We came across a blog today about an auto mall in Istanbul. The planned project will make it the largest auto dealership in the world. It’s called Autopia Europia. It’s two million square feet which will include 200 auto dealerships and most impressive of all is the test track on the roof. Check out the video below.
I realise before I say this that it is a controversial statement but here goes.
You are not going to get there on your own.
Some people seem to get by in whichever their goals are by doing everything with seemingly no outside help but they are a very small number. The exception.
Besides, in most cases what looks like an individual effort has many silent supporters quietly assisting.
This goes for any endevour, but it has never been more true than in social media.
You need other people
This means instead of using social media tools as a means to getting attention you also should be using it to network.
As well as prospects and customers you need to be connecting with the influencers and media in your geography, market, suppliers and so-on.
The more you strengthen your network and can tap into the network of others, the better your results will be. You will find out vital information first, get in early on opportunities, and your messages will spread further and with greater credibility.
Stop trying to be the Lone Ranger and reach out – it’s worth it!
Social media is all about connecting with your customers. The problem is we focus too much time on our own online world, (our blog, our Twitter account, our Facebook pages, etc.) and not enough time in everyone else’s world.
Confused?
Obviously you’re going to create social media accounts on site’s where your customers frequent. Everyone reading this blog has probably already done that. You’ve hopefully started your Facebook page, and I hope you’re posting on the account and interacting with your fans now. But you’re still expecting your customers will just find you. And they will, but you still have to be able to branch out beyond your comfort zone and interact with them in their world as well.
Where are your customers?
They’re on Twitter. They’re on automotive blogs. They’re on Mashable, YouTube, and Yelp. They’re all over the internet. Honestly, you probably have a better idea than I do of where to find your customers. If you don’t know where they are you have to search for them.
How to find your customers:
This does not mean go onto an automotive blog and post a comment that says, “Great blog. Come to GOSO Automotive to see our new models!”
That’s never going to make it onto the blog. The spam filters will catch you right away, but do engage the community, and through the course of the conversation allow information to come out about your business organically. Also a lot of comment sections on blogs and website allow you to submit a URL. So, if you’re comments are useful, people will click over to your pages and see what you’re about.
What are some practices you’ve implemented to bring people to your social media sites or website?
How do you know you are on the right path? Are you getting to where you need to go in your business? Is the stuff you do every day getting you there faster or slower than if you did something else?
I just got through looking at a plan a small company had developed to take their profits into the next level.
The problem, and they were aware of it, was their new approach was their old approach.
If what you do is working for you, that’s great. But how long is it going to keep working for you?
Of course, if your current approach is not working for you, keeping going with it is not going to help!
Much of the time we do things thinking they are right, but really they are just routine, “the way things are done”, or because we are watching someone else.
Instead we have to look at cause and effect.
And to do this you need to be observing the effects in a way that you can compare.
This means
Most of all listen.
Listen to your customers, colleagues and your gut.
It does not need to be business as usual!
I’ve been splitting a lot of my time lately between Washington, DC, and Orange County, CA. Due to the amount of time I spend in Orange County, I need a car.
So, I’ve been shopping around, trying to find the best deal for my money. I’ve been to several dealerships, and when I leave I take a card. I take it because I’ll follow up if the right car or deal comes along. The problem with every card I get is that it doesn’t have the information I want on it.
Sure, I get a name. I get a phone number. I even get a website, but none of these cards have Twitter or Facebook account information. For me, that would be perfect. I could come home and quickly start following each of their feeds. Then when I check Twitter, as I do daily, I’ll see who is having a deal, what’s going on at which dealership, and whether I want to go back. And it’s all in one place.
A lot of dealers have taken the first step in the social media world: They’ve opened accounts. The second step is they post information. The next step is telling your customers you’re out there. Your social media presence should be a part of your marketing plan from now on.
I went to Subway the other day, don’t judge, and they had a sticker right on the glass above the bell peppers that read, “Follow Us On Twitter,” and gave the address.
So where are the stickers at automotive dealers?
I wanted to title today’s blog: The Business Card of the Future, but then I realized that this card is meant for today. If a customer comes to your dealership and for some reason you don’t sell them a car, you always give them a card or try for a number in case something changes that will suit their needs. However, with the card, you’re expecting the customer to make the next move, but very few customers will follow through with a call to a dealer.
If you have your social media information on the card, the customer has a no hassle way of checking in at your dealership.
Some may argue that your website should be sufficient. Unfortunately websites aren’t as current as they can be. I went to two different dealerships in search of a particular car I had seen on a website and they had both been sold a few days before. Social media sites are the best way to keep customers up-to-the-minute on what’s happening at your dealership.
What should you do?
Most importantly where are all of the Orange County, CA car dealerships? I need a car and a great deal. (I have no shame, I’ll take advantage of this blog to get a deal. I like to think of the blog as my social network.)
What kind of things have you implemented at your dealership to get the word out about your social media presence?
