Today, it’s a well-known fact among dealers that a consistent presence on social media properties is vital to keeping their brand in front of consumers. It has also been found that some different types of content – text, images and video – perform better than others.

However, it’s still very difficult to know what the best TIME is to post content in order to maximize exposure. Consider this: A person charged with posting 19 pieces of content a day, planning to promote just 4 of them, has an overwhelming choice of 7 TRILLION different ways they can post that content.

A recent  study by the University of Notre Dame analyzed posts from major media outlets and conducted interviews with social media managers in an attempt to discover how managers decide when to post and what type of content most impacts engagement. The study also aimed to discover how much brainpower the viewer uses when looking at the post, and what emotions it elicits.

The study found that following the average human wake-sleep cycle when posting content works best. This allows for the optimum activity of a normal person’s mind when viewing posts. It seems that humans are more engaged intellectually and/or emotionally shortly after waking. At this time their minds are fresh and less likely to be distracted. However, boosted posts (paid ads) tend to work better later in the afternoon.

In short, content that requires more thought and analysis, or that tends to elicit a strong emotional response, works best early in the day. At that time people have more focus available as their minds tend to be fresher. By mid-day many are distracted with work or other types of activities, so they choose not to engage with the content and scroll right past it because… well… they don’t want to think about it. Later in the evening, most regain some focus and are able to again pay attention to social media content – although not quite as well as in the morning.

Considering that organic reach on social media platforms continues to decrease, any edge a dealership can gain from their content and increase that reach is attractive. It’s fairly easy to figure out the type of content which best engages an audience (cough… video…). Video also extends reach organically. If you add in the best time of day to post that content, surely this then gives it an edge over the millions of pieces of competing content.

According to the Notre Dame study, while most social media managers are “winging it” as far as the best time of day to post content, many have a good pulse on their social media properties and are mostly correct. If they were to additionally consider which type of content elicits the best response, such as a thought-provoking question or article versus a funny piece of content, and at what time people are most likely to engage, social media managers could further improve their campaign results.

For those of you lacking the time needed to figure out posting times and analyze social media results in this fashion, there are a few inexpensive services that can assist. Services such as Sprout Social, Hootsuite or Buffer, not only provide your dealership with data, but can also automatically schedule content tailored to your audience.

Breaking through the noise on social media without spending a bunch of money is tough. And it’s only going to get more challenging.

A smarter approach to your social media content marketing strategy will pay dividends in return. Try improving results by studying who your audience is, as well as how they react to different types of posts and adjust your strategy accordingly. In addition, take the above bit of science into account and plan the best time of day to post that content. You should then be well on your way to successful social media efforts without spending any more money.

Videos of happy customers generate more online reviews and website visits 

Newport Beach, CA – September 10, 2018 – In the six-month period from February through July 2018, Downey Nissan, California’s #1 volume Nissan dealer, experienced a viral lift of 627 percent in their social media marketing program, attributed to videos sent out by Vboost, an automotive viral marketing company. The viral lift was measured by the amount of interactions, views and shares that Downey Nissan’s social media postings received from their customers, as well as from their customers’ friends and families.

“For many people, a vehicle is the most expensive purchase they’re going to make, so what better way to share the memory than a video or photo that you can post online,” said Rebeca Galvan, Downey Nissan’s BDC/Marketing Director. “Word of mouth from your customers is the best advertising you can get.”

Downey Nissan’s salespeople use the social media app to take photos of customers when they take delivery of their vehicle. The technology instantly creates a short video set to upbeat, licensed music that is sent to the customer via text or email. This allows the customer to share the videos from their personal pages on a variety of platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Google and WhatsApp. The email also encourages customers to write a review and provides links to Downey’s preferred review sites.

During the six-month period, videos of Downey Nissan’s customers generated 4,856 video views and 2,894 shares across social media platforms.

“This is a great marketing tool that builds customer rapport and interaction, and our salespeople love it because it’s fun and interactive,” said Galvan.

Galvan has been working with Vboost for nearly two years, since she joined Downey Nissan in late 2016. Her primary marketing challenge is that the dealership is located in a very competitive market. “There are 11 other Nissan dealers in our area,” she said. She chose to try the technology because she believed it might help differentiate Downey Nissan from the competition.

Managing Partner Rinaldi Halim believes it’s a marketing strategy that accomplishes this goal. “Dealerships don’t always have the best reputation, so our job is to educate the customer that we are different, and we care about their experience,” said Halim. “Social media is a great strategy for doing this. When our customers post pictures of themselves with their new cars, it generates a lot of feedback from their online networks, which extends our reach and builds our reputation in the community.”

Downey Nissan is currently the number one volume Nissan dealer in California and has won the Global Award of Acceptance from Nissan every year for the last four years. The dealership has received a 10 out of 10 score in every single category, which is a huge accomplishment considering only 50 dealerships in the world receive the award.

Managing Partner Rinaldi Halim acknowledges, “There are many different factors involved in this award and marketing is just one, but we love what Vboost adds to our marketing program.”

Downey Nissan also uses videos in their lead follow up process. When an Internet lead comes into the CRM, a short video is automatically created with a photo of the vehicle that the customer inquired about, along with a video of a sales manager giving a short introduction to the dealership. The email is automatically sent out to the prospect and has been very effective at generating responses.

“We get a lot of car shoppers calling and thanking us for the video,” said Galvan. “They say some stores don’t even bother to respond to them, and because we send out a video they think we went above and beyond to do something special for them. That opens the door to a conversation.”

The videos sent out after customers leave also helps to increase the number of reviews that they write, thanks to the links that are embedded into the emails. “I honestly didn’t realize it would help us with reviews, which are very important to us,” said Galvan. “The communication that goes out gets opened 95% of the time and reminds the customer to review the dealership.”

Downey Nissan also shares Vboost videos of their happy customers on large screens that are set up in the showroom and service department. When customers share their photos and videos on social media platforms, and post them with the hashtag #DowneyNissan, the posts and pictures appear on the screens.

Galvan recently chose to implement Vboost Live, a new feature that integrates customer photos and videos with Downey Nissan’s website, creating hundreds of new pages of searchable content that helps to increase organic search results.

“This has turned out to be a really cool feature that the salespeople love because it helps them to build their personal brands,” said Galvan. “If you type in a salesperson’s name, all of the photos and videos that salesperson has taken over the years show up in the search results, along with the salesperson’s picture and phone number.”

Another side benefit is the number of website visits that the viral videos generate. In the six-month period from February through July, videos shared on social media resulted in 902 website visits.

“This is huge for us, because we spend a lot of time and money trying to get eyeballs to our websites, and these videos perform well for that purpose,” said Galvan.

For more information click on this Vboost overview video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJixDzVhYVE

Or, for additional information and to schedule a demonstration call: 800-799-3130 or visit www.Vboost.com

About Vboost:

Based in Newport Beach, CA, Vboost, Inc. is the first proactive process to create positive viral marketing in the retail automotive space. It involves a streamlined process via a mobile application and three unique technologies which collect customer photos at the time of vehicle delivery, convert them to custom music videos and then send them directly to the customer via email or text. By delivering these branded messages to customers during their emotional highpoint, most customers are compelled to upload and share these videos with family and friends via Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, email and other social media platforms. Best of all, results from each viral marketing campaign are being monitored, quantified and reported back to the dealers.

Dealerships are coming around and increasingly realize the importance of having a good social media presence. Perhaps it’s due to the reach and effectiveness of social media ads, or the ability to stay top-of-mind with customers – both existing and potential. Regardless, dealerships are shifting their focus away from traditional media towards digital and allocating more budget to social media in their digital marketing mix.

But not all dealerships have social media down quite yet. Some simply post the same content to all their pages – at the exact same time. Even worse, some post nothing but vehicles for sale and/or specials.

Effective social media involves more than just displaying your inventory. It should include posts that capture your unique personality while providing opportunities to engage customers. Whether that engagement is through liking or responding to a comment, or seeking out conversations, dealerships who practice this type of social activity are much more likely to keep eyeballs and ears on their social efforts.

A new report by social media platform Sprout Social reports that 86% of surveyed consumers think transparency from businesses is more important than ever, and 40% attribute the importance to the influence of social media. In addition, more than half of consumers, or 53%, said they would be more likely to consider brands that are transparent on social media for their next purchase, while a lack of transparency might lead 86% to purchase from a competitor.

Transparency can be a scary word for car dealers. The first thought that may enter many dealers’ heads would probably be that transparency involves giving out pricing on the Facebook page, exposing them to the world. But I’m here to tell you that’s not the case.

In terms of social media, transparency has a whole different meaning. Transparency in this sense simply means being human. Consumers don’t want to interact with just vehicle ads, displayed over and over again. However, they will interact with people and personalities such as employees and customers.

Don’t believe me? Test it for yourself. Instead of posting that newly acquired trade-in, or new model year vehicle, take some pictures of your staff having a good time, interacting with customers. Or snap a pic of a customer jumping for joy next to their newly acquired vehicle.  Supplement those with pictures of special occasions or other events that show off WHO your dealership is such as food drives, charity events, the local school football game you sponsor, etc. Consumers already know what you sell – cars. What they’re more interested in is who you are; your personality as a dealership – do they like you enough to do business with you? This is why consumers read reviews.

Think about it. Consumers now read reviews as a key part of the research and car buying process. Part of this is to see how the dealership treats its customers. Those reviews share other customers’ perspectives of who you ARE as a business.

It helps the consumer choose whether to do business with you or your competitor. Similar to when you meet a new person at a party – or even online -- If they’re mean or rude, you probably don’t want to be their friend. On the other hand, if they are nice, friendly and interesting, if they share good stories and information that make them real and someone you like, they could well be someone you chose to hang out with in the future.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t post any promotional content. Got a hot new vehicle in inventory, heck yes, post it. It just should not be ALL that you post. Balance is key. Good quality, interesting content on your dealership’s Facebook page is simply an effective way to share your unique personality and value propositions with those considering doing business with you.

Make a good impression and it may be the least expensive form of customer acquisition and retention you could ever make.

Keep your content fun. Keep it people-focused. And, most of all, be transparent in those efforts. If you do this, you will find that consumers will return the sentiment and you’ll end up with a lot of new friends.

Some skeptics lament the decline in the use of social media platforms. Perhaps because they’ve become jaded due to all the arguments and political rhetoric constantly popping up in news feeds. Well, don’t for a second believe these pessimists!

Social media is not only growing, it’s becoming more popular than ever. For example, Facebook-owned social media platform Instagram was acquired in 2012 for $1 billion. At that time, people thought Facebook was crazy. Want to know how much it’s estimated value is now? $100 billion, according to Bloomberg! With over 1 billion active users currently, it’s expected to reach 2 billion within 5 years. That doesn’t sound like a decline.

What is causing Instagram to blow up in both value and users? If you look at what Instagram IS, that question is easy to answer. It’s a site that emphasizes photo and video content. In fact, you can’t post text even if you want to (unless its accompanied by a picture).

People love imagery. Especially images of their personal interests, or from their friends and family. Pictures and videos help share an experience and engage the viewer.  

Marketers increasingly turn to Instagram, even if they don’t realize it. That’s because Instagram has a couple of unique features. First, it’s connected to Facebook’s ad network. This means any ads run on Facebook will also by default appear on Instagram. Second, in reverse, it’s easy for a user to simply post to Instagram and have it automatically post to Facebook, saving time as they don’t have to post the same content twice.

What does this mean for your dealership? If you’re providing content that individuals are enticed to share, not only do you get exposure via their social networks on Facebook, but also on Instagram as well. As people tend to vary their use, switching between the two platforms, and some use one more than the other, this effectively extends the reach of your content. Both platforms also allow video content. And Facebook in fact gives video content extended reach as it continues to court publishers of such content. Dealerships that can find ways to simply provide branded content their customers want to share will see increased exposure. That could certainly result in more sales or, at the very least, branding and top-of-mind awareness.

While Instagram is certainly killing it, don’t count out Facebook. With 1.8 billion users, it is the nation’s most popular social media network according to Statista. It’s intrinsic in our human nature to want to connect with people. The reason social media has quickly become an obsession for many is that it allows people to easily connect with friends and family they care about. People want to share their lives and experiences and have their friends and families share their experiences in return.

Social media isn’t dead. It may be transforming. The latest development being Facebook introducing a virtual reality version through the Oculus VR device (which it also purchased). The point is that social media is still thriving and will continue to be the easiest and most effective way to connect your business with the people that matter – not only your current customers but also your potential ones.

One of the hottest current trends is influencer marketing. Businesses (and dealerships) bring in influencers to attract a crowd. We’ve all seen it, if not done it.

Perhaps it’s the latest YouTube star, that sports athlete that may (or may not) have purchased a vehicle from your dealership. These influencers can cost upwards of $187,000 per social media post, according to an article on Kissmetrics.com. And some marketers have found that, despite the early popularity and return on investment it achieved, as influencer marketing has become more mainstream, they are seeing no ROI. Why?

Because consumers don’t trust the influencers anymore!

Influencer marketing is still a thing, though. It can be beneficial, and you don’t have to pay tens, or hundreds of thousands of dollars to drive traffic to your dealership from consumers that want autographs but have no intention of buying a vehicle. The problem is that businesses – including dealerships – are focusing on big names, hot stars and sports athletes; thinking that those are the people they need to bring in the traffic. And they might. But are they going to bring in the SALES?

According to the article, marketers are becoming increasingly skeptical. 18 percent of businesses that chose to hire influencers saw no ROI at all, and that number is rising. And, to make matters worse, in 2017 the FTC enacted regulations that forces influencers to publicly announce that their tweets, social media posts, etc., are paid endorsements, just like television and traditional advertising.

Of course, now consumers are becoming increasingly skeptical of the influencers’ actual opinions, realizing they are simply a paid spokesperson. The mere popularity of these influencers may still drive traffic, but the bottom line is that dealerships need to recoup that investment via sales, not just a line of people waiting for a picture or autograph.

So, what’s the solution?

Well, the biggest influencers could be right in front of you. And they are free. Your staff!

Think about it. Every sales manager counts on new sales employees bringing in business on their own, even if only from their family, friends and extended networks. That has been true for decades.

Now, with the extended reach that social media offers, salespeople can not only more easily reach those people in their networks, but also increase that reach. Personal branding has become a hot thing nowadays.

But, as a dealer, you should also consider the following: First, your salespeople are an extension of your brand. Second, there are no disclosures required!  If you are careful to make it obvious to consumers that the material they are viewing or listening to is by a person associated with your dealership, there are no disclaimers required. John Elway can tweet how great John Elway dealerships are and not need a disclaimer. The difference is that consumers will trust those types of testimonials (salespeople with happy customers, sales managers showing off their inventory, etc.) more than a paid endorsement by an influencer. Because they know you are REAL and it is not.

While you may not think of your staff as influencers, instead of enlisting your ad agency to find that 5 or 6 figure influencer who they believe will bring traffic into your dealership and sell more cars, consider leveraging and encouraging your staff to create content. Capture those “happy customer” moments and illustrate to potential customers that you’re the real deal, rather than that you need to pay someone to say who you are.

Listening to customers who do the talking for you has far more influence on these potential customers than any paid influencer ever will. That’s why online reviews have exploded and are a major influencer in the car research and buying process.

Stop looking for that shiny object in the Internet world, or bigger inflatable gorillas, and start enlisting those shiny objects that exist on your staff. They will also benefit through more customers asking for them, (i.e. bigger paychecks) and it will benefit your dealership as you no longer must write those large checks to influencers that don’t sell you any cars.

In the age of customer experience, successful salespeople have transitioned from an “always be closing” mindset to an “always be helping” mindset. In fact, the title of salesperson isn’t really an accurate reflection of what the job entails any more. A better title would perhaps be Trusted Advisor.

A Trusted Advisor earns their customers’ trust. The best way to accomplish this is to put yourself in your customers’ shoes.

How do your customers find a dealership and/or salesperson they can trust? Let’s say they’ve narrowed down their choices to one or two makes/models. They’re almost ready to buy and they want to find a dealership and a salesperson with a good reputation.

The most common methods that people use include:

1)   Reading online reviews

2)   Asking friends or family

3)   Asking for recommendations on their Facebook page or other social media

4)   Visiting the dealership website and reading the “About Us” page and the employee profiles

To win trust, you must have presence in all these places consumers are searching. These days, the best social marketer wins the customer!

Online Reviews
Customer reviews that mention you by name are powerful social proof, but how do you get a customer to write an online review and mention you by name?

First, you must ask. Second, you must make it easy for them to write and post the review

One of the best times to ask for a review is while the customer is taking delivery. Ask if they would be willing to give a quick video testimonial that you can post on their (and your) Facebook page. Make it a fun video they will want to share with friends and family -- you can increase its reach as they share it on their social media.

Another tactic is to send a series of emails; one immediately after the purchase, plus two more spaced out over the course of a month.

Don’t let the possibility of bad reviews prevent you from asking. In my opinion, if your reviews are all positive it can look suspicious to today’s consumers—we have grown accustomed to the possibility of false reviews and “review-padding” a la Amazon. The good news is, the more positive reviews you have, the less impact on your overall rating the few negative reviews have.

If you do get a negative review, the most important thing in the customer’s mind is how you respond. In fact, if you handle a negative review well and turn it around, this can have even more impact. The problem is, are you even aware of the review? If you don’t know and/or don’t respond, it makes it look like you don’t care; that you simply ignore your online reputation, indicating a lack of professionalism.  Customers will simply move on to that salesperson that is doing a better job of marketing themselves online.

When you receive a bad review, take a moment to assess the review. Was the problem with you personally, or was it a problem with their overall experience, which may indicate a process problem? If it’s a process problem, you want to acknowledge and thank the customer for bringing the problem to your attention, and then try to solve the problem, or make amends.

Social Marketing
Studies by LinkedIn reveal that social sellers create 45 percent more opportunities. Social media is an amazing tool for those who know how to use it properly.

A traditional salesperson might view social media as an online billboard, where they can promote themselves. This is a surefire way to turn consumers off.

Be wise about your social media promotions and use the various platforms to offer car shoppers valuable insights and tips related to the car-buying process. Give the information for free, without expectation, via blog posts, photos and videos.

Occasionally, you may want to share posts about personal hobbies, interests and goals. Revealing your every-day human qualities will make you more likeable and interesting to the consumer.

Dealership Website
Many dealerships fail to post pictures of salespeople on their websites. This is surprising, because this is one of the best ways to promote the brand and employees. When a customer visits your website, there’s a good chance they are close to deciding where to buy. Why not make the decision easy for them?

These days customers increasingly chose to do business with a particular salesperson, then the dealership. So, get your photos, videos and bios on your website and on social media platforms; especially Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Salespeople can no longer afford to loiter in the lot, waiting to close a deal. You must learn how to out-market your competitors and become the best social marketer there is.

Vboost viral marketing content now reaches 10X the audience by integrating its unique customer content with the dealer’s website and showroom

Newport Beach, CA – May 2, 2018 – Vboost (www.vboost.com), a viral marketing company focused on the auto industry, today announced the release of Vboost 3.0, which includes two new products aimed at increasing auto dealers’ viral marketing audience: Vboost Live and Vboost showroom.

Vboost Live: integrates with the dealer’s website and posts customer videos in real-time, creating thousands of pages of searchable content and increasing organic search results.

All customer approved videos/photos integrate seamlessly with the dealership website, offering even more exposure for this rich content. In some cases, these videos perform better than reviews -- customer images are included so it is clear they are not fraud reviews. Dealers can customize their “Happy Customer’ page and individual sales reps are also promoted on the dealer website. The “My Customer” monthly montage is integrated as well.

Vboost Showroom: Digital signage at its best, Vboost Showroom surrounds customers with positive content. It seamlessly brings social media into the dealership’s showroom; every post, review, photo and happy customer video populates showroom flat screens in real-time.

Vboost Showroom pulls all social content into the showroom including Yelp Reviews/ customer photos/ Facebook feed/Twitter feed/ Instagram/Local weather/ YouTube videos/ Special offers/ Salesperson of the month… Whatever lives online can be pulled into the showroom and displayed on screens for customer viewing. Dealers can take a completely hands-free approach as Vboost personnel do all the programing and updates.

“The most powerful form of marketing is word-of-mouth and social media is the word-of-mouth of today, said Paul Moran, Vboost President and CEO. “We offer the only form of advertising that gets posted for you by your customers, which is the best way to become part of the online conversation that goes on during the buying cycle. I am very excited by the results of Vboost Live and Vboost Showroom which are included in our latest version, Vboost 3.0.  Our new platform and features are further boosting viral marketing performance for our auto dealer clients,” Moran added.

Several other improvements have also been made to Vboost 3.0, including a faster platform that delivers customer photos/videos in 30 seconds, versus 8 minutes. Vboost 3.0 also offers an improved video template which speeds up video production and has more customization options for auto dealers. In addition, the photo-taking process has been simplified; a viral marketing campaign can be launched in under sixty seconds with just four simple steps. Vboost 3.0 also works on all operating systems including IOS and Android.

Vboost has perfected a quick and easy process to capture photos at the time of vehicle delivery and quickly gets those “branded” photos out to the customer. Now the customer becomes the dealer’s advocate by posting/sharing the photos.

The Vboost Viral Marketing Platform delivers and tracks thousands of viral messages monthly – all designed to create referral business for dealers and their individual salespeople. The captured photos are stitched into a slideshow set to music and sent to the customer. Vboost pays the publishing rights so that their dealers can use nearly any song they choose. Customers share these videos via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other social platforms, and additionally email them to their friends and family. Now, with over seven million video views, the concept has caught fire.

With just a few clicks on a mobile app, hundreds of Vboost auto dealer clients send thousands of viral messages every month, reaching new customers through the customers’ friends and family.

Vboost’s mission is to create and deliver viral marketing messages every day promoting the dealership and the sales rep and creating referrals. The customer receives the content in a format that compels them to share on their own terms. The shares and views are then tracked and optimized.

For more information click on this Vboost overview video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJixDzVhYVE

Or for additional information and to schedule a demonstration call 1-800-799-3130, or visit, or visit www.vboost.com

About Vboost:

Based in Newport Beach, CA, Vboost, Inc. is the first proactive process to create positive viral marketing in the retail automotive space. It involves a streamlined process via a mobile application and three unique technologies which collect customer photos at the time of vehicle delivery, convert them to custom music videos and then send them directly to the customer via email or text. By delivering these branded messages to customers during their emotional highpoint, most customers are compelled to upload and share these videos with family and friends via Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, email and other social media platforms. Best of all, results from each viral marketing campaign are being monitored, quantified and reported back to the dealers.

In an effort to gain exposure and effectively reach Facebook fans, one of the obstacles dealerships face in social media marketing is the continuous battle against Facebook’s algorithm. Facebook rolled out its ad platform attempting to monetize its platform and satisfy shareholders. As a result, businesses experienced an extreme decline in reach and were forced to either pay for exposure, or find other innovative ways to get their brand message out.

Twitter, on the other hand, has always offered an unfiltered and chronological display of tweets that individuals can follow. Well, sorry folks but that’s all about to change.

Twitter announced on Feb 10 that it would be rolling out an algorithm to all users which will transform the default Twitter feed for all users to one that includes top tweets, rather than chronological ones. This threatens to minimize the previously unfiltered exposure to followers that businesses had. It also increases the importance of producing compelling content which is more likely to engage followers. It seems that, similar to Facebook, content that is engaged with on Twitter via favorites and retweets will now dominate Twitter users’ feeds.

While the user can choose to change back to Twitter’s current chronological and unfiltered state, the major concern is that this is opt-out rather than opt-in. This means that the feeds for all users will not be filtered by default. The majority of social media users – while they may spend a lot of time on social media platforms – are relatively casual users. Some may not even realize that this change has occurred. And, even if they do, may not understand the implications or know how to revert back to Twitter’s current status.

My guess is that the normal Twitter user will simply continue to use Twitter just as they are now -- except their Twitter feeds will now be filtered. Twitter claims this will improve the user experience by showing more relevant and interesting content, in the same manner Facebook has always defended its algorithm. While that may be true, many Twitter loyalists don’t want their newsfeeds filtered. And, unlike Facebook, have the option to return their Twitter experience back to its previous state.

For dealerships, this means that producing branded content that creates engagement becomes more important on the Twitter platform. And, for the most part, the content that will be engaged with is the exact same type of content that is on Facebook. Namely content that is hyper-personal and of interest to a user and his or her followers. It is more important than ever to ensure that you’re tweeting relevant and useful information while also enlisting your customers to share your brand. Just as on Facebook, the content most likely to be engaged with will not be that which your dealership shares. Rather, it is content which is shared by your customers that also includes your branding.

Yes, it’s going to suck -- but all is not lost. Dealers will now have to start thinking about and creating a Twitter strategy just like they currently do for Facebook. Of course, dealers can always opt to pay for exposure via Twitter ads… but getting your customers to broadcast your message is far more effective and far less expensive. Start thinking about how you’re going to overcome this change and continue to reach your audience. Or you may find yourself in Twitter purgatory. And that won’t accomplish anything.

The car business is a people business. Because of that, dealerships see customers from a variety of backgrounds, income levels and credit histories. And, for a salesperson or manager, there’s nothing more disheartening than to spend a lot of time with a customer just to discover that they are credit challenged. Despite that, many dealerships will do their best to land the customer on the right vehicle, structure a deal for a subprime lender of theirs or, at the very least, try to see if the customer has a co-signer.

The problem is that in some dealerships, the minute it’s discovered that a customer has poor credit, they are all of a sudden treated like a second-class citizen. However, the fact is that in this customer lies not just a problem, but also an opportunity.

Salespeople – whether they are Internet or floor sales – are taught to “just get them in.” If you have a BDC, that’s also their job. Many dealerships broadcast advertising messages dangling hope to people with challenged credit and welcome them in. Why? Because oftentimes customers with challenged credit will let you slap them into any car you have and tend to be more agreeable to terms.

But, while this is absolutely true, it is sad to see what actually happens far too many times in this process. When presented with a customer with challenged credit, all of a sudden the customer experience changes from being welcomed with open arms and “Of course we can help you!” to a rather demeaning inquisition. Closers are taught to “beat up” these customers. To point out and question every derogatory item on the customer’s credit reports. Many times, if it’s determined that there is a possibility that the customer could get financed, managers direct the salespeople to show a specific car. Typically, one that the dealership wants to get rid of, regardless of the needs of the customer.

And this is where the problem lies.

Credit challenged customers come from all walks of life. Some have poor credit because of circumstances that were beyond their control. Some earned that poor credit. Regardless of what the case may be, these customers are the easiest customers to convert into brand advocates and oftentimes the most profitable. Typically, these credit challenged customers are highly appreciative. They honestly feel as if you helped them – and you did. These customers will tell everyone they know that you helped them. The next thing you know all of their friends and relatives are calling you asking for your help. They will climb mountain peaks and scream out praises about your dealership. And, with social media and the power of online reviews, this can have a huge impact on your dealership. In fact, studies show that as many as 70% of car buyers are influenced by dealership reviews.

Remember – EVERY customer experience is important. As consumers now learn most things about your dealership online before stepping a foot on your lot, these online reviews again come into play – make sure every customer is happy enough to sing your praises! Your reputation and reviews can be hugely impacted by pre-judging customers and treating them poorly.

 Not all customers with bad credit stay customers with bad credit. Many turn their credit around and they very well may have begun that turnaround with you. These customers remember that when they were down, you helped them. In return, they will remain loyal to you for life.

So, if you’re going to welcome and invite credit challenged people to your dealership, make sure they get an incredible buying experience -- just as you would give someone with perfect credit. That perfect credit customer knows that they can buy a car anyplace, anytime. Customers with bad credit are simply looking for someone who can help them.

Be that someone and you’ll discover that simply treating all customers with a great customer experience, regardless of credit score, can lead you to increased customer retention, referrals and loyalty. After all, today it is all about the customer experience – one that can quickly get broadcast all over social media – so make sure it’s a good one, each and every time!

How many times have you been driving to someplace new in your vehicle – say to a concert – and, as you get closer, you end up following the large group of cars, as you assume they are going to the concert too, and that they know where they’re going?

This phenomenon is called the “herd mentality” and is very common in the animal world. Think of the behavior of the lemming, which will follow a group blindly off a cliff during migratory patterns, even if it means certain death.

Herd mentality also exists in humans. In fact, a study by researchers at Leeds University reported an experiment in which researchers asked a large group to randomly walk around a large hall without speaking to each other. As part of the study, a few volunteers were given specific instructions on where to walk. After a short while, many of the other volunteers followed the ones who appeared to know where they were going. Based on this study, Leeds researchers concluded that it only takes 5 percent of “informed individuals” to influence a group as large as 200 people. The other 95 percent will follow blindly.

Ok, so this may be a little out there but I found it rather amusing and started to think about how this could be applied to business, especially in marketing. The most obvious thing is that, if you can convince enough people within a group to perform a certain behavior, you are bound to have others who follow. Ironically, this practice is one of the hottest trends going right now in marketing. Influencer marketing is when you identify key influencers in your market, audience or industry and then pay them to spread your message through their channels; such as blogs, tweets, Facebook content, or more. Some celebrities make millions with just one Tweet. Think of it as word-of-mouth on steroids. It’s really not anything new. After all, celebrity endorsements were the original influencer in advertising.

However, here is where it gets more interesting: Since the explosion of social media, plenty of everyday people on the street have built large, relevant audiences on social media. They have become influencers in their town, city, industry or social circle.

The trick is to find who these influencers are. You might even have some working in your dealership. Pay close attention to who refers customers to you on a regular basis. If you have regular interactions from individuals on Facebook or Twitter, some of these might qualify. How much weight do you think a prospective customer would give to a blog articles they came across – on someone else’s blog – that told the story of their great experience at your store?

And, how about video testimonials – on other people’s YouTube channels – in the same manner? All of this type of content provides some excellent ways to begin rounding up your magical 5 percent in order to get the other 95 percent to follow their lead and buy a car from you. I mean, they must know what they’re doing, right?

People are an asset that all dealerships have, but seldom leverage. Consider finding ways to identify brand advocates and soliciting them to spread their story of your experience and you may find that others follow their lead.