How To Use Twitter In The Quick Service Lane
A Honda dealership was having trouble notifying customers about the quick service lane wait times. Sometimes the quick service lane was completely open and other times it would back up rather quickly. The dealer thought about using email to notify the customers with appointments, but that would not be as responsive of a solution as using the real time capabilities of social media.
The recommendation was to use their Twitter account to post current wait times in the quick service lane. A couple of times a day the service manager tweets the wait status. This was also another way for the dealership to grow their customer base that was following them on Twitter. Another concern from the dealer was how to handle notifications to those service customers without social media access. The solution was to add a Twitter widget to the dealer website home page and the Twitter feed into the dealership’s Facebook account. This greatly increases the reach of their message while making it more accessible.
A side bonus to this arrangement was to generate business when the quick service lane slowed down. The dealer now is able to post service specials from their Twitter account that offer unique specials such as $19.95 oil changes from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM for one day only.
Posts Tagged ‘reputation management for auto dealers’
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.
While 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.