Word-of-mouth and customer reviews are changing the way auto dealers do business. Research continues to show that the American public is turned off by traditional marketing tactics, or they flat out ignore them. Auto dealers have to adapt to the new way of thinking in order to stay competitive.

Social media and reviews are vital to a dealership’s success in 2012, but we still see a huge number of dealers who don’t use Facebook and don’t have a Google Places page. There’s simply no excuse – you HAVE to participate in the social conversation to stay competitive.

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Reputation management has become a buzzword in the automotive industry over the last year. It seems like every vendor is offering a solution, and every dealer either has an opinion about it or thinks it’s worthless.

Reputation management is broader than what many dealers think – it’s not just about online reviews on Google and Yelp. You’ve got to monitor the social conversation as well. There are still a lot of dealers who aren’t on Facebook or Twitter because they don’t personally use the sites. That’s not an excuse – you HAVE to participate on social media sites. You may not use Facebook personally, but I can guarantee that your customers and potential customers are using it.  continue reading..

Most car dealers are entrenched in their online marketing plan, doing what they’ve always done because “that’s what works.” They have their blinders on, only thinking about beating the competitor up the street and not really changing their online battle plan.

There’s no reason you shouldn’t dream bigger. Take the blinders off and expand your Internet marketing strategy – there’s no reason you can’t compete against the bigger dealers or dealer groups. They might have more money and more resources, but if you consistently follow these 8 tips, you’ll see big wins in the search engines that you never thought possible.

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Most auto dealers shy away from automotive SEO because they don’t understand it or they don’t think it’s necessary.  There are a lot of opinions floating around the industry, and even though it’s clearly proven that SEO is effective, there are still some naysayers who spread misinformation and fear.

SEO isn’t magic… it’s not smoke and mirrors… it’s not voodoo… it’s a process that requires ongoing work and research. Some companies offer “SEO services” for incredibly cheap prices, or claim that SEO is “built-in” to their platform. While it’s true that some of the nuts and bolts can be an automated process, there is no software or system that can equal an expert, sitting at a computer, manually researching and updating your website.

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Yes, you read that right – there’s a car dealership in Chicago that’s offering FREE cars if the Packers get shut out by the Bears this Sunday. For any vehicle sold from December 16th through this Friday, Sawicki Motors will rebate 100% of the purchase price if the Chicago Bears shut out the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day.

They’re limiting the payout to the first $1 million worth of vehicles sold during that period, but it’s still a potentially costly bet. continue reading..

Craigslist is one of the most important weapons in an auto dealer’s arsenal. The most successful dealers know that there’s simply no better free source for leads in the industry. Unfortunately, because it’s free, the level of competition is almost unbelievable. To make things even more difficult, you’re not just fighting to stand out from other dealers, you have to play be the rules to avoid being ghosted by Craigslist. This whitepaper was originally created for our Elite Dealers, but now we’re making it available to everyone – the information and tips are just too useful to keep to ourselves. continue reading..

Google’s recent Freshness Update is designed to give more weight to “fresh” website content on certain queries. Google has always rewarded fresh content, but last month’s update has given freshness even more emphasis in its ranking algorithm.

Google has been pretty clear about which searches will rely heavily on fresh content. For example:

• Recent events or hot topics – Example search: “NBA lockout” or “Occupy Oakland”
• Regularly recurring events – Example search: “NFL scores” or “Dancing with the Stars”
• Frequent updates – Example search: “Subaru Impreza reviews” or “best slr cameras”

Did that last one get your attention? This has huge implications for the auto industry. In their own blog posts explaining the way their Freshness Update has changed their search results, they’re using an example from the auto industry. Every year, new cars models are released, and brands are constantly receiving reviews online. continue reading..

Most auto dealers have realized that they’ve got to use social media to compete in today’s market, but the majority of dealers are still novices when it comes to Facebook. Sure, you know you’ve got to have a Facebook page for your dealership, and you know that it’s got to display your inventory, but beyond that… most dealers are running with scissors (or just sitting in the corner looking confused).

This post is going to cover 8 useful tips and tricks that will help you get the most out of your dealership’s Facebook page. Soak up these tidbits and start using them immediately, and you’ll be amazed at the difference they make in your Facebook marketing efforts. continue reading..

Our exclusive eBay Motors Whitepaper shares inside information about eBay Motors and shows you exactly what to do to be successful on the automotive industry’s most trafficked website. Competition on eBay is fierce, so you need to be sure that your dealership stands out from your competitors. We share detailed tips on how to create the perfect auction listing, including how to create the optimal title, which pictures you should include, and how you should write your description.

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Google announced a new update to their ranking algorithm today. If you’re interested in the full details, just click that link and you can read their full update on the official Google Search blog. The opening quote really sums up the main focus of the update:

Search results, like warm cookies right out of the oven or cool refreshing fruit on a hot summer’s day, are best when they’re fresh. Even if you don’t specify it in your search, you probably want search results that are relevant and recent.

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