KANSAS CITY, Mo. -

When I think about advertising trends that automotive dealerships should adopt, my thoughts immediately jump to social media.

Let’s be honest: Social media is a hard sell. It’s nearly impossible to track its ROI.

It’s tough to manage well and can take up an enormous amount of time. But with people spending more hours online than ever before, your dealership cannot afford to dismiss social media as an important marketing vehicle.

Instead, take a few minutes to learn about the channel and discover the recommendations from our marketing team at NCM Associates.

Facebook is home base, especially for women.

The largest social media space in the world, Facebook serves content to an estimated 1.04 billion users daily. Yes, that’s with a B.

A 2015 study from Pew Research Center found that 62 percent of the world’s entire adult population uses the social media platform, and it is most popular with women (77 percent of online women regularly use Facebook).

The numbers certainly suggest that Facebook is a universal social hub, but our marketing team proposes that many users 25 and younger maintain a profile, but rarely post on it. It’s actually trending older.

Facebook’s older- and woman-focused demographics shouldn’t discourage automotive dealerships from having a strong presence there. If anything, this is a phenomenal opportunity for you to reach female decision-makers. Just do it in a way that resonates with the audience.

Here’s an example. Do you have a car seat safety program? Post an infographic about the essential elements of car seat safety. Share a compelling video about the dangers of driving unrestrained children.

And remember: One of the best things about social media is that you don’t have to create all the content yourself! Feel free to share great work from other organizations; just be sure to give them the appropriate recognition.

Next, use social media (and regular press) to publicize a child safety seat inspection day — this brings an online audience into your dealership.

Not only have you done a public service and received great press, you’ve brought online customers to the lot and deepened their trust in your business. Even if they don’t purchase the day of the event — and they probably won’t— where do you think they’ll go when the family car needs to be replaced?

Surprise! Google+ isn’t dead.

I’ll be honest: I can’t think of a single Google+ page that I’ve visited in the last three years. There was a lot of excitement when the search giant announced its privacy-focused social media platform, but it just couldn’t compete against the Facebook juggernaut. Most people abandoned their “circles” within a year or two.

Our marketing team is currently ramping up its efforts in this channel. And the key to their strategy is regularly updating Google+ content. Why should you do this?

Even though most customers have abandoned the space, Google cleverly has tied its page rankings with it — Google+ carries significant weight when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO) and organic search position.

How do you use it? Google+ operates very similarly to Facebook, and visual content such as video and photos perform well. Short, digestible news is good, too.

Because G+ trends technical, consider sharing information about franchise innovation. It’s a fantastic spot to share content appealing to gearheads.

The easiest way to incorporate Google+ into your social media mix is to select a few Facebook posts to tweak and share on Google+. (NCM Marketing advises: Never share identical posts across platforms.)

When you have an active Google+ account along with a verified business profile, you can create a well-organized network of Google-based content and information for your customers.

LinkedIn – Where the wealthy spend their time.

I’m not going to lie: I love LinkedIn. There’s fantastic content related to the business and financial world, and I’ve found insightful articles about management and leadership. I’m in good company, too: About 25 percent of adult Internet users frequent the business networking and publishing site.

Nearly half of those people earn annual household incomes of $75,000-plus. LinkedIn also trends older, with the bulk of its users falling between 30 and 49 years old.

So, what does this mean for your auto dealership? A couple of things.

First, LinkedIn in one of the best resources available to recruit manager- and executive-level staff. Join one of the many automotive groups to find talent; at the very least, you’ll gain useful guidance and insights.

In terms of retail advertising, LinkedIn isn’t always a good fit for dealerships. However, if you sell a high-value luxury line, establishing a presence here could work; the users certainly can afford your product.

Make sure not to sell, though; the best way to interact with your potential clients would be to share interesting news about the franchise and its products. Think of it this way: You’d never ask for a job at a networking event, so don’t try to sell a car on LinkedIn, the social media equivalent.

Twitter: Young, hip and urban.

Twitter offers excellent marketing opportunities for dealerships in major metropolitan areas wanting to attract a younger customer base. (Millennials, anyone?) About a fifth of the world’s adult population uses Twitter, and it is widespread with youth living in cities.

It moves fast, though. So, if you’re going to use Twitter, make sure you understand tweeting conventions, study up on hashtags, and have enough agility to respond quickly to trends and changes.

So, where are all the kids?

Kids are all over the place. Instagram and Pinterest are very popular with the youth demographic, and they’ve captured roughly a quarter of adult users.

Snapchat, Kik and WhatsApp are typical messaging apps used by teens and young adults. While these are resources that replace smartphones’ built-in text-messaging functions, youth-focused retail brands are starting to produce content solely on Snapchat.

Should you use them? Maybe. First, consider your audience. If you sell vehicles that appeal to the youth market, it might be worth it. Second, consider your time and staffing.

Our marketing team believes that expansion into these social media channels should only happen after dealerships have successfully started and managed a robust social media program in the major channels: Facebook and Google+, and LinkedIn and Twitter, if applicable to your market.

Every dealership needs a strong social media presence. It helps create a connection between you and your customers, and it helps them develop loyalty to your business. But you need to be a savvy social media marketer.

Establish a presence in the places that matter, and ensure that you’re producing quality, engaging content. Once you’ve accomplished that, carefully consider the other, less-popular option: If they fit with your target market demographic, go for it. If not, walk away with confidence.

 

Trevor Robinson is NCM Associates’ director of retail solutions, training and development.