Is there such a thing as a million dollar strategy or a one-size-fits-all strategy for your digital advertising?

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. 

We’d love to hear what you have to say. Comment below and follow us on Facebook.
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7 Ways to Mix Up Your Auto Dealership Marketing

Millennials have a bad rep in today's society. They are stereotyped as narcissistic, lazy, and entitled. Although they are often misunderstood and underestimated, millennials are very important to the automotive industry. Millennials are the people buying and they have the money to spend. One in 10 millennials earn six-figures or more. The group, which ranges in age from 18 to 30, also has the most education. Therefore, they like to do their research. When marketing to this unique bunch, there are a couple things to keep in mind. 

Learn What Motivates Them - This group is extremely results -driven. So having your statistics on hand is very beneficial. They like to know the purchases they make are worth their hard earned money and the time they spent researching the buy. Also, millennials love to laugh. Tune in to what makes them tick and they will be more likely to make a purchase. 

Keep It Short - Don't beat around the bush with millennials. The more transparent you are, they more a millennial will be willing to buy from you. Millennials are known to multi-task and have a million things going on at once. The easier the buying process the better. 

Although millennials are often disregarded, they have a lot of buying power. The challenge is knowing how to market to this research and technology centric group. 

So you have successfully launched your dealership's website, updated your blog with fresh content, and started all of the necessary social media sites in an effort to expand your customer base. While your online community continues to grow, you may notice a lack of customer engagement. No matter how large your online community may be, your dealership's digital marketing efforts will not reach their full potential if without quality customer engagement. When customers interact with your business online, your brand gains a positive reputation, as well as validity within the industry. Quality customer engagement produces leads which ultimately means a boost in revenue for your dealership. For those who are new to digital marketing, there are several ways to increase your brand's customer engagement. 

Be More Personable - Make social media posts that will appeal to your target audience. Learn what they care about and what motivates them, and then post content that is relevant to those things. By reaching your audience on a more personal level, they will be willing and more likely to engage with you. When interacting with your online community, be sure to have QUALITY conversations. It is easy to get caught up in the moment and lose focus, but the more quality conversations you have the better they are for your business. 

In -Person Networking - Get out in your local community. The more present you are, the more people you will meet. Once customers see that you are invested in the community you serve, they will communicate with you more regularly. Additionally, they more people learn about you, the more information they have to pass on to their friends. Remember, no matter how much technology advances, word of mouth is still one of the best forms of marketing. 

You lose sales when your customers don't think you do.

How You Can Start Caring Today?

Learn how your marketing needs to be consistent to make a sale. With every new offer, sale, and promotion, your marketing must feel the same throughout. Get all the details this week on Hard Facts.

25 Things Veteran Managers Need to Hear

(But don’t want to…)

In life, we all need someone to just tell us the hard truth.  Even when it’s something we really don’t want  to know.  Call it tough love, a reality check, or the ugly truth..  It is what it is.

My wife is talented beyond measure in this department.  For example, if it is apparent that I need a Kleenex (I think you know what I mean) my wife will give me a subtle elbow to the ribs and say, “Hey Batman, you have a bat in the cave.”  She finds this un-naturally entertaining, I might add.  The next exchange goes a little like this.

“Gone?”

“Nope”

“Now?”

“Still there.”

“Damnit!”

“Got it.”

“Thanks”

But even though I am a little embarrassed, I’m glad I didn’t walk around the party for two hours with an uninvited guest hanging out of my nostril like a baby kangaroo.

The bottom line is this.  The longer that you have been in the car business, the more you need this list.  You are guaranteed to disagree with me on some or all of this list.  It’s just my opinion.  Remember, I’m the guy who can’t even keep his nose clean…

1. Quit worrying about the number of leads you’re getting and worry about HOW your handling the leads you currently have. There’s a good chance you’ve got this backwards.
2. Trust me, you’re not spending enough time or money on training. How about consistently spending wasted, untracked advertising dollars on good training?
3. Quit worrying so much about Average Gross Profit per unit and start measuring Spread. (Published Internet Price minus What you actually ended up selling it for, including under/over allowance.) You’ll find out who your strong ones are.
4. There is practically no such thing as a “Walk-In” or “Drive By”.  Assume all of your customers are from the internet.  You’ll only be wrong 1 out of 10 times.
5. You don’t HAVE to use 900lbGorilla.com. I think we all know the providers I’m talking about.  You have the ability to create more of your own leads, you know.
6. Stop generalizing about advertising. (“XYZ never works” or “ABC always works”) It’s all in the offer.
7. Stop using clichés: “This is the way we’ve always done it.”  “We tried that once and it didn’t work.”  “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”  I don’t care if they’re true, I’m just sick of hearing them.
8. Stop only looking at your desktop when thinking about your website.  Wake up, we live in a handheld world.  The average person looks at their mobile device 104 times a day.
9. Quit procrastinating on using video to communicate with customers.  Start creating a video culture, now.
10. You DON’T need more inventory. You DO need better inventory. This IS a net profit thing, right?
11. Shut up about having to give cars away on the internet.  It’s getting old and it’s making you look silly.  No matter how loud you cry, the internet is not going away.  Just make sure your customers don’t.
12. Stop managing petty things and start managing your people’s habits and expectation levels.  People produce exactly what they expect to produce.
13. Stop saying that Facebook doesn’t sell cars.  Read “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook” by Gary Vaynerchuk.  He is smarter than you.
14. Start treating your employees better.  Get them involved.  We all want to feel like a part of something bigger.
15. Quit being lazy and implement a strict aging policy and a turn policy on your vehicles. Quit managing cars and start managing parking spaces and ROI on your inventory dollars. Does the term “Holding Cost” mean anything to you?
16. Get your cars cleaned and online within 48 hours of getting them. If your vehicle is not online with pictures, thoughtful pricing, and good descriptions, it’s invisible to EVERYONE but you. (and your floorplan company)
17. Stop talking so much about units. Start talking about net profit.  This goes for vendors, too.
18. Your pay-plans probably suck.  I just said probably.  I have seen poorly constructed pay plans derail good intentions.
19. Start treating your Internet/BDC Department like a REAL Department.  If 90% of your customers are online, why are you spending 10% of your time thinking about this department.  The Internet Manager needs to be treated and paid like the rest of your managers.
20. Take off your bib and put on an apron. Practice servant management.  Serve, serve, listen, listen. Cook your damn employees a hamburger, for goodness sake!
21. Start paying more attention to retention.  Quit ignoring your OWN dealership’s owner base.  Your sitting on a treasure chest.  Get off your butt and open it.
22. Start listening to your incoming phone calls.  Just make sure there are no sharp objects nearby.  Then hold your vendors accountable for REAL number of leads.
23. There’s a sales GOLDMINE on your service drive right now.  Next time you’re bored, count the number of ROs in your service department versus the amount of showroom traffic for the month. Where’s the opportunities?
24. Stop teaching the “Silent Appraisal”.  While you’re at it, stop using VHS tapes, Sony Walkmans, and rotary dial phones.
25. Stop getting upset when someone hires the superstar you developed.  It’s the ultimate compliment. When people leave you better than they came, you’re doing your job and your company is getting better.

I hope I didn’t ruffle your feathers.  I just don’t want you walking around with a bat in the cave.

Who’s your Danny?

@Danny_Benites

Okay, check it out.

In my last article I wrote about how most dealerships come across a little conceited online, but say that they are a customer-centric organization.

I mentioned that it's alright to talk about yourself, but ONLY in a way that demonstrates maximum benefit to your customers.

Well now I'm going to reveal how to kick your website up a notch and dominate the web, (and your market).

Like I was saying, people don't care about you nearly as much as they care about themselves.

That means that the name of the game is presenting information on your website that people care about.

But how can you produce content and information that EVERYONE will find interesting?

It's more simple than you think.

Unlike traditional media, your website has the power to cover a wide array of topics that address the needs and wants of different customer segments AT THE SAME TIME.

How do you get started? Fhugetaboudit, it's easy peasy. 

1.) Look at your current customer portfolio and identify the variety of customer segments that you already serve.

These could include Seniors, Young Families, Bachelors, Bachelorettes, College Students, Union Workers, Military/Veterans etc.

2.) Create a list of topics that those various segments would find interest. Use logic and common sense. 

What I mean by that is this:

If you want to create content topics geared toward Seniors, think about the things that they are interested in. 

a.) Vehicles that are easy to get in and out of (maybe just had a knee surgery or something)

b.) Vehicles that can tow a travel trailer

c.) Vehicles with a little more luxury (they're done raising children and have a little more money to keep for themselves etc.)

Do you see where I'm going with this?

Once you've identified the topics for each segment do this:

3.) Identify the objectives for each piece of content that you want to create.

If it's a video, figure out what the call-to-action will be so that you can track the effectiveness of it.

If it's a blog, think of the path you want that customer segment to take and what action you want them to complete.

Here's why this is important:

Everyday, millions of automotive shoppers around the globe go online to find information that addresses their concerns or answers their questions.

Right now, there aren't really any dealer websites that provide the content that automotive consumers are looking for.

You're giving the OEMs and other third party websites the power to scoop up qualified vehicle shoppers and distribute them how they please. Most of the time, to your competitors.

By segmenting your content, you're empowered to reach various people with the topics that they care most about. 

In my next article, I'm going to reveal why this strategy works so extremely well and why you HAVE to start doing it.

Want help identifying your customer segments? Send me a friend request and we can set up a time to get connected.

http://www.internetsales20group.com 856-546-2440

Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association (MSADA) Partners With The Internet Sales 20 Group For #IS20G 6 In Boston

September 22nd, 23rd & 24th in Boston

MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON

http://www.internetsales20group.com 856-546-2440
Subi Ghosh Will Be A Speaker At & Megan Barto Will Be Attending The Automotive Internet Sales 20 Group In Atlantic City, NJ

http://www.internetsales20group.com 856-546-2440
General Manager Of Greg Lair Buick GMC, Danny Benites Will Be Speaking at the Internet Sales 20 Group In Atlantic City, NJ

http://www.internetsales20group.com 856-546-2440

This is WHY You HAVE to SIGN UP For The Internet Sales 20 Group - Dealer Reviews 

Auto Industry Failing to Tap Power of Social Media to Deliver Actionable Sales Leads, Says Report by CMO Council

CMO Council Report Finds Auto Ecosystem Marketers Looking for Better Ways to Integrate Marketing With Sales Generation and Sales Funnel Activities

http://www.internetsales20group.com 856-546-2440

Sean V. Bradley Keynote Speech "The Evolution & Natural Selection Of The Automotive Sales Industry" At The Los Angeles Internet Sales 20 Group

http://www.internetsales20group.com 856-546-2440 
Jim Ziegler Will Be Speaking The Internet Sales 20 Group - Atlantic City, NJ 08401 - April 8-10 2014

With the increased emphasis on content in social media marketing this year, video has emerged as one of the key areas of focus. Even last year, Forbes was touting the strengths of utilising video content, highlighting the significant response rate of video over other formats. But while the numbers emphasize the considerable benefits, many businesses lack the time, resources and/or budget to create video content. Enter Vine. Vine has changed the way marketing teams look at video, expanding the options and reducing the overheads. If you’ve not considered using Vine in your marketing efforts, here are three reasons why you should re-investigate your options to ensure you're not missing out on a great opportunity:

1. Visual content significantly boosts content marketing success. All the stats show it, the marketing experts support it. Brands can achieve great reach and engagement results with visual content. A recent report from Cisco suggested that video will account for 69% of all consumer internet traffic by 2017. A Nielsen report found 64% of marketers expect video to be a key part of their strategic planning moving forward. The logic behind the numbers is clear – information can be communicated faster in video, people are more likely to share video content, a growing number of consumers say product videos make them more confident in a purchase. With video becoming more accessible via SmartPhone, its popularity has increased exponentially, and consumer expectation has also been heightened as a result. Video is a familiar and powerful medium that generally require less time commitment than written content and can generate a strong emotional response in very short exposure time. As noted in this piece from The Guardian ‘if a picture paints 1,000 words, one minute of video is worth 1.8 million’.

2. The barrier for entry is much lower than it once was. It used to be that you’d need to pay a third party video production company to shoot and produce video content. Not anymore. Vine is structured around a low-tech approach – the editing options are limited and there’re no additional filters - you shoot what you want, then send (note: it is possible to access additional editing options by using the VineClient app). The six second limit also means the cost is kept to a minimum, whilst not lugging you with the burden of lengthy production time. Vine is designed to be quick, easy and accessible to all users, from tech experts to kids. And just as Twitter changed the game on communications with its character limit, Vine’s run-time limit re-imagines the approach to video, forcing you to expand your creative thinking on how you’re going to capture attention and convey an intelligent message in such a short amount of time. These constraints have lead to some amazing content, all made for relatively minimal cost. And while the time limit is restrictive, it’s also freeing, knowing that you’re not under obligation to fill minutes or hours of content. You get in, present what you need in it’s most direct form, then get it out. This was simply impossible ten, even five years ago.

3. Brand Vines are shared four-times more than any other online videos. This is the clincher. Not only are Vine videos relatively cheap and easy to make, but they are 400% more likely to be shared than other forms of video content. That’s a pretty compelling case right there. That sharing is not on a limited scale either - nine tweets that include a Vine video are sent every second of every day. A Facebook group that collects the best Vine videos, ‘Best Vines’, now has 19 million likes – that’s more than the population of most countries. The popularity and reach of Vine content cannot be underestimated. One of the major appealing factors of Vine is it only takes seconds to watch – people are more likely to press play knowing that it’ll only take a moment, then they can get on with their day. If you can condense a clever brand message into that six-second time frame, there’s a high chance that it’s going to get seen and shared, spreading your brand message.

There are many examples of brands using Vine creatively and achieving great results (check out ‘Brands on Vine’ for inspiration). Whilst it may seem like video content is beyond the capacity of your business, if you look through the examples, you’ll find many pieces are extremely simple. You still need to create great content, but doing some research and expanding your thinking on what’s possible may lead to you having a ‘light bulb’ moment for a Vine piece. And even if you try it and it doesn’t pan out, it’s not going to blow your budget. Vine offers great opportunity for branded content and is a platform that all companies with a social media presence should consider using. Who knows, you could become the next viral sensation.

Source: http://socialmediatoday.com/adhutchinson/2190466/three-reasons-why-your-business-should-consider-using-vine-2014 

http://www.internetsales20group.com
Best Selling Author, Dr. Willie Jolley Will Be The Keynote Speaker For The Internet Sales 20 Group

http://www.dealersynergy.com 856-546-2440

Example Of Video Review For A 2014 BMW M6 - Video Production - Video SEO - Digital Marketing 

http://www.internetsales20group.com 856-546-2440

Karen & Sean V. Bradley Discuss the Panels at the Internet Sales 20 Group - Atlantic City, NJ

http://www.internetsales20group.com 267-319-6776
Co-Creators Of The Internet Sales 20 Group, Karen & Sean V. Bradley Invite You To Join Them In Atlantic City In April