Social Media - Keep In House Or Contract Outside???

[Paradox]

Good status update:




[h=2]"Cash Mobs" gather to splurge in locally owned stores[/h]CLEVELAND, Ohio - Flash mobs have been blamed as a factor in looting during urban riots. But now a group of online activists is harnessing social media like Twitter and Facebook to get consumers to spend at locally owned stores in cities around the world in so-called Cash Mobs.









Bad status update:








Make sense to the dealers I still see committing these mortal sins on FB in 2012, even though information regarding a proper strategy for engagement is as available as tomorrow's weather forecast? I bet some of those guys are still using pagers too. 9-1-1, 9-1-1

 

[Alex Snyder]

The obvious power of Facebook is on the horizon. To date, it has been another medium (as far as the car biz is concerned) that hasn't matured into a true business solution yet....if you aren't paying attention.

The key word is obvious. You can't see what is happening on people's walls. You don't know how people are talking about your dealership or are influencing purchasing decisions. Because you don't know it is very easy to write Facebook off. They know this, and will be making some big moves to change the perception.

All I ask is that you keep an open mind to Facebook later. Don't let what you see today make you believe that is all it will ever be.

 

[Agrrip]

In a perfect world it should
In a perfect world dealers should have thousands of positive reviews without even asking for it

I bet we can come up with a long list on things that should happen on its own...

I think you should outsource it. You should find a LOCAL company that understands your market and let them do it for you; however, make sure you keep an eye on it.

Like most dealers, you probably give lots of money to local schools, sport teams, charities etc, bring those donations on FaceBook, turn them into some kind of contest and get your local community involved ... you will be surprised how quick it can grow.

Or simply ask: Does social matter for car dealers?

This is a big part of what we use our facebook for. We also like to post Mercedes-Benz related articles.

Mostly, we like to post pictures of new owners in-front of their cars. We find that we get the most "likes" from those new owners and their friends when they share the pictures. For a lot of people, they use the picture to brag about their new car.

We do give away ipads and whatnot...but not as a serious tool to get new likes. We post the contest on our member newsletter. If it generates new likes, then that's a plus.

 

[MarinaDelReyToyotaScion]

Love this. Facebook isn't worth investing a bunch of time or money into. Setup your page, add content, photos, etc, build fans up a few hundred. Add content once a month or so when you have time and let it be. Facebook is good for only two things: Small talk with people who have way too much free time, and a portal to let customers rant about whatever you did wrong at the dealership. When in the first place, they should have just contacted the manager. 95% of companies have people complain on Facebook, they respond by call this number and speak to this manager, and it's done..

Anyone who says because of Facebook they are selling 10 or even 100 more cars a month is full of it, period. And if you want to argue retention value since you're "connected on Facebook" let's compare this. What's worth more? A salesperson calling them once a month to check in or a facebook page they post things on.. Either way customers are connecting. I would much rather calls be made than for social networks to be a form of contact. Regardless you should be doing call followups anyways, Facebook isn't needed.

I know we've had a 10+ page thread about this before, but just saying it again.
Put your money elsewhere..

I'm sorry but I couldn't disagree more. It's a tool that takes creativity to use. It's not a hammer that is used only for a nail. The idea of a Fan Page or Business page is to raise awareness. Using tactics that will require the user or share what you are posting will get their friends to read it because THEY shared it.

A fan page doesn't generate sales organically. It's how you use it.

 

[yagoparamo]

I'm sorry but I couldn't disagree more. It's a tool that takes creativity to use. It's not a hammer that is used only for a nail. The idea of a Fan Page or Business page is to raise awareness. Using tactics that will require the user or share what you are posting will get their friends to read it because THEY shared it.

A fan page doesn't generate sales organically. It's how you use it.

I'm going to agree with kcar, the reality is that dealers with success stories in social media are just a few and it took tons of energy and extremely talented people to achieve it. The truth is that that investment in money and talent would have been successful on anything they would have tried anyway.

After what I've seen over the last few years of social media; hire a local company and spend as little as possible. In my markets I do it for $300/month (FB and TW) with updates on both everyday. We focus on getting your stuff looking good and making it show in your Google 10. I'm sure you can find this type of set up anywhere.

While the dealers are great at doing many things, SM has been in general a painful act. You should never use an ISM or anyone whose job is to sell cars--keep them selling cars. You should never use a family member, SM sound exciting but it is the most boring job after a while. Other dealer personnel has the problem or turn over, I can't believe how many dealers called over the last 2 years freaking out because someone left and nobody knows the passwords to the SM stuff.

 

[davidmoon]

We've been through this before ... I think? If you have the mentality that if you spend in a dollar today, and expect to get two back tomorrow, you won't see the value of social media. If your dealership is active in the community, has vision beyond the sale and values public relations, then social media can be a good thing and worth time cultivating.

Outsourcing will not be as personal, yes. And if you see social media as a necessary chore, then maybe it's a good thing to get it off your plate -- but I would not pay a lot for it. Just make sure to protect your reputation IF a complaint should arise by having a clear process to handle it personally.

 

[joe.pistell]

David,

I think a hybrid game plan would work well for many car dealers. Outsourced content to keep a methodical approach working, then, the dealer staff sprinkles in content as it comes to them.

 

[davidmoon]

David,

I think a hybrid game plan would work well for many car dealers. Outsourced content to keep a methodical approach working, then, the dealer staff sprinkles in content as it comes to them.

With that being said, you could also schedule content (there are various low cost tools available) and skip the outsourcing. All you need is a willingness to engage, and a plan to keep activities and messaging consistent.

 

[yagoparamo]

David,

I think a hybrid game plan would work well for many car dealers. Outsourced content to keep a methodical approach working, then, the dealer staff sprinkles in content as it comes to them.

I think it has been hard for dealers and vendors alike to understand that the best solution in SM is a hybrid model where vendor does the daily tedious chore and dealer focuses on particular problems/tasks (such as complains, fund raisers, etc).

 

[davidmoon]

I don't know if I'd call it tedious work. It is time consuming, takes some strategic thought and requires a service attitude.

Your social media efforts should be more about building your local dealership brand (what can I expect from buy X brand from you) with at least an equal amount of attention on the community.

You're not selling cars, you're selling a positive image and the anticipation of a good and fair buying experience. For those who get to the level of social media in their research process, you're making your dealership more approachable.