The More Information, The Better!

What makes a good SEO Video? It has to be informative! The more information you provide, the more effective the video will be. If someone is going to spend time watching a video about a specific car, that means they are a potential customer!

Give Them What They Want!

Show everything there is to show on the car inside and out. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to say, “here’s the tire” but it wouldn’t hurt to mention, “this car has alloy wheels, and 17” tires”. Focus on the technology and features the specific vehicle offers; that is what customers are looking for. They want to know what the car offers.

It’s also important to talk about gas mileage and safety, which are possibly the most important purchasing factors for a car buyer.

I Want It, And I Want It Now!

You might think the SEO videos don’t add much value or aren’t worth the time it takes to make them. After all, the specfications on each vehicle are on your website and the manufacturer website. But let’s face it. We live in a society in which we are used to instant gratification. We don’t want to have to search for the information we are seeking; we want it provided to us in an easy and efficient matter.

SEO Videos are a great opportunity to provide potential car buyers with specific information about a precise vehicle in your inventory. So what are you waiting for? Do you provide these videos for your customers? 

Check out Kimberly Roselle's latest blog as she talks all about how your body language can or cannot help you make that sale!

The human body is capable of so many incredible things. Recently I watched a TV show called Lie to Me. It reminded me of how I used to try and watch actors on stage to see if their “true selves” could be seen or if they could fully embody the character. Most people are capable of lying with their words, but not with their body language. So, what does this have to do with sales?

Without realizing, your body language might be sending the wrong signals. You might be communicating mistrust or offending your potential customers without meaning to. If you know how to use body language, you will be able to avoid sales pitfalls and convey body signals that make your customers say “yes!”

I recently found this fascinating infographic: http://dailyinfographic.com/improve-attractiveness-with-body-language-infographic

Some important take aways from this infographic are:

• Words account for only 7% of our overall effective communication
• Body language accounts for 55%

How can you apply this information to your sales technique? When a customer comes onto the lot, don’t rush out to them. First, read their body language and take your cues from them. Do they have a closed posture or are they open? Are they keeping their head down and moving quickly or are they looking about and lingering over vehicles? Understanding your customers’ unspoken signs can go a long way to helping you build trust and a positive relationship with them.

In the first four seconds, people will make judgments about you and will subconsciously decide:

• I will (or will not) buy from this person.
• I will (or will not) like this person.
• I find this person kind (or not).
• I find this person intelligent (or not).

As you approach your customer they are also unconsciously reading your body language. Are you standing tall? Do you look them in the eye? Is your smile genuine? Be aware of yourself. While you can’t lie with your body, you can project the confidence and friendliness the majority of customers are looking for while shopping.

Check out this great blog by Jenn Mayer as she talks all about the future of TV advertising.

We’ve Heard It All Before.

The Internet is changing the way we live, work, entertain, and market to our customers.

We’ve seen how our changed habits have impacted the newspaper industry, and now experts are beginning to predict the same fate for the television industry. Before you overhaul your ad campaigns, read on to find out exactly how the future of television should impact your marketing strategy.

In the case of newspapers, users began to change their reading habits long before we saw the collapse of the industry begin. Now, some are beginning to predict the same fate for the television industry. While there’s no way to know how the TV business will change in the next five years, we can look at our television consumption habits and think about how they’ve changed in the last five or so years.

In my household and many others, the DVR rules. We almost never watch TV when it’s actually broadcast, with the exception of live sports events. Another way to watch TV is through on demand. Most cable providers offer this free component that lets consumers watch primetime and entertainment TV at will. Additionally, many people are watching their favorite television programs on their computers, iPads, and smart phones.

With all these new technologies driving people away from live TV, how do you continue to reach your target audience? Well, there’s no reason yet to stop investing in traditional commercials yet. Most on demand and online programs still include limited commercial breaks. Additionally, I can’t count how many times I’ve been watching my DVR and simply forgot I had the option to fast forward through commercials.

However, now is the perfect time to begin taking advantage of the new advertising methods that are being developed to adapt to consumer’s new habits, if you haven’t already. Some advertisers are starting to target viewers while their program is running, through pop up type ads that appear on screen during the program, rather than the commercial break. Digital advertising is also growing exponentially, through video pre-roll, and graphic overlays, which target the consumer while they are watching their favorite programs on their computers and smartphones.

Utilizing a mix of advertising is essential in today’s world, when there are so many entertainment platforms available to the consumer. Don’t abandon tried and true forms of advertising, but don’t be afraid to try the new digital possibilities either. Need help developing the advertising cocktail that’s right for you? Give us a call.

Are you looking for an original idea that incorporates all aspects of your marketing?
Social Media – Traditional – Digital
For a social media idea you can use at your dealership find out this week on Think Tank Tuesday.

Creating an Original Social Media Promotion from Potratz on Vimeo.

Do you Know: 1. What Day of The Week is a “USED CAR” Shopper More Likely to Visit Your Website? 2. What Day of The Week is a “NEW CAR” Shopper More Likely to Visit Your Website? 3. Why is this important and how can can you use this information to sell more cars and service? Find out this week on Think Tank Tuesday. Final Question? If you would like to test heat mapping and eye tracking technology on your website after watching the video call Samantha at 518-478-2042, email her at samantha@ppadv.com, or chat us below. We are looking for 25 Dealers to Participate in a Heat Mapping/Eye Tracking Study for No Charge.

Learn more here

Check out this great blog by our Social Media Manager Julie Powers, as she informs you about what changes you'll notice when logging into Facebook.

Facebook is starting June out with a bang!

The social media platform has rolled out some great new features that are sure to help dealerships improve their social media marketing strategy.

Facebook Admin Roles

When Facebook Pages first began, each page had administrators and fans. This meant that users of a certain page either had all the control or none of the control. Well, the all or none option just wasn’t cutting it and Facebook has thankfully introduced the addition of ‘admin roles’. Now, there are essentially five different classifications available to Facebook admins – Manager, Content Creator, Moderator, Advertiser and Insights Analyst. This means you can add people to your page to help with content, moderation, advertising and insights but they won’t be able to fundamentally change the page. For example a content creator can do anything except change admins, which is particularly helpful so that a Page owner can not be accidentally kicked off as admin .

All admins start out as Managers by default, and you can change them by heading to ‘edit page’, then ‘admin roles’ and setting the different roles there.

Scheduling Facebook Posts Without Third Party Platforms

Previously, dealerships (and any person marketing a Facebook page) had to rely on third-party platforms to schedule out future Facebook posts. Now admins not only have the ability to construct a post for a page, but also to schedule it to be posted some time within the next six months, without the use of a third party platform. Being able to schedule future posts without a third party platform also means that pesky little “via company xyz” is no longer sitting below your scheduled posts. Scheduling posts can be helpful, but you do have to use caution. Since social media reflects real time, you want to make sure you are reflecting what is current. For example, you wouldn’t want to schedule a post for two weeks in the future, and by the time it’s sent out, it’s not only old news, but maybe isn’t even correct anymore! Hmm…can you say awkward?

Promoted Posts

This feature lets you promote a specific Facebook post on your Page to more people so that your reach is extended. Previously, this option was limited to advertising a specific post on the left or right of a page. Now, this option will actually extend the reach of your post to your own fan community and their friends if they interact with it, meaning that it will last longer in the Facebook newsfeed. When you input your budget, Facebook will tell you the estimated number of users this post will potentially reach. With all of these great changes in place, now is a great time to use Facebook to interact with your customers. If you and your dealership aren’t already taking advantage of these tools, now is the time bring your Social Media Marketing Strategy into the 21st Century!

What is starting the buying process? It's not price. Customers are looking to fill a need. Are you prepared to fill their needs? Are you a resource for the customers? By becoming a resource you can capture the customers early in the process and help fulfill their need.

Check out this blog written by Yasmine Syed of Potratz, as she talks about what consumers really want.

In a nutshell: fuel economy. According to a new study conducted by Consumer Reports National Research Center, thirty-seven percent of study participants cited “fuel economy” as their leading consideration in car shopping. Quality was the second most important factor, trailed by safety and value. A sizable two-thirds of respondents said that they wanted their new car to have a significantly higher miles-per-gallon rating than their current vehicle. “Why”, you ask? It’s because of the economy, duh. In fact, ninety percent of the survey respondents blamed their new car buying behavior on the rising cost of gas.

The survey also found that considerably more car owners are open to downsizing their current vehicles, switching to a hybrid or even buying a car that runs on diesel. A majority of those individuals said they would strongly consider switching to a car that featured flex-fuel technology. Consumers under the age of fifty-five were significantly more willing to purchase a purely electric vehicle as opposed to a hybrid.

What should come as no surprise is that owners of large SUVs were the most open to downsizing their vehicle or, at the very least, switching to a smaller SUV or crossover. When asked to consider which vehicle they were least likely to purchase in the future, the top answers were: larger sedans and minivans. What was particularly surprising was the fact that a majority of survey respondents said that they would pay more for a vehicle as long as they could recover the additional cost by saving at the pump.

Though this news may not come as a shock, ask yourself: Have your marketing messages caught up to this obvious shift in consumer behavior? “No”, you say? Then contact us NOW!

Check out this great blog by our head of Human Resources Kimberly Roselle, as she talks all about the importance speech plays in making the sale.

Enunciate, Articulate, and SPIT IT OUT! This is what the director used to say to me, when I was in the theatre. This was the best advice I have been given. When it comes to marketing it is not just about what you are saying but how you say it.

Imagine walking on to a lot and the sales person comes over to you and is slurring their words. Will you trust them? Will you keep listening to them? Most likely the answer is no.  You can expound till you are blue in the face on the many virtues of a vehicle, but if your tone is monotone and you lack inflection the customer will tune you out and move on. Perhaps a salesperson approaches a customer, and every other word is “like” or “you know”, the first thoughts generally will be “no I don’t know that is why I am here” or “I’m not sure if I like it that’s why I am here”.  This means that the customer has ceased listening to the details.

How do we Enunciate, Articulate, and SPIT IT OUT? Practice, Practice, Practice! Not too mention knowing your vehicles. Take a few minutes and out loud go over all of the details you would point out to a customer. Then do it again.  What words are you stressing? What features should you place emphasis on? Are there any words you have trouble pronouncing? This is not a speech to memorize but knowledge that you can use to educate your customers.

A customer will not want to purchase from someone who doesn’t sound like they know what they are talking about, so take the time to practice what you are saying. Make sure you sound not only knowledgeable but are informative enough to be able to engage with your customers. If you sound like an authority they’ll believe you are an authority, helping you make the sale.

What features do you promote when trying to sell a car? Even with the large amount of automotive information available on the Internet, many people still purchase new cars within only a few days of making the decision to buy. What is the single most important thing to promote to a consumer interested in purchasing? Here are some insightful tips you may want to expose your customer to when trying to help seal the deal.

• Styling – I feel it’s very important for you to understand your customer’s vehicle style. What does the vehicle say about them? Are they looking for a family car with a lot of storage space to take cross country trips, or maybe an open top convertible to cruise down by the shoreline. The possibilities are endless, but narrowing down the shopping list gives you a better idea of the inventory you might want to show them to during the limited time spent on your lot.

• Safety Features - Safety plays a significant role to consumers when choosing the right car for them. Many people want a safe and reliable vehicle that they can trust to keep both them and their families safe on the road. For the safety-conscious shopper, try showing vehicles that rank high on the top safety pick list, and explaining the reasons behind it.

• Fuel Economy – Many of us just want to save money! To a lot of consumers, finding a car that offers great fuel efficiency is key. Finding out if your customer drives excessively is important to know. With that information you would be able to introduce them to particular cars that helps stretch their MPG.

• Cost – When consumers consider a new vehicle for purchase, the lines of affordability can easily become blurred due to the varied financing options available. A wise buyer shops for a new vehicle based upon what he or she can truly afford. Many if not all of us search for the lowest possible prices available to get yourself from point “A” to point “B”. But, there are also those of us who want a good price, but are willing to pay for quality. The key is to find out what your customers budget is; this will eliminate their fantasy from reality.

Does your dealership have a sales team that can help customers get the information they are seeking?