As smartphones grow in popularity, advertisers are turning to location-based marketing applications like Foursquare to engage consumers. At Potratz, we have implemented location-based campaigns on social sites for multiple clients to encourage users to check in on their phones. Here are a couple examples:

Steve White VW Audi offers $15 off parts/service when people check in

The Bill Rapp Superstore offers a $10 NYS Inspection and car wash for every check-in.

With over 7 million people on Foursquare and other location-based tools like GoWalla and Facebook Places gaining popularity, auto dealers need to get on board with location-based marketing to offer rewards to tech-saavy customers. Service specials work well to draw people into the dealership when they can save money on an oil change, car wash, inspection, etc.

Plus, with Foursquare's recent statistics updates it's easy for a user to see where friends are checking in and what your favorite categories are. The new update also allows you to search by category, so it's a great way to market service specials and sales incentives to those who will be searching automotive shops.

Even national brands are getting involved. JetBlue is using an app called GateGuru to reward fliers with free flights and gift certificates for checking in at airport terminals. Also, American Express is teaming with merchants on Foursquare to give special offers when people shop with those merchants.

If your car dealership isn't on board with Foursquare, it's easy to set up and free. Read this article we wrote on claiming your dealership's Foursquare location to learn how. Get started with a location-based marketing campaign today!

As smartphones grow in popularity, advertisers are turning to location-based marketing applications like Foursquare to engage consumers. At Potratz, we have implemented location-based campaigns on social sites for multiple clients to encourage users to check in on their phones. Here are a couple examples:

Steve White VW Audi offers $15 off parts/service when people check in

The Bill Rapp Superstore offers a $10 NYS Inspection and car wash for every check-in.

With over 7 million people on Foursquare and other location-based tools like GoWalla and Facebook Places gaining popularity, auto dealers need to get on board with location-based marketing to offer rewards to tech-saavy customers. Service specials work well to draw people into the dealership when they can save money on an oil change, car wash, inspection, etc.

Plus, with Foursquare's recent statistics updates it's easy for a user to see where friends are checking in and what your favorite categories are. The new update also allows you to search by category, so it's a great way to market service specials and sales incentives to those who will be searching automotive shops.

Even national brands are getting involved. JetBlue is using an app called GateGuru to reward fliers with free flights and gift certificates for checking in at airport terminals. Also, American Express is teaming with merchants on Foursquare to give special offers when people shop with those merchants.

If your car dealership isn't on board with Foursquare, it's easy to set up and free. Read this article we wrote on claiming your dealership's Foursquare location to learn how. Get started with a location-based marketing campaign today!

As of February 2011, YouTube has 490 million unique visitors per month worldwide. The average YouTube user visits the site 14 times per month, spending an average of 25 minutes on the site each time. And these numbers are only for the YouTube website itself and don’t include all those embedded YouTube videos that are all over the place, in blogs, viewed on smartphones, etc.

We know that YouTube can be an important medium to increase SEO, to share content and to receive feedback on that content, but how well are you showcasing your page?  YouTube says there are 35 hours of video uploaded every minute, with all that competition how do you standout from the crowd; how do you stand out from every other dealership?You don’t have to be overly internet savy to create a fantastic, customized YouTube channel. There are easy options that everyone can take advantage without taking up to much time.

Create a custom background- just like any other medium, you want your YouTube Channel to be branded to match your dealership. And what better way to do this than create a custom background? By going to “My Channel” and clicking on “Themes and Colors” at the top of the page, you can  customize your background to reflect your dealership. You can even use your logo (or another photo reflecting your dealership) as a background image. Here you can also create the perfect color scheme to match.

Make sure your featured video is your best video- by default, YouTube uses your latest post as your “Featured” video. While this might be good for dealerships post often, it may not be the best option for dealerships that only post occasionally. By clicking “Videos and Playlists” on the tope of your channel, you can choose between letting your most recent video be the “Featured Video” or chose one specific video that will remain regardless of what you post.
Note: the drop down menu will give you the option of “most recent” as well as a list of the last few videos you posted. If the video you want does not appear, click “other” and     put in the web address of the video you are looking for.

Organize your videos- setting up playlists are a great way to organize your videos. Creating playlists will not only help you to more easily search for videos but also help your customer or potential customer see the videos they are interested in seeing. Sort your videos by make or by model, by ads and promotions and (if you have them by testimonials)

Make sure the thumbnails for your videos are attractive- thumbnails are what the viewer sees as a reflection of your video. If you didn’t specifically chose a thumbnail when you posted the video, you can still change them. Click on your user name at the top left of the page and click “My videos” in the drop down menu. Chose the video you want to change and click “edit”. In this page you will see “Video Thumbnail” and this is where you can change the thumbnail picture if you’d like.

Add channel tags- just like you tag each of your videos, you want to make sure you tag your channel as a whole. By clicking the “Settings” button at the top of your page, you’ll see a place where you can add tags for your dealership’s channel. This is a great way for people to find your comment. Make sure to not only use the makes you sell as keywords, but also add things like “ preowned dealership”, “car dealership” “certified dealership”, etc.

Pay attention to comments- by checking the “comments” area of your page on a regular basis, you can engage with your customers and see what they are saying about you. By taking the time to reply to comments you will keep your page from looking neglected and be able to respond to negative comments.

As of February 2011, YouTube has 490 million unique visitors per month worldwide. The average YouTube user visits the site 14 times per month, spending an average of 25 minutes on the site each time. And these numbers are only for the YouTube website itself and don’t include all those embedded YouTube videos that are all over the place, in blogs, viewed on smartphones, etc.

We know that YouTube can be an important medium to increase SEO, to share content and to receive feedback on that content, but how well are you showcasing your page?  YouTube says there are 35 hours of video uploaded every minute, with all that competition how do you standout from the crowd; how do you stand out from every other dealership?You don’t have to be overly internet savy to create a fantastic, customized YouTube channel. There are easy options that everyone can take advantage without taking up to much time.

Create a custom background- just like any other medium, you want your YouTube Channel to be branded to match your dealership. And what better way to do this than create a custom background? By going to “My Channel” and clicking on “Themes and Colors” at the top of the page, you can  customize your background to reflect your dealership. You can even use your logo (or another photo reflecting your dealership) as a background image. Here you can also create the perfect color scheme to match.

Make sure your featured video is your best video- by default, YouTube uses your latest post as your “Featured” video. While this might be good for dealerships post often, it may not be the best option for dealerships that only post occasionally. By clicking “Videos and Playlists” on the tope of your channel, you can choose between letting your most recent video be the “Featured Video” or chose one specific video that will remain regardless of what you post.
Note: the drop down menu will give you the option of “most recent” as well as a list of the last few videos you posted. If the video you want does not appear, click “other” and     put in the web address of the video you are looking for.

Organize your videos- setting up playlists are a great way to organize your videos. Creating playlists will not only help you to more easily search for videos but also help your customer or potential customer see the videos they are interested in seeing. Sort your videos by make or by model, by ads and promotions and (if you have them by testimonials)

Make sure the thumbnails for your videos are attractive- thumbnails are what the viewer sees as a reflection of your video. If you didn’t specifically chose a thumbnail when you posted the video, you can still change them. Click on your user name at the top left of the page and click “My videos” in the drop down menu. Chose the video you want to change and click “edit”. In this page you will see “Video Thumbnail” and this is where you can change the thumbnail picture if you’d like.

Add channel tags- just like you tag each of your videos, you want to make sure you tag your channel as a whole. By clicking the “Settings” button at the top of your page, you’ll see a place where you can add tags for your dealership’s channel. This is a great way for people to find your comment. Make sure to not only use the makes you sell as keywords, but also add things like “ preowned dealership”, “car dealership” “certified dealership”, etc.

Pay attention to comments- by checking the “comments” area of your page on a regular basis, you can engage with your customers and see what they are saying about you. By taking the time to reply to comments you will keep your page from looking neglected and be able to respond to negative comments.

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS 


POTRATZ is a Digital and Traditional Automotive Advertising Agency and we are in search of talented graphic designers that preferably have experience in automotive marketing design. This is a chance for the right designers to really start being creative in automotive marketing online and in print.

The successful candidates will demonstrate strong graphic and web design capabilities for the automotive industry, and grasp of design principals. Must be able to work with multiple projects and be able to perform within tight deadlines, have strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to adapt to a changing environment and acquire new skills.

The Bottom Line… If you rock at what you do, love to always be learning more, want to work with the coolest auto dealers and dealer groups in the USA, Canada and Australia, want to work with an awesome team of creative types that love what they do, be part of a firm that is leading the charge of full integration in digital and traditional marketing, winning awards, have the latest software and Apple gear, and we actual interview and choose which perspective clients we will have the best fit and relationship with….and Yes make Well Over the National Average, matching funds to 401k, 50/50 paid health insurance, paid vacation,  We Expect you to be Well Above Average!  So what are you waiting for we want to see your work if you can Rock It!

Requirements: 


• An exceptional sense of design 


• Strong-Expert Knowledge of Photoshop
• Strong-Expert Knowledge of Indesign


• Strong-Expert Knowledge of Dreamweaver 


• Strong-Expert Knowledge of HTML


• Strong-Expert Knowledge of Flash 


• Ability to create flash rich media banner ads 


• An understanding or interest in “Web 2.0″ technologies, concepts, and designs


• Strong communication skills, the ability to present your work 


• A true love of the art in design and a desire to always push the envelope 


• A willingness to get the job done no matter how challenging it may be 


Skills/Experience that will set you apart: 


• Interactive Agency Experience 


• JavaScript, Ajax 


• Server Side scripting language such as PHP/ASP etc.

Who we are NOT looking for:


• Someone with ONLY print design skills.


• Someone that can't relocate to the Capital Region of New York (Albany, Schenectady, Troy, Saratoga, Etc)


• Designers who work only in flash

To Apply,
email your resume and LINK TO YOUR PORTFOLIO to christy@ppadv.com.
DON'T FORGET WE NEED TO RECEIVE A LINK TO YOUR PORTFOLIO OR YOU WILL NOT BE CONTACTED.

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS 


POTRATZ is a Digital and Traditional Automotive Advertising Agency and we are in search of talented graphic designers that preferably have experience in automotive marketing design. This is a chance for the right designers to really start being creative in automotive marketing online and in print.

The successful candidates will demonstrate strong graphic and web design capabilities for the automotive industry, and grasp of design principals. Must be able to work with multiple projects and be able to perform within tight deadlines, have strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to adapt to a changing environment and acquire new skills.

The Bottom Line… If you rock at what you do, love to always be learning more, want to work with the coolest auto dealers and dealer groups in the USA, Canada and Australia, want to work with an awesome team of creative types that love what they do, be part of a firm that is leading the charge of full integration in digital and traditional marketing, winning awards, have the latest software and Apple gear, and we actual interview and choose which perspective clients we will have the best fit and relationship with….and Yes make Well Over the National Average, matching funds to 401k, 50/50 paid health insurance, paid vacation,  We Expect you to be Well Above Average!  So what are you waiting for we want to see your work if you can Rock It!

Requirements: 


• An exceptional sense of design 


• Strong-Expert Knowledge of Photoshop
• Strong-Expert Knowledge of Indesign


• Strong-Expert Knowledge of Dreamweaver 


• Strong-Expert Knowledge of HTML


• Strong-Expert Knowledge of Flash 


• Ability to create flash rich media banner ads 


• An understanding or interest in “Web 2.0″ technologies, concepts, and designs


• Strong communication skills, the ability to present your work 


• A true love of the art in design and a desire to always push the envelope 


• A willingness to get the job done no matter how challenging it may be 


Skills/Experience that will set you apart: 


• Interactive Agency Experience 


• JavaScript, Ajax 


• Server Side scripting language such as PHP/ASP etc.

Who we are NOT looking for:


• Someone with ONLY print design skills.


• Someone that can't relocate to the Capital Region of New York (Albany, Schenectady, Troy, Saratoga, Etc)


• Designers who work only in flash

To Apply,
email your resume and LINK TO YOUR PORTFOLIO to christy@ppadv.com.
DON'T FORGET WE NEED TO RECEIVE A LINK TO YOUR PORTFOLIO OR YOU WILL NOT BE CONTACTED.

Ideally, an auto dealership should be running a pay-per-click campaign through Google AdWords, but what if you just don't have the staff or the time to manage an AdWords campaign? Google now offers a simplified option called Google Boost through Google Places in which you can basically "set it and forget it." Unfortunately, this platform is only available in certain markets but will eventually be offered across the country.

Once you claim your Google Place for your car dealership, you can see if Google Boost is available for your market. If it's available, all you have to do is set your budget for the month, and Google takes care of the rest. Based on the information about your dealership in your Google Place page, Google will pick keywords for which your ad will show up in the sponsored section. Just as in AdWords, you only ultimately pay for each click, and Google will automatically manage your budget to give you more impressions and clicks depending on how high you bid.

The great thing about Google Boost, especially for small dealerships with limited staff and a low advertising budget, is that you don't have to spend time picking out keywords, setting bids, writing ads, etc. Of course, on the flip side, you don't get the level of customization and targeting that you can get through managing your own AdWords campaign.

Google Boost offers both cost-effective and low maintenance search engine marketing for auto dealers.

Ideally, an auto dealership should be running a pay-per-click campaign through Google AdWords, but what if you just don't have the staff or the time to manage an AdWords campaign? Google now offers a simplified option called Google Boost through Google Places in which you can basically "set it and forget it." Unfortunately, this platform is only available in certain markets but will eventually be offered across the country.

Once you claim your Google Place for your car dealership, you can see if Google Boost is available for your market. If it's available, all you have to do is set your budget for the month, and Google takes care of the rest. Based on the information about your dealership in your Google Place page, Google will pick keywords for which your ad will show up in the sponsored section. Just as in AdWords, you only ultimately pay for each click, and Google will automatically manage your budget to give you more impressions and clicks depending on how high you bid.

The great thing about Google Boost, especially for small dealerships with limited staff and a low advertising budget, is that you don't have to spend time picking out keywords, setting bids, writing ads, etc. Of course, on the flip side, you don't get the level of customization and targeting that you can get through managing your own AdWords campaign.

Google Boost offers both cost-effective and low maintenance search engine marketing for auto dealers.

Ever get that sinking feeling that your auto dealership's website looks just like every other dealership's site? You're not alone--just look at every other dealership using some generic provider for their site. A website refresh is going to take a substantial amount of time and development, but if you can edit the text content, there are some things you can do now to help your website rank higher in search and keep your visitors on the pages.

Here are four simple tips for writing content for your car dealer website:

• Keep it simple. Write on an elementary school level since, like it or not, the average visitors to your website are going to find their eyes glazing over if they have to read anything more complicated.
• Realize that writing for the web is much different than writing for print. On a website, the text needs to fit well in the user's browser, be broken up frequently, and include links to other sections of the site.
• Call your readers to action. Give them an offer, and ask them to convert. Don't beat around the bush...tell them to fill out a form or pick up the phone without having to read through 10 paragraphs about why this car is the best hatchback known to man.
• Write with search engines in mind. In order to optimize your site in search results, use keywords for models and makes you sell, services you provide, and locations you target.

This list could go on and on, and we're going to be discussing these and more ways to write effective content for the web in a free online workshop Thursday, March 10, at 10:57 AM..

Ever get that sinking feeling that your auto dealership's website looks just like every other dealership's site? You're not alone--just look at every other dealership using some generic provider for their site. A website refresh is going to take a substantial amount of time and development, but if you can edit the text content, there are some things you can do now to help your website rank higher in search and keep your visitors on the pages.

Here are four simple tips for writing content for your car dealer website:

• Keep it simple. Write on an elementary school level since, like it or not, the average visitors to your website are going to find their eyes glazing over if they have to read anything more complicated.
• Realize that writing for the web is much different than writing for print. On a website, the text needs to fit well in the user's browser, be broken up frequently, and include links to other sections of the site.
• Call your readers to action. Give them an offer, and ask them to convert. Don't beat around the bush...tell them to fill out a form or pick up the phone without having to read through 10 paragraphs about why this car is the best hatchback known to man.
• Write with search engines in mind. In order to optimize your site in search results, use keywords for models and makes you sell, services you provide, and locations you target.

This list could go on and on, and we're going to be discussing these and more ways to write effective content for the web in a free online workshop Thursday, March 10, at 10:57 AM..