Does this conversation sound familiar?

Bob: “Hey Joe, it’s GREAT to talk to you. How are you on this OUTSTANDING day? How is the weather where you are, old buddy?”

Joe: “It’s hot and humid here, thanks for asking. How is the weather in Kansas?”

Six months later.

                                                Bob: Also hot.

How to Ensure Your Dealership Social Media Program is a Huge Waste of Time

Of course, this conversation doesn’t sound at all familiar. It’s absurd.

Unfortunately, the scenario I’ve just described paints an exact picture of a common social media problem. It’s what I like to call the “popcorn approach” to social media, and its killing many dealership social media programs in their tracks.

The popcorn approach goes something like this: The social media program is announced. Accounts are created. Everyone starts off hot and heavy, posting up a storm to all their new best friends for life. Two months, two weeks, even two days pass. The real world intrudes. Daily duties pile up. The interest wanes. The posting stops. The program fizzles out, rendering all that initial effort worthless.

Sound familiar? It may seem funny, but as a social media professional, it honestly makes me want to cry. The reason why is because if you’re doing social media like this, you’re wasting your time.

I know what you’re thinking: “What is this guy’s problem? I am not wasting my time. I totally have a social media program. I have a Facebook account with 231 friends, a WWF wrestler as my Twitter avatar, and a blog with a name and everything! What else do you want from me?”

Dealership Social Media Magic Rule: Consistency is Currency

What I want from you is the one thing that sets a successful social media program apart: consistency. Consistency is defined as a regular cadence between your business and your target audience. It means regularly posting on Facebook, blogs, Twitter or whatever other social media channels you’ve identified as valuable to your business. It means when someone asks you a question on Twitter, you don’t take six months to respond. It means when someone leaves you a glowing review on Yelp, you don’t thank them three years from now. You respond exactly the way you would in a real conversation, because at the end of the day, that’s what social media is: a conversation. Not a checklist of accounts to create. Not a marketing campaign you can set and forget. It’s a real, genuine conversation-meaning it depends on regular back-and-forth repartee to work.

In social media, consistency is currency. With consistent social media efforts, a customer rapport is built. With consistent social media efforts, that customer rapport blossoms into a changed perception of your business. With consistent social media efforts, that changed perception inspires customers to refer you to friends, to write nice reviews about you, to buy something from your company, or whatever else your business goal may be. It works, and it’s the only that works.

Consistency is the key to social media that meets business goals. Don’t end up like Bob and Joe. Meet your business goals, keep the popcorn in the bowl, and remember; no one likes awkward silences, online or off.

P.S. Lest you think I’m too much of a buzzkill, stay tuned for my follow-up series on tips for creating a consistent social media program in your dealership. You can do it!

Matt Muilenburg, Vice President of Social Media at ADP Digital Marketing

Matt Muilenburg is Vice President of Social Media  for ADP Digital Marketing (formerly The Cobalt Group), where  he has been working closely with dealers and OEMs to identify new ways to improve automotive retailing and marketing effectiveness.  When not sitting in front of a gadget, you’ll find Matt volunteering at the YMCA, attending his kids academic, musical and athletic events, or releasing stress by working in his yard and garden. You can reach Matt at mattm@cobaltgroup.com or call him at 206-219-8259.

The Cobalt Group

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Automotive websites need to offer a universal shopping experience

Paul Nagy, Vice President of Core Products at ADP Digital Marketing

In 2011, a sexy dealer website is one that offers prospective customers a quality shopping experience wherever they are, however they’re shopping. “Today’s dealer website has to be sophisticated enough to support the new gadget mentality,” Paul Nagy, Vice President of Core Products for ADP Digital Marketing explained. “We all know more and more consumers are shopping on their smartphones and their tablets. What we need to think about is not the technology, but its implications. Gadget shoppers are shopping on the go. They’re in the car, they’re waiting at the doctor’s office, and they’re hanging out at the mall. How can a dealer’s site cater to those particular needs?” According to Andy Largent, Senior Product Manager at ADP Digital Marketing, it’s all about creating that universal experience.

Sexy Dealer Website Checklist

• Mobile is a must. If you don’t already have a mobile dealer website, it’s time to make that leap. “Not only is mobile a huge trend, but our research shows that mobile shoppers are the most serious about purchasing,” Largent said. “When you’re chilling at your computer at home, you’re in day dream mode. When you’re searching for car dealerships on your phone, you’re looking to buy.”
• Lighten your loading times. Gadget shoppers are surrounded by myriad distractions, so their attention spans are short. If your site is taking too long to load, they’re going to get frustrated and move on. According to the Yahoo developer blog, 80% of slow loading times are caused by heavy elements like Flash slideshows. “While it’s tempting to cover your site in seemingly sexy widgets and shiny objects,” Nagy cautions, “Remember it doesn’t matter how sexy your site looks if no one has the patience for it to load. Keep your design clean and elegant in order to sustain consumer interest.”
• Clarity is king. Gadget users don’t have the attention span or the inclination for bells-and-whistles. They are merely interested in accessing their desired information as quickly as easily as possible. Make this easy for them. Opt for large fonts, remove “hover” links (links you have to mouse-over to click) and make sure your formats are gadget-friendly. The iPad and iPhone, for example, favors HTML5 code and MP4 movie formats – and will not even display Flash content at all. Opt for universal formats so you grab the biggest market share possible!

Paul Nagy is Vice President of Core Products ADP Digital Marketing (formerly The Cobalt Group). Nagy brings over 12 years of technology management experience to the role, including senior management positions at Apple, Metreo, and Selectica. When he’s not crunching technical problems, Nagy enjoys fly-fishing in the great outdoors.

Andy Largent is a Senior Product Manager at ADP Digital Marketing, where he works on the core website platform and services.  With 10 years of automotive website expertise, Andy uses his experience to build high-performing solutions for dealer, dealer group, and OEM customers. Andy hopes to turn the hundreds of pictures of his kids into an amateur photography sideline someday. Until then, his favorite new social media/photo app is Instagram.

Make sure you’re getting your piece of the national advertising pie

Max Steckler, Vice President of Advertising at ADP Digital Marketing

What if your local TV station rep told you that for every dollar you put toward your television ad buy, they would match it with ten thousand dollars of bonus media on their dime? Would you do it?

That’s exactly the kind of ”easy money” advantage OEMs offer you, the dealer.  Because OEM’s allow you to integrate their million-dollar ad campaigns into your own local marketing, you have a unique “plug and play” solution for easy profits.  You’d be crazy not to take advantage, but how do you actually get your piece of the pie?

How do you know what promotions the OEM is planning, and when? How can you figure out which national campaigns are tied to your inventory?  How do you get a hold of the OEM advertising collateral you’d need to integrate into your own website? This three-part series offers a down-and-dirty guide to making alignment actionable so you can bring easy money into your dealership.

Part 1: Set up Your Alignment Intelligence

1. The most obvious place to start when looking to align your advertising is the OEM portal.  These portals are goldmines for finding out about upcoming campaigns, new models, seasonal promotions and more. Many OEM portals feature an OEM commercial video detailing the latest and greatest advertising campaigns.

2. Contact your OEM area representative. Yes, they want you to take cars, but they also have a direct line to the OEM campaigns. If you can’t find what you’re looking for on the OEM portal, or would simply prefer to work with a real person, the OEM area representative can be a great resource.

3. Turn on your TV. This option is certainly the most fun. Next time you’re vegging out in front of The Amazing Race, pay attention to the commercials that come on. Is one of them for an OEM promotion featuring inventory you yourself possess? What are you waiting for? Grab those assets, integrate them into your website, and wait for the crowds to pour in to your dealership.

4. Get a little help from your friends. The last great OEM resource is none other than your friends in the industry. Whether it’s through a 20 group, your dealer bowling league, or the next industry mixer, seek out non-competitive dealers and ask them what promotions they are running in the near future. A tip from an industry buddy could lead to easy money for you as well. Score!

Max Steckler is the Vice President of Advertising Products for ADP Digital Marketing.  An automotive buff in both his professional and personal life, Max spends his spare time restoring vintage Japanese motorcycles, and is preparing for an off-road motorcycle trip to Alaska.