Social media remains a critical component of nearly every company’s advertising strategy – and car dealerships are no different. Nearly every dealership has a social media presence, but it’s what you do with that presence that makes the difference. Social media platforms are incredibly useful tools, but only when they are utilized correctly. We’ve put together a few must know secrets to having a successful social media presence as a car dealership.

1. Have a plan. Like any business, it’s important to know how you want to run your social media pages. Creating a content calendar is an excellent way of establishing what you want to post and when. Make an effort to switch things up and keep your posts fresh. Alternate between promotions, inventory pictures, customer purchases, sales events and contests.
2. Establish who will be running your accounts. It’s a good idea to have one person dedicated to running your social media pages. By delegating the work to a single person, it will create a more unified voice for the dealership and will allow for more timely responses and interaction with the community.
3. Determine your goals. Before creating a social media strategy, you need to know what you want to accomplish. Is your goal to get more visitors to your website? Post pictures of your current inventory and link it back to your website. This way your audience has easy access to pricing information and can browse the rest of your inventory. Do you want to increase brand awareness? Facebook ads are a great way to get your dealership’s name out to the public. Do you simply want more followers and a bigger audience? Running contests where people have to like or share your page is a great way to do that.
4. Know your audience. You could be doing everything right to market your dealership, but if you aren’t targeting the right audience, it will be difficult to have much success. Using your dealership’s CRM or even just by doing research, you can easily find out the average income, interests, or careers of residents near your dealership.
5. Post consistently. If you aren’t posting at least 3-4 times a week, then you aren’t being seen. It’s important for potential customers to be able to see reviews, up to date content like inventory, purchases, news, etc. when they research your company. Show your audience you are an active presence and will be available to answer questions or concerns they may have in a timely manner.
6. Respond to reviews. When customers take the time to share their experience, good or bad, that is your opportunity to either change their mind or provide excellent customer service to wrap up their experience with your dealership. Social media provides your business with a unique opportunity to interact with your customers on a more personal level which will leave them with a lasting impression.
7. Pay attention to your metrics. If you are serious about using social media as a marketing tool, metrics are your best friend. The only way to know what worked and what didn’t work in terms of strategy is to look at your numbers each month. Study what got the most engagement from your audience and find ways to incorporate that moving forward.

When done correctly social media can be an incredibly useful tool in your marketing strategy. This tool can help you can get more leads, interact with your customers, and ultimately sell more vehicles. Incorporate these tips into your strategy and watch your social presence and your dealership grow.