Last updated 2 days 4 hours ago
It can be hard to keep track of everything that happens in a week. That’s why we endlessly roam the Internet in search of some of the most interesting stories from the automotive and social media industries – so you don’t have to. Take a look at what we’ve found this week:
Facebook Remains Top Social Network, Google+, YouTube Battle for Second
“According to eMarketer, a digital marketing analysis firm, Facebook is still the number one social network by a large margin, but second and third place go to Google’s Google+ and YouTube. That Facebook is number one, with its 1.11 billion members, is no surprise. eMarketer believes that just over half, 51 percent, of all internet users visit Facebook at least once a month…”
New Google Local Listings Carousel Showcases 7 Results Above the Fold
“Google seems to be doing a limited beta test of a new style of displaying local search results, such as restaurants, in a unique carousel style that allows a user to scroll sideways through the results. This interesting format is clearly targeting mobile and tablet users who can easily go between results b swiping…”
Building Loyalty the Lady Gaga Way: Focus on 1% of Your Customers
“Shiny New Object Syndrome. It’s hard to resist. Many businesses are consumed with chasing new customers instead of focusing on the ones they already have. I see this all the time: Companies give out heavily discounted offers to lure new customers while longtime customers wonder why their loyalty isn’t being rewarded with the same offers…”
Why Brands Want to Have a ‘Two-Way Conversation’ with You
“When you first hear the phrase, ‘two-way conversation,’ you probably think, ‘Well, what other kind of conversation is there?’ But when it comes to brands, this phrase embodies a very specific marketing strategy: personification. Ever since the advent of social media, brands have been trying to engage consumers in ways that make them seem more like people, rather than large corporation trying like hell to sell you products or ideas…”
Pinterest Brand Engagement: Best Days and Times to Pin
“Unlike Twitter and Facebook, where brands drive engagement with their content through official accounts and pages, 70% of brand engagement on Pinterest is generated by the community itself, according to a new report by Digitas and Curalate. The study, which analyzed nearly 10 million pins specific to the fashion/retail, automotive and electronics industries, also found that the best day/time to pin for optimum community engagement varied by topic/industry…”
Last updated 5 days ago
A recent study conducted by Dimensional Research [via Marketing Land] shows that reviews have an overwhelming influence on today’s consumers. Of the participants who recalled reading online reviews, 90% claimed positive reviews influenced buying decisions, while 86% said their buying decisions where influenced by negative online reviews.
Positive reviews are great – and we encourage dealerships to share those across their social media channels, and email newsletters. Negative reviews on the other hand are a sore spot for auto dealerships and businesses alike. Below, we share more of the study’s findings on negative reviews.
What makes a negative review?
In most cases, a negative review is the result of customer frustration with the way service issues are handled. Service issues are nothing new, but the Internet makes people more likely to share those experiences with others. According to the study, 58% said they were more likely to share their customer service experiences today than they were 5-years ago, thanks to social networking and online review websites. Of the respondents who shared negative experiences, about half (45%), said they shared their feelings on social media, while 35% wrote an account of their experience on review websites.
So, what most often inspires a negative review?
· Having to explain an issue to multiple people (72%)
· The person I dealt with was unpleasant (67%)
· The problem took too long to resolve (65%)
· The problem was not resolved (51%)
What can your dealership do about negative reviews?
In this study, review sites, not social networks were said to be the leading source of negative reviews. That means you should have social listening tools in place to identify what’s being said about your dealership on popular review sites, like Google+ Local, Yelp, DealerRater, and more. In addition, you’ll want to encourage customers with positive experiences to share their reviews on those websites.
Of course, it’s best if your dealership is proactive about good customer service – and establishing credibility online – rather than simply responding whenever a consumer decides to complain. Here are just a few ways your dealership can improve a customers’ overall experience:
· Take steps to improve communication among staff members, so that they’re better equipped to handle customer questions, and understand potential issues.
· Empower employees to solve customer problems on the spot, rather than having to refer to management. Provide training on appropriate solutions to common scenarios.
· Follow up directly with the customer to ensure a resolution to any problem, or have your contact information readily available so it’s easy for consumers to reach out with any issues.
· Encourage a “helping” approach, instead of a “sales” approach to customer interaction.
Should you still find a negative review online, we’ve shared a few tips on how to respond in this blog post.
How does your dealership manage online reviews? Share your tips in the comments below.
Last updated 9 days ago
It can be hard to keep track of everything that happens in a week. That’s why we endlessly roam the Internet in search of some of the most interesting stories from the automotive and social media industries – so you don’t have to. Take a look at what we’ve found this week:
Google Maps to Unveil Brand New Interface, Report Says
“Google is set to debut a new interface for its Maps app, according to a new report. Google Operating System, a blog that provides unofficial news about the search giant, said the update will get rid of Maps’ current sidebar, and will display local information in the pop-ups that appear on top of a full-screen map. The new design places greater emphasis on the map itself, rather than on navigational tools such as the direction of arrows and zoom functions…”
6 Ways to Take Advantage of Facebook’s New Cover Photo Rules
“Facebook launched Timeline in February 2012, and ever since t hen it has had strict rules for business pages and their cover photos. The photos couldn’t contain calls to action, prices or purchase information, contact information or references to Facebook features. You were limited to just posting a picture. You had to be creative. But times have changed, and now business owners can (almost) forget those rules…”
The One Infographic About the Digital Revolution You Need to Understand
“One of the challenges of the digital revolution that we’re living through today is its complexity, and the broad range of implications that companies need to wrestle with. Consumers are shopping in different channels, often hopping across them to complete a single purpose – what are the teams that you need to have in place to deliver what’s needed across that journey?...”
20 Data-Backed Ways to Upgrade Your Social Media Marketing [SlideShare]
“As a professional social media scientist and part time unicorn hunter, I spend a lot of time chasing down and busting social media unicorns-and-rainbows myths and superstitions—advice that has no basis in facts – with real data and science. I’ve conducted quite a bit of research about social media marketing, and as a result, I’ve gotten quite a lot of insight into the tactics that do and don’t work…”
7 Ways to Improve Your Social Media Engagement
“Is your company’s social media as stale as last month’s bread? Would you like to get more people-to-people interaction and begin a real conversation with your audience on social media? No matter your company’s industry or size, you can encourage these deeper connections and improve your social media engagement. Here are some tips to help you encourage people-to-people interaction, whether you are on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Foursquare or Instagram…”
The Marketer’s Guide to Proper Social Media Etiquette
“As a savvy inbound marketer, you’re already sold on the value of using social media. But good social media marketing is about more than engagement, lead generation, and wider reach… you gotta have some etiquette, man. Etiquette? Really? Like pinkies-up-at-tea-time stuff? While social media etiquette might sound like a stuffy practice, this is really just about having good social manners online…”
Last updated 13 days ago
It may not have felt like it these last few weeks, but spring is here! The change of season is often a time that we clear out the cobwebs and look to new beginnings. As you start to get your spring-cleaning underway, we’d like to encourage you to take a look at your social media profiles as well. Here are 4-quick ways you can spring clean your dealership’s social media profiles:
Freshen up your photos
A change of season is the perfect time to give you social channels a mini-makeover. Change your Facebook and Google+ cover photos to reflect vehicles from this year’s new car line up, and update your Twitter and YouTube backgrounds. If your dealership has a company page on LinkedIn, be sure to update your product photos there as well. On Pinterest, spring is the perfect time to add new boards and remove anything that’s no longer relevant.
Review your information
Check out the information you’ve provided on your social networks and make sure it’s all still correct. Pay particular attention to your website address (if you don’t already link back to your dealership’s website from your social media channels – you should!), hours of operation and any other external links to be sure that everything is in working order.
Optimize your biography
Local search is becoming more and more important on social networks. That means that in addition to using high value keywords in your biographies and descriptions, you should also be sure to input your location. Be as specific as you can on all of your social channels in order to gain visibility and potential leads.
Give new life to your best content
Look for ways to repurpose your best content so that you’re able to give it new life on your dealership’s social networks. Take a successful blog post and turn it into a video, infographic or slideshow, or turn some of your favorite social mentions from customers into a new blog post. Repurposing content is a great way to revive some of your best stuff. To keep it really simple, add a few updates to an older blog and repost it with the new information.
Spring is the perfect time to talk about cleaning up our social media profiles – but that doesn’t mean you need to wait a whole year to do this again. In fact, we’d recommend following these steps at the end of every season to ensure that you’re always putting your best foot forward on your dealership’s social channels. Share your dealership’s spring-cleaning tips social media tips in the comments below.
Last updated 16 days ago
It can be hard to keep track of everything that happens in a week. That’s why we endlessly roam the Internet in search of some of the most interesting stories from the automotive and social media industries – so you don’t have to. Take a look at what we’ve found this week:
How Social Media is Changing the SEO Industry
“It is painfully cliché to talk about the ‘rise of social’ and ‘the power of social media.’ That happened a long time ago. Now it’s settled, and we can make some real progress. The power of social lives beyond its ubiquity, and wields a transformative impact on SEO. Please understand that I’m not going to propagate any myths about how to increase your rankings via social media. Nor am I going to propose that SEO is dead so long live social. Instead, I’ll attempt to demonstrate how social is infringing upon the traditional realm of SEO as a major factor in how people find information, convert, and interact with the Internet…”
Attract Customers Who Want to Buy: 7 Ways
“Last week, I suggested to some contention that you could do more business with less salespeople. One clear path to doing this is through inbound marketing… Inbound marketing strategically integrates data, technology, content and intimacy to efficiently attract customers predisposed to buy, and often at a premium price… In case you haven’t fully adopted an inbound marketing approach, I’ve consulted with several inbound marketing experts to provide some best-practice tips so you can compete with the inevitable onslaught of inbound marketers…”
Cost Per Like: A Subjective Valuation of Your Facebook Fans
“Cost per Like often crops up in conversations about Facebook advertising, though it isn’t a term officially sanctioned by Facebook. So what exactly does it mean? Cost per Like refers to the cost of acquiring a new fan for a Facebook page, either through paid advertisements or, less directly, through earned media efforts… It sure it nice to have a lot of Facebook fans. But how much are they really worth, and how much should companies invest in acquiring them?...”
How to Improve Your Social Media Calls to Action
“Is your audience responding to your social activities? Have you integrated the right calls to action into your social media strategy? A call to action is a way for you to entice your social media audience to focus their attention on the next action you want them to take. Here are seven steps for crafting calls to action to get your social community to do what you’d like them to and transform your social media marketing to get the results you want…”
The Key to Engaging Today’s Video Audiences: Respect Their Time
“Twenty-five years ago, George Stalk of the Boston Consulting Group introduced the concept of ‘time-based competition,’ calling attention to the scores of companies that had made timely responsiveness to consumers a major priority… A quarter century later, it’s still a relevant concept, and, in a world where viewers have more options and the competition for engagement is the fiercest its ever been, advertisers can adapt it to great advantage… The brands that respect the value of the viewer’s time – and use it to their advantage – will succeed…”
