Maximize Your Dealership’s Social Media Presence

Few businesses can argue away the importance of a social media presence. If you have customers to serve, you can be certain that those customers are on social media, and it provides a highly effective platform for connecting with them. The sheer number of users on major social media channels is enough to convince any business that is on the fence. Facebook, by far the most popular of them all, has 2.4 billion users. It makes sense to create and maintain a presence on all major social media networks – this would include sites like Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and more. However, Facebook is the superior platform for connecting to the most customers as well as advertising in the most efficient ways.

It’s important to create a solid presence on Facebook that attracts customers and prospects and keeps them engaged. Posting often and interacting with followers daily is a good place to start. In addition to engaging with followers on your own posts, follow your audience members back and engage with their content to keep the conversation going. You may find that your dealership receives customer service-related questions through social media channels – in today’s world, that is to be expected. Social media provides a quick and convenient way for customers to reach you, so give those users a positive experience by responding promptly and being as helpful as possible. Generating traffic to your Facebook business page and maintaining connections is key.

More than 70% of all brand engagement on social media happens on local Facebook business pages. This is likely because they are highly relevant to customers who are in your area as well as in the market for the units you sell. Facebook is surpassing Google in volume of customer reviews and ratings, which is significant. As a local business, your dealership has a valuable opportunity to connect with prospects in your community using a localized social marketing strategy.

Once you have established trust with your social media audience by building and maintaining connections, it makes sense to begin advertising to your followers and social media users beyond. Several types of Facebook ads can help you reach your target audience: Newsfeed ads that appear on the user’s homepage, Carousel ads that show multiple units from your store on rotation, Conversion ads that encourage users to take a specific action such as visiting your website, Engagement ads that are designed to draw “likes” and comments, and Video ads. Dynamic Remarketing ads on Facebook take it to the next level by re-engaging past website visitors and showing them units they have viewed on your site in the past. Lead Generation ads allow Facebook users to fill out a contact form directly on their newsfeed, without being forced to leave Facebook and go to your site. Event ads are particularly effective for local business advertisers on Facebook, as they target likely prospects in your area who are likely to attend your event in person.

While there are different types of ad formats to choose from and many strategic ways to capture the attention of local prospects, don’t underestimate the power of brand awareness among your local community on social media. It’s clear that what customers do online directly affects offline purchasing behavior, even if it’s not always possible to connect the two. Repeated exposure to ads for your dealership on social media platforms, where consumers spend so much of their time, makes a long-lasting impression.

Not only do your local customers and prospects expect to see your dealership on social media, but they actively seek out ways to connect with your business through social media as well. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to engage with this audience as well as encourage leads and sales through this additional advertising platform.

Statistics courtesy of Statista & Marketing Land