How Social Media Can Help a Car Dealership Sell More Cars

Social media has altered the small business landscape. It is not enough for a car dealership to only have a website today, even if it is informational and well-managed. You need social media marketing - it is quick, precise, inexpensive and measurable.

93% of Americans believe a business should have a presence in social media, according to a recent Cone Business School study. 85% believe a business should not only be present but also interact with its consumers via social media, and 56% of Americans feel they have a stronger connection and are better served by businesses when they can interact with them in a social media environment.

Anyone can have a social media marketing strategy but not everyone can do it right. Here are some ways a car dealership can do it right.

Expense

A car dealership today averages about $550 per car using traditional advertising. With the economy still struggling, it is more important than ever to spend your advertising dollars wisely. The cost of social media networking and marketing is fraction of what the traditional advertisers like TV, radio and print demand – and it reaches a new market that traditional media can’t deliver for you today.

Drive Traffic to Your Website

Over 40 percent of new cars will be purchased through a car dealership’s internet department and that number will grow as consumers become more savvy about the convenience and savings available, according to Edmunds.com. There are many ways to use social networks like YouTube and Facebook to drive traffic to your dealer website. Entertaining commercials, events, loss leaders and distressed merchandise are a few examples. Someone who knows you from a social media network is more likely to visit your website – and your store.

New Selling Opportunities

The sooner your dealership gets its name and message out on the social network sites, the better. Sites like Facebook and Twitter have fan pages that generate leads, leak sales and deliver your message to a huge new untapped market. Facebook alone claims to have 500 million users – and 50% of them visit it every day. That is not a typo – 500 million! You can brand your dealership over time and increase your sales overnight.

Contests and Promotions

As a car dealership, you are very familiar with traditional promotions. Did you know that they are one of the most effective tools in social media marketing as well? You can use them to drive sales, generate leads and brand your business. A recent promotion for an Ipad on a Florida Toyota dealer’s fan page increased the number of fans by over 1000%.  Discounts are a great way to connect with your community. By giving special coupons to your social community, you are telling them you are not only a business to engage with but also one to buy from.

Interact with Your Customers

The reason why they are called “social” networks is because people socialize and interact with each other on them. It is the new word-of-mouth advertising. According to Jeff Kershner of dealerfresh.com, a negative image is one of the biggest fears that keeps a car dealer from embracing social media. But a car dealership is going to have that negative image whether he uses social media or not. And a dealership can change the image by joining a social networking site – almost immediately.

Save money. Sell more vehicles. Learn more about social media and how it can help increase sales at your dealership at www.rhinoautomotive.com

Written by Dan Chambers