Did you know Americans buy more than 837 million packages of hot dogs at retail outlets per year? According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans are consuming close to seven billion hot dogs per year, making them one of Americans favorite foods. You’re probably wondering what all of this has to do with driving more sales and service traffic to your dealership. Well, July is National Hot Dog Month and July 23^rd is National Hot Dog Day, which presents a perfect opportunity to leverage an American favorite delicacy and spark additional revenue for your pocket.

Hot Dog Photo Contest
A great way to generate visibility for any campaign is to find a way to incorporate social media into your strategy. For this specific campaign, think about hosting a contest on your Facebook page. Since regions of the country eat their hot dogs with different toppings, ask followers to post pics of their favorite hot dogs. Then, award the hot dog that has the most likes or the most unique toppings, or both.

Host a Hot Dog Eating Contest
A phenomenon is happening around the country where more and more eating contests are popping up and viewers are tuning in to watch. One way to drive people to your dealership is by hosting your very own hot dog eating contest. Ask customers and community members to join in on the fun and see if you can get enough participants to make an exciting event. Then, invite a crowd to come watch the contest and award the winner with a substantial prize.

Fire Up the Grill
If contests aren’t for you, no problem. A simpler approach to celebrate one of America’s favorite delicacies is to simply grill some up for customers and potential buyers. Be sure to market your BBQ so even members of the community will stop by to grab a bite to eat. You’ll want to have your newest, hottest models lined up for attendees to peruse as they enjoy their dogs.

If you’re like most Americans and love hot dogs, then use July to draw attention to your dealership by using word of mouth marketing to attract potential buyers and repeat customers.

Did you know Americans buy more than 837 million packages of hot dogs at retail outlets per year? According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans are consuming close to seven billion hot dogs per year, making them one of Americans favorite foods. You’re probably wondering what all of this has to do with driving more sales and service traffic to your dealership. Well, July is National Hot Dog Month and July 23^rd is National Hot Dog Day, which presents a perfect opportunity to leverage an American favorite delicacy and spark additional revenue for your pocket.

Hot Dog Photo Contest
A great way to generate visibility for any campaign is to find a way to incorporate social media into your strategy. For this specific campaign, think about hosting a contest on your Facebook page. Since regions of the country eat their hot dogs with different toppings, ask followers to post pics of their favorite hot dogs. Then, award the hot dog that has the most likes or the most unique toppings, or both.

Host a Hot Dog Eating Contest
A phenomenon is happening around the country where more and more eating contests are popping up and viewers are tuning in to watch. One way to drive people to your dealership is by hosting your very own hot dog eating contest. Ask customers and community members to join in on the fun and see if you can get enough participants to make an exciting event. Then, invite a crowd to come watch the contest and award the winner with a substantial prize.

Fire Up the Grill
If contests aren’t for you, no problem. A simpler approach to celebrate one of America’s favorite delicacies is to simply grill some up for customers and potential buyers. Be sure to market your BBQ so even members of the community will stop by to grab a bite to eat. You’ll want to have your newest, hottest models lined up for attendees to peruse as they enjoy their dogs.

If you’re like most Americans and love hot dogs, then use July to draw attention to your dealership by using word of mouth marketing to attract potential buyers and repeat customers.

Awe Christmas, the smell of pine, festive lights, hot cocoa, and jolly old Saint Nick. It’s hard to imagine celebrating such a traditional holiday in the middle of July when most of the county is experiencing the heat waves and humidity of the summer. However, celebrating Christmas in July allows your dealership to provide a marketing message that is different, something that makes you stand out from your competition. If you’re looking to capitalize on this unique “holiday,” here are three ways you can spark additional revenue.

Utilize Social Media
A fun way to create buzz for your Christmas in July campaign is by utilizing your dealership’s social media channels. You could host an ugly sweater contest and ask your followers to post pics of themselves in their most hideous getup. If you want, you could offer a prize for the sweater that gets the most “likes” or retweets to gain additional spark and attention for your Christmas in July campaign.

Get into the Holiday
If you have special incentives that you want to promote, either in your Sales or Service Department, you could take a memorable Christmas item that you have on hand, like Santa hats, ornaments, of jingle bells, and write an offer on each one. Then, when customers come visit your dealership, have them select the item from a bin so they can redeem their offer.

Deck the Halls
Another way to create a spark for your Christmas in July campaign is to decorate your dealership with the spirit of the holiday. If you wanted, you could drag out the tree, put up garland, or just hang up some mistletoe and Christmas lights. Whatever you decide, it will be a good idea for you to spread holiday cheer in July to get customers in the spirit of buying.

After the 4^th of July is over, hit your customers with a Christmas in July campaign to spark additional revenue. Be sure to promote sales or service incentives and make the campaign fun and memorable to drive potential buyers and current customers to your door.

Awe Christmas, the smell of pine, festive lights, hot cocoa, and jolly old Saint Nick. It’s hard to imagine celebrating such a traditional holiday in the middle of July when most of the county is experiencing the heat waves and humidity of the summer. However, celebrating Christmas in July allows your dealership to provide a marketing message that is different, something that makes you stand out from your competition. If you’re looking to capitalize on this unique “holiday,” here are three ways you can spark additional revenue.

Utilize Social Media
A fun way to create buzz for your Christmas in July campaign is by utilizing your dealership’s social media channels. You could host an ugly sweater contest and ask your followers to post pics of themselves in their most hideous getup. If you want, you could offer a prize for the sweater that gets the most “likes” or retweets to gain additional spark and attention for your Christmas in July campaign.

Get into the Holiday
If you have special incentives that you want to promote, either in your Sales or Service Department, you could take a memorable Christmas item that you have on hand, like Santa hats, ornaments, of jingle bells, and write an offer on each one. Then, when customers come visit your dealership, have them select the item from a bin so they can redeem their offer.

Deck the Halls
Another way to create a spark for your Christmas in July campaign is to decorate your dealership with the spirit of the holiday. If you wanted, you could drag out the tree, put up garland, or just hang up some mistletoe and Christmas lights. Whatever you decide, it will be a good idea for you to spread holiday cheer in July to get customers in the spirit of buying.

After the 4^th of July is over, hit your customers with a Christmas in July campaign to spark additional revenue. Be sure to promote sales or service incentives and make the campaign fun and memorable to drive potential buyers and current customers to your door.

As you read the title of this week’s entry, you may be thinking, “What is content marketing?” Simply defined, it is a technique of creating and distributing timely, relevant, consistent content to attract and acquire an audience of buyers with the objective of driving consumers to act. What does that really mean?

The truth is, we live in a world where consumers are constantly hit with more and more advertising and after a while, it becomes marketing noise. The consequence is the messages are less and less meaningful thus ignored altogether, hence the uprising of DVR and satellite radio. Statistics are even showing consumers skip the ads at the top of internet searches. So, how do you cut through the marketing noise to get your message heard and reach your customers and potential buyers? Content marketing.

Now, don’t get ahead of yourself! You don’t have to spend countless hours creating content, but you need to be smart about how you use your content, how you repurpose it, and where you use it. Whether you realize it or not, you are probably already using content marketing to reach your customers. So, how can you make a splash this summer with content marketing? Here are five tips to get started.

Define Your Content
In order to effectively market to your customers and potential prospects, you first have to figure out what type of content resonates with them and you can do this in a number of ways. First, begin with soliciting feedback through your social media channels. You can start by posting other people’s content and studying how your social community responds. Another way to gauge your audience is to utilize email to deliver your content, and then see which links are clicked the most and how many click-throughs the pieces generate. This type of initial strategy will help you determine exactly what type of content you should continue to produce to increase engagement and build a loyal audience.

Customize Your Media
Once you have determined what type of content best resonates with your target audience, then you’ll need to understand what type of medium should deliver your message. Typically when we talk content marketing, we automatically think about written content, but it doesn’t have to be. Content can come in the form of infographics, memes, videos, guides, reviews, blogs, ebooks, testimonials, podcasts, brochures, photos, webinars, vlogs, white papers, etc. The list could go on for days! You’ll want to select a medium that is easy for your team to produce and is well received by your audience; this should include a strategy leveraging multiple media. You’ll want to continually test the engagement of your chosen medium and tweak accordingly to receive maximum results.

Learn to Repurpose
One of the best things about content marketing is you can repurpose it over and over again. For example, this blog you’re reading today will be repurposed as a video script, then as content in our company newsletter, and again as social content. Each medium will have a different look and feel because the content has to resonate with the appropriate audience, but the overall theme will be the same. Being able to repurpose content saves your team time, money, and resources.

Produce Quality Content
The biggest struggle most companies have with content marketing is finding the time to do it. The truth is, you don’t have to do it every day or every week, but you need to produce enough so you’re relevant to your audience. You also want to make sure your content is consistent, so if you do a newsletter, for example, try to reach your audience at the same time each day, week, or month to increase visibility. With that being said, you want to make sure you produce quality content and try not to worry about the quantity. A really well done content marketing piece received less often will always produce better results than a not-so-well-done content marketing piece received daily.

Document Your Strategy
A really effective content marketing strategy can be difficult to produce. One simple way to keep your ducks in a row is by creating an editorial calendar, which is basically a monthly planner of all your marketing efforts and when each item is due. This will not only keep you on track to delivering consistent content, but it will also ensure you have a cohesive marketing plan for a given timeframe. Plus, by developing an editorial calendar, you have a very easy way to share your efforts with your entire organization so everyone is involved and understands the marketing focus.

Get Started
The world of marketing is changing and blasting ad after ad at customers and potential buyers will simply not get their attention anymore; you’ll get lost in the chaos. You have to begin to think about how content marketing will fit into your overall marketing plan and then start executing one piece per month and slowly figure out the rest. A good content marketing strategy will increase sales, retain customers, and build brand integrity.

As you read the title of this week’s entry, you may be thinking, “What is content marketing?” Simply defined, it is a technique of creating and distributing timely, relevant, consistent content to attract and acquire an audience of buyers with the objective of driving consumers to act. What does that really mean?

The truth is, we live in a world where consumers are constantly hit with more and more advertising and after a while, it becomes marketing noise. The consequence is the messages are less and less meaningful thus ignored altogether, hence the uprising of DVR and satellite radio. Statistics are even showing consumers skip the ads at the top of internet searches. So, how do you cut through the marketing noise to get your message heard and reach your customers and potential buyers? Content marketing.

Now, don’t get ahead of yourself! You don’t have to spend countless hours creating content, but you need to be smart about how you use your content, how you repurpose it, and where you use it. Whether you realize it or not, you are probably already using content marketing to reach your customers. So, how can you make a splash this summer with content marketing? Here are five tips to get started.

Define Your Content
In order to effectively market to your customers and potential prospects, you first have to figure out what type of content resonates with them and you can do this in a number of ways. First, begin with soliciting feedback through your social media channels. You can start by posting other people’s content and studying how your social community responds. Another way to gauge your audience is to utilize email to deliver your content, and then see which links are clicked the most and how many click-throughs the pieces generate. This type of initial strategy will help you determine exactly what type of content you should continue to produce to increase engagement and build a loyal audience.

Customize Your Media
Once you have determined what type of content best resonates with your target audience, then you’ll need to understand what type of medium should deliver your message. Typically when we talk content marketing, we automatically think about written content, but it doesn’t have to be. Content can come in the form of infographics, memes, videos, guides, reviews, blogs, ebooks, testimonials, podcasts, brochures, photos, webinars, vlogs, white papers, etc. The list could go on for days! You’ll want to select a medium that is easy for your team to produce and is well received by your audience; this should include a strategy leveraging multiple media. You’ll want to continually test the engagement of your chosen medium and tweak accordingly to receive maximum results.

Learn to Repurpose
One of the best things about content marketing is you can repurpose it over and over again. For example, this blog you’re reading today will be repurposed as a video script, then as content in our company newsletter, and again as social content. Each medium will have a different look and feel because the content has to resonate with the appropriate audience, but the overall theme will be the same. Being able to repurpose content saves your team time, money, and resources.

Produce Quality Content
The biggest struggle most companies have with content marketing is finding the time to do it. The truth is, you don’t have to do it every day or every week, but you need to produce enough so you’re relevant to your audience. You also want to make sure your content is consistent, so if you do a newsletter, for example, try to reach your audience at the same time each day, week, or month to increase visibility. With that being said, you want to make sure you produce quality content and try not to worry about the quantity. A really well done content marketing piece received less often will always produce better results than a not-so-well-done content marketing piece received daily.

Document Your Strategy
A really effective content marketing strategy can be difficult to produce. One simple way to keep your ducks in a row is by creating an editorial calendar, which is basically a monthly planner of all your marketing efforts and when each item is due. This will not only keep you on track to delivering consistent content, but it will also ensure you have a cohesive marketing plan for a given timeframe. Plus, by developing an editorial calendar, you have a very easy way to share your efforts with your entire organization so everyone is involved and understands the marketing focus.

Get Started
The world of marketing is changing and blasting ad after ad at customers and potential buyers will simply not get their attention anymore; you’ll get lost in the chaos. You have to begin to think about how content marketing will fit into your overall marketing plan and then start executing one piece per month and slowly figure out the rest. A good content marketing strategy will increase sales, retain customers, and build brand integrity.

The time has come for you to start planning your 4^th of July marketing. It doesn’t matter who you ask, July 4^th is one of the best weekends to sell vehicles. From the consumer’s perspective, it’s also one of the best weekends to buy a vehicle because of the increased incentives from the manufacturer. With that said, it sounds like the July 4^th weekend should be an easy sell day, but how will you stand out from your competition to ensure you win prospective buyers’ attention? Here are four quick and easy ways to stay top-of-mind with customers to bring them to your dealership for their 4^th of July purchases.

Communicate OEM Incentives
Some customers are simply looking for a deal. They want a vehicle, but they don’t want to pay sticker price for it. By simply advertising the OEM incentives and any special pricing you have on vehicles for the July 4^th weekend, you will tip the scale and get them into your store.

Announce Holiday Hours
To create top-of-mind awareness, you have to use relevant, timely information to communicate with customers. Letting your customers know that you’ll have adjusted hours for the holiday weekend is a perfect soft-selling approach and you’ll still reach customers with an appropriate message.

Remind Customers of Maintenance Needs
If you are looking to drive additional service business for the July 4^th weekend, try reminding customers of needed maintenance before they hit the road for holiday travel. Even if they aren’t in the market for a vehicle, you’ll be able to capture their service business and drive more revenue to your store.

Host a July 4^th Event
If you’re really serious about driving additional traffic to your store for the July 4^th weekend, think about hosting a BBQ. Nothing brings people together like hot dogs and hamburgers. You could even promote an appreciation event to grab customers’ attention. Be sure to have your most sought after vehicles lined up to get an extra revenue point from the event.

Whatever your plans are for the 4^th of July holiday, be sure to start planning your marketing strategy now. With easy, quick marketing, you’re sure to make a splash this 4^th of July.

The time has come for you to start planning your 4^th of July marketing. It doesn’t matter who you ask, July 4^th is one of the best weekends to sell vehicles. From the consumer’s perspective, it’s also one of the best weekends to buy a vehicle because of the increased incentives from the manufacturer. With that said, it sounds like the July 4^th weekend should be an easy sell day, but how will you stand out from your competition to ensure you win prospective buyers’ attention? Here are four quick and easy ways to stay top-of-mind with customers to bring them to your dealership for their 4^th of July purchases.

Communicate OEM Incentives
Some customers are simply looking for a deal. They want a vehicle, but they don’t want to pay sticker price for it. By simply advertising the OEM incentives and any special pricing you have on vehicles for the July 4^th weekend, you will tip the scale and get them into your store.

Announce Holiday Hours
To create top-of-mind awareness, you have to use relevant, timely information to communicate with customers. Letting your customers know that you’ll have adjusted hours for the holiday weekend is a perfect soft-selling approach and you’ll still reach customers with an appropriate message.

Remind Customers of Maintenance Needs
If you are looking to drive additional service business for the July 4^th weekend, try reminding customers of needed maintenance before they hit the road for holiday travel. Even if they aren’t in the market for a vehicle, you’ll be able to capture their service business and drive more revenue to your store.

Host a July 4^th Event
If you’re really serious about driving additional traffic to your store for the July 4^th weekend, think about hosting a BBQ. Nothing brings people together like hot dogs and hamburgers. You could even promote an appreciation event to grab customers’ attention. Be sure to have your most sought after vehicles lined up to get an extra revenue point from the event.

Whatever your plans are for the 4^th of July holiday, be sure to start planning your marketing strategy now. With easy, quick marketing, you’re sure to make a splash this 4^th of July.

It’s summer travel season and families all over the United States are preparing or have already taken a trip this summer. Families are diligently saving their pennies to make sure their summer vacation isn’t spoiled by lack of funds. So, how can you help customers save this summer? Check out these three ideas to make a splash this summer with summer savings.

Promote Preventive Maintenance
The truth is, preventive vehicle maintenance is always cheaper than trying to fix the problem after something has gone wrong. Educate your customers about the benefits of preventive maintenance and sympathize with them about the cost of this maintenance. Be sure to warn them about how skipping routine maintenance could cause more costly repairs down the road. Accompany this message with appropriate service specials for routine maintenance.

Generate Sales Opportunities
It’s a fact that a certain percentage of your database is ready to buy a car every month, but how do you truly identify who these candidates are? Well we’ve come up with a way to offer your customers savings at the pump and drive them to your dealership. Offer your customers a $25-$50 gas card in exchange for a test drive. I know it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but the truth is, if your customers are in the market for a new vehicle, it is just the right incentive to get them to come to you versus your competitor. Plus, you’re helping them save at the pump.

Create Fun Savings
No matter who you are, everybody likes to have fun and save money. So, what if you offered your customers both? All you need to do is determine what kind of savings you can realistically provide to customers in your Sales and Service Department. Then, create a fish bowl full of pieces of paper with different savings offers; for example $250 of the purchase of a new car, 10% of service, $9.95 oil change, or a free car wash. When customers visit, have them pick a piece of paper from the fish bowl to redeem their savings. It’s a great way to have fun with your customers while also saving them money on a new vehicle purchase or servicing their current vehicle.

No matter what you decide, be sure this summer is filled with savings – your customers will thank you and reward you with increased business.

It’s summer travel season and families all over the United States are preparing or have already taken a trip this summer. Families are diligently saving their pennies to make sure their summer vacation isn’t spoiled by lack of funds. So, how can you help customers save this summer? Check out these three ideas to make a splash this summer with summer savings.

Promote Preventive Maintenance
The truth is, preventive vehicle maintenance is always cheaper than trying to fix the problem after something has gone wrong. Educate your customers about the benefits of preventive maintenance and sympathize with them about the cost of this maintenance. Be sure to warn them about how skipping routine maintenance could cause more costly repairs down the road. Accompany this message with appropriate service specials for routine maintenance.

Generate Sales Opportunities
It’s a fact that a certain percentage of your database is ready to buy a car every month, but how do you truly identify who these candidates are? Well we’ve come up with a way to offer your customers savings at the pump and drive them to your dealership. Offer your customers a $25-$50 gas card in exchange for a test drive. I know it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but the truth is, if your customers are in the market for a new vehicle, it is just the right incentive to get them to come to you versus your competitor. Plus, you’re helping them save at the pump.

Create Fun Savings
No matter who you are, everybody likes to have fun and save money. So, what if you offered your customers both? All you need to do is determine what kind of savings you can realistically provide to customers in your Sales and Service Department. Then, create a fish bowl full of pieces of paper with different savings offers; for example $250 of the purchase of a new car, 10% of service, $9.95 oil change, or a free car wash. When customers visit, have them pick a piece of paper from the fish bowl to redeem their savings. It’s a great way to have fun with your customers while also saving them money on a new vehicle purchase or servicing their current vehicle.

No matter what you decide, be sure this summer is filled with savings – your customers will thank you and reward you with increased business.