business - Blog - Automotive Internet Sales - BDC - Free Training Resources2024-03-28T21:57:54Zhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/businessInternet Director Development Workshop is Coming to Newark, NJ! - May 16 & 17https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/internet-director-development-workshop-is-coming-to-newark-nj-may2017-05-01T14:07:22.000Z2017-05-01T14:07:22.000ZChristopher Germanhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/ChristopherGerman<div><p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_BuCLZfjFYM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p><a href="http://dealersynergy.com/Internet-Director-Development/" class="yt-uix-servicelink" data-target-new-window="True" data-servicelink="CDEQ6TgYACITCPvhspztztMCFUnenAodvjcKDij4HQ" data-url="http://dealersynergy.com/Internet-Director-Development/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://dealersynergy.com/Internet-Dir...</a><span> 856-546-2440</span><br />
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<span>If there is one training event that Dealers, General Managers, and Internet and BDC Directors need to attend this year, it's the Internet Director Development Workshop at the Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott in Newark, NJ on May 16 & 17! This intimate, 2-day Dealer Synergy-accredited course will immerse you in the world of Internet Sales & help you make more money for yourself and your business!</span><br />
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<span>The Internet Director Development Workshop is designed to help strengthen and evolve every single facet of your Internet Department and teach you how to maximize your sales! While Day 1 covers all of the fundamentals of a powerful Internet Department, Day 2 dives deep into live-action training and full Internet Department audits, which will identify your weak points and show you how to turn them into your strongest assets!</span><br />
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<span>This is a must-see event, so sign up now at </span><a href="http://dealersynergy.com/Internet-Director-Development/" class="yt-uix-servicelink" data-target-new-window="True" data-servicelink="CDEQ6TgYACITCPvhspztztMCFUnenAodvjcKDij4HQ" data-url="http://dealersynergy.com/Internet-Director-Development/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://dealersynergy.com/Internet-Dir...</a><span> or call 856-546-2440!</span></p>
</div>The Million Dollar Marketing Strategyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/the-million-dollar-marketing-strategy2017-02-07T22:00:39.000Z2017-02-07T22:00:39.000ZPaul Potratzhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/PaulPotratz<div><p>Is there such a thing as a million dollar strategy or a one-size-fits-all strategy for your digital advertising?</p><p></p><p>On this episode of Think Tank Tuesday, Paul, Ashley, and Juliana discuss brands that have attempted to utilize a million dollar strategy and whether or not it could be repeated for your business. </p><p></p><p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FPotratzAdvertising%2Fvideos%2F10154433772102887%2F&show_text=0&width=560" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p></p><p><font size="2">We’d love to hear what you have to say. Comment below and follow us on Facebook.<br/></font><span>Website: </span><span class="m_4503944007904589169gmail-s2"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.ppadv.com/" target="_blank">http://www.ppadv.com</a><br/></span><span>Facebook: </span><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.facebook.com/PotratzAdvert" target="_blank"><span class="m_4503944007904589169gmail-s2">http://www.facebook.com/PotratzAdvert</span></a><span>...<br/></span><span>Twitter: </span><span class="m_4503944007904589169gmail-s2"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.twitter.com/Potratz" target="_blank">http://www.twitter.com/Potratz</a><br/></span><span>Instagram: @Potratz</span></p></div>Is Your Phone Ringing?https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/is-your-phone-ringing2016-08-23T15:28:30.000Z2016-08-23T15:28:30.000ZPaul Potratzhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/PaulPotratz<div><p class="p1">Is your phone ringing off the hook? Probably not.</p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1">In this week's Think Tank Tuesday, I reveal that with sending a simple ringless voicemail drop, you can start the conversation with potential customers that may not have answered an email or other advertisement. Grab more leads and build your business by utilizing this low cost, lead generating strategy.</p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ajOGW-_ETqk?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p class="p1">We'd love to hear what you have to say. Comment below and follow us on Facebook.</p><p class="p3"><span class="s1">Website: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.ppadv.com/"><span class="s2">http://www.ppadv.com</span></a></span></p><p class="p3"><span class="s1">Facebook: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.facebook.com/PotratzAdvertising"><span class="s2">http://www.facebook.com/PotratzAdvert...</span></a></span></p><p class="p3"><span class="s1">Twitter: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.twitter.com/Potratz"><span class="s2">http://www.twitter.com/Potratz</span></a></span></p><p class="p1">Instagram: @Potratz</p><p class="p1">Snapchat: PotratzAgency</p></div>Are You Missing The Big Picture?https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/are-you-missing-the-big-picture2016-07-26T14:31:01.000Z2016-07-26T14:31:01.000ZPaul Potratzhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/PaulPotratz<div><p class="p1">We live in a world where we're tricked into thinking we know the bigger picture. In reality, we don't!</p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1">Nan Mossey takes over for Paul in this week's Think Tank Tuesday to debunk a few common misconceptions about the marketing and advertising world. From getting more PDP views to customer reviews, Nan will teach you how all of these busted myths can affect your business.</p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CCOGHKLXUpk?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p class="p1">We'd love to hear what you have to say! Comment below and follow us on Facebook.</p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1">Website: http://www.ppadv.com</p><p class="p1">Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PotratzAdvertising</p><p class="p1">Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Potratz</p><p class="p1">Instagram: @Potratz</p><p class="p1">Snapchat: PotratzAgency</p></div>Speeding up the Success of Your Businesshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/speeding-up-the-success-of-your-business2016-06-21T18:28:13.000Z2016-06-21T18:28:13.000ZPaul Potratzhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/PaulPotratz<div><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Are you looking for fast and easy ways to speed up the success of your business? </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">This week on Think Tank Tuesday, Paul will go into detail about techniques you need to use to brand your business and become successful in no time. The first step? Ask yourself these questions.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Why are you unique?</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">What do you do as a business owner that is different than any other company or competitor without comparing price?</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">After you've figured this out, you'll move on to the next small pieces of advice Paul will give you that make a huge impact. Change your marketing strategy and advertising techniques by watching the rest of this week's Think Tank Tuesday.</span></p><p class="p1"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IDs4TK1NnSU?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Website: http://www.ppadv.com</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PotratzAdvertising</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Potratz</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Instagram: @Potratz</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Snapchat: PotratzAgency</span></p></div>Should you compare yourself to your competitors?https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/should-you-compare-yourself-to-your-competitors2016-06-17T16:04:27.000Z2016-06-17T16:04:27.000ZPaul Potratzhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/PaulPotratz<div><p class="p1">Comparing yourself to competitors in the same market...is it really such a good idea?</p><p class="p2">In this week’s Hard Facts, Samantha explains why it's not always ideal to compare your business to a competitor's, but how to do it properly in the right circumstances. Watch now!</p><p class="p1"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/36gbAj1Wodo?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p class="p1">Website: http://www.ppadv.com</p><p class="p1">Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PotratzAdvertising</p><p class="p1">Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Potratz</p><p class="p1">Instagram: @Potratz</p><p class="p1">Snapchat: PotratzAgency</p></div>Make Money Mondays With Sean V. Bradley - How to Become Your Own Businesshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/make-money-mondays-with-sean-v-bradley-how-to-become-your-own-bus2016-06-06T12:58:37.000Z2016-06-06T12:58:37.000ZElizabeth A. Millerhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/ElizabethAMiller<div><p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YrG9qt00aS8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
</div>The Four M's of Social Media For Your Businesshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/the-four-m-s-of-social-media-for-your-business2014-10-02T12:49:29.000Z2014-10-02T12:49:29.000ZShawnee Houlihanhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/ShawneeHoulihan<div><p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474780?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474780?profile=original" width="400"></a></p>
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<p>Sometimes Social Media seems complicated, but with <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/237971" target="_blank">four simple M’s</a> Social Media can be made simple and still beneficial to your business. The first thing you need to do with social media is monitor it. Checking your social media platforms can be time consuming, so first, connect your social media accounts to a platform that will track your traffic. This will leave you more time to monitor your competitors, to see what you can do to make your own social media platforms better.</p>
<p> Next, you need to manage. After you’ve posted something on social media, manage the post according to the reactions it is receiving. Take the feedback from the post and improve your posts accordingly. After, you must measure. You must measure the amount of likes, shares, favorites, etc. It’s important to know how well your post is doing, and what you can do to make it better.</p>
<p> Finally, you must monetize. Technology is growing, making social media a huge asset to sales. There is a way to sync transactions to a social media post. This will allow your business to expand, and your sales to grow.</p>
<p> Social media will allow your business to expand, and allow your sales to grow. If you remember these four M’s, you are sure to make your social media platforms successful!</p>
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<p> </p></div>Having Trouble with Social Media?https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/having-trouble-with-social-media2014-09-23T12:40:12.000Z2014-09-23T12:40:12.000ZShawnee Houlihanhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/ShawneeHoulihan<div><p>Using social media in a business setting is important. Social media allows you to reach certain audiences, gain a following, and bring traffic to your websites. It’s necessary that you know just how to use social media, and how to improve it as well. If you’re having trouble understanding social media, and struggling with ways to see if your social media platforms are successfully reaching your target audiences, there’s a few things you can look into.</p>
<p> There are a <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.techrepublic.com/article/10-free-analytics-tools-to-help-you-manage-social-media/" target="_blank">handful of free resources</a> for you to acquire your social media data from. For example, “Twitonomy” allows Twitter users to see how often they tweet, how many links they tweet, how many replies they receive, how many re-tweets they get, and how many favorites. This resource also allows users to see what hash tag is most popularly used. Knowing this information can help you figure out whom your tweets are reaching, what you can do to reach other audiences, and which hashtags seem to be getting you the most attention. This information can be used strategically to ensure that your social media skills improve.</p>
<p> If your business uses multiple social media platforms, you can link all of them to “SumAll” and receive emails containing information about all of your social media statistics. This is a good tool because it groups everything together, allowing you to obtain information on all of your social media platforms in one place.</p>
<p> Social media is becoming a huge part of the business world, and it’s important that you know exactly what you’re doing and how to continuously make your platforms stronger for your audiences.<a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474948?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474948?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" height="424" width="750"></a></p></div>Social Media and Math are Relatedhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/social-media-and-math-are-related2014-09-18T12:58:48.000Z2014-09-18T12:58:48.000ZBrittany Lightshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/BrittanyLights<div><p>Many people have the common thought that if they are not good at writing they are good at math and vice versa. While this is not a fact, it is said quite often. However, what people who think this fail to realize is math and their big social media marketing campaigns are related. If you are a business on a larger scale, this especially applies.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474724?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474724?profile=original" width="279" class="align-full"></a></p>
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<p>The proper way to use economics in social media is to identify which specific posts or investments are resulting in the greatest number of engagement. You can figure out how to reach the greatest number of people in doing so. By knowing which activities increase results you will know how much money you need to spend or how many posts or words you need in a post to reach the amount of people you want in your target audience. Instead of guessing how you can receive more social shares, calculate it. If you are marketing and seeing results you are using math. If you are not, you need to start applying it to your social media marketing efforts today.</p>
<p>For more information, check out the original article <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20140917163531-5189710-a-closer-look-at-why-corporate-social-media-and-math-are-becoming-fast-friends?trk=nus-cha-roll-art-title" target="_blank">here</a>.</p></div>Should You Care About Branding?https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/should-you-care-about-branding2014-06-02T15:50:22.000Z2014-06-02T15:50:22.000ZWillis Williamshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/WillisWilliams<div><div class="center" style="text-align: center;"><strong>"I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man."</strong><span>-</span> <strong>Jay-Z</strong></div><div class="center"></div><div class="center"></div><p>What most people don't realize is that even a living person can become a brand. This is a basic staple of advertising and sometimes it needs to be asked: what exactly is a <em>brand</em>? In a nutshell, The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a "name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers."</p><p><span><span>You don't have to be a genius to realize that Jay-Z for example, can attach his likeness or endorsement to anything and it will sell. What if a Jay-Z created cereal comes to market right now...would you buy it? Someone absolutely will.</span> <span>Let's really explore the basics of a branding campaign. Smart people know that if you have a product or offer a service, you <em>must</em> advertise. This is essential to building a brand and honestly, it's hard selling something you have if no one knows it exists. There's a great line from Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross where he states that sales is about "A.B.C. - Always Be Closing." In this case, we can go with "A.R.A - Always Run Ads". The main DNA for running an ad is composed of two elements: Frequency and Reach.</span></span></p><p><span><span>Frequency is based on your advertising schedule. Ask yourself: Are you going to run this ad every day? Four times a week? Only on Thursdays? When you can answer that question, move on to Reach. For example, I can create the most amazing, awesome, astonishing ad of all time. You've never seen anything like it before and It will blow you away. If I only show it in a five mile radius, then it's not worth a lot. There's no substantial return on investment (ROI). You must have the ads run repeatedly and cover as much geographic area as financially allowable. That’s how advertising breathes and more importantly, how building your brand <em>really</em> works.</span></span></p><p><span><span>As a former advertising executive, the HARDEST part of my job was convincing business owners they still needed to advertise. You don’t want your customers thinking you’re going out of business if they don’t see the ads you <em>used</em> to run. Business owners feel that because they've been around a several decades that running ads are not necessary. That's not entirely true but telling them in a delicate way that they're wrong takes a certain amount of finesse. On the other hand, there are some situations where running an ad campaign sporadically makes sense. Think about <span>t</span>hat really popular annual football game with the extremely expensive commercials? Those are <em>all</em> about reach and because of the audience it draws in, frequency is not a huge factor. Your message has impacted the masses on a global scale and the cost definitely justifies the motive.<br/></span></span></p><p><span><span>When it comes to building a brand, I would say that one important step is to create a logo. A symbol that when recognized will tell a prospective consumer or client exactly what your company, products and services are all about. That same logo will eventually lead the public to your brand's awareness on a social level. People see your logo and will always recognize your company under any circumstance. Does it mean they will always to buy in that moment? Of course not, but they will always know your company and when they need what you have, they will come. If it still remains whether you should care about branding then you're asking the wrong question.</span></span></p></div>Do You Know How To Compete?https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/do-you-know-how-to-compete2014-05-21T16:22:19.000Z2014-05-21T16:22:19.000ZPaul Potratzhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/PaulPotratz<div><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sAimFaC2jtQ?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><br/>Learn how to analyze your competition, what marketing channels to pursue, and which to avoid.Visit our website: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.ppadv.com">http://www.ppadv.com</a>Like us on Facebook: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.facebook.com/PotratzAdvertising">http://www.facebook.com/PotratzAdvertising</a>Follow us on Twitter: @Potratz</div>Sean V. Bradley Wins The Auto Dealer Live Debate Against Alan Ram, Thanks The Dealers That Voted For Him & Elaborates On His Philosophyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/sean-v-bradley-wins-the-auto-dealer-live-debate-against-alan-ram-2014-05-09T21:54:45.000Z2014-05-09T21:54:45.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><object width="420" height="315" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param>
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<p><a href="http://www.dealersynergy.com">http://www.dealersynergy.com</a> 856-546-2440 </p>
<p>Sean V. Bradley Wins The Auto Dealer Live Debate Against Alan Ram, Thanks The Dealers That Voted For Him & Elaborates On His Philosophy</p>
<p>** If you missed the Auto Dealer Live "Thrilla With Villa" Debate with Sean V. Bradley & Alan Ram, then watch the video below:</p>
<p><object width="560" height="315" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param>
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</div>Automotive Internet Sales Coordinators, BDC Reps, Appointments Setters MUST "TO" 100% Of The Timehttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/online-sales2014-03-21T00:26:27.000Z2014-03-21T00:26:27.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><object width="560" height="315" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param>
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<a href="http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com">http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com</a> 856-546-2440<br />
Automotive Internet Sales Coordinators, BDC Reps, Appointments Setters MUST "TO" 100% Of The Time</p>
<p>I was onsite training a High-line Dealership's Internet Sales Department / BDC and shot this video for them and all of YOU.<br />
I believe that the Internet Sales Coordinators, BDC Reps AKA The Appointment Setters should have a 100% "TO" Policy! Yes, I sometimes travel with the Dealer Synergy Video Production Team and a Green Screen LOL! Enjoy the video!!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.internetsales20group.com">http://www.internetsales20group.com</a> Sign Up Now!</p>
</div>Make Money Mondays with Sean V. Bradley - 'Special Finance' - Automotive Sales - Car Saleshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/make-money-mondays-with-sean-v-bradley-special-finance-automotive2014-03-03T16:11:19.000Z2014-03-03T16:11:19.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><object width="560" height="315" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param>
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<a href="http://www.dealersynergy.com">http://www.dealersynergy.com</a> 856-546-2440<br />
<a href="http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com">http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com</a><br />
Make Money Mondays with Sean V. Bradley - 'Special Finance' - Automotive Sales - Car Sales</p>
</div>Make Money Mondays with Sean V. Bradley - 'Message to Dealer Principals' - Automotive Saleshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/make-money-mondays-with-sean-v-bradley-message-to-dealer-principa2014-02-24T12:59:18.000Z2014-02-24T12:59:18.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><object width="560" height="315" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param>
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<a href="http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com">http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com</a> 856-546-2440</p>
<p>Make Money Mondays with Sean V. Bradley - 'Message to Dealer Principals' - Automotive Sales</p>
</div>18 Big Video Marketing Statistics and What They Mean for Your Businesshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/18-big-video-marketing-statistics-and-what-they-mean-for-your-bus2014-01-10T04:30:00.000Z2014-01-10T04:30:00.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><h1><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474375?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474375?profile=original" width="577" class="align-full"></a></h1>
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<p>Have you climbed on board the video marketing train yet? If you own a small business or are in business for yourself, there’s a lot of compelling evidence suggesting that online video marketing should be a major focus of your advertising and marketing budget. Here’s just one big number that should make you sit up and take notice:</p>
<h4><span>1.8 Million Words</span></h4>
<p>That’s the value of one minute of video, according to Dr. James McQuivey of Forrester Research.</p>
<p>Do you have the time and energy to write 1.8 million words? That’s the equivalent of 3,600 typical web pages. If you write an average of one web page an hour, it would take you 150 days of writing to achieve the impact of one minute of video.</p>
<p>When you look at it that way, online video marketing is the single most practical use for your marketing time and energy. Not convinced yet? Here are 15 more big video marketing numbers that should make you sit up and take notice.</p>
<h3>What’s The Market for Online Video?</h3>
<h4><span>45.4%</span></h4>
<p>According to comScore, which measures online engagement and use, that’s the percentage of Internet users who view at least one video online over the course of a month. The average user is exposed to an average of 32.2 videos in a month, increasing the chances that your marketing message will be seen. But what does that work out to in real numbers?</p>
<h4><span>100 Million</span></h4>
<p>That’s the number of Internet users who watch online video each day. Granted, a lot of those are watching the latest viral video with a goofy cat or a cute kid, but an awful lot of them are looking for advice on how to do something or how to make something work better. And a whole of them are looking to buy a service or product.</p>
<h4><span>90%</span></h4>
<p>The percentage of online shoppers at a major retailer’s website who said they find video helpful in making shopping and buying decisions. Retailers who provide online video to show off their products report that the products with video sell a lot more than products with no video.</p>
<h4><span>75%</span></h4>
<p>That’s the percent of executives who told Forbes that they watch work-related videos on business websites at least once a week. The results breakdown:</p>
<ul>
<li>50% watch business-related videos on YouTube</li>
<li>65% visit the marketer’s website after viewing a video</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<h4><span>16 minutes and 49 seconds</span></h4>
<p>According to comScore, that’s how much time the average user spends watching online video ads every month.</p>
<p><span>Takeaway:</span> If you're not using video marketing, you're missing out on a huge market opportunity. It’s not just the number of people who are watching videos that’s important – it’s the reasons why they watch it. When you post an online marketing video to a business website, you’ve got a great chance of engaging with a busy executive who is specifically looking for your services but might not have reached out to schedule a meeting for a presentation. Your marketing video is a great way to get your elevator pitch out into the ether and let it reel in leads.</p>
<h3>What’s the Payoff for Online Marketing Video?</h3>
<p><span>8 Big Video Marketing Results Numbers</span></p>
<h4><span>80%</span></h4>
<p>According to the Online Publishers Association, that’s the percentage of Internet users who recall watching a video ad on a website they visited in the past 30 days. It gets even better. Of that 80%, 46% took some action after viewing the ad. In fact:</p>
<ul>
<li>26% looked for more information about the subject of the video</li>
<li>22% visited the website named in the ad</li>
<li>15% visited the company represented in the video ad</li>
<li>12% purchased the specific product featured in the ad</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<h4><span>64%</span></h4>
<p>That’s how much more likely website visitors are to buy a product on an online retail site after watching a video. In addition, visitors who view videos stay on the site an average of 2 minutes longer than those who don’t view videos, comScore says.</p>
<p><span>Online Video Marketing Is Not Just for Retailers</span></p>
<h4><span>403%</span></h4>
<p>An Australian real estate group reports that real estate listings with videos receive 403% more inquiries than those without videos. In other words, real estate ads with videos generate quadruple the leads of those without videos.</p>
<h4><span>59%</span></h4>
<p>According to Forbes Insight, that’s the percentage of senior executives who’d rather watch a video than read text. About 65% of those who view a video click through to visit the vendor website, 50% look for more information and 45% report that they contacted a vendor after seeing an online video ad. About 50% of those who viewed an online marketing video went on to make a purchase for their business.</p>
<p><span>And It’s Not Just Online</span></p>
<h4><span>96%</span></h4>
<p>In 2010, an Implix email marketing survey found that including a video in an introductory email increased the click-through rate by 96%. That’s nearly twice as many people clicking through to your website when you include a video in your marketing emails.</p>
<h4><span>200%</span></h4>
<p>The Forrester Marketing group surveyed businesses in 2010 and found that video did even better. When marketers included a marketing or explainer video in an email, the click-through rate increased by 200% to 300%.</p>
<h4><span>75%</span></h4>
<p>Do your email subscribers drop like flies? Eloqua, an automated email marketing provider, noted that including video in an introductory email reduced the number of subscriber opt-outs by 75%. Maintaining that contact is a vital part of establishing a relationship with prospects.</p>
<h4><span>51%</span></h4>
<p>One online marketer reported a 51% increase in subscriber-to-lead conversion rates when video was included in an email marketing campaign.</p>
<p><span>Takeaway:</span> Video marketing increases sales and leads. If you're not using video marketing, you're losing customers to those who do. Businesses that incorporate video marketing into their overall marketing strategy see higher engagement rates, higher click-through rates and higher conversion rate. Why would you leave all that value sitting on the table?</p>
<h3>How to Make Video Marketing More Effective</h3>
<p><span>4 Big Numbers About User Engagement with Video Content</span></p>
<h4><span>10 seconds</span></h4>
<p>That’s how long you have to grab the attention of viewers in a video marketing clip. According to research by Visible Measures, 20% of your viewers will click away from a video in 10 seconds or fewer.</p>
<p>And it doesn’t get a lot better than that. You’ll lose about 1/3 of your viewers by 30 seconds, 45% of them by 1 minute and almost 60% by 2 minutes. And those numbers remain the same no matter how long the video is.</p>
<h4><span>5 minutes</span></h4>
<p>There’s good news, though. While desktop viewers tend to stick with videos for 2 minutes or less, mobile users seem to have a longer attention span. iPhone users tend to watch for about 2.4 minutes. Android users give a video three minutes to engage them and Symbian users stick around for just over 4 minutes. iPad users have the longest attention spans of all, sticking with a web video for an average of 5 minutes.</p>
<h4><span>16%</span></h4>
<p>That’s the percentage of YouTube videos that are embedded, linked or shared on Tuesdays between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., according to Sysomos.</p>
<h4><span>15 seconds</span></h4>
<p>According to research conducted by Jun Group (2011), videos that are 15 seconds or shorter are shared 37 percent more often than those that last between 30 seconds and 1 minute. If you make your video longer, that stat goes down. Those shorties are only shared 18% more often than videos of longer than 1 minute.</p>
<p><span>Takeaway:</span> Effective video marketing has to be engaging right from the start, but how do you know where your video is going off the rails? That’s where video analytics comes in. Detailed video analytics will tell you who’s watching your video, how long they stay engaged and exactly where they click away. Armed with that information, you can sharpen your message and target it more precisely. If you haven’t started your own video marketing campaign, isn’t it time you jumped in with both feet? There’s nothing to lose and about 403% more profit just waiting for you.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://www.videobrewery.com/blog/18-video-marketing-statistics">http://www.videobrewery.com/blog/18-video-marketing-statistics</a></p>
</div>
</div></div>STOP Believing The B.S. About Your Internet Sales Department Or BDC NOT Being Able To Make A Minimum Of 120 Calls Per Day Per Rep!https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/stop-believing-the-b-s-about-your-internet-sales-department-or-bd2014-01-04T00:03:33.000Z2014-01-04T00:03:33.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/p-danzBEzSc?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" ></param>
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<a href="http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com">http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com</a> 856-546-2440<br />
<a href="http://www.dealersynergy.com">http://www.dealersynergy.com</a>
<p>STOP Believing The B.S. About Your Internet Sales Department Or BDC NOT Being Able To Make A Minimum Of 120 Calls Per Day Per Rep!</p>
<p>Most dealerships on a daily basis hear excuses from their Internet Sales Department, BDC or their Sales Team in regards to how many phone calls they can ACTUALLY make in a day. I have said it for almost 15 years that an Internet Sales Coordinator, BDC Rep AKA an appointment setter can and should make a MINIMUM of 120 calls per day. BOTTOM LINE, PERIOD but YET, there are dealers that ALLOW their employees to be COMPLACENT in MEDIOCRITY. That is right… they ALLOW Mediocrity. Please watch these videos over and over again. PLEASE go to the search bar on this site and search "Power Hour". This is NOT the first time I have done this and VIDEO RECORDED THE RESULTS. It happens ALL THE TIME!!</p>
<p>All I have to do is put up a $100 Bill… tape it to the wall and BOOM!!!! I SHATTER THE Mediocrity. I shatter the myth that they can't make all of those calls… I SHATTER their FEAR THAT THEY CAN'T do it. BOOM!</p>
<p>PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW Mediocrity in your stores or in your life.</p>
<p>If you would like to discuss this video or how I can help you obliterate Mediocrity in your Internet Sales Department, BDC or Showroom. Please feel free to call me or email me-<object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/lyLs4a5KeDQ?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0" ></param>
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</div>Make Money Mondays With Sean V. Bradley - 'Mind Map' - Automotive Sales - Car Saleshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/make-money-mondays-with-sean-v-bradley-mind-map-automotive-sales-2013-12-09T15:02:36.000Z2013-12-09T15:02:36.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><object width="560" height="315" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param>
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<a href="http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com">http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com</a> 856-546-2440<br />
Make Money Mondays With Sean V. Bradley - 'Mind Map' - Automotive Sales - Car Sales</p>
<p>If you REALLY believe that "Car Sales Is YOUR own Business"... Then this video is for you! </p>
</div>Make Money Mondays with Sean V. Bradley - Car Sales Is Like Owning Your Own Businesshttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/make-money-mondays-with-sean-v-bradley-car-sales-is-like-owning-y2013-12-02T13:00:00.000Z2013-12-02T13:00:00.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><object width="560" height="315" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param>
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<a href="http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com">http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com</a> 856-546-2440<br />
Make Money Mondays with Sean V. Bradley - Car Sales Is Like Owning Your Own Business</p>
</div>Re: Internet Manager Best Practices (Aaron Harris Question) - Sean V. Bradley & Joe Calahttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/re-internet-manager-best-practices-aaron-harris-question-sean-v-b2013-11-06T01:11:22.000Z2013-11-06T01:11:22.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><object width="420" height="315" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param>
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<a href="http://www.dealersynergy.com">www.dealersynergy.com</a> 856-546-2440<br />
Re: Internet Manager Best Practices (Aaron Harris Question) - Sean V. Bradley & Joe Cala</p>
</div>Accounting Test: Keeping Internet Departments Honesthttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/accounting-test-keeping-internet-departments-honest2013-10-31T02:00:00.000Z2013-10-31T02:00:00.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><div><br />
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<td><a href="http://www.autodealermonthly.com/article/photos/104895/a-web-of-lies/1350.aspx" title="Click for larger view"><img class="wrapImageCMS" src="http://www.autodealermonthly.com/dm_images/articles/M-greenway-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Your website provider should be able to provide you with a monthly report that lists the number of hits your site has garnered, the sources of those hits, how long the average visitor spends on your site and what they are visiting on your page." /></a></td>
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<p>Your website provider should be able to provide you with a monthly report that lists the number of hits your site has garnered, the sources of those hits, how long the average visitor spends on your site and what they are visiting on your page.</p>
</div>
<p>Most dealerships now have an Internet department. Some stores have gone full speed by appointing an Internet manager, hiring representatives to follow up on leads and creating an advertising budget. Other stores have approached the digital age more cautiously, just dipping their toes into the vast pool of online media.</p>
<p>I visit dealerships across the country, and there seems to be no similarity at all in how Internet sales are handled and accounted for. Some dealers think they are maximizing their online sales revenue just by answering every e-mail and chat request.</p>
<p>There is a lot more to it. It just depends on how much money, time and resources you are willing to commit to the project. Full speed or not, from an accounting standpoint, it may make sense to set up a separate department to manage the income and expenses you derive from online sales. Here’s a six-step plan:</p>
<p><strong>1. Hack Your DMS</strong></p>
<p>It should be very simple to set up a new department on your dealer management system (DMS). Assign your new department a number and name, set up income and expense accounts and assign them a factory financial statement line number so they show up on your monthly financial statements. This step forces you to decide how you are going to track your Internet sales, as most factory charts of accounts don’t have separate accounts set up for Internet sales, cost of sales and expenses.</p>
<p><strong>2. Track Your Sales</strong></p>
<p>To properly track your Internet sales, you must set up separate sales and cost-of-sales accounts for each model of new vehicles you sell. Do this for your used inventory as well. If you don’t track these sales, cost of sales and gross profits separately — whether on a spreadsheet or in your accounting software — so you can subtract them from your financial statements, you will probably not have a clue if the money you are spending for this department is worth it.</p>
<p><strong>3. Establish Your Structure</strong></p>
<p>Decide whether your Internet personnel should handle the lead all the way to the finish line or hand the lead over to one of your regular salespeople. If it changes hands, you have to decide how you want to record the deal on your books. If not, note each Internet sale on the deal jacket so accounting knows which sales account to record it in, where to post the commission and where to list other costs associated with the sale.</p>
<p><strong>4. Separate Your YTD Expenses</strong></p>
<p>Once you have the department and the general ledger accounts set up, you can move the year-to-date (YTD) expenses from the accounts you have posted transactions to all year to the new accounts. That will allow you to start your department analysis in the current month.</p>
<p>Once you begin posting the sales and cost-of-sales accounts separately, you can easily see whether your Internet department is profitable. Make sure you allocate the correct payroll costs for the personnel working in this department. It should be based on the percentage of time they are spending there. Now you can calculate the average gross profit per unit sold, the commission or cost to sell it, and the variable expenses associated with it — the same as you would with your new- and used-vehicle departments.</p>
<p>Make sure you have set up accounts for Internet-centric expenses such as website design, in-store Internet usage, monthly web hosting maintenance fees, search engine optimization and lead-management software costs, not to mention your manager and sales representatives’ salaries and commissions.</p>
<p><strong>5. Separate Your Fixed Expenses</strong></p>
<p>If you really want to do it right, you should be allocating some of your semi-fixed and fixed expenses to the Internet department. How much is up to you. This can be a real pain to analyze and allocate, so you may want to have the department up and running for a while before you take this step. Your office manager or accounts payable expert can probably tell you which expenses pertain to your new department.</p>
<p>For the most part, your largest expenses are going to be personnel and electronic media software and usage fees for each click, etc. These are the ones you need to pay the most attention to, as they are variable and controllable costs. If the cost of each sale is larger than the revenue you are generating, you will need to decide how to drive more people to your site that may buy, or start reducing some expenses so the department is not a drain on your dealership’s profits.</p>
<p><strong>6. Order Your Reports</strong></p>
<p>The profitability of any department depends on performance. Your Internet manager should track how long it takes to respond to a lead and how many leads are closing as actual sales. Your website provider should be able to provide him or her with a monthly report that lists the number of hits, the source (e.g., Google search terms), how long the average visitor spends on your site and whether they are visiting different departments.</p>
<p>With the right information at hand, you should be able to compute your cost for each lead and unit sale. Better yet, you can make intelligent decisions on how to improve your website, your inventory mix and your process for handling Internet leads.</p>
<p><strong>Under Review</strong></p>
<p>Once you have set up new accounts for the income and expenses generated by your Internet department, you can determine whether the department is profitable. If it isn’t, you need to act fast. Look at your site from the perspective of a potential customer and ask yourself the following questions:</p>
<ul>
<li>Is your site graphically appealing and easy to navigate?</li>
<li>Does it look as nice as your competitors’ sites?</li>
<li>Is your inventory easy to find?</li>
<li>Are your vehicles listed with good photos, videos and descriptions?</li>
<li>Are your online prices competitive for your market?</li>
<li>Do you know how many of the same vehicles are for sale in your market area?</li>
<li>Do you make it easy for customers to contact you?</li>
</ul>
<p>Source - <a href="http://www.autodealermonthly.com/article/story/2013/10/a-web-of-lies.aspx?utm_campaign=Enews-20131029&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter">http://www.autodealermonthly.com/article/story/2013/10/a-web-of-lies.aspx?utm_campaign=Enews-20131029&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter</a> </p>
</div>Internet Director / Internet Sales Manager Responsibilities Part 1. With Sean V. Bradley & Joe Calahttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/internet-director-internet-sales-manager-responsibilities-part-1-2013-10-25T11:43:53.000Z2013-10-25T11:43:53.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><object width="420" height="315" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param>
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<p><a href="http://www.dealersynergy.com">http://www.dealersynergy.com</a> 856-546-2440 </p>
<p>Sean V. Bradley has 15 years Automotive Internet Sales experience selling over 110 INTERNET units per month when he was an Internet Director at Pine Belt Automotive in NJ </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Joe Cala was the Internet Sales Manager at Nelson Mazda in Tulsa Oklahoma that took their department from 7 units - 80 units per month online. Joe then went on to Gateway Toyota, a Penske store to become the Internet Director for 6 years. Joe was delivering 150 INTERNET units per month. Cala also worked for Autotrader.com for a year.</p>
<p>Both Cala and Bradley have extensive Automotive Internet Sales experience and have created a 5 part Internet Director responsibilities series. </p>
<p>If you would like more information please go to <a href="http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com">www.automotivedigitaltraining.com</a> or call them at 856-546-2440 </p>
<p> </p>
</div>Check-out these Tweet themes to help your business drive more results this season.https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/check-out-these-tweet-themes-to-help-your-business-drive-more-res2013-10-04T16:53:26.000Z2013-10-04T16:53:26.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474218?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474218?profile=original" width="312" class="align-full"></a></p>
<p></p>
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<td valign="top"><font><b>Check-out these Tweet themes to help your business drive more results this season.</b></font></td>
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<td valign="top"><span><strong>Mondays</strong><br> Ask followers which holiday products or services they want to see more of, then reply back. <br> <br> <strong>Tuesdays</strong><br> Count down to Black <span class="aBn"><span class="aQJ">Friday</span></span>, Cyber <span class="aBn"><span class="aQJ">Monday</span></span> and Christmas by offering Twitter-only sales to entice followers. <span><a href="http://app.tweet.twitter.com/e/er?utm_campaign=EM_US_AQ_SMB_Holiday_1003_LTC_SL1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&s=1259914507&lid=1427&elq=0d09ee1e081a4dfea1ceafa6e1a22531" target="_blank">See how</a></span></span></td>
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<td valign="top"><span><strong>Wednesdays</strong><br> Share photos of your business giving back to the community during the season. <br> <br> <strong>Thursdays</strong><br> Create 6-second Vine videos with how-to content and to reveal new products. <span><a href="http://app.tweet.twitter.com/e/er?utm_campaign=EM_US_AQ_SMB_Holiday_1003_LTC_SL1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&s=1259914507&lid=1935&elq=0d09ee1e081a4dfea1ceafa6e1a22531" target="_blank">Download Vine</a></span><br> <br> <strong>Fridays</strong><br> Promote a community event or joint offer with business partners leading up to Small Business <span class="aBn"><span class="aQJ">Saturday</span></span>. <span><a href="http://app.tweet.twitter.com/e/er?utm_campaign=EM_US_AQ_SMB_Holiday_1003_LTC_SL1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&s=1259914507&lid=1936&elq=0d09ee1e081a4dfea1ceafa6e1a22531" target="_blank">Learn more</a></span><br> <br> Do even more with Twitter Ads to expand your community of followers then amplify your Tweets to extend beyond current followers to reach more customers. <br> <br> Set your business up for success this holiday season by advertising with Twitter.</span></td>
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</table></div>How Many Leads Can An Automotive Internet Sales Coordinator, BDC Rep Or Car Salesman Handle?https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/how-many-leads-can-an-automotive-internet-sales-coordinator-bdc-r2013-09-27T01:15:11.000Z2013-09-27T01:15:11.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/p6Nh0Y0fRTI?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0" ></param>
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<a href="http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com">http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com</a><br />
How Many Leads Can An Automotive Internet Sales Coordinator, BDC Rep Or Car Salesman Handle?
</div>BEWARE of YOUR Internet Or Business Development Department Infrastructurehttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/beware-of-your-internet-or-business-development-department-infras2013-06-21T04:30:00.000Z2013-06-21T04:30:00.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p dir="ltr"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1473993?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1473993?profile=original" width="318" class="align-full"></a></p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span>BEWARE of YOUR Internet Or</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span>Business Development Department Infrastructure</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>For more than nine years, I have traveled the country conducting consulting and training for approximately 500 dealerships, and before that I worked on the front lines for five and half years. I have tracked trends, patterns, common situations that effect dealership’s success, and what is crystal clear is that region, franchise or demographics don’t matter. I want to share some revelations I have identified that will help you sell more cars, more often and more profitably.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Dealerships are</span> <span>not</span> <span>staffing their Internet or business development department the right way. I see the same thing over and over at dealership after dealership. For example, dealers will have 500 leads in their CRM and have one or two appointment setters working those leads — or</span> <span>worse</span><span>, they have</span> <span>no</span> <span>appointment setters. They just rely on showroom consultants to handle all of those leads.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Let me just dive into my concerns in this scenario, beginning with having too few appointment setters. This doesn’t work because there are</span> <span>far</span> <span>too many leads to be handled for only one to two appointment setters. Understand that you only have an 11 to 14 percent connection ratio from phone call attempts. I train clients to make 120 calls per day, no exceptions. However, we find that the average dealership’s appointment setters are making only 50 to 75 calls per day.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Let me break this data down for you:</span></p>
<p></p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>On average, 50 call attempts will</span> <span>only</span> <span>convert to five to seven conversations. Does that sound productive for an eight-hour day? Of course not. With two appointment setters each making 50 calls, they will have 10 to 14 conversations for the entire day. Remember that is</span> <span>only</span> <span>10 to 14 conversations out of 500 leads. Leads mean opportunities to do business. These prospects</span> <span>are in the market</span> <span>but we do</span> <span>not</span> <span>engage them?</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Even if your people were making 75 calls each. One rep’s connections would be seven to 10 conversations and two rep’s connections would be 14 to 20 connections. That’s still inadequate compared to the lead volume.</span></p> </li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Now, let’s discuss the scenario of having</span> <span>no</span> <span>appointment setters and just utilizing your showroom sales consultants. The average dealership has approximately 10 sales consultants, and they have lots of responsibilities as well as ways for them to sell an automobile. Let’s look at the eight different ways a showroom sales consultant can sell an automobile:</span></p>
<p></p>
<ol>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Walk-Ins</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Be-Backs</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Phone-Ups</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Internet</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Referrals</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Prior Customers</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Service</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Prospecting</span></p> </li>
</ol>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Lets be honest: I believe the vast majority of automotive sales consultants do not engage the full eight ways to sell an automobile and even if they do, the majority do not do it consistently. But, let’s pretend for a second that they do. How can the average sales consultant handle their full sales responsibilities</span> <span>plus</span> <span>handle the 50, 75 or 100</span> <span>fresh</span> <span>Internet leads they receive per month? If an appointment setter — who does not have to do a product presentation, demo drive or a delivery — only makes 50 to 75 calls per day and converts only five to seven conversations per day, how many phone call attempts do you really think your sales people are making?</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Exactly.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Let’s add another crazy, but important, variable called the residual flow factor. That means the “carry over leads.” Remember that the average Internet prospect is approximately 45 to 90 days. So, if you receive 400 leads in the month of June and you sell 40 units, it doesn’t end there. Just because you close your month doesn’t mean that all of those 370 other leads that didn’t buy are garbage. On the contrary, those are actual working (“cooking”) opportunities. So, let’s say that out of the 370 remaining leads, 200 are still active and viable opportunities. You will start <span class="aBn"><span class="aQJ">July 1</span></span> with 200 “carry over” leads, plus you will receive an additional 400 “fresh” leads for a total working lead opportunity of</span> <span>600 leads</span><span>. This is known as your residual flow factor.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Now, let me give you the “secret formula” to success. I have numerous nationally recognized client success stories. Clients using this formula have graced the cover of every major automotive magazine, including</span> <span>AutoSuccess</span> <span>(The most recent would be Alan Vines Automotive, in the September 2012 issue).</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Alan Vines Automotive has five appointment setters:</span></p>
<p></p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Five coordinators X 120 calls per day = 600 calls per day</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>600 calls per day X five working days = 3,000 calls per week</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>3,000 calls per week X 4.3 weeks in a month = 12,900 calls</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>12,900 calls X 12 percent connection ratio = 1,548 connections with prospects</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>1,548 connections X 25 percent appointment made ratio = 387 appointments</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>387 appointments X 60 percent appointment show ratio = 232 appointment shows</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>232 appointment shows X 42 percent close ratio = 97 units delivered.</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>97 units delivered (as documented in the cover story)</span></p> </li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Alan Vines Automotive receives 600 to 700 fresh leads per month and has a residual flow factor of 800 to 900 working leads.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>My final point is that your Internet sales appointment setters should</span> <span>not</span> <span>be doing anything other than dealing with fresh and carry over Internet sales leads. The only exception is if you have them take incoming phone-ups.</span> <span>That</span> <span>is perfectly in alignment with the system. Do not, however, have them working on:</span></p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Unsold showroom traffic</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Service</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>CSI</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Data Mining</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Credit</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Getting lunch, coffee, etc.</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Taking pictures</span></p> </li>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span>Greeting</span></p> </li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>If you think your one or two appointment setters (if you even have them) can work 300 to 500 fresh Internet leads</span> <span>plus</span> <span>do any or all of these things, you are wrong. If your dealership has these efforts tasked to the Internet appointment setter, I suggest that you delegate to someone else, hire BDC appointment setters or accept mediocrity.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>If you have any questions or comment about this article,</span> <span>or</span> <span>if you would like me to personally review your Internet or BDC infrastructure with you, please feel free to e-mail or call me.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Sean V. Bradley is the founder and CEO of Dealer Synergy, a nationally recognized training and consulting company in the automotive industry. He can be contacted at <a target="_blank">866.648.7400</a>, or by e-mail at <a href="mailto:sbradley@autosuccessonline.com" target="_blank">sbradley@autosuccessonline.com</a>.</span></p></div>Ten Steps to Surviving a Start-Uphttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/ten-steps-to-surviving-a-start-up2013-05-07T22:46:34.000Z2013-05-07T22:46:34.000ZJason Parmanhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/JasonParman<div><p><b> Ten Steps to Surviving a Start-Up</b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>When reflecting upon my last 10 months in the auto industry I’ve found it necessary to write a short re-cap of what I’ve learned working for two different start-up companies, so that in the future those of you who find themselves working for a start-up, has some sort of step by step process to help you succeed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The following 10 steps may not apply for every start-up, but the core lessons learned are here and can be tailored to your particular situation.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1473932?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1473932?profile=original" width="259" class="align-center"></a> </p>
<p> <b>Steps:</b></p>
<p> </p>
<ol>
<li>When researching the company that has extended an offer to you. Make absolutely sure that you whole-heartedly believe in the product or solution the company has to offer. Don’t just simply take the job out of necessity, because all that is going to do is cause you more pain and potentially cause you to garnish your relationships with your current book of business. Unless you’re a self-proclaimed seller of ice to Eskimos, selling a product that you don’t necessarily believe in, is almost impossible to do.</li>
<li>If you have found your way past step 1 and landed on step 2 then more than likely you are encouraged that the product and or solutions that the company has to offer is solid, but you still have some work to do. Do your due diligence and make sure that the people that you will be working for and with are on par with the people whom you normally like to surround yourself with. What I mean by this is simple. Before you take the offer of employment, research the CEO. Find out what he or she has done in the past. Are they cutting edge? Find out how the CEO has treated his or her employees in the past. Research the current staff that is in place, these are the people that you will be working with hand in hand on a daily basis. Find out how they handle themselves under pressure, because when you work for a start-up there are going to be days when the pressure can be insurmountable.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1473954?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1473954?profile=original" width="225" class="align-center"></a></li>
<li>So if you have found yourself on step 3 then you have completed some heavy research and have liked the results that you come up with. Now you need to see what processes the company has in place. Every start-up has a business plan that will include a process and or processes that circle around how the product or solution is to be sold, maintained, handled, and executed. Depending on the position that you have been offered these processes may vary, but the idea still stays the same. A company without a process/plan is like a car without wheels. The car may start, but I guarantee its not going to go nowhere.</li>
<li>If you have made it this far you’ve probably established one of two things. You are either a good fit for the company or you’ve decided that the company may not be a good fit for you. So now you have reached the pivotal moment of truth. Do you take the job or do you pass on the opportunity for something better. If you have decided to take the job, then proceed on to the next steps.</li>
<li>No matter what position that you have been hired for, more than likely you have been hired because you are a subject matter expert in a particular field that in some facet pertains to the companies plan. Now this is great because in some way you have established yourself in the industry as a leader in your particular field, but remember when you are hired on at a start-up you may or may not be asked to perform tasks that doesn’t pertain to your field. Now I am a firm believer that you should always be learning new things and stepping outside of your comfort zone is always a good way to broaden your intellect, but remember that you have been given a task and even though you may be asked to do other things to help the company, don’t loose site of what you were hired for in the first place. If you are not a seasoned at multitasking then I would say a start-up is not the place to further your career path.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1473977?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1473977?profile=original" width="248" class="align-center"></a></li>
<li>Staying motivated is key when it comes down to making or breaking the start-up. You not only need to be motivated 24/7 but you need to learn how to motivate others as well. When working for a start-up you can almost guarantee that there are going to be days when you feel like licking your wounds and going home. Being motivated and motivating others through these rough patches can really make a difference when you or one of your colleagues are having a bad day.</li>
<li>Being persistent is always a good trait to have, but when working for new start-ups persistence really plays a key role in business development. A new start-up has a core business plan with a product and or solution they want to present to the core audience. The only problem is sometimes the niche needs crafted into a diamond and that comes from persistence. You have to constantly take your core product or solution and evolve it into something that is constantly making sense to your audience.</li>
<li>Don’t be afraid of change! No matter what industry you are in, you have to be able to adapt to change. In order for a new start-up to survive, change is has to be a constant and if you are not susceptible to an environment that is always changing then destination frustration is just right around the corner and its going to reach out and smack you square in the face. There is a great book that I read a long time ago called “Who moved my cheese?” that I recommend all young business students and anyone who is thinking about joining a start-up or starting a business of their own read. The book really puts into perspective how important it is to be able to adapt to change.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474001?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474001?profile=original" width="275" class="align-center"></a></li>
<li>No matter how well you think you may be doing, you always need to have reports to back up your results. This can be simple excel sheets or ornate, robust power points with pie charts, bar graphs, or whatever you seem fit to show your progress. Having these reports, whether they are asked for or not can really be great tools to not only help you develop, but help the company develop as well, because when its all said and done results are the only thing that matter when it comes down to getting the start-up off the ground.</li>
<li><p>Last but not least, put in the time! Working for a start-up is not a 9 to 5 job. Be prepared to start early and work late, because you are going to have deadlines that need to be met and depending on how many projects have been assigned to you, you always have to make sure everything is done right, and done on-time, which may require you to put in more hours than what you initially thought would take to get the task completed.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474037?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1474037?profile=original" width="259" class="align-center"></a></p><p></p></li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p>Please remember that I am basing these steps on what I have learned working within the auto industry, but can be used and adapted to whatever industry that you may be in. The core principles are the same, just try to follow these steps and I am sure you too can survive a start-up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If you have any questions or would like to comment on this article, please feel free to do so, also if you feel the need to share I welcome you to share with your networks and pass on what I have learned.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thank You</p>
<p>Jason Parman</p></div>Why am I seeing so many dealers with business listings UNCLAIMED?https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/why-am-i-seeing-so-many-dealers-with-business-listings-unclaimed2013-01-31T19:00:00.000Z2013-01-31T19:00:00.000ZJerry Harthttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/JerryHart<div><p><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://ereputationbuilder.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/sadface.jpg"><img class="align-center" src="http://ereputationbuilder.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/sadface.jpg?width=275" width="275"/></a><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Why am I seeing so many dealers with business listings UNCLAIMED? Reminds me of the old days, circa 1998 and URL’s for the company name we're not claimed. Didn't that suck when you found out the URL was taken by someone or some company much less deserving of that URL. Same with your listing.</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">I’ve seen what happens to your face when you find out your competitor has claimed your listing. Signing up for a listing is one thing but much more important is CLAIMING your listing. For some this may seem like a no brainer, however based on how many dealers we support for reputation management, I’m shocked at how many have major review listings for their dealer name unclaimed.</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Business listings should play a role in your marketing plan because who wants to waste time with promotions that don’t benefit your bottom line. Business directories are a great form of targeted advertising.</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Google has some great suggestions you can do to <a rel="nofollow" title="Optimize your Listing" href="http://support.google.com/places/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=148047" target="_blank">Optimize your listing and lift your Google score</a> to help users find your dealership. The third recommendation is my favorite…..</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Include images and videos to help your listing stand out.</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://ereputationbuilder.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/clain.jpg"><img class="align-left" src="http://ereputationbuilder.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/clain.jpg?width=275" width="275"/></a>Can online directory listings increase my web traffic?</strong></span></p><p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Knowing how many cars and R.O’s are coming from your preferred dealership listings is a reality many are tracking, in terms of where they rank and traffic. I’m really impressed with BDC directors that are aware that Yelp makes it pretty stinking ridiculous in terms of NOT allowing us to know which keyword was used before your vehicle prospect clicks to your Yelp listing, but I digress.</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Listing your company and company URL on online review sites and directories not only helps your ROI, but can also help your website appear higher in search results for certain terms. The more quality web pages that you can get your site listed or mentioned in, the more authoritative Google will begin to think your website is. When Google chooses where your webpage will appear in search results, Page Rank (the authority of the webpage) is one of the factors that can significantly increase your chances or being ranked first, or at least on the first page, for a particular search term or phrase.</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong>What does my dealership need to do now?</strong></span></p><p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Claim your unclaimed listings!</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">It may take some time to find the right mix of directories to advertise your business in. Implement some sort of analytics or tracking system to see which directories are giving you the best return, either in click throughs to your site, in direct revenue, or in call volume. This could include using special tracking campaign links for online directories, or a unique phone numbers or URLs for print ads. Over time, cut the zero- or low-performing directories and re-invest in new ones until you find a good mix of print and online directories that perform well for your dealership.</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally, it’s important to keep in mind that listing your company in directories isn’t just a one-time project. It needs to be maintained and your strategies adjusted based on what your competitors are doing, and based on your changing business goals. However, studies are proving the maintaining business directory listings as part of your marketing plan can be a profitable business strategy for your dealership.</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">I highly recommend ChatMeter and Yext if you need help with managing, optimizing, and monitoring your online listings.</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Jerry Hart</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">President</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">eReputationBUILDER</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">888-810-0441</span></p></div>Secrets To Being Successful In Automotive Internet Sales / Business Development - "Relationship Selling"https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/secrets-to-being-successful-in-automotive-internet-sales-business2013-01-24T22:32:03.000Z2013-01-24T22:32:03.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><p><object width="560" height="315" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param>
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<p><a href="http://www.internetsales20group.com">http://www.internetsales20group.com</a></p>
<p>Secrets To Being Successful In Automotive Internet Sales / Business Development - "Relationship Selling"</p>
</div>2013 Social Media Marketing Predictions for Car Dealers (Re-Post From ADM)https://automotiveinternetsales.com/profiles/blogs/automotive-marketing2013-01-01T17:30:00.000Z2013-01-01T17:30:00.000ZSean V. Bradleyhttps://automotiveinternetsales.com/members/SeanVBradley<div><h1><strong><span class="font-size-5"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong><span class="font-size-5">14 Experts Predict 2013 Social Media Marketing Trends for <a href="http://www.automotivedigitalmarketing.com/forum/topics/2013-social-media-marketing-predictions-for-car-dealers" target="_blank"><span style="color: #000000;">Car Dealers</span></a> and Local Business Owners</span></strong></span><br></span></strong></h1>
<p><a href="http://www.automotivedigitalmarketing.com/forum/topics/2013-social-media-marketing-predictions-for-car-dealers" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1473732?profile=original" width="300"></a>First of all, I want to thank <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/103986325203782783948" target="_blank">Mr. Bryan Armstrong</a> for posting a link and article snippet on the Google+ Community titled "<a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/114877616986046952073" target="_blank">Automotive Social Media Marketing</a>" which led me to an article... which referenced and led me one step further to the AT&T Networking Exchange Blog that I am re-posting for the benefit of ADM Professional Community members below.</p>
<p><strong>My goal is to get our community of automotive marketing practitioners to think about where the car business is heading with our use of social media marketing strategies and tactics, in the hope of stimulating some valuable discussion and commentary.</strong></p>
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<p>For example, take a look at Jeff Bulas' (#3) prediction (more of a projection?) where he describes what sounds like car dealers connecting the dots between search engine marketing strategies and how they will begin to understand the correlation between sound content creation and publishing programs as part of their overall marketing strategy. There are few areas within the very large world of automotive digital marketing that has more effectively captured the attention of car dealers than taking action to ensure having their websites and published information show up in the Google Search Engine results which appear for their customers making automotive related inquiries... To Jeff's point, as more and more dealers grasp the connection between publishing "User Generated Content" as part of a daily Content Marketing and Earned Media strategy, their perspective on Social Media Marketing and how it delivers a Return On Investment (ROI) will evolve and become a lot more sophisticated.</p>
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<p>All 14 of these predictions are well worth carefully reviewing and considering in your dealership's 2013 marketing strategy, but take a close look at Margie Clayman's (#4) predictions. Her words make a lot of sense and sound very likely to occur, at least to my admittedly biased ears... Here's a quote from Margie predictions:</p>
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<p><em>"I predict that in 2013 small businesses will start seeing social media more as a tool and less as an entity unto itself. Instead of asking what social media is, they will ask how they should be using it and why."</em></p>
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<p>What Margie says under the guise of a prediction makes a lot of sense, and is just plain good guidance, whether or not labeled with the "Predictions for 2013" moniker or not. As you read through these 14 so-called predictions, you will find that most of them should be considered good advice, and brimming with opportunity for competitive advantage.</p>
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<p>All of the renowned and highly respected writers, speakers and practitioners whose "predictions" are listed in the article below are knowledgeable and obviously put serious thought into their answers to Cheryl Burgess's questions. I found that reading the predictions caused me to think and consider many of my own strategies and tactics, so as to be positioned for a competitive advantage in 2013... <strong>When it really comes down to why any of us would bother with social media and the marketing, engagement and communications capabilities it offers to car dealers; if there were no opportunity for competitive advantage, then why would we bother with it?</strong></p>
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<p>After you check these predictions out, please post a comment about which ones you found credible and ringing of truth, and which ones you considered to be more fantasy than fact... Finally, the question that Cheryl closed her article with, which I have boldened and highlighted in red font. I will echo to our professional network... <strong>What are YOUR predictions regarding social media and the way car dealers will use it in 2013?</strong></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Not The Same Old, Same Old Social Media</strong></span></p>
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<p class="author"><strong><span class="font-size-3">by <a title="Posts by Cheryl Burgess" href="http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/author/cheryl-burgess/" rel="author">Cheryl Burgess</a></span></strong></p>
<p class="author-info"><span class="font-size-2"><strong>Co-founder, Managing Partner, Blue Focus Marketing</strong></span></p>
<p class="author-social">Find Cheryl on: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ckburgess"><img alt="" src="http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/wp-content/themes/networkingexchange/images/author_twitter-trans.png"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylburgess"><img alt="" src="http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/wp-content/themes/networkingexchange/images/author_linkedin-trans.png"></a> <a href="http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/author/cheryl-burgess/feed/"><img alt="RSS Icon Link" src="http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/wp-content/themes/networkingexchange/images/rss-icon-author.png"></a></p>
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<p><br> <a href="http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/small-business/14-social-media-predictions-for-small-business-in-2013" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/14-Social-Media-Predictions-for-Small-Business-in-2013-12-12-120x120.jpg?width=200" width="200"></a>When Cheryl started this post, she wanted to share 13 Social Media Predictions for Small Business (including car dealerships) in 2013. However, for those of her readers who might be superstitious, Cheryl didn't want to jinx the New Year before it even began. So, she decided to go with 14 predictions instead. Cheryl suggests that there is no need to worry about doomsday <a href="http://www.bluefocusmarketing.com/blog/2012/01/12/predicting-the-future-with-social-media/">prophecies</a> from the Mayans or Nostradamus. As shown by their predictions for 2013, the experts Ms. Burgess consulted see only a bright future ahead for small businesses, car dealers and their ability to receive business benefits from social media marketing practices. ADM Professional Community members are encouraged to visit Cheryl's article on the AT&T Networking Blog for Small Business at <a href="http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/small-business/14-experts-predict-2013-social-media-trends-for-small-business/" target="_blank">NetworkingExchangeBlog.ATT.com/Small-Business</a>.</p>
<p><strong>1. Meghan M. Biro</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/MeghanMBiro">@MeghanMBiro</a> – Founder and CEO of TalentCulture Consulting Group and the TalentCulture World of Work Community. “In 2013, for businesses small & large, I predict that the quality of online relationships and content will rise to the occasion in the vast sea of social media. Also, crowdsourcing will become a more active player in the mainstream social enterprise.”</p>
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<p><strong>2. David Brier</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/davidbrier">@DavidBrier</a> – Chief Gravity Defyer at DBD International, Ltd. – “In 2013, small businesses will need to strengthen their ties to their customers as the world keeps getting smaller. So much more is available than ever before. Thus, the competitive edge will be built on those relationships and bonds. In addition, small businesses can become the official ambassadors of excellent customer service in a world that’s going increasingly automated. As more and more “touch points” become “streamlined” at the expense of personal human contact, the companies with excellent personnel and live customer service representatives will outshine and outperform their competition.”</p>
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<p><strong>3. Jeff Bullas</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/jeffbullas">@jeffbullas</a> – Account Director- Infinity Technologies, Social Media Marketing Blogger, Speaker and Strategist – Author -”Blogging the Smart Way – How to create and Market a Killer Blog with Social Media” “Google has realized that people voting for content they like with Retweets, Facebook likes, plus +1′s and comments is important and increasingly relevant in what they serve up in Google search results. Google+ was launched just over 12 months ago to capture those social signals, and today the Google +1 button is used over five billion times every day. In 2013 you will see small companies starting to realize that social media is also important for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Companies will begin to understand that social, content, and SEO are linked and more integrated than ever.”</p>
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<p><strong>4. Margie Clayman</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/MargieClayman">@MargieClayman</a>- Vice President of Client Services, Clayman Marketing Communications, Inc. “I predict that in 2013 small businesses will start seeing social media more as a tool and less as an entity unto itself. Instead of asking what social media is, they will ask how they should be using it and why. In the end, this will increase the effectiveness of their social media marketing efforts.”</p>
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<p><strong>5. Jon Ferrara</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/Jon_Ferrara">@Jon_Ferrara</a> – CEO Nimble, Inc. “Nearly every small business is experimenting with or planning on using social media because they understand they need to go where their audience is. Listening and engaging and being discoverable online is critically important today in growing their businesses. 2013 will be the year Social Media moves out of Community Management and Marketing to Social Selling and Customer Engagement.”</p>
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<p><strong>6. Sam Fiorella</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/samfiorella">@samfiorella</a> – Partner at <a href="http://www.senseiwisdom.com/" target="_blank">Sensei Marketing</a> and Author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0789751046/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0789751046&linkCode=as2&tag=sensblog01-20" target="_blank">Influence Marketing</a> “Small Businesses in 2013 will tire of broadcast social media campaigns and messaging and invest in monitoring tools like Jungoo.com, Shoutlet.com or others to better segment their audience, effectively target influencers and accurately measure the impact of those efforts. Next, employees—the businesses’ biggest brand ambassadors—will become trained and empowered to become actual influencers across social channels.”</p>
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<p><strong>7. Mike Johansson</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/mikefixs">@mikefixs –</a> Lecturer in Communication at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and Social Media Strategist for Fixitology LLC – “2013 is the year that small businesses finally acknowledge that social media needs to be part of the daily workload. Depending on whose numbers you believe, somewhere between 20 and 25 percent of small businesses use social media for customer engagement, customer service, community building and selling. In 2013 small businesses will realize they either get on that bus or they’ll be waving goodbye to the opportunity to be in front of people … and some, if not all, of their business.”</p>
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<p><strong>8. Wendy Marx</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/wendymarx">@Wendy Marx</a> – President – Marx Communications-“In 2013, for B2B small businesses it will be more use of content marketing, especially content curation, as a way of engaging customers. Small businesses will make greater use of LinkedIn as the platform continues to expand its offerings. Finally, the coming year will see a greater integration of social media into all marketing practices so it becomes a part of a small business’ way of doing business.”</p>
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<p><strong>9. Steve Olenski</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/steveolenski">@steveolenski</a> – Sr. Content Strategist at Responsys – “In 2013 I think (and maybe it’s wishful thinking) that more and more small businesses will begin to dive into the visual side of social media, (i.e. Pinterest and Instagram). I have said this a million times, but you have to look at your computer/mobile screen the way you do a TV. People do not read TV, they watch it. Consumers want to see something—not just read it.”</p>
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<p><strong>10. Tom Pick</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/TomPick">@TomPick</a> – Digital Marketing & PR Consultant – Webbiquity- “In 2013, small businesses, and larger ones too, will get more sophisticated about their measurement of social media results. They will view social media marketing tactics within the larger framework of their overall Web presence—how it supports what they are doing in PR, website optimization, search advertising and other areas of marketing. Their measurement will be less about direct, linear ROI and more about how social sharing and engagement fits into and enhances their overall web marketing and lead generation strategies.”</p>
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<p><strong>11.</strong> <strong>Alex Romanovich</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/alexromanovich">@AlexRomanovich</a> – Managing Partner - <a href="http://www.social2b.com/" target="_blank">Social2B, Inc</a>, Adviser – The CMO Club – “SMBs will continue to test social media, while more aggressively increasing their budgets allocated to social media in any form. By now, the SMB community is seeing some positive results via social media and will continue to test the channel, conversions, ecommerce or social commerce, etc. For the first time, SMBs will start paying even closer attention to metrics and analytics—they will want to know more about their conversion rates and ROI, although they will continue to be challenged by the complexity and growing pains of the social environment. SMBs will also use more social networks—besides LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, SMBs will continue to discover Google+, Slideshare, etc.”</p>
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<p><strong>12.</strong> <strong>Gary Schirr</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/ProfessorGary">@ProfessorGary</a> – Assistant Professor – Marketing, Radford University - “In 2013 savvy small businesses around the globe will learn valuable photo and video-editing skills to help drive their social media marketing efforts. Using their own cameras, smartphones and tablets, small businesses will leverage newly found creative skills to create content that impacts their audience. They will also solicit visual content from employees and customers. Small businesses will develop an eye for visual content marketing opportunities while learning editing tools such as iMovie, MovieMaker, Photoshop and PaintShop to help energize their business marketing approach.”</p>
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<p><strong>13.</strong> <strong>Deborah Weinstein</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/DebWeinstein">@debweinstein</a> – President & Partner, Strategic Objectives “2012 saw a major surge in mobile adoption rates, and 2013 will be all about the apps that lead to social sharing. Mobile is an effective brand building tool for small business given its powerful ability to geo-target consumers and promote local sales. In 2013, we will see a focus on quick, easy and highly visual apps, including Instagram, Viddly, Cinemagram and Keek. These apps are the ‘140 characters’ of visual, social sharing. Small business can use these free, easy-to-use tools to get the message out to their audience on such a short, quick-consumption platform.”</p>
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<p><strong>14.</strong> <strong>Patricia Wilson</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/BrandCottage">@brandcottage</a> – President/Founder BrandCottage - “The biggest shift we will see is in content creation. It is relatively easy and inexpensive to create beautiful photos and videos for social media. Small business are beginning to reach their comfort level with social media and will employ more tactics with Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and other social nets.”</p>
<h5><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><span class="font-size-4">What trends in social media do you see taking shape in the coming year?</span></strong></span></h5>
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<p><strong>Check out the original source of this post:</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/small-business/14-experts-predict-2013-social-media-trends-for-small-business/" target="_blank">networkingexchangeblog.att.com/14-experts-predict-2013-social-media...</a></p>
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<p>The following Automotive Social Media Infographic gives us some historical perspective on where the car business was with our use of social media back when we were headed into 2012... A lot has changed, so what will 2013 have in store for the ways in which automotive marketers seek to gain a competitive advantage via innovation and more effective use of social media channels?</p>
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<p>Source - <a href="http://www.automotivedigitalmarketing.com/forum/topic/show?id=1970539%3ATopic%3A441771&xgs=1&xg_source=msg_share_topic">http://www.automotivedigitalmarketing.com/forum/topic/show?id=1970539%3ATopic%3A441771&xgs=1&xg_source=msg_share_topic</a></p>
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