By Kathi Kruse, Founder, Kruse Control Inc.
Social media can be overwhelming, especially if you’re just starting. It feels unfamiliar and uncomfortable – as if someone asked you to paint a room blue and gave you a hammer and a screwdriver to do it with.
If you’re new to social media or you’re not sure if you’re doing things right, you’ve come to the right place. The social media best practices outlined in this article will help set your journey up for success.
But before diving in, remember that building a network that provides real value takes both horse sense and hard work. Don’t make it harder on yourself by staring at a “blank canvas” and painting without any preparation.
Some dealerships have invested resources to get likes and followers on social channels without truly knowing what success looks like. Their profiles show that they’re not being social at all. They’ve looked at other’s work and copied it, without realizing the magic lies in their uniqueness.
Social media has become part of our daily lives. It’s nearly impossible to go a day without hearing some mention of social media and its value in dealership marketing. It’s no longer an optional afterthought but an integral part of any digital marketing plan.
An expert in anything was once a beginner.
If you’re a beginner or if you’re stuck with little to no results, it’s important to stay grounded and not get overwhelmed. Remember: the great artists did not become great overnight. There’s a lot to be said for taking small methodical steps to create your masterpiece!
The 10 social media best practices, outlined below, will help you to clear your mind, cut through the noise, and begin making the magic on social media.
10 Essential Social Media Best Practices to Cut Through the Noise
1. Set Up Goals. People with clear, written goals accomplish far more in a shorter period than people without them could ever imagine. You need written goals to analyze results so you can map out your best next steps.
If you haven’t determined your goals, it isn’t enough to say you “see” results because that’s not real data. You’ll never know your ROI without goal setting and social media strategy.
2. Clarify Your Message. One of the most important goals to have is to engage people. The best way to engage more people is to have a clear message. What message greets your customers as they visit your website and social media?
When you connect what you’re selling to an ideal of how things should be, you create greater value in your customers’ eyes. This could even apply to selling yourself!
Become a problem-solver. Speak to the practical, external problems customers are facing, as well as the internal fears and motivations they may have.
3. Know Your Audience. Recently, an organic skincare company was able to lure me away from their competitor. How? By demonstrating that they understand me at a deeper level than their competitor did.
Get out a piece of paper and describe your target customer. Who are they, exactly? Where do they live? What are their interests, concerns, and issues? How can you help them come to a purchase decision with the content you publish, including the ads you serve them? Don’t forget about those fans who are not in-market. What can you offer to keep them engaged?
4. Establish a Budget. Contrary to popular opinion, social media is not free. Facebook has matured and built a very useful advertising platform.
Facebook ads should be an integral part of your marketing plan, but you need to know at the outset what you’ll need to spend to reach your goals.
Determine the budget it will take to get your content seen, to get more views to your VDPs, and to generate leads. A good beginning Facebook ads budget for a dealership is $500-$1,000 per month.
Facebook ads are wonderful and complex. They are very difficult to successfully manage without the necessary skills and knowledge. You may decide to pay a vendor to manage Facebook ads for you, and there will be an additional fee involved (usually about $1,000+ per month).
5. Utilize a Content Calendar. I know it sounds crazy, but a content calendar will be your best friend.
The content creation process can be overwhelming, especially when you’re new. It can seem like everything is all over the place. A content calendar keeps everything in one place with an outline to publish your posts.
Even I once thought content calendars were merely a suggestion but now, I’ve proven to myself (and my clients) that they are invaluable. The world is a crazy place and it’s nice to have a touchstone where all your ideas live.
6. Plan Your Content Mix. Just as serious SEOs have had to become serious content marketers, so it goes for social media marketers. There’s been a shift from the mindset of getting as much as we can into the feed daily to investing more in high-quality, highly useful content that viewers want to see and engage with.
Different customers enjoy different types of content. It’s crucial to plan out the types of content you’re going to produce. Here’s a good content mix if you’re new to social media, although it can vary depending on your store:
- 50% Images
- 30% Video
- 10% Links
- 10% Text
Planning your content mix allows you to map out all the players needed to produce it and the tools and equipment you’ll need. As time goes on, you’ll discover what your audience is engaging with the most and adapt your mix to their liking.
Pro Tip: Show a side of your business that’s consistent with your “personality”:
- Content that unmasks a more intimate or fun-loving side of your business.
- Tell a story: the genesis of your dealership is a great place to start.
- It’s perfectly ok to showcase your vehicles, and parts and service, but do it in a way that engages rather than annoys.
7. Schedule Engagement into Your Day. I was recently speaking with a great Facebook ads manager about the sometimes-ignored subject of engagement. Social media is social. People are connecting, and that means you need to engage too! Social ads are great, but they are only part of your social media strategy.
Community Management is vital. Some customers prefer to communicate via social channels, and it’s your job to be there with customer support. Take at least 15 minutes in the morning and evening to listen, respond, and serve as their guide.
As your profiles grow, so will the comments. You’ll want to engage people as often as possible to build rapport. If you’re the boss, designate at least one person to listen, respond, ask questions, field leads and engage with your audience.
8. Plan How You’ll Promote Your Content. Once your fan base begins to grow and you’ve done a good job of engaging them, your next step is to plan how you’ll convert them into customers.
Due to the massive growth of Facebook ads, managing them correctly is becoming more difficult for beginners. Depending on your budget, please consider outsourcing Facebook ads management.
But this doesn’t let you off the hook of planning your promotions. Recall the work you did so far, especially with knowing your customers. Now, design a promotion that will attract their attention. What’s the offer? Why should the customer care? What do you want them to do? How long will it run? How much will you budget? What does success look like?
9. Measure and Analyze. You’ll need to determine the KPIs (key performance indicators) that matter most to your social media success. Here are eight Facebook KPIs to measure and analyze:
- Audience growth
- Audience profile
- Audience engagement
- Content reach
- Engagement by content type
- Leads
- Response rate and quality
- Negative feedback
10. Give Yourself a Break. I hear from a lot of overwhelmed dealers and their staff whose source of frustration is social media. Frustration can come from being stuck in outdated, long-held beliefs. Take a look at what you’re holding onto, and identify what you’re willing to let go of. It only takes a small step to welcome a whole new world.
Remember, everyone starts somewhere. Don’t underestimate yourself. Social media is a valuable tool to engage customers. You’re only new once – and from there it’s a fantastic and fun journey.
About the Author
Kathi Kruse is an automotive social media marketing expert, blogger, speaker, coach, author, and founder of Kruse Control Inc. Born in the heart of Los Angeles to a family of “car people,” Kathi’s passion for the car business spans a 30-year career managing successful dealerships in Southern California. Kathi is the author of “Automotive Social Business – How to Captivate Your Customers, Sell More Cars & Be Generally Remarkable on Social Media.”
