2. Avoid Shortcuts That Cost You
Strategy before tactics.
As a social media strategist, I hear from companies who think, "Social Media isn't a place for us. It doesn't work for our business." Most of the time, these companies have not defined their goals for social media. They have no real strategy and resort to the latest tips, tricks or hacks. When that fails, they blame the medium.
Dealers that craft a foundational strategy to reach their goals never need to blame. They simply execute, monitor, analyze and adapt as they go.
There are no shortcuts to social media success.
There ARE smart strategies that save time, money and human resources. Social media strategy is the shortcut to exceeding your goals.
3. Engage Your Most Valuable Asset
Have you ever cleaned out your closet and found something stuck in the back, pulled it out and realized, "Oh hey, I remember this! It's awesome!"
Let's face it: creating content for your website and social media can be super hard. But, it doesn't have to be if you "crowdsource" your ideas.
Your most valuable asset for social media is your employees.
Many of them are probably already using social media to network and engage with prospects. These folks are the most valuable of your most valuable.
Engage employees by inviting them to share their expertise. Tap their enthusiasm to encourage other employees to participate.
When employees' ideas are published online, they become more visible to prospects. You get great content, they get to be recognized experts. The dealership looks smarter because its employees are smart.
Pro Tip: Always implement a social media policy to protect the company and guide employees on best practices.
4. Reassess What Matters Most to Your Customers
Successful marketing solves customer's problems. Social media is a communication tool to answer their questions, solve their problems and stay in touch.
Customer preferences and social channels (along with their algorithms) shift over time.
Having a communication line open 24/7 requires regular reassessment of what's most