piece recently on Greg Smith, the employee who resigned from Goldman Sachs by publishing his “resignation” in the New York Times.  Anthony points out some very valuable lessons for dealers, sales managers and salespeople.  At the core of Mr. Smith’s letter is the very heart and soul of what it means to sell and serve your clients. His indictment of his former employer reads like a manifesto for those who sell with integrity, respect and aspirations of being a long-term trusted advisor.

In his article, “Why I’m Leaving Goldman Sachs”, Greg Smith tells of how his bosses lost hold of the firm’s long-standing stellar reputation and integrity on their watch. He says, “I truly believe that this decline in the firm’s moral fiber represents the single most serious threat to its long-run survival.”

Greg goes into how callously his fellow employees talk about ripping off their clients.  Managing directors referring to their own clients as “Muppets” (which has since gone viral) in company emails.

This was a wake up call for me because haven’t we all been flippant in creating our own inside names to describe customers?  In car sales, it’s an up, be-back, mooch, grape, laydown, second-baseman, roach, grinder, walk-in, appointment, gold balls…and those are just the ones off the top of my head! But I digress…

Take notice: Caveat Venditor (Let the Seller Beware).

Imagine the conversations that took place in the boardroom when Greg Smith’s article went viral!  I bet no one ever expected their words to be published in the NY Times, jumping off their screen that morning, to bite them in their naughty bits.

The Internet has reversed the balance of power.

Especially as it pertains to those who would cheat others. Caveat Venditor, or “seller beware” is the basis for buying now. When those you harm are going to immediately and permanently post your name, your company’s name, a picture of your store, and their story for all the world to see (courtesy of Social Media and online ratings), the shoe is most definitely on the other foot.

The charlatans and snake oil salesmen to whom Caveat Emptor, or “buyer beware” applies have always been tremendous transactional marketers who’ve never really been concerned about their client’s outcomes. These people may sell, but they have never been salespeople.

True sales professionals know that future sales have always depended on the buyer not having to beware!

I had the pleasure of working with the #1 BMW Salesperson in the world.  She has a trust with her clients that is unsurpassed.  Every one of her transactions is repeat and referral business.  While not all salespeople can be #1, I know many who strive for that everyday.  They’re finding their way in this new Social Media world, working to develop lasting sales relationships with their clients.

It’s a fact: auto retail will have to continue to fight the stereotype.

However, some salespeople (and dealerships) are poised to truly re-invent themselves.  They never have to think about buyer or seller beware because their customers are repeats and referrals. They’ve built their online reputations and Social presence through trust.  Their community thinks of only them when it’s time to do business and it shows in their bottom line.

What steps have you taken to lead your team into Social Business?

Kathi Kruse
Kruse Control Social Media Coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com

Outstanding content is at the heart of every Social Media success story.  Whether it’s Facebook status updates, Twitter messages, or Blog posts, when your customer is interested in what you’re publishing, they will come back for more.  In fact, they’ll look forward to what you’ve got next.  How does a busy dealer, with a traditional sales and service team begin to attract and engage the Social customer?

 

Awesome Content Strategy

Content marketing is new for auto dealers.  We’re used to advertising to the masses and watching the results walk into the store.  Today, people walk into your store alright, but they’ve been online an average of 11 hours researching everything about you.  The sales relationship no longer starts with an Up.  It begins months before you ever see them and it’s built on trust using Social Media.

The old way of advertising was to “push” marketing messages on the audience.  Consumers’ resistance to that model is what made Tivo a household name.  We have to stop interrupting what people are interested in and BE what people are interested in.  Dealers must evolve from advertisers to content marketers.  Great content attracts, beguiles, entertains and informs.  It’s what connects you to your community and keeps them engaged.

Brian Solis of Altimeter Group posted a study recently about the transition businesses must go through in order to stay top-of-mind with today’s consumer.  Due to shifts in consumer attention, dealers have to move beyond short-duration “push” advertising to longer term, often continual, content-driven “pull” campaigns. To do this, it requires a dealer to develop internal processes for content curation and strategy.

Develop Who and Why. You have to know who you’re trying to reach and why.  Identifying your target audience and the kind of information they’re looking for is essential.

Own Your Social Media Content.  Not participating in your content curation and letting a third-party “handle it” is the same as allowing another person speak for you.  Are you willing to take that chance? How do you know they aren’t posting the same content on other dealers’ Social Media? Someone in your store should be in charge of content strategy, creation, approval and governance.

Measure Your Success.  Social Media is only valuable if you use it to meet specific marketing goals.  How will you know if you meet those goals? Tools like the newly-enhanced Facebook Insights, Hootsuite and Sprout Social are all key components to analyzing your progress so you can clearly see your next steps.

You can’t build a great house with a bad foundation.  Take methodical steps to organize these integral parts of your overall content strategy. Social Media is a marketing platform.  It’s a place for consumers to see what you’re all about.  When they like what they see, they buy.

Have you developed a strong content marketing plan that works for your business?

Kathi Kruse
Social Media coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com
 

Outstanding content is at the heart of every Social Media success story.  Whether it’s Facebook status updates, Twitter messages, or Blog posts, when your customer is interested in what you’re publishing, they will come back for more.  In fact, they’ll look forward to what you’ve got next.  How does a busy dealer, with a traditional sales and service team begin to attract and engage the Social customer?

 

Awesome Content Strategy

Content marketing is new for auto dealers.  We’re used to advertising to the masses and watching the results walk into the store.  Today, people walk into your store alright, but they’ve been online an average of 11 hours researching everything about you.  The sales relationship no longer starts with an Up.  It begins months before you ever see them and it’s built on trust using Social Media.

The old way of advertising was to “push” marketing messages on the audience.  Consumers’ resistance to that model is what made Tivo a household name.  We have to stop interrupting what people are interested in and BE what people are interested in.  Dealers must evolve from advertisers to content marketers.  Great content attracts, beguiles, entertains and informs.  It’s what connects you to your community and keeps them engaged.

Brian Solis of Altimeter Group posted a study recently about the transition businesses must go through in order to stay top-of-mind with today’s consumer.  Due to shifts in consumer attention, dealers have to move beyond short-duration “push” advertising to longer term, often continual, content-driven “pull” campaigns. To do this, it requires a dealer to develop internal processes for content curation and strategy.

Develop Who and Why. You have to know who you’re trying to reach and why.  Identifying your target audience and the kind of information they’re looking for is essential.

Own Your Social Media Content.  Not participating in your content curation and letting a third-party “handle it” is the same as allowing another person speak for you.  Are you willing to take that chance? How do you know they aren’t posting the same content on other dealers’ Social Media? Someone in your store should be in charge of content strategy, creation, approval and governance.

Measure Your Success.  Social Media is only valuable if you use it to meet specific marketing goals.  How will you know if you meet those goals? Tools like the newly-enhanced Facebook Insights, Hootsuite and Sprout Social are all key components to analyzing your progress so you can clearly see your next steps.

You can’t build a great house with a bad foundation.  Take methodical steps to organize these integral parts of your overall content strategy. Social Media is a marketing platform.  It’s a place for consumers to see what you’re all about.  When they like what they see, they buy.

Have you developed a strong content marketing plan that works for your business?

Kathi Kruse
Social Media coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com
 

“The mimicry of passion is the most intolerable of all poses.” ~Oscar Wilde

There are a lot of Social Media poseurs out there.

I can’t tell you how many times a week I see great dealers paying good money for Social Media sewage.  My years of running dealerships compels me to speak up because I was once sitting in the same chair making these business decisions.  I’ve never been one to keep my mouth shut when I see opportunism and exploitation and you can bet I’m not stopping now.  These carpetbaggers ride into the store, looking and sounding like they’re the answer to all your burning desires with Social Media.  They make it sound great: just pay me $___ every month and we’ll have you gaining fans immediately.  Don’t fall for it. They harm your brand and they are harming our industry.

You can’t automate Social Media.

Your store is unique, like a fingerprint.  Your employees are unique.  Your customers and surrounding community is unique.  The content you provide your community needs to be that unique.  That’s not possible to automate.  Successful Social Media can only be achieved with time, effort and creativity.  I have actually seen identical content from many stores on Facebook. Why? Because they have the same “Social Media Provider”.  Simply put: if you want eyeballs (and fans/followers) you better be sharing something that no one else has and it better be awesome.

You can’t throw money at it.

Contrary to years ago where you could advertise and people would walk in the door, Social Media is an investment in sales relationships. Let’s face it: we have to market where the customer is and they are on Social Media.  This new way of marketing depends on an internal operations process including someone to manage the marketing, blogging, listening, conversing, and recognizing opportunities when they arise.  Spending a monthly fee for “management” is better spent on in-house growth. No one communicates your brand like you.  Grow your own. It makes all the difference.

What’s their Klout score?

Klout.com is a Social influence measurement tool.  Klout measures the level of online interaction and influence a person has on the topics they cover. You can search using their Twitter handle. The next time you meet a Social Media provider, ask them their Klout score.  If it’s not north of 50, run. Some providers don’t even know what Klout is.

Have they submitted a marketing plan to you?

Social Media platforms are cheap and easy to set up.  They’re designed that way.  Facebook, Twitter, YouTube–they all provide you with a free piece of real estate.  It’s your job to make that property interesting for your fans/followers and that’s what costs money.  You need skill and experience to communicate what’s great about your store while delivering relevant content that engages your audience.  With the new Timeline for Pages, Facebook advertising plays a major roll in dealership marketing campaigns.  Facebook ads require twice-daily monitoring and tweaking.  Does your Social Media expert know that? Who’s going to run your Social ad campaigns?

Each platform requires a different content strategy.

There are many cool strategies on Facebook that don’t work on Twitter, and vice verse.  Blogging has it’s own strategy and posts can be shared on different platforms.  Video posts lend themselves better than written posts in certain circumstances.  Does your provider know which is best?  What should you blog about?  How will you know if you’re getting results?  You’ll know when your analytics say so, when your community starts interacting with you and, of course, when you generate leads.

Many dealers say, “Oh, you can’t sell cars on Social Media”.  They discount its value because it’s new and strange.  People said the same thing about the telephone, the internal combustion engine and light beer.  They see others fail and with good reason: their providers are doing the absolute bare minimum.  There is a very defined marketing strategy to Social Media and even though the tactics change often, you CAN generate leads.  The caveat is you have to do it right!  The bottom line is that if you’re spending your budget on Social Media management, you should be getting results.  It’s high noon, do you know where your Social Media is?

Kathi Kruse
Social Media Coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com

“The mimicry of passion is the most intolerable of all poses.” ~Oscar Wilde

There are a lot of Social Media poseurs out there.

I can’t tell you how many times a week I see great dealers paying good money for Social Media sewage.  My years of running dealerships compels me to speak up because I was once sitting in the same chair making these business decisions.  I’ve never been one to keep my mouth shut when I see opportunism and exploitation and you can bet I’m not stopping now.  These carpetbaggers ride into the store, looking and sounding like they’re the answer to all your burning desires with Social Media.  They make it sound great: just pay me $___ every month and we’ll have you gaining fans immediately.  Don’t fall for it. They harm your brand and they are harming our industry.

You can’t automate Social Media.

Your store is unique, like a fingerprint.  Your employees are unique.  Your customers and surrounding community is unique.  The content you provide your community needs to be that unique.  That’s not possible to automate.  Successful Social Media can only be achieved with time, effort and creativity.  I have actually seen identical content from many stores on Facebook. Why? Because they have the same “Social Media Provider”.  Simply put: if you want eyeballs (and fans/followers) you better be sharing something that no one else has and it better be awesome.

You can’t throw money at it.

Contrary to years ago where you could advertise and people would walk in the door, Social Media is an investment in sales relationships. Let’s face it: we have to market where the customer is and they are on Social Media.  This new way of marketing depends on an internal operations process including someone to manage the marketing, blogging, listening, conversing, and recognizing opportunities when they arise.  Spending a monthly fee for “management” is better spent on in-house growth. No one communicates your brand like you.  Grow your own. It makes all the difference.

What’s their Klout score?

Klout.com is a Social influence measurement tool.  Klout measures the level of online interaction and influence a person has on the topics they cover. You can search using their Twitter handle. The next time you meet a Social Media provider, ask them their Klout score.  If it’s not north of 50, run. Some providers don’t even know what Klout is.

Have they submitted a marketing plan to you?

Social Media platforms are cheap and easy to set up.  They’re designed that way.  Facebook, Twitter, YouTube–they all provide you with a free piece of real estate.  It’s your job to make that property interesting for your fans/followers and that’s what costs money.  You need skill and experience to communicate what’s great about your store while delivering relevant content that engages your audience.  With the new Timeline for Pages, Facebook advertising plays a major roll in dealership marketing campaigns.  Facebook ads require twice-daily monitoring and tweaking.  Does your Social Media expert know that? Who’s going to run your Social ad campaigns?

Each platform requires a different content strategy.

There are many cool strategies on Facebook that don’t work on Twitter, and vice verse.  Blogging has it’s own strategy and posts can be shared on different platforms.  Video posts lend themselves better than written posts in certain circumstances.  Does your provider know which is best?  What should you blog about?  How will you know if you’re getting results?  You’ll know when your analytics say so, when your community starts interacting with you and, of course, when you generate leads.

Many dealers say, “Oh, you can’t sell cars on Social Media”.  They discount its value because it’s new and strange.  People said the same thing about the telephone, the internal combustion engine and light beer.  They see others fail and with good reason: their providers are doing the absolute bare minimum.  There is a very defined marketing strategy to Social Media and even though the tactics change often, you CAN generate leads.  The caveat is you have to do it right!  The bottom line is that if you’re spending your budget on Social Media management, you should be getting results.  It’s high noon, do you know where your Social Media is?

Kathi Kruse
Social Media Coaching & Training
www.krusecontrolinc.com