By: Ashley Hatcher, Social Media Specialist at Reputation

As an automotive dealership manager, your goal is to sell more new and used cars. A strong social strategy will have more customers driving off your lot in a new vehicle. The experts at Reputation have weighed in on ideas for auto dealerships looking to better leverage social media platforms. 

Looking to catch your followers’ eye online and stop them mid-scroll? Follow these tips for creating eye-catching social content. With the right approach, your followers think of you first when they are beginning the online search for a new vehicle.

What Should I Post About?

As a Social Media Specialist, I create all types of social media content on behalf of several large automotive OEMs. These are some categories of high-quality content that have driven social media growth: 

Vehicles you Sell

Walk through your lot and take some photos or videos of your inventory. Pair that media with a caption that describes how you can help the car buyer purchase that vehicle. Include a call-to-action to visit your website, call the dealership, or send you a message.

Lifestyle Content

Preemptively answer any frequently asked questions that arise throughout the car-buying process to create conversation and interaction with your followers. Share photos of your happy customers with their new vehicles. This creates a connection with your community. It also gives your followers a reason to keep following you long after they have purchased a vehicle.

Testimonials

Sharing reviews or customer stories establish trust in your dealership. Amplify your hard-earned positive reviews with your followers. They will see social proof that customers are coming to you for your expertise as a trustworthy location.

Purchasing a new vehicle is a big milestone that can take months of consideration for a future customer. You can win over potential car buyers by showcasing others’ great experiences.

Related: How to Become a Top Automotive Dealer

Celebrate the Holidays

Holiday posts are great ways to align with your customers’ values. This can create empathy and connection with your audience. 

How Often Should I Post?

Consistency is key. Aim to post approximately three times a week. That way, your followers can expect when you will be sharing information on your social media accounts. Take a look at your website analytics to determine when your audience is online.

Many automotive OEMs provide brand-level content and/or regional content. A great social media management platform will provide you with visibility into all content that is scheduled for your dealership. 

• Tier 1 (national brand): At a national level auto brands must inform their followers about new vehicles, and national brand initiatives. They foster communities who love that auto brand and build excitement around what they are doing at a corporate level.
• Tier 2 (regional): Regional campaigns about sales events going on. These will generally be communicated to you by your district/regional contact.
• Tier 3 (dealership): An automotive dealership must post to inform their local community. This includes knowing your inventory, sales, staff members, and ways you are contributing to the community. But keep in mind that you still have the responsibility to inform about new vehicles and corporate initiatives. You will cultivate a community around your dealership if you are successful in connecting with people on social media sites.

Related: Five Ways Car Dealerships and OEMs Can Win with Digital Retailing

Keep Your Audience in Mind

Social media users will only engage with posts that resonate with their interests. Keep your audience demographics in mind as you are generating content for your online communities. Some factors to consider:

• Age: Who is coming into the dealership to buy cars and to schedule service? Who is accompanying those individuals into the dealership to help decide on which car to drive off in? 
• Budget: Feature vehicles that your customers typically purchase. Review your sales records to identify popular vehicles that customers may be searching for. 
• Seasons and weather: Showcase weather-appropriate content. Customers will not want to purchase a truck to plow snow when it is 95 degrees outside.

Related: How Automotive Leaders Can Beat Industry Disruptors

Need a Hand with Your Social Media Strategy?

The Reputation Social Suite can help you take your business’s social media management to the next level. Publish content to thousands of business pages across top social media networks in a single click. Engage with your customers to create a great customer experience. Fine-tune your social media strategy using real-time metrics and insights.

Let us handle your social media strategy. Reputation offers Managed Services for Social Publishing and Social Community Management.

Learn more about the Reputation Social Suite and request a demo today.