Within my own career journey, I worked at a high-line auto group based out of the New York Market. Originally when I took the role, the group had an advertising agency responsible for all marketing accounting oversight in conjunction with the CFO and Controller of the company. As time went on, the owner decided to eliminate the agency and have myself and my team handle all the marketing in house, including working directly with accounting on all marketing responsibilities that the prior agency held.&nbsp;My responsibilities varied day to day as Vice President of Marketing but I worked very closely with the entire accounting department on annual and monthly marketing budgets. Reviewing parts statements, contract negotiations, vendor billing management, marketing accruals, co-op submissions, co-op management, and marketing accounting oversight, I had to sign off on every single marketing, advertising, or 3rd&nbsp;party invoice prior to it getting to the check signer for all locations.Depending on the dealership, this area is sometimes not well defined or looked upon as a priority. Having a buttoned up and fully transparent marketing strategy, where all the internal teams are in sync, is not always part of the narrative. Especially when making decisions, not all accounting departments are involved with the marketing strategy.&nbsp;Flash forward to 2021 when I met Kelly Edgar, who I now know as The Virtual Controller. We clicked instantly over synergies we have as we both work within the accounting department of a dealership; we have very similar philosophies and mindsets on the topic of marketing accounting. I sat down to interview The Virtual Controller about best practices and any advice she has to maximize profitability for your store.<h4>M: What is a sustainable marketing accounting process that every dealership across the US needs to have?&nbsp;</h4>VC: For all my dealerships, every month I run an advertising expense report. This is always matched up with the budget and ties to the financial statement, so the partner or the GM can easily see what they agreed to and where the final expense came in at. This is a great tool to use month to month to order to see and understand your expense tracking. This is also good for the GM to compare to their other advertising reports because they have access to reports that we don’t get to see from a traditional accounting standpoint.An example would be the ability to compare their ad expense on Facebook to the number of impressions generated: this is also helpful in terms of the GM’s ability to monitor and understand whether there are expenses that are able to be cut, those not converting to traffic for the store.These reports are important to produce, even if they’re not asked for because there will come a time that the GM must make a split decision and they can refer to these reports easily, building trust within your accounting department and controller.<h4>M: Why is reviewing the advertising budget important to do monthly? What are some best practices and tips you can suggest for a new General Manager or Owner?</h4>VC: From an accounting standpoint, their Controller should be in consistent contact with the GM/O/MP concerning any out-of-the-ordinary advertising items. I know, for me, most of the time, I don’t get the budget until the month is almost over. This is just because the GM certainly does not have to get my permission on what his ad spend is, but at the same time, I am responsible and required to let him know when I see something that appears too high or too low. This is also something I feel comes with time as well as knowing your GM. There are a lot of times that I advise my GM on items that appear out of the ordinary and don’t receive a response. Regardless, my GM likes to know that I am watching those things, that is what I am there for.&nbsp;Another reason it is important to watch the budget is because the GM can monitor trends, both good and bad. I always give my GM a report of where the actual expense came in; it is in this way that they can&nbsp;compare&nbsp;the impressions they are getting on Google Analytics vs. what they are spending on such.<h4>M: Why should a dealership have an accounting department (virtual or in-house) manage the marketing accounting vs an agency?</h4>VC: You know, I have worked at dealerships before where we had an in-house marketing professional as well as having worked at a dealership that used an advertising agency. I really do see the benefit of both. In my opinion, the consideration really comes down to who has the most/best relationships. You may be dealing with an advertising agency that has a far reach, for example, having used the same radio station for a long time and can get you the best spots at a discount. And you may find that local professional that also has longtime relationships with different outlets that can provide you the same value. Either way you are paying for their experience, which can be expensive.&nbsp;Ultimately what you want is the exposure for your store. I am a strong believer in allowing your staff to do what it is they thrive in doing. And to me, other than monitoring the expense side, advertising should be left to a pro. It is way too large of a commitment and expense to trust to someone without skin in the game.

How Marketing and Accounting Play Powerfully as a Team

Over the last decade we have seen so many changes in automotive marketing. The evolution of social media has changed the marketing landscape. With the changes over the last year in our industry, it is more important than ever to have your marketing processes and procedures in place. One area that has been of particular interest for me has been video, specifically short-form video, and watching dealerships utilize it to reach and convert their customers.There are dealerships across the country that are utilizing TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube to reach new customers. There are some that do an incredible job of taking their social media presence to the next level and then there are others that are still trying to work out all the details to get their team(s) firing on all cylinders.Over the last few years, I have been watching a Ford Dealership based out of Dillsburg, PA, Bob Ruth Ford, take their social media presence to new heights. To say I am impressed with their marketing processes and procedures is an understatement. When I had the opportunity to speak with their Marketing Director, Stephanie Clark, a rising marketing star in the car business, you know I was going to ask her all about their philosophies on video marketing!<h3>Melanie: Stephanie, Tiktok vs Instagram Reels vs YouTube vs LinkedIn. How do you determine which video platform to use/share on?</h3>Stephanie: Determining which platform to use and what to share where is super important. To tailor our communication among the platforms we use our key of simple sentences. So, for example, Instagram is “Here is a photo of coffee,” Facebook “I like coffee,” TikTok “Here I am dancing with coffee,” LinkedIn “My skills include making coffee,” Youtube “Here I am drinking coffee.” So, making sure all of our content reflects across the platforms, it helps us to keep in proper communication with each client. We aren’t going to communicate with people on LinkedIn the same way we would on TikTok. Finding our audience on these platforms comes from determining who our ideal customer is and where they spend their time. It’s important to focus on the user and not the product. Showing them a brand-new Explorer is great but provoking an emotion will go so much further.My personal favorite is Facebook. We have worked hard to build credibility with our followers on that platform and we get a lot of engagement through it. We are completely transparent, putting out all information that customers could want or need, along with some fun and silliness incorporated along the way. This is my favorite because you can get so creative with it and reach SO many people, and it’s very trackable. We see a lot of success with customer testimonial videos. New customers seeing and hearing a current customer say, and confirm, what we preach as to who and what we are as a company, makes all the difference. We could say something a hundred times, but it has so much more meaning when it is coming directly from our customer, and them saying that this was their experience, and therefore it was so unforgettable.<figure class="ql-card-editable ql-card-figure"><img src="https://cdn1.dealermarketing.com/public/article/1635779803074.jpeg?auto=format&amp;w=525" srcset="
			https://cdn1.dealermarketing.com/public/article/1635779803074.jpeg?auto=format&amp;w=525&amp;dpr=1 1x,
			https://cdn1.dealermarketing.com/public/article/1635779803074.jpeg?auto=format&amp;w=525&amp;dpr=2 2x,
			https://cdn1.dealermarketing.com/public/article/1635779803074.jpeg?auto=format&amp;w=525&amp;dpr=3 3x," class="lazyload" style="display: block; margin: auto;" alt="influence is power" width="525"></figure> YouTube is our holy grail! Every video we make goes on YouTube. Our customers can find anything and everything that they need to know about our dealership there. We have different playlists pertaining to different categories – our VIP buying process, our VIP selling process, a day in the life at the dealership, how-to videos, and any current event sponsorship events we’re doing within the community. It can all be found here. Our channel creates brand awareness all while being entertaining. They can learn about us as a company or learn about any vehicle or service they’re interested in.With Instagram Reels, Millennials are the biggest users on Instagram and spend about half an hour a day scrolling. This is where we show “here is a photo/here is a video of coffee.” Users are scrolling fast and need their attention caught quickly and it’s only going to last a few seconds. Successful Reels capture attention within the first two seconds. The communication on Instagram Reels is tailored to millennials that want natural-looking content. We advertise here that “We are in business,” it’s up to date and tasteful. An aesthetically pleasing feed is what attracts people there. A huge part of the Reels is appropriate CTA’s (calls to action), there’s no point in putting something out without meaning to get some form of return. Utilizing Reels on Instagram is an in-between of fun and information. People aren’t necessarily coming to Instagram to buy a car – however, in our instance, they absolutely can – but to see what our company is up to, that ‘hey we are in business!’ and that we do keep up with our customers there.LinkedIn – This is our “my skills include making coffee” platform, which is an older demographic – baby boomers, gen x, millennials. We create business relationships here, show how and why we are ahead of the times within the industry, and keep our customers and followers up to date with what our processes are / what technology we are using / what vendors and business partners we work with / and how we operate overall as a business. We also post video content here – mostly informational content on us as a company and/or employment opportunities. Almost like a current event – what we’re up to in the business world / how we are impacting those around us. It’s a place where people can learn from us and vice versa.<h3>M: Do you find that customers are reaching out to you through TikTok?</h3>S: TikTok – this is our ‘fun’ platform. We show personalities around the dealership, but still incorporate hot vehicles and keep it branded to Bob Ruth Ford / automotive content. We can stay with the trends while also making it pertain to the industry and remain relevant. People go to TikTok for entertainment, so I think it’s a great place for customers to see us real and raw and that we are people just like them. There’s a younger generation on TikTok than, say, LinkedIn, that is right at that first-car-purchasing age, so keeping up with them and getting in front of them is crucial. This generation isn’t going to see us on LinkedIn or even Facebook anymore. Gen Z is scrolling TikTok more than they are Facebook.<blockquote>Our people have gotten more comfortable in front of camera and video because we utilize it so heavily, it’s just become part of everyone’s day at work from sales, to accounting, to management. </blockquote>They’re used to having cameras in front of them and we aren’t afraid to put ourselves out there, and it’s really benefitted us. Which I think is a huge part of this platform, you can’t be afraid to do something silly or outside of your comfort zone!<h3>M: What is one tip for choosing the right video sounds and content?</h3>S: Always go with what’s trending. Anything that’s trending can be aligned with the brand focus – granted it’s within appropriate guidelines, etc. You can take sounds and make them relevant to your brand and industry. It takes creativity and stepping outside the box, as well as your comfort zone. My team and I have embarrassed ourselves plenty of times, you just have to laugh along with those watching. The same goes for hashtags: we use our core list of hashtags that are part of our brand, as well as throwing in the trending hashtags. That gives it a good mix to reach new audiences and keeps our current hashtag followers in the loop with content. It’s also important to follow other hashtags relevant to your brand, which keeps you zoned in with what others are doing around you. Following those have helped us to see what “trending” is and how we can follow a trend but do it better and differently, staying on brand with us.I love Stephanie’s perspective on social media and hearing what works for Bob Ruth Ford that can be transferred to your dealership. The take-aways from Stephanie’s experience that I know will help leadership all over the country, is to know your audience per platform, know what kind of content to share on those platforms and get comfortable being on camera, and to incorporate marketing into the culture of the business.<h4>Are you utilizing video in your dealership’s marketing strategy?</h4>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Automotive Marketing Evolution: Interview with Bob Ruth Ford

"Storytelling" is all the rage on social media right now amongst professional marketers. The truth is, this is nothing new. Before "storytelling" conversations dominated social networks like LinkedIn and Clubhouse, marketers and individuals, businesses alike, were already applying this technique on Instagram and Facebook or through their advertising messaging.As a marketer working in the auto field, I set out with a big goal in mind at the beginning of 2020: to create more visibility for myself in my industry through social media. I sought to do this in part through storytelling and thought leadership, as well as branding myself as an individual within the company I work for.&nbsp;However, there was a challenge since I wasn't on any of the social sites as an individual. I took the first step of my own social journey with LinkedIn, as I recognized this medium's growth. As of January 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/blog/linkedin-b2b-marketing/2021/why-you-should-be-marketing-on-linkedin-right-now" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Professionals are joining LinkedIn at a rate of nearly 3 new members per second.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;According to Knista&nbsp;<a href="https://kinsta.com/blog/linkedin-statistics/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Only 3 million users (out of the more than 700 million) share content on a weekly basis. This means that only about 1% of LinkedIn's 260 million monthly users share posts.</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;There is thus plenty of opportunity. Flash forward to the present. After having numerous of my own personal storytelling posts go viral, I have found that there are specific types of posts that perform the best. These include:<h4>Static image posts&nbsp;</h4>A post made of up of text copy and a photo. LinkedIn posts with images get&nbsp;<a href="https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/cx/20/08/read-me-if-you-want-to-advertise-better-on-linkedin" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2x higher engagement</a>&nbsp;than other types of posts. I like to use relevant hashtags at the end of my posts for added visibility.&nbsp;<h4>Video Posts</h4>A post that is made up of text copy and a video. Video is great because it is not just visual, but audio as well.&nbsp;<a href="https://kinsta.com/blog/linkedin-statistics/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Because only 1% of people use LinkedIn as a actual social network with posts</a>, there is a real growth opportunity. Just like the static post, I like to end my post with hashtags relevant to the topic.The great news for every person on any social platform is that they all have a unique story to tell even if they haven't started yet. I like to say that the fun part of social storytelling is pinpointing your story in a post, interweaving it with your dealership or business's culture, and then tie it back into a relevant social site like LinkedIn!&nbsp;Most importantly, have a strategy for how you will market for yourself on social. You will maximize the power of your posts and increase your odds to generate positive connections and opportunities!&nbsp;

Social Media Strategy: Top Performing Storytelling Posts

I started my journey with the auto industry in early 2009 in a position of business development for an automotive tech company. At that time, I knew no one who worked at a car dealership. There was very little public information about marketing roles in car dealerships. Today, I run an in-house agency that I created. I oversee all of the marketing for a large auto group.&nbsp;With all of the social media and tech advances in today's world, I can now share with others who are looking to make a change, in addition to share different type of opportunities that reside within a car dealership.&nbsp;<h3>Marketing Department:&nbsp;</h3>CMO, Vice President of Marketing, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Marketing Operations Manager, Director of Communications, Creative Director, Social Media Manager, Videographer, Photographer, Marketing Intern, Marketing Analyst, Marketing Coordinator, E-Commerce Director, Communications Manager.<figure class="ql-card-editable ql-card-figure"><img src="https://cdn1.dealermarketing.com/wp/2021/02/dreamstimemedium_111112376-1024x683.jpg?auto=format" style="display: block; margin: auto; user-select: auto;" height="363" width="544"></figure> The Marketing Department is what I like to call the heartbeat of a car dealership. It is the voice of the store (or stores) and every single department within the dealership. The Marketing Department plays an essential part of the dealership's brand image. Marketing roles can vary in a given dealership based on how they are structured. However, every single department within a dealership has services that need to be marketed to the public, and in a positive relevant light.&nbsp;It is not as common to have a marketing department at a single dealership. With the evolution of social media, there are more opportunities that have arisen working in marketing in dealerships. Dealerships are now hiring marketing professionals to elevate their social media. Social media has created the opportunity of having the dealership's marketing department positioned as a robust profit center. Many dealer groups with more than 2 locations typically have an in house marketing team. Sometimes dealer groups not only use in house marketing, they use an outside agency as well. An in house agency may handle everything from soup to nuts not unlike an outside marketing agency does. An in house marketing department will handle everything from creative, vendor management, digital marketing, social media, website management, media buys, copy writing, PR, event management, and reputation management.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Business Development Center (BDC) or Internet Department:&nbsp;</h3>Business Development Director, Business Development Manager, E-Commerce Manager, Internet Sales Manager, Internet Manager, Internet Sales Rep, BDC Rep. Business Development Center (BDC) Administrator.<figure class="ql-card-editable ql-card-figure"><img src="https://cdn1.dealermarketing.com/wp/2021/02/dreamstimemedium_149775236-1024x651.jpg?auto=format" style="display: block; margin: auto; user-select: auto;" height="340" width="535"></figure> Another profit center within the dealership is the Business Development Center. The business development center goal is to develop and increase sales and service business for the dealership. The structure of this varies from dealership to dealer group. Most dealerships have some form of this department "BDC" which can be a call center or a department with sales people. A BDC call center may take inbound sales or service calls, make outbound calls, manage customer retention, make appointments for the different departments, and email guests. Some of their other responsibilities may include, building opportunities for the dealership, customer satisfaction, growing internet business, and managing internet leads or inquiries through dealership website and online channels. I have met managers in these departments that have a hybrid role where they also oversee all of the dealership's internet marketing as well.&nbsp;<h3>IT Department:&nbsp;</h3>Director of IT, IT Manager, Assistant IT Manager<figure class="ql-card-editable ql-card-figure"><img src="https://cdn1.dealermarketing.com/wp/2021/02/dreamstimemedium_87806394-1024x683.jpg?auto=format" style="display: block; margin: auto; user-select: auto;" height="368" width="551"></figure> The IT department oversees the installation and maintenance of the computer infrastructure&nbsp;&nbsp;(including phone systems) within a dealership. This may only require a single employee, or in the case of larger dealerships a team. In some dealerships, the IT department is integrated with the Marketing Department or is one in the same. They can build websites, update the websites monthly, code, and provide any tech support needed for dealership employees on different systems needed for day-to-day work activities.&nbsp;&nbsp;Working in a dealership in any marketing capacity is fun, exciting, and you learn so much about every single facet of the business. Depending on your experience, desires, willingness to learn, or interest level, you can be a fit for any of these roles. There are so many exciting, different career paths you can take in marketing at a dealership.As a working mom in a car dealership, this was my source of inspiration for my children's book "Our Mommy Works with Cars."

Talent Wanted: A Basic Review & Primer for Marketing Roles in a Dealership

If we have been connected for some time on LinkedIn, you will have observed a big change in my posting activities. I've been a LinkedIn member since 2014. In December 2019, I asked myself what I could do more of to help serve others while bringing value to myself and the company I work for. Since I work in marketing, I decided to focus on marketing, and to "do as I say," which I hadn't yet achieved at the time with social media. I went from posting randomly to posting with intent on a regular basis.For the past year I have been working hard on my personal marketing strategy, which has resulted in the development of a larger audience on LinkedIn, for which I am grateful.&nbsp;I have done this in large part by sharing simple, general marketing knowledge that can benefit anyone, including salespeople, business owners, and individuals in their day-to-day activities.&nbsp;So why would you focus your personal social media marketing efforts on LinkedIn and not the other social channels?&nbsp;LinkedIn has an advantage, it is the most undervalued, underutilized, social media platform, but it is growing, giving you a lot of potential to create your own organic audience.&nbsp;<ul><li>There are over <a href="https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/linkedin-up-to-722-million-members-continues-to-see-record-levels-of-enga/587956/?:%20Social%20Media%20Today%2010-31-2020" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">720 Million users'</a></li><li><a href="https://buffer.com/library/linkedin-marketing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">6 out of 10 users</a>&nbsp;actively search for industry insights on LinkedIn.&nbsp;</li><li>Only&nbsp;<a href="https://kinsta.com/blog/linkedin-statistics" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">3 million LinkedIn users</a> (fewer than 1%)&nbsp;share content on a weekly basis.</li></ul>&nbsp;Here are a few quick go to strategies you can immediately apply to your existing LinkedIn profile:<figure class="ql-card-editable ql-card-figure"><img src="https://cdn1.dealermarketing.com/wp/2021/01/dreamstimemedium_159601545-1024x686.jpg?auto=format" style="display: block; margin: auto; user-select: auto;" height="283" width="423"></figure> <h3>1. Post weekly</h3>Be consistent, post every day and use hashtags! Hashtags help people find your content. You will see that at certain times of the day you get better engagement (likes, comments, etc.) I like to experiment with different times to see what works best. You will also see which performs better, whether video or static images.&nbsp;<h3>2. Create your own LinkedIn business plan</h3>Determine what results you want from posting on LinkedIn. Set goals and objectives, create a posting calendar and be diligent to set aside time each week to organize your content, etc. Like Yogi Berra said. "If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else."&nbsp;What do you want from posting? A new client, a new job, to be a guest speaker, attract potential talent to your company, etc. Just like your monthly financial objectives, create them for yourself on LinkedIn.<h3>3. Engage with your connections</h3>One of the many ways you can really make the best use of LinkedIn is to continuously network!<figure class="ql-card-editable ql-card-figure"><img style="display: block; margin: auto; user-select: auto;"></figure>Leave thoughtful comments, send professional notes to one another, find ways to help other people without expecting a thing in return. LinkedIn grew tremendously this year, in part as a result of people being stuck at home due to the COVID pandemic. I have made some of the most meaningful professional connections of my career this year from LinkedIn, and I know that is true of many others.&nbsp;Seize the opportunities, they are there.&nbsp;

3 Easy Tips to Rev Up Your Personal LinkedIn Strategy

It’s an early fall Tuesday morning. The air is crisp (at least here in the northeast), and your coffee is hot as you pull into the dealership. You immediately notice a giant garbage can knocked over next to the service drive, and squirrels and birds are feasting undisturbed. Service customers have been arriving for a few hours, driving by the unsightly mess as they pull in. Even after their arrival, your guests are staring out the service department window in disbelief. It is a terrible visual, and it literally stinks. What do you immediately think?&nbsp;You need to clean up the garbage as soon as possible since no one else has taken the initiative to do so.&nbsp;<figure class="ql-card-editable ql-card-figure"><img style="display: block; margin: auto; user-select: auto;"></figure>Managing your dealership reviews online can feel a lot like cleaning up that garbage. The days of the phrase “all buyers are liars” are over because, in 2020, every single person has the ability to voice their opinions online, and not just to the managers of the dealership. Vendasta reports that&nbsp;92% of consumers now read online reviews vs. 88% in 2014. So, if you would take the time to clean up the garbage around the dealership, why wouldn’t you have a process in place for handling reviews?&nbsp;Every day, millions of automotive consumers go online to research where they should purchase and service their vehicles. They do research across the internet:&nbsp;Facebook, CarGurus, Cars.com, Google, and Yelp, your dealership’s website, your competitors’ websites, and so much more. According to TrustPilot in 2020,&nbsp;Nearly 9 out of 10 consumers read reviews before making a purchase.&nbsp;With the highest CSI, the most successful stores recognize the importance of reputation management and have a solid process in place, including well thought out internal guidelines, to address customer reviews. These processes vary depending on the specific circumstances, but most draw from certain general principles. In creating Reputation Management Guidelines for your store, or even in evaluating the Guidelines you might already have in place, some general considerations might include:<figure class="ql-card-editable ql-card-figure"><img src="https://cdn1.dealermarketing.com/wp/2020/11/employee-edit.png?auto=format" style="display: block; margin: auto; user-select: auto;" alt="Reputation management" height="408" width="272"></figure> <ul><li>Establishment of a mapped out internal process for the escalation of negative reviews.&nbsp;One of the worst things you can do is not respond to a negative review. Not only does this give you an opportunity to validate your position, but it also can assist in defusing a correctable situation before it escalates to the factory.&nbsp;</li><li>Have a point person to be the “voice” of the store. There should generally be one person who is responding, not 5 or 6 different. This way, one person is accountable for this, and consistency is more likely to be attained.&nbsp;</li><li>Ensure all the key people in the store (Owner, GM, Service Manager, etc.) are aware of the situation before responding to the review. This is tied into the store’s reputation management escalation process. You may want to have a conversation internally about what happened to get all of the facts before you respond.&nbsp;</li><li>Encourage your sales team to ask for reviews mentioning their names. When a positive review is made about a particular person, other people who read the review will instantly identify that person as someone they would want to have that same positive experience with. The top salespeople usually have the most reviews.</li><li>Your customers are actually content creators! I am sure you don’t think of them this way, but you can take a review and repurpose it to be used on your website, social media, a blog, etc. Recognize that reviews provide positive opportunities as well.</li></ul>In a car dealership today, having a strategic process to address customer reviews is an absolute necessity. Implementing solid controls to manage this process will not only affect your CSI, it will also increase trust. Reviews that are handled well can create meaningful customer interactions and help you to package your online presence in a positive light.In closing, reviews need to be monitored, tracked, responded to, and then utilized for content creation.

Articles by:MELANIE BORDEN