All too often we get wrapped up in trying to make a sale or gain a lead that we do not brush ourselves up on what it actually takes to acquire either. Days of adding just a few video shots or photos of a vehicle with pricing and its features are over, customers now find that a cold form of relinquishing their loyalty.

Instead you need to appeal to the softer side of the consumer and evoke a positive emotion that will appeal to the demographic you are targeting by telling a story.

Ford has certainly been a leader in changing the way they choose to communicate with their customers, not only through the proper use of Social Media, but by turning their advertising into stories rather than spewing cars and trucks at their audience.

Doug the puppet who was the spokes puppet for the 2012 Ford Focus, which either had some dealers thinking it, was either ridiculous or genius.

It was genius, and the reason a puppet was added in, is due to the emotional connection people could have with a witty tantalizing puppet that spent many hours in the Ford Focus, therefore making it a prop people could connect to because of Doug.

This turned into Doug having a following on YouTube, a Facebook page just for Doug and a puppet that became an instant viral sensation. Why? Because he was likable and Ford changed the way the Automotive Industry should relate to their potential customers.

Telling a story is the ideal form of captivating an audience, though you need to strategize and prepare long before you ever take the idea to the public. You don’t need professional equipment; you simply need a creative idea that incorporates your vehicle(s) as a part of the story and throw in features of the vehicle naturally as a part of the storyline.

Many Motor companies will add vehicles as props in television shows and movies, and pay a high price to have their vehicle associated. You can do it too, minus the television show, movie and high cost budget, instead make your own.

Whether you choose to take it to YouTube, add it to print or Media Advertising, the old school way is not going to help you gain new customers, instead gain connections by becoming a story teller and evoke emotion when amplifying a specific vehicle which in turn will do so for your Dealership.

Doug the puppet has retired from Ford, yet Ford keeps pushing the innovative button with more videos on YouTube that tell a story when advertising. Here is just one example of bringing the Ford Escape vehicle into the spotlight.

All too often we get wrapped up in trying to make a sale or gain a lead that we do not brush ourselves up on what it actually takes to acquire either. Days of adding just a few video shots or photos of a vehicle with pricing and its features are over, customers now find that a cold form of relinquishing their loyalty.

Instead you need to appeal to the softer side of the consumer and evoke a positive emotion that will appeal to the demographic you are targeting by telling a story.

Ford has certainly been a leader in changing the way they choose to communicate with their customers, not only through the proper use of Social Media, but by turning their advertising into stories rather than spewing cars and trucks at their audience.

Doug the puppet who was the spokes puppet for the 2012 Ford Focus, which either had some dealers thinking it, was either ridiculous or genius.

It was genius, and the reason a puppet was added in, is due to the emotional connection people could have with a witty tantalizing puppet that spent many hours in the Ford Focus, therefore making it a prop people could connect to because of Doug.

This turned into Doug having a following on YouTube, a Facebook page just for Doug and a puppet that became an instant viral sensation. Why? Because he was likable and Ford changed the way the Automotive Industry should relate to their potential customers.

Telling a story is the ideal form of captivating an audience, though you need to strategize and prepare long before you ever take the idea to the public. You don’t need professional equipment; you simply need a creative idea that incorporates your vehicle(s) as a part of the story and throw in features of the vehicle naturally as a part of the storyline.

Many Motor companies will add vehicles as props in television shows and movies, and pay a high price to have their vehicle associated. You can do it too, minus the television show, movie and high cost budget, instead make your own.

Whether you choose to take it to YouTube, add it to print or Media Advertising, the old school way is not going to help you gain new customers, instead gain connections by becoming a story teller and evoke emotion when amplifying a specific vehicle which in turn will do so for your Dealership.

Doug the puppet has retired from Ford, yet Ford keeps pushing the innovative button with more videos on YouTube that tell a story when advertising. Here is just one example of bringing the Ford Escape vehicle into the spotlight.

There's something that can be said about transparency. It's hard as an automotive vendor to be completely transparent. I know because for the first few years that I worked in the industry there were many things in the world of SEO and social media marketing in particular that could not be shared with our clients. It wasn't that they were bad or anything, but we had fears that our techniques would be copied by competitors.

I've learned three things in the last couple of years that helped to change my mind:

1. If a competitor really wants to steal something, they will regardless of how much you try to cover it up
2. Just because others know how I create strategies or techniques doesn't mean that competitors will be willing to take it to the right level
3. Dealers deserve to know exactly what is happening in their marketing when it comes to search and social (and just about everything else) regardless of the risks associated with trade secrets being leaked

The transition to complete transparency can be seen on this and other sites as we've embraced education as a driving force in our marketing. The company culture at KPA demands being a true partner with our clients. Partners share their secrets.

This post isn't intended as a plug for us, though. It's a warning about a trend in the industry away from transparency that has me worried. If I'm worried, you should be as well. The reason it worries me is because the tools and players that encompass search and social marketing in the automotive industry - namely Google, Facebook, Bing, Yelp, Twitter, etc - are gaining the ability to see through nearly any attempt to manipulate them. Penguin. Yelp "call outs". Facebook bannings. There was a time when risks were low for those willing to use greyhat techniques.

Those days are behind us.

Ask questions. Lots of them. When you're considering any service whether it's reputation management, search engine optimization, social media marketing, mobile advertising, or anything that uses an outside company's platform to broadcast your message (which accounts for just about everything in digital marketing), be absolutely certain that you are completely aware of their techniques and strategies.

Too many vendors are hiding behind the wall of "proprietary technology and/or techniques" and dealers are being hurt as a result. There is no technique in our industry that is so spectacular that a vendor is unable to divulge it. If it's a secret, it's probably dangerous.

Embrace transparency and make sure your partners do the same. There's too much at stake in this ultra-competitive market to roll the dice on something so hot that it can't be revealed.

I look to my good friend Ralph Paglia as the beacon on this one. He has never developed a strategy that he wouldn't readily share with his competitors over a beer. Why? Because he's always been confident that his strategies and techniques could not be used against him. He knows that if he does what he does, others can follow but never surpass. That's confidence. Don't let your vendors hide behind the curtain of proprietary. The curtain is likely just a smokescreen covering up something you don't want to be involved with at your dealership.

There's something that can be said about transparency. It's hard as an automotive vendor to be completely transparent. I know because for the first few years that I worked in the industry there were many things in the world of SEO and social media marketing in particular that could not be shared with our clients. It wasn't that they were bad or anything, but we had fears that our techniques would be copied by competitors.

I've learned three things in the last couple of years that helped to change my mind:

1. If a competitor really wants to steal something, they will regardless of how much you try to cover it up
2. Just because others know how I create strategies or techniques doesn't mean that competitors will be willing to take it to the right level
3. Dealers deserve to know exactly what is happening in their marketing when it comes to search and social (and just about everything else) regardless of the risks associated with trade secrets being leaked

The transition to complete transparency can be seen on this and other sites as we've embraced education as a driving force in our marketing. The company culture at KPA demands being a true partner with our clients. Partners share their secrets.

This post isn't intended as a plug for us, though. It's a warning about a trend in the industry away from transparency that has me worried. If I'm worried, you should be as well. The reason it worries me is because the tools and players that encompass search and social marketing in the automotive industry - namely Google, Facebook, Bing, Yelp, Twitter, etc - are gaining the ability to see through nearly any attempt to manipulate them. Penguin. Yelp "call outs". Facebook bannings. There was a time when risks were low for those willing to use greyhat techniques.

Those days are behind us.

Ask questions. Lots of them. When you're considering any service whether it's reputation management, search engine optimization, social media marketing, mobile advertising, or anything that uses an outside company's platform to broadcast your message (which accounts for just about everything in digital marketing), be absolutely certain that you are completely aware of their techniques and strategies.

Too many vendors are hiding behind the wall of "proprietary technology and/or techniques" and dealers are being hurt as a result. There is no technique in our industry that is so spectacular that a vendor is unable to divulge it. If it's a secret, it's probably dangerous.

Embrace transparency and make sure your partners do the same. There's too much at stake in this ultra-competitive market to roll the dice on something so hot that it can't be revealed.

I look to my good friend Ralph Paglia as the beacon on this one. He has never developed a strategy that he wouldn't readily share with his competitors over a beer. Why? Because he's always been confident that his strategies and techniques could not be used against him. He knows that if he does what he does, others can follow but never surpass. That's confidence. Don't let your vendors hide behind the curtain of proprietary. The curtain is likely just a smokescreen covering up something you don't want to be involved with at your dealership.

It seems as though YouTube is usually left to the waste side due to Dealers feeling as though it takes too much time or effort in keeping up their channel, or even more so coming up with a subject to talk about without making it sound like an advertisement. Getting inspired to make a video can be as easy as capitalizing on the people and customers that surround you daily, even your inventory can make an appearance, but how?

You need to evoke emotion.

You can make a YouTube video using your smartphone or digital camera; it doesn’t need to be a fancy production, just a clean one. Try to keep it steady or invest in a tri-pod to be your camera person. Have your sales reps be advocates of the dealership by sharing which car they love the most or by sharing their story of how they became a part of the Dealership.

Tap into loyal customers and ask for reviews on their vehicles or to have them share their customer service experience on camera.

Showcase your inventory by telling a story about the car, more like what the car can do FOR you than how much it will cost or quickly going over its specs. Instead, share how to use the Ford Sync or why your form of the mini-van is great for families, walk them through it as a friend, not a salesperson.

In the following video you can learn more on how your Dealership can use YouTube with three easy steps in 3 minutes.

It seems as though YouTube is usually left to the waste side due to Dealers feeling as though it takes too much time or effort in keeping up their channel, or even more so coming up with a subject to talk about without making it sound like an advertisement. Getting inspired to make a video can be as easy as capitalizing on the people and customers that surround you daily, even your inventory can make an appearance, but how?

You need to evoke emotion.

You can make a YouTube video using your smartphone or digital camera; it doesn’t need to be a fancy production, just a clean one. Try to keep it steady or invest in a tri-pod to be your camera person. Have your sales reps be advocates of the dealership by sharing which car they love the most or by sharing their story of how they became a part of the Dealership.

Tap into loyal customers and ask for reviews on their vehicles or to have them share their customer service experience on camera.

Showcase your inventory by telling a story about the car, more like what the car can do FOR you than how much it will cost or quickly going over its specs. Instead, share how to use the Ford Sync or why your form of the mini-van is great for families, walk them through it as a friend, not a salesperson.

In the following video you can learn more on how your Dealership can use YouTube with three easy steps in 3 minutes.

Most dealers know what to do. Get testimonials. Get pictures of happy customers. These can be turned into Facebook gold.

The problem is that the pictures of happy customers are often about as boring as a picture can be. There's a customer standing in front of their new car. Sure, they look happy, but is it going to get anyone's attention? Is it going to get comments from local prospects, even the friends of the person who is in the picture?

Usually, the answer is no. Thankfully, there's an easy fix to this. Make the pictures fun!

Advantage Autoworks does a great job at getting (or making) good pictures of their customers. Here are some examples:

The Connected Customer

Nothing says "I trust them" like interaction between the customer and the salesperson. When it's genuine, it allows your dealership to highlight the personal attention you give your customers. This is a differentiator as most car buyers are not used to working with people they can truly like at the car dealership.

The Style Shot

This is an exciting moment for your customer. Encourage them to express their real feelings, their real style. Automobiles embody moments of pride. Let them show it.

Feature Highlight

If they bought a convertible, this is the right shot to take. If they bought a truck, don't get them standing in front of it. Get them in the truck bed leaning over the cabin. Moonroof? Get them to stick their head out. There's a ton of options to make the photo fun.

Action Pose

This is the hardest one, but can be very fun. In this image, they have a Jeep. Where does a Jeep belong? Yep, climbing rocks. If they bought a sports car, get them to do a quick burnout (with permission from the GM, of course) and snap the photo with smoke coming off the rear tires.

A Different Angle

You won't always be able to get a customer to do much more than pose in front of the car. If that's the case, make in interesting with angles. Shoot from the side. Shoot from the ground. Shoot from up above as with the image above. It's not ideal, but at least it's not a straight-on shot of the customer and their car.

Most dealers know what to do. Get testimonials. Get pictures of happy customers. These can be turned into Facebook gold.

The problem is that the pictures of happy customers are often about as boring as a picture can be. There's a customer standing in front of their new car. Sure, they look happy, but is it going to get anyone's attention? Is it going to get comments from local prospects, even the friends of the person who is in the picture?

Usually, the answer is no. Thankfully, there's an easy fix to this. Make the pictures fun!

Advantage Autoworks does a great job at getting (or making) good pictures of their customers. Here are some examples:

The Connected Customer

Nothing says "I trust them" like interaction between the customer and the salesperson. When it's genuine, it allows your dealership to highlight the personal attention you give your customers. This is a differentiator as most car buyers are not used to working with people they can truly like at the car dealership.

The Style Shot

This is an exciting moment for your customer. Encourage them to express their real feelings, their real style. Automobiles embody moments of pride. Let them show it.

Feature Highlight

If they bought a convertible, this is the right shot to take. If they bought a truck, don't get them standing in front of it. Get them in the truck bed leaning over the cabin. Moonroof? Get them to stick their head out. There's a ton of options to make the photo fun.

Action Pose

This is the hardest one, but can be very fun. In this image, they have a Jeep. Where does a Jeep belong? Yep, climbing rocks. If they bought a sports car, get them to do a quick burnout (with permission from the GM, of course) and snap the photo with smoke coming off the rear tires.

A Different Angle

You won't always be able to get a customer to do much more than pose in front of the car. If that's the case, make in interesting with angles. Shoot from the side. Shoot from the ground. Shoot from up above as with the image above. It's not ideal, but at least it's not a straight-on shot of the customer and their car.