• Stop being a LURKER - join our dealer community and get involved. Sign up and start a conversation.

Reply to thread

Getting back to Brian's original question, "how do we define success?" David really nailed it when he said he said "engagement".


Now there have been a wealth of other great points here:


  • It's difficult to get people to "Like", "Follow" or "Fan" a dealer online when most dealers aren't really liked all that much in real life.
  • Dealers are notorious for wanting dollars spent today to result in a car sale tomorrow.
  • There are a huge number of marketing opportunities available to dealers that offer a more consistent and immediate return on the investment of time and money than Social Media.

I'm reposting a response to an earlier post: Facebook #1 Referrer to my site??? (not because it's extremely insightful, rather because I'm lazy and still believe it)



Is Social Media worth pursuing? I think a dealer has to ask a few other questions first: Are my core processes in place and working flawlessly? Are my cars getting online with great photos, enticing comments and the correct price? Am I doing right by my customers - Do they like me in real life? If you can answer yes to those questions, invest some resources in Social Media. If the answer is no, fix those core problems first.


Most of all, dealers are always searching for the next 'Silver Bullet' or maybe the next 'Shiny Object'. I don't think Social Media fits that bill. It should it be a part of your Community Relations program, but I don't think it should be the cornerstone of your Online Marketing.


Success in Social Media is a very long term proposition - not something that will sell a car this weekend.