DealerElite - anyone using it?

[Alex Snyder]

Jeff started the thread about DrivingSales that got me poking around in other automotive communities. DealerElite was acquired by Arnold Tijerina in February of 2020. Rough timing! We all know what pandemic shocked the world in March of 2020. I wonder if COVID crushed participation in that community?

It looks like PhoneNinjas is active over there. @Chris Vitale - do you have any insights or opinions on DealerElite?

 

[Ryan Everson]

I would say DealerElite's non-responsive website from 20 years ago might have crushed their participation

And it's a tough space to compete in nowadays with all of the Facebook, LinkedIn, and Slack community group.

Seems like DealerRefresh is the last standing traditional forum in the automotive space that still has a robust, active community.

 

[Chris Vitale]

Jeff started the thread about DrivingSales that got me poking around in other automotive communities. DealerElite was acquired by Arnold Tijerina in February of 2020. Rough timing! We all know what pandemic shocked the world in March of 2020. I wonder if COVID crushed participation in that community?

It looks like PhoneNinjas is active over there. @Chris Vitale - do you have any insights or opinions on DealerElite?

I like Arnold and have had decent feedback from the users at DealerElite. It seems to be a smaller audience than DealerRefresh and DrivingSales but super engaged. Not a ton of clicks on the ads running there but a lot of action on the blogs. I wasn't happy with the money I spent at DrivingSales and literally received nothing, not a single lead. They also have non-stop problems with their site and am going through hell right now with images on the company page which they can't even seem to fix on their end. Refresh has the lead and I'd categorize Dealer Elite as a boutique forum. DrivingSales I do because I'm OCD and for completeness.