This is a preview of our Live Weekly Broadcast from May 2, 2018 featuring DrivingSales member Ralph Paglia. Ralph is purveyor of the popular online community Automotive Digital Marketing (ADM), which he formed in 2008.

We begin with a blast from the past, well, a phone call really, from 2007, where Ralph and I were  talking about blog marketing and SEO for dealers, ideas that are commonplace today, but at the time were new to us both.

During the show, we talk about ADM and share some stories, then get into a deeper conversation about 'Tier 4 Marketing,' the term Ralph uses to explore the idea of personal branding for auto sales professionals. Ralph believes the importance of Tier 4 Marketing will grow, and be a sharp contrast to models that seek to eliminate the role that auto sales professionals play in the purchase process.

Enjoy the show, and to catch the entire conversation, get the podcast.

This is a preview of our weekly show AutoConverse On Air that aired April 25, 2018 featuring DrivingSales Members Jason Stum and Chris K Leslie. 

In this episode we open up with a discussion about the proposed new franchise Bill AB 2107 in the California Legislature. We then get into a discussion about the new Amazon Key In-Car Delivery service being rolled out, along with a conversation about how businesses are failing on Twitter, and an update on Google's rollout of mobile sites in it's index.

Please enjoy, and for the complete show you can listen to the podcast.

This is a brief overview of the conversation we had in April 2018 LIVE  "On Air" with Mike "The Car Guy" Correra and Mike Phillips from Lead the Team, as well as first-time guest Ben Adler. 

The show begins with a report by Mike P from the Innovative Dealer Summit in Denver. We then do a brief recap of NADA 2018 which was less than two weeks ago. 

Finally we get into a great discussion around the idea of personal branding for auto sales professionals, and how consumers having a growing interest in the ability to choose which sales associates they want to work with, and how a tool like Ben's, called RepConnect, are being introduced, giving auto sales professionals more incentive to focus on their personal brand, and the challenges that can lead to with dealers. 

Into podcasting? Catch the entire conversation on the AutoConverse "Future of Mobility" Podcast.

This is a preview of my interview with Simpli.fi's VP of Sales Donny Dye talking about how localized programmatic advertising can drive showroom visits for dealers at a lower cost per visit.

In today’s fast-paced, ultra-competitive marketplace, franchise marketers can ill afford to operate in a silo. A localized programmatic solution that employs a variety of tactics and operates across multiple digital channels has therefore become an essential tool in any marketing toolkit.

Get the Complete Interview Now:

• Subscribe to the AutoConverse "Future of Mobility" Podcast
• Go Here for Access to Complete Interview 

In October of 2017, entrepreneur and early Bitcoin investor Peter Saddington bought a Lamborghini with Bitcoin, paying the equivalent of $115 thanks to Bitcoin’s high exchange rate. The story captured the public’s imagination and has also piqued the interest of car dealers.

There are now a number of dealers happy to accept Bitcoin for a new car purchase, which you can locate on spendbitcoins.com. These dealerships can work with people locally and some offer nationwide service. Interested customers can search these dealers through the search offered on Spend Bitcoins.

There’s still some debate as to whether or not Bitcoin holders should spend their money, even if it means getting an amazing deal. It’s hard to say what the future will bring of Bitcoin, but some experts have predicted Bitcoin value to go even higher in the next 12 months. 

More importantly, how long before your dealerships expects to be accepting Bitcoins? Maybe it is already?

Last month, the Automotive News “Weekend Drive” Podcast team got together to have a look at the car commercials of the 2018 Super Bowl.  I gathered them all together on one of my blogs, where we break down the analysis of each commercial. 

Included in the breakdown are:

• Hyundai w/ Steven Tyler
• RAM Trucks - The Vikings
• Jeep - Jurassic Park
• RAM Trucks - Built to Serve

In the post we include the official video of each commercial, along with the podcast's analysis of each commercial as well. Would love to get an idea of which car ads you thought hit the mark or not.

This past holiday season, hundreds of dealers used e-commerce to sell more cars and reach year-end goals, even when their showrooms were closed. Leading up to the holiday season, I met with Drive Motors CEO Aaron Krane where we talked about buying trends during the holiday season. 

As expected, dealers using e-commerce saw an even smaller dip in online orders on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in 2017, than in 2016. Many buyers took advantage of great deals on Christmas Eve, with orders doubling those placed in 2016.

Surprisingly, car orders on Christmas Day itself nearly tripled year over year, even though most showrooms are closed. The final 7 days of the year were a critical time for dealers, as well. In fact, several dealers raced all the way to the finish line, making over 75% of their December online sales in the final 7 days of 2017. Not only are people shopping more during the holidays, they’re also buying. 

What can dealers take away from the 2017 holiday season? As automotive e-commerce evolves, customers are becoming more aware that they can order their next car online from their local dealerships. They're excited to buy online because it's easy and convenient. 

As a result of these buyer preferences, dealers that offer e-commerce are earning more business online. Even when their showrooms are closed, they're selling cars 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Here's the video:

Please enjoy this conversation I had last week with Mat Koenig, Chris Speer, and Big Tom LaPointe. Mat and Chris are the purveyors of the Rockstar Auto Conference. Big Tom is a regular on my shows. 

In this edition, we recap Jim Ziegler's Internet Battle Plan, the Chicago Auto Show, and Digital Dealer's Regional Workshop in Chicago.

We also discuss the recent Cars.com acquisition of Dealer Inspire, and how the role of automotive advertising providers like Cars.com is evolving, and what dealers can and need to be doing to stay ahead of the game. 

Enjoy!

PS - If you're into podcasting there is a podcast version of this as well. Here's the link.

February is a unique time for dealerships. The popular car-buying Christmas season has long passed, and Memorial Day is still several months away. Therefore, President’s Day (Feb 19 this year) is the only “big” shopping holiday between late December and Memorial Day.

So how can dealers take advantage of this?

Check out my video interview with Drive Motors CEO Aaron Krane where we discuss why he expects a 50% increase in online car orders this President's Day Weekend compared with last year.

> Enjoy the video below, and/or check out the podcast.

One of the biggest differences between members of Gen Z and the rest of the public is how much they are likely to use their mobile devices while shopping. Gen Z respondents reported using smartphone apps more often than other generations – including Millennials – even when shopping in traditional stores. Gen Z participants used almost every web or smartphone option more than other respondents. The only thing they used less of the time was Google search.

What does this mean for auto retailers?

Gen Z is bringing a new perspective and new expectations to the retail market. While Gen Z consumers may share much in common with generations that have come before, their savvy use of technology along with a preference for tactile shopping experiences means that auto retailers and marketers alike need to be increasingly flexible and accessible if they want to capture this growing market.

Read the full post originally published on autoconversion.net