Dealers, Why Aren’t You on Social Media?

If you have active social media accounts listed on your dealership website, you may notice that Dealer Spike is one of your followers. When new dealerships join our platform, we make an effort to connect on social media. While most of our dealers have social media accounts – at the very least, a Facebook business page – many of them are lacking in regular updates and engagement. We are stunned when we find dealerships that aren’t active on social media at all.

Pew Research Center found that 79% of people online use Facebook. According to the same source, 81% of millennials check Twitter at least once per day. TechCrunch research shows that Instagram hit 1 billion monthly users in June 2018. These are just three of the top social media platforms.

With those numbers in mind, consider the amount of reach your dealership could accomplish by actively engaging on social media. Beyond user statistics, HubSpot research finds that 90% of all marketers say social media has increased their business exposure. Are you taking advantage of that?

As a local business, you have even more of an advantage with social media. Many of these platforms, Facebook being the prime example, allow you to focus on customers in your area with specific qualities that are likely to make them prospects for your dealership. Demographics, interests, and behaviors are accessible targeting attributes through social media advertising platforms that allow your messages to reach a niche audience. Local customers with a high likelihood of interest in your units make up the exact audience your dealership should be targeting. This capability alone makes social media worth delving into, but here are three additional reasons to get active:

• Build relationships with customers – both current and future. Social media is a great place to build genuine connections. Your followers are clearly interested in what you sell, so it’s in the best interest of your business to encourage them in a way that is genuine. You can accomplish this by engaging with followers on social media. Comment on your followers’ posts and pictures, and form bonds over shared interests. Make a point to post not only sales-related content - share other types of posts as well that are informative or entertaining.

• Better understand your audience. Naturally through engagement with your followers you’ll begin to learn more about them. Gaining knowledge about customers’ interests, hobbies, wants, and needs is incredibly valuable to your marketing strategy. Knowing your prospects on a deeper level and having insight into why they make certain decisions is what all marketers aim to achieve.

• Provide customer service. High-speed Internet access and mobile devices are driving the 8-hour workday into extinction. Customers expect to get answers to their questions and solutions to their problems, even if your dealership’s doors are closed. While this isn’t always a realistic expectation, social media does make it easier to provide around-the-clock customer service as needed. Checking social media platforms frequently and making a habit of responding to comments and questions promptly will help keep customers happy.

Social media can be such a powerful tool, especially for local businesses. While it may not seem important, it can do so much to enhance your dealership’s image and bring in more customers. Our advice if you’re ready to jump in: Start with the most popular platform for business-to-consumer relationships, Facebook, and work your way up.