Hey dealers! It’s officially late January – how are you doing with your 2018 New Years resolutions? If you’re like us, one of your business-minded resolutions involves making a larger effort toward marketing your company on social media. While social media is nothing new, its capabilities of driving legitimate results for businesses are only improving with time. The new year is an excellent time to start fresh and make the most of the opportunities that social media presents.
A good place to start is defining each of the 6 biggest social media platforms that your dealership should be using, and breaking down the most efficient ways to utilize each one.
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Facebook
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This is the best channel to use if your main goal is to send traffic to your website, and as a retail business this is likely the main objective for your dealership’s social media efforts. Facebook puts a strong emphasis on video content, and that is likely to remain a trend for quite some time.
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Instagram
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Needless to say, this is a highly visual platform. Both images and video have increased in popularity due to this channel. As a dealership, you have a very visual brand and your business will benefit from showcasing that. Share pictures and videos of your inventory units to attract followers who could likely become prospects through this platform.
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Twitter
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A great platform for interaction. Replying to others and re-tweeting are encouraged actions on this channel. This is a good place to share content, such as blog posts, and respond to other industry-related content.
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Google+
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Having an account on this platform is vital for establishing a presence on the world’s largest search engine, Google. The business information, images, and social content you share on Google+ will appear for all Google users to see. This is an important channel to monitor and update frequently, as it has an enormous influence on your search engine visibility.
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Pinterest
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An image-based platform that can help drive traffic to your website. Showing off your inventory and providing a way for followers to gain more information is the best way for dealers to use this channel. Pinterest provides a way to reach potential customers who may be in the research and discovery stage of the buying process.
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LinkedIn
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This is a professional network, meant for sharing and distributing industry-related content. While this may be the most challenging platform to reach prospects or customers on, it can be a valuable place to establish a strong presence in your market.
Understanding the difference between social media platforms and altering your strategy to fit each one individually is key. Social media is a proven avenue for bringing results to your business, but you need to go about it in the right way. Pinpoint the best use for each platform as it fits your dealership, and adjust your content to match both your needs and the capabilities of that platform.
2018 is your year, dealers. Good luck – and get social!