Nearly 200 million Americans – 60 percent of the population – uses social media, versus 188 million in 2016[i]. And the numbers will continue to grow. For dealerships, the key to building a brand on social media is understanding how to tailor the right content for the right channel. That’s a key take-away my colleague Sarah Epstein, Director of Social Media at Cars.com, shared in her recent interview with CBT news.

“Be channel-specific with your approach,” Sarah told CBT News. “Instagram is all about visual storytelling. Twitter is for real-time content on the fly, and you have the opportunity to post a lot more content throughout the course of the day timed with when your customers are checking their Twitter feed. But on Instagram, the attention of your audience drops off after about five posts” – so be choosy about how many visual stories you share during the day.

Sarah made a number of other observations, such as:

  • Be strategic: connect your content to the 4Ps of Automotive Marketing™: product, price, place, and person. From my perspective, a strong social marketing strategy should include promoting real-time inventory targeted to potential buyers (product and price) coupled with organic content on your page that highlights the true brand of your store and the people there.
  • Be adaptable. Don’t let Facebook’s ongoing algorithm changes scare you away from using the platform actively. Be adaptable by re-examining your paid and organic strategy.
  • Humanize your brand. Build deeper, human connections with customers at a personal level.
  • Tell your story: Give an inside look at what makes your dealership stand out. Tell the story of your salespeople, helping connect them both before consumers walk in the door and keeping them connected after their purchase.

Sarah has also contributed a column to CBT, “Three Ways to Step up Your Social Media Game in 2018,” in which she takes a deeper dive into the nuances of managing a dealership’s brand via social.

At NADA 2018 March 23-25, Cars.com will unveil Cars Social. This turnkey Facebook and Instagram ad solution will help dealers amplify their social marketing strategy, targeting a buyer-intent audience with inventory-based ad campaigns designed to drive ROI.  Dealerships are encouraged to book appointment here and then come on over to Booth 4515C to talk social!

We look forward to seeing you at NADA.

 

 

[i] eMarketer, “US Social Trends for 2018,” January 2018.