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Great news! Pinterest is now testing search ads with keywords and shopping tools.

97% of Pinterest searches are not brand specific, so a lot of the keywords will have to be intuitive -- just like a Google search. This means that you can supply content to your customers based on their searches on Pinterest and not just Google.

On this week's Hard Facts, Samantha gives you creative pointers and other marketing tips to be aware of as this new technology rolls out to all businesses.

We’d love to hear what you have to say. Comment below and follow us on Facebook.

Website: http://www.ppadv.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PotratzAdvert...

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Potratz

Instagram: @Potratz

Since 2015, Google has been using something called RankBrain, and it was used to process and deliver more relevant and organic search results. How? It was even a mystery to Google!

Rankbrain not only understands language semantics, but also complex search queries, which gives it the ability to think similarly to humans.

What does this mean for you? Find out by watching this week's Hard Facts.

We’d love to hear what you have to say. Comment below and follow us on Facebook.

Website: http://www.ppadv.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PotratzAdvert...

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Potratz

Instagram: @Potratz

Snapchat: PotratzAgency

Not every dealership and buying experience is the same, so why should you settle for a homepage that is exactly like the rest? Having one that stands above the rest helps to ensure your name, brand, and business stand above the rest.

Reason number one: dealerships are everywhere. This means their websites are everywhere as well. You need to give customers something they will remember and bring them back to you when they are ready to purchase. If you are sticking with your run of the mill website provider because “it’s good enough” or because “it’s just a website”, then you’re missing out on leads and customers.

Create eye catching web panels with outstanding offers to drive customers to view your inventory. Doing more than only using web panels found on your brand manufacturer website helps create a sense of urgency for your customers. It will also make you memorable.

Many of our clients have opted to incorporate a video into the header of their homepage in addition to their web panels. I know what you’re thinking: it sounds kind of busy. Wrong. This gives you the opportunity to further showcase your inventory and your dealership.

Reason number two: what makes you stand above the rest? Why should customers buy from you instead of the guy down the road? Show your customers why you’re better and why they should only come to you.

Showcasing your inventory front and center will certainly propel you ahead of the crowd. Whether you do this by utilizing a featured inventory scrolling feed or by using a quick inventory search tool, implementing features that make browsing inventory easier and quicker for your customers creates a lasting memory for them.

You shouldn’t have to settle for a website that is exactly like the rest. A plain white background with blue letters, given to you by the company you essentially settled for isn’t going to give you a big enough push ahead of the rest. Why? Because this is all they offer any of their clients.  

 We understand you have to make sure your brand is showcased front and center, but that doesn’t mean you should blend in with the same manufacturer dealership down the road. Your dealership identity is just as important.

These are only a few reasons from our list. If you feel like you’re missing out, we should talk. 

Many of us while watching a video online experience a form of tunnel vision waiting for the “skip” button to appear.  As advertisers, we have approximately 5 seconds to grab someone’s attention. So, how do we do it?

First things first, understand and accept that almost no one wants to watch your ad. They’re on the site for a video, not a mini commercial. You need to create engaging content that will hold the viewer’s attention. Leave out how long you’ve been in business, while that’s great to know, it is not suited for pre-roll.

Another aspect that you need to understand is that pre-roll is not the same as a commercial. Commercials are much longer and you are able to squeeze in a lot of engaging information about your sales event. It is never best practice to run your commercial as a pre-roll video. By doing so, you have lost the viewer, and they have forgotten all about you. You need to convey your product in a way that will grab them and get them to come to you. Most people become engaged when you have an enticing message showing “what’s in it for them”. Remember, you need them; they can shop and buy anywhere. How will it benefit me to come to you?

Once you are able to grab their attention and they visit your website, make sure your message is consistent. Everything about your content needs to match, it may seem like a small detail, but it is extremely important. Treat it like storytelling; if you were to jump from the beginning to the end, leaving out the middle, you are likely to cause confusion.

In short, understand what it is you are trying to do and trying to accomplish. You want the click to your website, the call to your dealership, a customer visiting, and, purchasing from your dealership. For more tips and strategies, please, contact us today, we would love to continue the conversation with you!

Currently, the automotive industry is at an all time high for vehicles sold.  Yet, as the old saying goes, what goes up must come down.  Our team is confident not only in ourselves, but our clients as well. We are watching the stock market closely in anticipation of a curveball headed our way.

In 2008 the Stock Market and economy took a large hit, which, was felt across the states. It was also, in relative terms, a quick hit. The fall took place over the course of 18 months, and, dropped more than 50%. As opposed to the hit during The Great Depression, which took about three years and dropped almost 90%.*

The Stock Market has been showing signs of wavering the past couple of weeks, which has business owners and employees on edge, for the most part. We are always watching the market, not only for our business, but for our clients as well. By doing so we are able to better strategize; what is working well and what needs improving. If a client is in a market proven to do well selling Hybrid vehicles, we would not need to focus as much on that part of their inventory, instead we would put more focus on other parts of their inventory.

With this in mind we have more than a few tricks up our sleeves to help you through any situation we may find ourselves in. If this is not something your provider is thinking about, contact us today so that we may strategize with you!

No doubt you have heard the saying “happy wife, happy life”, right? Of course, I think we all have. The same concept holds true for your customers. We live in an age where word of mouth, reviews, and referrals can make or break a company. When you make a customer happy, your chances of them coming back time and again will increase. Which, in turn, will cause them to recommend you to their friends and family.

Excellent customer service is a big part of keeping a customer coming back in the future. Unfortunately many people brush it off when the staff gives subpar service, or, butts heads with a customer. Eventually, the staff forgets the incident happened. We need to remember; the likelihood of your client forgetting is slim to none. The likelihood of them turning to social media to complain or leaving a bad review is extremely likely. Once that happens there’s no way of knowing the exact number of people the negative comments reach. Of course, there’s also word of mouth, and news travels fast.

That being said, when your business receives positive feedback in any form, it becomes more likely that a person will take the positive review into consideration. Take a moment and think about it, you are in the market for a new TV and read reviews on two different models. Comparable in price, one has almost all positive reviews, the other, not so much. Which one will you spend money on?

When you fuel your retention it will reveal your expertise. Your brand needs to be viewed as an invaluable resource, and, the very best option for customers. They are looking for the best option for their hard earned dollar. Meaning, you offer the highest quality product, customer service, support and all around value. This also means making yourself viewed as a resource for customers. If you share valuable information on social media sites, post regularly on a blog, or utilize an FAQ page this all helps raise your SEO value; putting you ahead of the competition!

Gaining new customers is always fantastic, but, let’s remember how rewarding it feels knowing someone has been coming to you for years. The statement “I’d never shop anywhere else!” is something your business earned and feels very rewarding.

If you found this to be of use, contact us today so that we can continue the conversation! Let’s build a strategy for your business and retaining customers!

Email Marketing is an important strategy, which when performed properly and effectively, it will set you above the rest of the competition. Our team has outlined their Best Practices, which formulate and structure our Email Marketing.

BUILD ACCURATE & TARGETED LISTS

This is the most important rule when sending emails for any occasion. Like any other marketing avenue, targeting is the key to increasing efficiency and reducing waste. Start by segmenting your lists. If you send sales and service email blasts, at the very least, you need two separate lists. Optimistically, you should have a list for both new and used sales prospects. Then you can decide if you would like to narrow that list down even further. For service leads, you should have a list of regulars, and a list of prospects. You may also want to segment based on in-market vs. out of market prospects for the more advanced campaigns.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

When it comes to sending your emails at a given time of day or day of the week. Generally, for automotive marketing, you will want to aim for an email to go out between Tuesday and Thursday before lunch. Unfortunately, every market is different and timing is difficult to measure without past data. What you will want to do is run some tests. Send emails at different time intervals throughout a given week/month to see what your customers respond best to. Then when you have the results from your tests, you’ll be able to determine what days your customers engage most with your emails. 

USE BOTH GRAPHIC/VIDEO & TEXT BASED EMAILS

Text based emails give more of a personal touch, and can appear more urgent than graphic/video based emails depending on the subject matter. You can expect to see more email responses as well as phone calls with text-based emails. However, a well-designed graphic/video based email can trigger immediate clicks through to the site if it is visually pleasing, customers will typically click on a graphic/video email, rather than calling or replying via email. 

WITHOUT A GOOD SUBJECT LINE, YOUR EMAIL IS USELESS

That’s right, no amount of design skills or clever wording will matter if you don’t get the customer to open your email. Avoid generic subject lines, as these will not stand out and will be lost amongst the hundreds of other emails a customer will receive in just one week. Use personalization when appropriate, first names for example, can draw a customer’s attention. Strong subject lines are those that also demonstrate urgency. For example, “You need to see this,” might spark curiosity for the customer. Experiment with different subject lines by splitting your lists and A/B testing the results.

EMAIL IS ALWAYS CHANGING

No single rule of thumb will increase email effectiveness. You may find that subject lines or creative you’ve used in the past just don’t seem to work anymore. To be truly effective you will need to constantly evaluate your results, determine what works best and what doesn’t in your market area.

If our Best Practices, or, Marketing Strategies are of interest, please contact us today!

          Google has said they are testing their self-driving car prototype this summer on the streets of California. Are we, as humans, ready to give up control of driving ourselves?

            If you were to visit Google’s page endorsing their self-driving prototype you will be greeted with some staggering statistics. The likes of which include “94% of accidents in the U.S. involve human error.” Their claim is that if building a car loaded with sensors, lasers, and cameras to detect movement in all direction it will greatly reduce the possibility of an accident. The prototype also has a rounded shape, which, will help maximize the sensor’s field of view.

            I will agree with the fact that these cars will give independence to those who normally would not be able to drive themselves. Even business professionals who spend much of their time on the road, it will allow them to travel and work at the same time. These cars will allow the passenger to program their desired destination. Which would allow the car to bring a friend home, then, return back to you without anyone riding inside. What about those of us who remain independent and want to feel the rumble of an engine, not the soft hum of a battery?

            For years now cars such as the Mustang, Camaro, and Subaru WRX have garnered a following of loyal fans, which created a cult affect. Their owners are very proud owners, some adorning their wardrobe with hats or shirts, which proudly display the logo. They want you to know; I’m a fan, this is my car, I’m a proud owner. Also meaning, I love driving this car. While there are perks for the self-driving car, I don’t feel as if it will eliminate the vehicles we operate, at least, not for a long while.

            What does this mean for us? Once the self-driving cars are released for public purchase, it means coming up with new and unique strategies for advertising and pushing your product.

If you are interested in discussing this, or, any form of advertising please contact us today!

         For many of us email management isn’t always a top priority, but perhaps that is something we need to change. By doing so, you can cut the clutter; reduce your stress and delegate tasks to your employees and coworkers.

            One of our team leaders utilizes a method he calls the 3D method and says if followed correctly it works wonderfully.

            First D: Delegate. Should you receive an email and run in to a scenario where you either don’t have time or you know of someone who is better suited for the task, delegate the email. Prior to doing so, ask yourself “Can they handle it?” If your answer is yes, send it their way, if you hesitate to answer the question find another team member.

            Second D: Delete. We all receive emails about someone having a baby or a birthday. You offer your well wishes along with 35 of your coworkers. Next thing you know you are receiving numerous alerts with animated GIFs. Get rid of it and carry on with your day. I’m guilty of leaving those emails in my inbox, forgetting they exist and moving on. They just build up and serve no real purpose. Reducing clutter will help lower your stress level.

            Deleting an email also serves as a mini to-do list. You’ve read the email, you’ve either delegated the task or you completed it yourself. Check it off your list-or delete it.

            Third D: Decide. Decide what to do with the email, do you delete or delegate? Should it be read now or later? Setting up filters, such as color-coding, can help make this decision easier and quicker. You can set it for specific groups of people, subscriptions, and level of importance. For example, if I create an orange filter for the management team, blue for subscriptions and green for clients, my inbox may have 1 orange, 3 blue and 3 green. I can see right away which email needs to be handled immediately and which can wait.

            These are some simple tips and tricks that work for us and keep us on track during our day. You might have a different system that works for you, and, that’s fantastic. Let us know what you’re doing! We’re always open to suggestions, tricks and tidbits. 

          As you know, we are constantly researching technology, trends, and best practices for our clients. This includes finding the best way to film dealership footage.

            Our team is use to attaching their cameras to a jib crane system in order to achieve a wide shot for our clients. Which, works great, but is there something better out there? Unless you know someone with a helicopter, or have the finances to rent one, purchasing a drone and attachments is the next best thing. When they made their first appearance the cost was through the roof and they were hard to find. Now they are a bit more economical; you can buy one for around one thousand dollars. They are also more readily available and easier to get your hands on than they were a few years ago.

            Another great aspect of using a drone for shooting footage is that it can reach higher heights than a jib and can fly lower than a helicopter. The controllers are similar in functionality to that of remote control car, which makes learning to fly one a fairly easy task. Drones also have a threes-axis stabilization, meaning; even if your control skills are a little choppy your footage will still look great.

            Now you’re thinking, ok sounds great, but how do I know the camera is filming what I want? You are able to view everything via Smartphone video feed displays; which will connect to the drone via Wi-Fi. You can do this either with your phone or with a remote with a display screen.

            As far as the battery is concerned, most have the capability to recognize when the percentage is low and will fly back to your GPS location. Others come with a bracelet for you to wear which the drone will fly back to.

            As of right now there are not a lot of rules, regulations and restrictions for drones. At this point we know they cannot be used near airports, government facilities or state parks. This as we know it will change the future for how our team will work on their production trips.

           If you're looking for an opportunity to take your video production to the next level, contact us today!