Internet Marketing

Using Social Media to Promote Your Dealership Social Media

Using Social Media to Promote Your Dealership

January 15, 2015

Social media should be an essential part of any auto dealership’s marketing plan moving into 2015. Even though many consumers want to physically see an automobile before they purchase it, a strong social media strategy can sell them on your dealership before they even walk through the door. It’s important

3 Things to Expect this Year in Automotive Content Marketing Online Marketing

3 Things to Expect this Year in Automotive Content Marketing

January 7, 2015

2015 is finally upon us, and while most automotive dealerships have already finalized their yearly marketing budgets, expectations of the digital landscape’s trends and changes have just begun to emerge. At the forefront of this conversation is content marketing, its development within the automotive space, as well as the opportunity

Data Security Starts At Home Websites

Data Security Starts At Home

January 6, 2015

As security breaches and data theft become more commonplace, businesses will encounter increasing regulatory and consumer pressure to protect that data. I’ve written numerous articles on the importance of data security in dealerships, especially when dealers share that sensitive customer information with their vendor partners. According to a recent article

How Your Dealership Online Campaign Can Go Offline Online Marketing

How Your Dealership Online Campaign Can Go Offline

December 29, 2014

For most people, buying a car at a dealership is an overwhelming and intimidating process. In order to make the process easier, increasing numbers of auto shoppers are taking their car search online. Last week, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported that 83% of shoppers will explore alternatives to shopping

What Are Other Dealerships Doing in the Paid Search Space? Search

What Are Other Dealerships Doing in the Paid Search Space?

December 24, 2014

In the automotive world, it is easy to lose track of what competing dealerships are doing in the paid search space. The focus is on driving new business, selling cars, and getting new service customers. When business is not growing at the percentage you would like, it is important to

Career Suicide or Transforming Our Industry? Online Marketing

Career Suicide or Transforming Our Industry?

December 17, 2014

A year ago, I had a terrific job leading North American marketing at Subaru. We had implemented very successful programs that were driving record sales and attracting widespread attention for their innovation and results. Life was good, right? Things were good, but I felt uneasy. Even though I’ve been in

Using Lead Nurturing to Convert Internet Leads into Car-Buying Customers Online Marketing

Using Lead Nurturing to Convert Internet Leads into Car-Buying Customers

December 17, 2014

Particularly with internet leads, it’s often assumed that every contact is ready to buy today, so many times, every communication with the lead after the online conversion is hyper-focused on the final stage of the buying cycle: the purchase. In reality, most digital conversions are initiated by individuals in the

High Consideration Equals High Touch Online Marketing

High Consideration Equals High Touch

December 15, 2014

The automotive market demands a high-touch shopping experience. Vehicle sales include a level of complexity that makes some form of assistance to a buyer a necessity. Gone, however, are the days when car searches took place primarily in dealerships. Today, 90% of car sales start online, and, according to the

Does Automotive Marketing Still Rely Too Heavily on TV Advertising? Social Media

Does Automotive Marketing Still Rely Too Heavily on TV Advertising?

December 10, 2014

The automotive industry has long been miles ahead of other sectors when it comes to sleek television advertising, but it could be stalling when it comes to adapting to the social media environment of today. A New Normal There’s been a lot of debate in the last couple of years