Social networks are one of the most important factors the majority of car buyers consider when choosing a dealership to visit according to a recent study conducted by Digital Air Strike, a leading consumer engagement and digital retailing company. Results of the study also found that:
- Internet research, social media, and customer review sites are the most influential factors a buyer uses for choosing a car dealership
- 83% of surveyed customers say online review sites have substantially helped them in their process of choosing a dealership
- 66% of car owners admit that they have clicked on Facebook car ads once these appears on their page
- Consumers who want to purchase or service a vehicle do research online before buying, servicing their vehicle, or even visiting a dealership or a shop.
The above findings were concurred by the CMO Council, a peer-powered network of senior marketing executives. It says that 84% of all car shoppers are on Facebook, and 24% of them used Facebook feedback as their basis for purchasing a vehicle.
Social networks is arguably a major influencer in most people’s car-buying decisions. It is therefore important for marketers to integrate social media into their marketing strategy. This could be a simple Facebook page or a complex marketing approach. The bottom line is: As a marketer, you should know that many people run to social media platforms as a source of first-hand, genuine information to help them make up their mind which car dealership offers the best brand, price and services. You can have it done quickly with the help of a professional social media manager like the Florida social media marketing agency.
Here are 10 social network strategies you can consider for better online presence and improved marketing results:
Use Facebook to Target Customers
As you might already know, Facebook is one of the largest virtual markets around. In fact, 84% of automotive consumers are actively involved in this platform. Target potential consumers by placing ads to reach members who indicate an interest for cars. Narrow this down to specific areas, vehicle type, consumer interests, gender, and other factors.
Market Your Dealership on Twitter
Twitter can help you to drive car sales because it is a popular platform among automotive consumers. According to a research by Canvs, there are over 327,000 auto-related tweets every day, and about 75% of these are directly connected to shopping. Use keywords to target signals so that your ads can be sent to potential consumers.
Market on Instagram
According to Facebook’s own survey, lots of millennials are leaving their platform and migrated to Instagram instead. Instagram, which was primarily intended for mobile devices, is about depicting lifestyle, events, and ideas through pictures and videos. It is a great platform that can help to make your brand’s story known and visible to your audience.
Market on YouTube
Almost 90% of car shoppers watch a video about a car they plan to buy. They are keen on seeing how their chosen model’s safety features, walkarounds, connected devices, fuel efficiency, and other features to help them make a buying decision. While it is important to embed such videos into your website, having these hosted on popular social media platforms like YouTube can certainly help to gain organic visibility and possible conversions.
Use Pinterest as a Marketing Strategy
A majority of marketers limit their marketing campaigns on popular sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. But there is one social platform that continues to grow up to this for car marketing purposes even with its large female audience. After all, who says women can’t buy cars?
Tell Stories on Social Media
Social media channels are designed to allow people to share their thoughts and experiences on a personal level. Posting or broadcasting content may no longer be enough because it lacks human connection. Telling stories about your automotive insights and experiences is one of the best ways to connect to an audience and interact with them; it is an effective way to develop relationships and win people’s loyalty. Starbucks uses this strategy to effectively convince people that it is not just a coffee brand – but an experience, opportunity to spend time with friends, a chance to relaxing and to connect with people.
Interact with Your Audience
The one thing you must always bear in mind is social media is an interactive platform. It involves a two-way exchange of ideas, opinions and thoughts. You may have posted great content or you might have told stories and posted pictures, but are you actually interacting with your friends and followers?
Establish a strong connection with social media followers by immediately responding to their tweets, comments, questions, queries, or complaints. Be sure to monitor your social media page to avoid losing valuable opportunities.
Offer Contests and Promotions on Your Page
Social media can greatly help marketers to connect to their audience on a more personal level, but it may not be of much help if you blatantly advertise how great you are. But it doesn’t prevent you from offering contents or creating promotions. Everyone loves deals and rewards. Try it on your Facebook page and see the difference it makes.
Give Importance to Social Reviews
Nothing is more convincing to a prospective customer than seeing honest, independent and objective reviews about a product on social sites. With that said, you should encourage your customers to share their reviews on your social pages. Car shoppers have 90% likelihood of visiting a website and 95% more likely to visit a dealership if your social pages contain positive reviews about your car
Positive reviews aren’t the only ones you should lookout for on your social pages though, as negative reviews require the same amount of attention and importance. Respond to negative reviews promptly and swiftly and let your audience understand why it happened. It can help to mitigate damage.
Be Fully Committed
Social media can be a great marketing platform for the automotive industry. It offers improved visibility, more leads, and increased sales. With that said, you must be fully committed to fulfill what you said in your social media strategy.
Once you have built a base of social followers, interact with them regularly and don’t let a day go by without responding to comments, as this can quickly diminish your social credibility. You only have a small window of opportunity to engage with online car buyers. You must grab it before your competitor does so.
Social media is a great market waiting to be exploited. But it takes great marketing strategies to make it work for you, especially if you are marketing cars and other expensive merchandise.
Make social media your marketing ally with the help of a professional social media manager. If you are in Florida, an outstanding Florida social media marketing agency like Muzeum Marketing can certainly help to make that difference you’re looking for in your marketing results.
Call us at (303) 466-3055 or 1-888-311-1053. We can help to introduce a working social media marketing solution to bring your auto dealership business to a higher level.
