When you consider that in 2008 the US Internet population was over 190 million, it’s no surprise that dealers are maximizing their investment in Internet marketing to attract in-market buyers and increase sales. By upgrading and optimizing your Website, improving your SEM strategies and posting inventory on multiple portals, you can count on connecting with more car shoppers, increasing leads and generating higher profits.

Savvy Internet marketers are also jumping on the social media bandwagon, which includes blogs, as well as social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and YouTube.

By definition, social media refers to online Websites where users interact with each other, sharing thoughts, ideas and information. It is now estimated that between 40 to 60 percent of Internet users visit social media sites. Social networking (member communities) accounts for one in every 11 minutes spent online and has overtaken email to become the world’s fourth most popular online sector.

According to a recent social media study, 88 percent of marketers say they now use some form of social media to market their business. One of the easiest ways to enter the social media arena is with a blog (a contraction of Web log). A blog is like an online diary. Entries are posted on a regular basis and can include commentaries, opinions, thoughts, ideas, news, reviews, images, videos, links to other content or virtually anything that interests you. Most blogs also allow readers to leave comments.

Compared to regular Websites, blogs can be easily updated and, unlike traditional media, there is no lead-time for publication. Blogs are also search engine friendly because of their fresh content and incoming links. If you’re an active blogger, your site could be indexed within as few as one to three days. The longer you remain indexed, the more people will find and read your blog.

Companies use blogs as a way to increase their online presence, attract more business, maintain ongoing communication with customers and share knowledge and experience. Blogs can also be customized to reflect your brand and can include subscriptions for people who want to keep current on your activities. Once you have a blog, you can promote it on business cards, advertisements, emails and your dealership Website to build up an audience.

Before you start a blog, decide ahead of time what you want to achieve with it. Is it for current customers, prospects or both? Will it focus on your dealership or the auto industry in general? Whatever you decide, make sure the content is compelling.

Blog postings should average about 250 words. When creating a title for your entry, keep it short, make it interesting and use relevant keywords. One way to insure your blog has a high ranking on search engine results is to have inbound links. The best incoming links come from sites that are ranked higher than your site with content related to your postings.

You can post your blog on your dealership Website, which can help keep people on your site longer or in blogging communities such as Blogger, BlogCatalog and MyBlog. You can also create blogs on auto industry sites such as DrivingSales.com.

Blogging can enhance your reputation and build your brand. It is one of the simplest ways to get started in social media and connect with your online public and it doesn’t cost you anything but time.

Josh Vajda currently serves as the director of sales and account management for AutoUSA, a leading provider of quality automotive Internet referrals.