DETROIT -

General Motors recently highlighted how a pair of its franchised stores in suburban Dallas are conquering the “next online frontier” in an effort to move metal and keep service bays busy.

The rooftops’ Internet director is using social media to regularly join conversations on Facebook and Twitter. James Wood Motors, which sells new Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac models at two different locations, turned that area over to Amanda Williams several years ago, and she’s been busy ever since.

According to a post on the automaker’s blog Faces of GM, Williams indicated Chevrolet’s “mommy blogger” program gets some discussions going, and she tries to chime in when she can.

“We don’t get involved and say, ‘Come buy a car here,’” Williams shared. “That’s not really the approach you need to take.

“We get involved by just communicating with the moms,” she continued. “We’ll talk to them about any kind of questions they have about the vehicle.”

GM said monitoring those online exchanges helps Williams’ stores understand what customers want and like in a car or truck.

“Our mom bloggers are great at giving us feedback on our vehicles and how they integrate with their lives,” Williams noted.

The OEM explained Williams works closely with Ted Moore, James Woods’ Internet sales manager. While they don’t overtly try to sell vehicle through social media, GM acknowledged Moore does believe it has an impact when people start talking about their dealership online.

“People have a little more trust in social media because it is real people talking about their experiences. It’s not a car guy trying to rah-rah them,” Moore stressed.

The dealership mentioned Williams first worked for James Wood back in the 1990s and came back about four years ago to handle the social media job.

While some dealerships hire outside firms to handle their social media needs, Williams feels being wired into the James Wood operation and understanding the values of the organization helps her convey a better picture of how they are serving the community.

Williams says social media isn’t about technology, it’s about people.

“It’s really just a method of communication for us,” she continued. “It’s the same as a phone or a fax machine or an email.”

Williams mentioned some customers communicated entirely by text or Twitter prior to coming in to sign the papers to buy a vehicle. If that scenario works for the customer, GM said Williams and Moore will make it work, too.

The automaker asked Williams what it takes to be a successful social media person for a dealership.

“Someone who is dedicated to watching it and watching out for things to post,” Williams responded, while adding she keeps her eyes open for stories from newspapers or magazines, or from Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac that discuss new features on vehicles.

Even though Williams has been working in social media for several years, she acknowledged the feedback from people she’s never met in person reminds her of the effectiveness of tools like Twitter and Facebook.

After a GM executive in Detroit responded to one of her tweets, Williams shared, “I still get shocked when I post messages and people respond. It reminds you that social media is just a way to get closer to people who kind of seem untouchable.”

More posts from the automaker’s blog can be found at facesofgm.com.