T
he numbers prove it:
Would-be consumers
who visit Build.ClubCar.
com are more likely to contact
local dealers like you about
making a purchase. That’s the
power of the internet. And a
smart social media plan is key
to making sure you harness
that power to drive visits and
sales to your dealership.
GOLF
CAR
NEWS
Seven Social Media
Marketing Tips for Lo-
cal Golf Cart Dealers
How to make social do
more for your dealership.
BY RICHARD CHAPMAN
With that in mind, we wanted
to offer our partners across
the country a few social media
tips and trends to consider:
Get Your Accounts in Or-
der — Make sure all your pro-
fessional social channels are
operating as business versus
personal accounts. Switching
will make it easier to target
and track your followers and
fans. At minimum, open Face-
book and Twitter Business
accounts. They are the main
social apps vehicle-purchas-
ers use for research. Double
check that your operating
info (hours, address, phone
numbers, etc.) is current and
correct.
Roll that Footage — Consum-
ers are four times more likely
to watch an informational
video than read copy. Think
about how you can use video
to engage customers: product
reviews and model launches,
cart maintenance tips, 360°
cart views, etc. Invest in an
inexpensive mobile tripod and
mic, and you can create quick
videos on the fly. Keep them
short, though. More than two
minutes, and you’ll lose them.
Know the Stars in Your Or-
bit — Every community, even
your local one, has its influ-
encers. You can figure out the
people and organizations your customers
follow using free online tools. Reach out
to them via social about follow and repost
swaps, where you share and promote
each other’s content.
Take It to the People — User-generated
content (UGC) is one of the most effec-
tive ways to engage with customers on
social. It’s authentic, cheap, and easy to
track. Encourage your fans and follows to
use your hashtags, p and promote your
content with giveaways and contests (as
allowed by law). Let them be your advo-
cates online.
Get Smart about Facebook Advertis-
ing — Almost 84% of consumers use
Facebook. Use Facebook ads to target
select consumers, including those in your
area, those interested in a certain type of
vehicle,, etc. Vehicle ads on Facebook have
double the click-through of the average
Facebook promotion.
Don’t Forget About Pinterest — Appeal to
the women who drive purchase decisions
and build up your dealership’s search-en-
gine optimization (SEO) by sharing product
shots and blog posts. Strong SEO means
consumers are more likely to find you
when you post online.
Make it Look Good — You don’t need pro-
fessionals to make your post look profes-
sional. There are plenty online resource
that can help you determine image sizes
and other posting best practices. Spend an
afternoon familiarizing yourself with a few.
With these seven tips, you should be well
on your way to building a meaningful so-
cial presence.
[Author Bio] Richard Chapman is a Con-
sumer Market Segmentation Leader at
Club Car. Contact him at Richard.Chap-
[email protected] for more tips on marketing
your dealership.
NOVEMBER 2018
35