Social media is here to stay. Everyone (and I mean everyone) is on it—according to the Pew Research Center, a whopping 79% of online Americans are on Facebook, and that number keeps rising, both for Facebook and other social media platforms as well. If your auto dealership isn’t taking advantage of this huge audience of potential customers, it should be.
People are no longer using social media to just keep track of what their friends or nephews are doing; they’re using it as a way to stay in touch with everything the world has to offer, including your dealership. People expect your dealership to have a consistent and professional presence across all the major social media platforms—and they question your credibility if you don’t.
This might sound a bit intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! Armed with the right marketing strategy and insights, your social media could be something that you enjoy managing instead of dread opening.
Once you’re past the first step of creating your profiles, these 6 tips will help you create a social media presence even Taylor Swift would be envious of (that might be a slight exaggeration): Here are the Top 6 Social Media Tips for Used Car Dealerships
- Cater to Your Customers
When deciding what to post on social media, always try to put yourself in your customer's shoes. Ask yourself, "What is important, interesting, and relevant to my customer base?", and use that question to guide you. There's a lot of freedom with what you can post on social media, so just have some fun with it! A word of caution, though: while you may be tempted to post about your inventory 24/7, many customers will find it off-putting and may "unlike" or block your page entirely. A few posts about your inventory or sales are fine, but remember that the primary purpose of your social media is to connect with your customers—not sell.
- Be Consistent
While posting every-so-often is okay, it is not ideal. If you’re not posting consistently, your followers and fans will lose interest in both your dealership and your page.
In order to have the biggest impact, you should aim to have a consistent social media presence with at least 2-3 posts per week.
- Engage Your Followers
The more you engage with your followers, the more likely they'll be to interact with you! This means responding to comments, messages, tweets, etc.
While this part may take a bit of time, it shows that your dealership values its customers and appreciates what they have to say. You can also foster engagement by asking for input from your customers about anything your dealership is thinking about implementing (i.e. a new logo or contest idea). By reaching out to your customers and asking for their input, you'll connect with them and help them feel valued.
- Be Clever & Creative
Don't be boring! The more creative and clever you are, the more people will enjoy and remember your posts. Everyone remembers the famous Oreo ad that was posted during the 2013 Super Bowl blackout because it was both clever and creative. While getting to that level of fame may be difficult, your posts can still be clever and creative enough to garner attention from your local community. Just don't be afraid to think outside the box!
- Connect with Your Community
Use your social media as a way to create a healthy relationship between your dealership and your community. Start the relationship by sharing articles about local events or news, and see what content resonates most with your followers.
If you can, sponsor a youth soccer team or donate to a local charity, and share this news on your social media pages! All of this helps position you as a member of the community, rather than someone that just sells to the community. In time, you'll have solidified your place within the community.
- Showcase Your Company Culture
- Do you have a fun company event coming up?
- Did you just give out an award for Employee of the Month?
- Are you taking your employees out to a baseball game?
All of these things deserve to be shared on social media! Showcasing your company culture invites your customers to interact with your dealership and get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look. This, more than anything, makes your followers feel like they are a part of the family and strengthens their relationship with you and your dealership.
Every dealership, no matter how big or small, would benefit from having a strong social media presence. With these tips in mind, your auto dealership can start attracting (and selling to!) the right customers online. So start setting up those profiles—your future customers are waiting!
* This blog post was originally published on 03/03/2017 on dealercenter.com
