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subject: Car Dealerships Need to Pick up Speed with Social Media [print this page]

Author: Sofia Sapojnikova
Author: Sofia Sapojnikova

"Social media is now shaping customer expectations in any and every way," says Chance Parker, Vice President of Web intelligence division at J.D. Power & Associates. Social Media Marketing (SMM) is the new way to market your product or service. It is happening with thousands of companies big and small around the world. It is quick, inexpensive and it reaches a new audience traditional advertising cant. So why isnt it happening with car dealerships?

Toyota Car Dealership

45% of the Inc. 500 fastest growing businesses, 41% of the higher education sector and 57% of the nations top 200 charities already use social media marketing. More importantly, 93% of Americans believe a business should have a presence in social media, 85% believe a business should not only be present but also interact with its consumers via social media, and 56% of Americans feel both a stronger connection with and better served by businesses when they can interact with them in a social media environment. These figures come from a recent Cone Business School study.

Yet according to estimates less than 20% of all car dealerships actively use social media in their marketing efforts. Less than 20%! And there are fewer than 100 dealerships who have interactive blogs. Why arent more car dealerships taking advantage of this?

There are many reasons. Some dealerships shy away from it because they are worried about the negative image they have or the one it could create. If your car dealership has a negative image - participating in social media sites will have a positive effect and can change a bad image into a good one quickly. Other dealerships say they do not have the time or the personnel to manage it. Others dont even have an email strategy much less a social media marketing plan.

There are exceptions. Here are a few car dealerships who have embraced social media marketing and are already seeing positive results: Bay Ridge Toyota, Brooklyn, N.Y. Longo Toyota, El Monte, Ca Maxton Motors, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio Reedman Toll Automotive Group, Langhorne, Pennsylvania Reineke Family of Dealerships, Ohio Serra Honda Birmingham, Alabama Vinart Dealerships, Emmaus, PA You cant afford to wait. The cost alone is worth it and the benefits far outweigh the time you spend managing it. Save money. Sell more vehicles. If you are a car dealership in todays brutally competitive market, you need to get in the social media marketing fast lane today!About the Author:

Sofia Sapojnikova

Vesta Digital

IntelBuilder Social Media Platform

http://www.vestadigital.com

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