Nothing feels better than purging old ways and old stuff. But, it’s not always easy. In the end, we know it’s good for us but sometimes the journey isn’t comfortable. Spring/Summer is the optimal season to take an assessment and get rid of all things that aren’t serving you. That includes your social media marketing and advertising. Do you have anything lurking in your closet that needs to find its way to the trashcan?
Some car dealers and managers still think social media is a fad. To that I say, go ahead, you’re entitled to your opinion. It leaves the marketing landscape open for those who want to capture more business. Social media creates more opportunities for those who embrace this monumental change. We move away from blasting messages to disinterested parties and move forward with attracting customers who align themselves with brands that matter to them.
There’s a lot of information and data out there to support either side you live on. And that’s just fine. A new study from Crowdtap found the vast majority of car-buyers research a vehicle on social media before buying. Respondents also said digital car advertising is the least trusted source of information.
Auto brands that are able to steer the power of peer endorsements and social sharing will find success in marketing’s people-powered future. Some of the most up-to-date data from the study include:
- 68% of those who purchased a car found the vehicle on social media
- 87% say they research cars via social media
- 80% say they’re ‘more likely to turn’ to social networks than salespeople
- 95% say they ‘would talk about’ car models they like on social media
- 54% say they use ‘User Generated Content’ to inform their purchase decision
So now that car buyers and a lot of other customers are relying on social media to inform their purchase decisions, it’s time to assess what you’re doing right now, decide if it’s working or not, and jettison some of your excess baggage.
5 Fresh Ways to Spring Clean Your Social Media Marketing
Not everyone is ready to “clean their closet” or even take a look at what they’ve been doing that isn’t working. The following five tips are for those who want to succeed with social media marketing and advertising and are looking for ways to improve:
- Clear Away The Junk.
Stop posting meaningless nonsense. You know what I’m talking about:
- Articles from larger media outlets that everyone else can and does post too.
- Content created for you by your “social media marketing company” that they’re posting on every other one of their other clients’ social media profiles.
- Boring content that no one wants to engage with.
- Spammy, ‘salesy’ messages that turn people off because it’s too much, too soon.
- Stop Trying to Take Shortcuts.
No tactics before strategy. Oh, how many dealers I hear from who reach out to me because they say, “Social Media doesn’t work for my store.” It’s easy to blame tools for your lack of marketing strategy.
There are NO shortcuts to any successful marketing, social media or otherwise. You must start with an action plan. You must establish goals and create a roadmap to reach those prospects that are most likely to buy from you and turn them into customers.
- Dust Off Your Most Valuable Asset.
Wake up to the fact that your employees are a valuable asset to your social media marketing. Heck, some of them are probably already using social media as a way to network and engage with leads.
Let’s face it: content creation is hard. It doesn’t have to be if you leverage the power of your employees’ expertise and enthusiasm. Develop ways to motivate and include them in your content marketing.
- Pay Attention to What Matters to Your Customers.
Social media marketing should first be a problem solver. What questions, concerns and problems do your customers have? How can you solve those issues with your content?
What also matters to your customers is what it’s like to do business with your store. People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Take those elements that differentiate you and spotlight them on social media.
- Create New Habits.
Once you’ve cleared away the nonsense, create some new habits to reach your goals.
- Audit your current marketing expenses to make sure everything you’re doing is getting the results you desire. We take our prospective clients through an audit so we can assess what is and isn’t working for them.
- Create a marketing action plan. You need a formula to reach your target customers.
- Designate one skilled, savvy person to oversee your social media marketing and online reputation.
- Set yourself up for success by using a Content Calendar to plan the topics you want to discuss and publish.
If you ever see “easy” and “social media marketing” together in a sentence, ignore it. While it may look easy, success is not.
Social media changes often and has become much more complex. Take this time to examine your strategies and be deliberate about getting rid of the fluff. Spend your time attracting quality leads and sales. Eliminate what’s not working and make room for new opportunities!
