Mobile technology gives customers the world at their fingertips, no matter where they are. That’s a powerful advantage for dealers who know how to be there. Gone are the days when customers sat in front of a beige box and dutifully started a search, printer at their side, spending hours at a time at home, shopping for deals. That is so 1990s. Today, your buyer is probably on the web while at a coffee shop, on her phone, or on the train on her way to work, using a tablet or other mobile device. Mobile-based marketing puts your message where your consumer is. These fragments of time are when your customers shop, and mobile technology allows your message to impact consumer’s decisions, wherever they are. Your customer is on the move, and your message needs to keep up!

You want to be visible on their laptop, phone, tablet or any device they use to shop online. The key is to communicate with customers the way they already do with family and friends. Using texting and video can take your dealership beyond your website, and keep your brand in their mind (and on their phone) throughout the customer’s research process. Studies show that most people have never scanned a QR code. And while many people don’t have or use smartphone technology, nearly everyone texts. Don’t be afraid to communicate effectively with targeted customers who have already shown an interest in your dealership or a car on your lot, by sending pertinent information, always being helpful and persuasive. Texting can be an unobtrusive way to keep your dealership in their mind above the several others they’re probably bookmarking on the web. And text codes offering promotions are a great way to keep your dealership on customers’ phones, even if you don’t make the sale!

Become a resource, and customers will subscribe to your web feed, “friend” your Facebook page, sign up for newsletters and promotional codes. It’s marketing for the post-advertising age, and at the 16th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition, you’ll learn from a variety of experts who will show and tell you how to create messaging that consumers want to hear, and how to get it to them.

One of those experts is Matt Koenig, who helps clients create fun, helpful videos that engage customers, get hits, and generate their own buzz and high search engine rankings.

“Automotive buyers don’t want to watch commercials. Look at all of the things they buy to avoid them: iPods, DVR, TiVo, Satellite Radio,” says Koenig. “We live in an information age and automotive shoppers want interesting and unique content. Google has made several updates to their search algorithms to help people get more relevant info when they search.

“One thing car buyers do is watch YouTube,” Koenig advises. “According to Google the average auto shopper watches 78 videos per month on YouTube. Do they see you?”

The mental shift from being an advertiser, or even a car dealer, to one who engages and educates a local market in new and used vehicles, and how to purchase and even maintain them, is the first step in becoming a leading voice in your market. The goal, says Koenig, shouldn’t be to “level the playing field,” but rather, to dominate your market.

“Professional athletes don’t look to ‘level the playing field,’ they look to dominate,” says Koenig. “I don’t mean being mean or malicious, but when (you advertise), you want people to know, see, feel, that you are better than your competition!”

Koenig will share his expertise on how to use and distribute video as an effective marketing tool for your dealership at his discussion at the 16th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition, May 6-8 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He’ll also encourage everyone to rise above their competition and dominate the market with effective, creative and relevant web-based marketing that customers will search, watch and share.