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Social Media Strategy For Auto Dealers
By Scott on December 22, 2009
If you are considering using social media marketing, consider how social media is different than paid search marketing or 3rd party lead sources like Autobytel, Dealix, or Cars.com. Social media rests much higher up the purchase f...

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  • The Impact of Real Time Search On Social Media Marketing For Auto Dealers

    Bing.com recently started listing Twitter feeds, and now Google has jumped into the fray with “real-time” search. Now that real time search is here, how does it impact your online presence, if it impacts it at all? If you haven’t tried social media marketing, now is the time to get started. Real time search is here, and social media marketing for auto dealers needs to take notice. In the past, it might not have been so clear a need to engage in social media, but with these recent changes in the search engines, the relationship between social media and search engine marketing is clearly in focus.

    Much more than catchy buzzword, “real-time search” is a concept that has been around for a while longer in some form or another. Fresh content has always been a driving force in Google search results, and the results from Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and other social sites can’t get much fresher. So now these social streams may appear right in regular SERPs.

    It’s now up to the search engines to deliver relevant quality using key factors like author quality, probability of relevance and “query hotness,” all very subjective and fuzzy.  So how do you protect your dealership brand image? Start first by getting a basic knowledge of what real time search is and what it means for you and your company.

    Using Google as an example, real time search for them is not a replacement for their regular google search results. in the case of Google, real time search is added technology and factors in the search algorithms that display ALL results within a standard search page. This means that content from Twitter, news sites, blogs and other social sites will appear on the same page as “regular” results.

    Following closely on the heels of Google’s fairly recently launched universal search results, the addition of real-time results is just one more challenging obstacle for the much coveted high organic rankings on the top of the results page. Paid search engine marketing for auto dealers is a common tactic used to combat real time search. A well optimized paid search marketing campaign allows you much more control over where your brand or company will appear on SERP’s.

    Social Media Marketing For Auto Dealers

    The most obvious way to get in the game is to use your own internet marketing strategy that includes social media marketing. Your strategy might include:

    • keywords in your content, titles, and your posts,
    • mentioning current events that are relevant to your brand, business, or industry,
    • topics that people are interested in – spark a conversation,
    • a “call to action” to share your content.

    In real-time search results, you may show up at the top of the results page, but that may or may not be a good thing. Using social media marketing for auto dealers is a great way to manage your reputation online and present your dealership in the most favorable light possible.

    With these recent and ongoing changes to real-time search results in SERPs means you can’t afford to ignore social media. As you become more active using social media marketing in your automotive marketing campaigns, you generate more relevant content that may have find high placement on Google SERPs that display real-time results.

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  • Social media marketing is one of the newer and highly effective online marketing strategy for auto dealers.  In terms of reach and cost, social media  can be an effective tool for marketing to your customers and potential customers. Social media marketing is a commonly used term used to describe the use of online social networking sites (for example, Facebook, MySpace, Youtube, Twitter, Linked In). Other social sites include online communities and discussion boards,  forums and web blogs. These gathering places are often used for marketing, sales promotion, public relations and customer service and retention, and reputation management.

    Google Search' - www_google_com_searchWhile many auto dealers are looking for immediate sales, any internet marketing related to social media generally takes place higher up in the sales funnel. That said, many companies do find success with special offers, one off vehicle selections, and service coupons. Many social sites include features where companies can create profiles where users can interact with the company and review products, promotions, and services.  Social media marketing as an online marketing strategy, is about building a reputation that you can grow that supports your other marketing efforts. Social media marketing is also a great way to build long term sustainable, natural growth website traffic and improved search engine rankings.

    To enjoy the maximum benefits of social media marketing as part of your online marketing strategy, you need to understand how it works best for your dealership. More importantly, understanding how and when to use social media correctly will produce the highest yields for your online marketing strategy. This takes time, and is a key issue for many auto dealers who may assign social media to the Internet manager, who most likely is not a professional marketer or content writer. Without a clear understanding of social media marketing, the results often fall below dealer expectations.

    Benefits Of Social Media Marketing For Auto Dealers

    However, according to a recent social media survey, when social media marketing for auto dealers is done correctly, many businesses have found that they have been able to:

    • acquire more visibility for their organization,
    • increase traffic to their website,
    • develop new business partnerships.

    What auto dealers need to do is embrace the benefits of social media as part of their overall online marketing strategy, while very carefully thinking through the goals of their marketing campaigns. Different goals will require different strategies.

    While social media marketing for auto dealers is a great addition to any traditional search engine marketing campaigns don’t consider it as a sole substitute. Recognize that successful social media marketing is a process that promotes your website or dealership through social media channels.
    This powerful online marketing strategy will add inbound links and increase “share of mind” with your customers resulting in additional web traffic. Social media marketing isn’t intended as a replacement for traditional marketing, but it is an important piece of the puzzle to your overall marketing strategy.

    After carefully assessing whether or not social media might be the missing link in your overall marketing plans, take the next step an establish some modest goals to get started. There are plenty of resources available to savvy Internet dealers that are looking to expand their brands into the social media arena. Get started today, it’s a great investment in your online presence.

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  • Writing social media marketing for auto dealers. Includes social media for auto dealer reputation management.

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  • Very nice results on website conversions. Auto dealer site improved from 18% to 31% conversion on engagement metrics.web_analytics_reports

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  • Tidy little bit about solar power benefits for your home. http://htxt.it/YwUm

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