Facebook has aggressively been pursuing various opportunities to drive new revenue for their business, and has been doing so by finding more and more ways to help other businesses find success (something we’re also passionate about). One of the more recent ways they’ve sought to do so is through their platform, Facebook Marketplace; a tool that allows people and businesses to post different items they have for sale and allow consumers to complete the majority of the purchasing process directly on Facebook. Recently, Facebook took this one step further and announced that they would be adding an automotive marketplace. Facebook partnered with a handful of companies exclusively to provide the integration with their platform: Edmunds, Cars.com, Auction123, CDK Global and Social Dealer. We took it one step further and partnered with a leading chat vendor, ActivEngage, to create a differentiated solution for dealers. With these new capabilities and partnerships, how do you leverage this new way to sell?

1. Share Your Used Inventory on Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace has been a growing resource for people looking to buy used cars, but until recently, the transactions were not always trustworthy. With the new announcement, dealerships are able to add their inventory to the marketplace – providing a trustworthy way for customers to find the right vehicle. However, most dealerships don’t have someone who can dedicate time to uploading inventory to the platform every day. CDK automatically provides a nightly feed of updated used inventory to Facebook, a technology exclusive to the five companies that partnered with Facebook.

2. Connect Facebook Marketplace with Your Chat Provider

Putting your inventory on Facebook is a great first step, but don’t be fooled into thinking that consumers are going to find your inventory on Facebook and then give you a call. Consumers want to complete as much of the transaction as they can without jumping to another channel. The obvious next step for a consumer interested in a vehicle is to Facebook message a dealership, so be sure that your chat provider is integrated with Facebook marketplace. At CDK, we partnered with the chat provider ActivEngage to connect customers who reached out via Facebook messenger. During the month of November, 42 percent of chats initiated through Facebook featured standard lead activity like a phone number or email. (Hint, hint … CDK Global not only syndicates your inventory but facilitates integrating your chat partner.)

3. Take the Next Step with the Customer

Once a consumer finds a car they’re interested in and reaches out to you via chat, take the opportunity to create an actionable next step. If they have questions about the vehicle, answer them directly in the chat. If they’re interested in test driving the vehicle, set up an appointment. Ask for their information and add them as a lead in your CRM, starting them on the journey to buying a car at your dealership.

The ability to integrate with Facebook, and provide all of the necessary connections to provide a seamless experience for the customer, is one that is currently exclusive to CDK Global. If you want to learn more about the program, check out our website. GM dealers, take the next step with us by enrolling today.

Have you implemented this into your digital marketing strategy? Tell us about it here!