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It just got REAL! $5 per post starting 12/3

Below is a sample report that we are building (numbers, dealer, and inventory are real). The phone calls are not for a month but for a week.
Is there any more information that you guys think will be useful for you to get?


[h=2]Daily Craigslist Report[/h]Dear Valued Customer,

Lynnwood Honda
Here is your CL posting update for December 16, 2013.
We appreciate your business. Below you will find a detailed report of the work we have completed for the day. Thank you.

For any questions or concerns please email [email protected].
Craigslist Manager: Jim Gillen, Melinda Pettibone
877-622-2291

Sold Units Deleted Today(3)

  • JHMZE2H75DS005029
  • JN8AZ08W97W631005
  • 1HGCP2F86BA127755


Inventory Updated Today(1)

  • JHMGE8H54CC027573 - $15995.00


Over the Last 30 Days
Leads: 46
Cars Posted: 107
Sold Units Deleted: 21
Inventory Updated: 38

Craigslist Links


CL Prepaid Balance: $200.00
Your balance is LOW, please call 415-399-5200 x8283. to recharge your CL prepaid account. You will need to reference your CL Customer ID: 43091

Your inventory currently contains 96 used vehicles.
 
Alright, we've lived in the New Era a month now. What is everyone seeing?

Yesterday, seven (yes, 7, number after six) ads were posted to /ctd/ in Columbia...and five were ours. Day before: 16 (and 5 were ours).

The cars that are there are obviously getting more attention (cars from January 1 are still on page 1), but is the drop in ad volume affecting shopper traffic? Is there any data out there on that? We don't have any comparable data ourselves, since we were very click-to-VDP-heavy and are now all phones. Now that phone numbers are hidden behind the Contact button, even that might get interesting.
 
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Case Studies:

In this study, I'm going to show information for dealers on the daily postingmethod and the monthly posting method.

DAILY POSTING METHOD

The daily method, is posting a set number of vehicles every single day. This can be any number, though I think at least 5 per day would be best at minimum. Best when paired with an initial upload so that the dealer's inventory is immediately available and then augmented every day.

PROS:
- Inventory Up Every Day
- Some inventory always at or near the top of the search
- No drop-off (expiration) day for entire inventory.

CONS:
- It can be cost prohibitive
- If not paired with initial upload, it can take a week or more to get a dealer's entire inventory posted.

MONTHLY POSTING METHOD

The monthly method is setup so that all the cars post at the beginning of the month (or when the dealer signs up) and as new inventory arrives in the dealers feed, that inventory is posted to CL.

PROS:
- Easier to manage Cost.
- Inventory up immediately without build-up budget

CONS:
- Majority of inventory could drop off and be off of CL until reposted.
- Could go days or more in between fresh postings.

MONTHLY POSTING METHOD------------------------------------------

Independent dealer metro area
- 54 Vehicles Posted 12/21 - 1/20
- Monthly Posting Method
- 8 Calls
- 0 Emails
- $33.75 per lead

An easily identifiable pattern is that leads occur, when fresh inventory is posted.Today, we posted 4 vehicles. We got 2 new calls.
The last time leads were received for this dealer was Jan 8th & 9th, not coincidentlywe also posted vehicles on both of those days.
These guys are a prime candidate for a daily posting total.

Hyundai dealer metro area-
160 Vehicles Posted 12/21 - 1/20
- Monthly Posting Method
- 16 Calls
- 0 Emails
- $50 per lead

The last time a lead was received was Jan 11th, a day fin which we posted freshinventory. Prior to that they received leads on Jan 8, Jan7, Jan 6, Jan 2 & Jan 1.All of those dates are either the same day or day after we post fresh inventory.
This is another example of a dealer that could benefit from daily posting.

Ford dealer metro area
- 174 Vehicles Posted 12/21 - 1/20
- Monthly Posting Method
- 94 Calls
- 2 Emails
- $8.28 per lead

This is a good example of a dealer that gets fantastic results on the monthly option.A quick look at their chart in the dealer interface points to the reasoning. They havefresh inventory posted on 16 out of the last 30 days (almost every other day). Sowhile they aren't on the daily posting method, they are getting fresh inventory on CLvery frequently.

DAILY POSTING METHOD------------------------------------------

Franchised dealer metro area
- 210 Vehicles Posted 12/21 - 1/20
- Daily Posting Method
- 33 Calls
- 8 Emails
- $25.61 per lead

This is the 2nd dealer we put on the daily posting method. From 12/21 - 1/12 theyreceived 24 leads while being on the monthly posting method. Since switching tothe daily method (8 days ago) on 1/13 they have received 17 leads. So, prior toswitching, they were averaging a lead or less a day. Now they're averaging just overtwo leads per day.

Chevy dealer outside metro area
- 81 Vehicles Posted 12/21 - 1/20
- Daily Posting Method
- 10 Calls
- 0 Emails
- $40.50 per lead

This is another dealer we recently put on the daily posting method as a trial. Of their10 leads, 7 have come since switching to the daily method. While their lead totalisn't good, it was far worse prior to being put on the daily method.

Independent in metro area
- 420 Vehicles Posted 12/21 - 1/20
- Daily Posting Method
- 93 Calls
- 2 Emails
- $21.32 per lead

This dealer has been on the daily method for the entirety of the last 30 days. They consistently get leads. There has only been 7 of the past 30 days in which they didnot get a single lead.

-- Dustin Moore Development
Operations Manager , ACS
T: 425.379.0483 x115 | F: 425.357.0796
[email protected] | PGI Auto – Dealer Digital Marketing | Craigslist, Auto Dealer Blogs, Review Sites, Reputation Management, Microsites, Websites, Inventory Management
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