Facebook Likes for your dealership - How are you getting more?

[danoneil]

How many car dealerships are struggling to get people to "like" their page ?

If you work in marketing, I am certain many people have heard the expression:

"We have had our Facebook page for 6 months & only have 77 "likes". "

Oh.. out of the 77 likes, 35 are employees or family.

How do we get more people ??? Usually the answer is "let's give them money".


Right now, I think Facebook currently is a marketing machine. Every day you have corporations solicit for a "like".

Joe Blow "likes" Lunch bucket corp etc..


So how is every doing with FB likes?

Do you have a proven method ?

 

[danoneil]

With all the talk about social media I am curious to know how many of us have or are currently managing a Facebook page?

In Febuary of 2011 I took over the Facebook page for a charity NFL sponsored charity called the Ed Block Courage Award.

We have two Facebook identities. One is Ed Block Courage Award (friends) & Ed Block Courage Award Foundation (likes).

The folks who started the page started as "friends" based and I continue to add "friends" vs a "like" us page.

We had 1100 friends when I started & have close to 2800 friends today. So we have added 1700 friend over a 18 month period. How many car dealerships would love to develop 100 new "likes" a month ?

I have experience with FB.

But how many people in the car industy talk about using FaceBook & have actually built a FB page & work it from ground up?

 

[ryanabbott]

Re: We have had our Facebook page for 6 months & only have 77 "likes"

I am in charge of our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/FoxDealerships) and I have gotten it to 621 Likes. I started from the ground up and I've taken pride in knowing they are Likes that I have earned. I run contests and promotions to try and get "Likes" that way. That has worked for me but what really works is the automatic email that I send out to everyone that purchases a vehicle from us. The email explains the importance of or presence in the Social World and asks them to write a review on our Google page as well as our Facebook page. It's been a slow process but it's gaining speed!

 

[Jeff Kershner]

Dan, I have changed the title of your thread to be more relevant.

Best practices for all DR community members: Take an extra 15 seconds to think through the title of your posts. The better the title, the more engagement you'll receive. It's the first thing members/readers see more relevant your title is to your post the better your chances are of getting more members involved and responding.

Carry on...

 

[danoneil]

Hi Ryan,

Here is the secret IMO ( from experience) .

You have to like businesses that will drive people to possibly like your dealership. If you are a Ford dealer, like Ford. Not only like Ford, but also "like" other Ford oriented FB pages.

Honda has plenty of FB pages for individual cars like Honda CRV - Honda Insight etc... you have to like all of them. This way you will generate post from your vendors, which in turn you "like" or comment on.

"like" your finance companies. "like" auto insurance companies. "like" anything that has some affiliation with your dealership or brand.


Don't sit still. Start to "like" and let me know how it goes.


Dan O' in Baltimore


GO O's

 

[ryanabbott]

Thanks Dan. Great Info. And I agree... Go O's!!

 

[ed.brooks]

Hi Ryan,

Here is the secret IMO ( from experience) .

You have to like businesses that will drive people to possibly like your dealership. If you are a Ford dealer, like Ford. Not only like Ford, but also "like" other Ford oriented FB pages.

Honda has plenty of FB pages for individual cars like Honda CRV - Honda Insight etc... you have to like all of them. This way you will generate post from your vendors, which in turn you "like" or comment on.

"like" your finance companies. "like" auto insurance companies. "like" anything that has some affiliation with your dealership or brand.


Don't sit still. Start to "like" and let me know how it goes.


Dan O' in Baltimore


GO O's

Dan, great info! I just came across this earlier today as a strategy to become a Top Reviewer on G+ Local. It looks to be similar to your Facebook strategy. How to Get Review Cred in G+ Local as a Top Reviewer- As a Business Page from Mike Blumenthal.

 

[JamesFrey]

When I started we had a third party managing our Twitter and Facebook pages. We had apx. 100 followers and 120 FB friends. When we discontinued using the service we brought all social media in house beginning Q1 2012.

Now in Q4 we have 110 likes and counting. We ran several Facebook Ads, offered free car wash coupons & other specials, and did a promotional "enter to win an iPod Touch."

I also raised our Social media presence by having a small 4x8 paper (very similar to the one below) given to every customer as they left our F/I department.

- We offer a Free carwash if they review us on 3/6.

 

[danoneil]

Dan, I have changed the title of your thread to be more relevant.

Best practices for all DR community members: Take an extra 15 seconds to think through the title of your posts. The better the title, the more engagement you'll receive. It's the first thing members/readers see more relevant your title is to your post the better your chances are of getting more members involved and responding.

Carry on...

No problem.

 

[kcar]

Facebook likes, lol.. Go buy 1K fake fans on Fiverr and call it a day. Let customers like/find you on their own. If you want to target them do it on your outside outside of the Facebook brand, example e-mail newsletter, etc. There's no ROI in FB/TWTR.. (I know, I know a bunch of dealers will "claim" this or that, I don't buy it, period.) I still have no idea why dealers care to raise their like count, way more important things to be working on.