Social Media for Dealers

A resource from HuebnerPetersen's Dealer Marketing Services

The Art of Listening

One of the biggest mistakes made by RV dealers when starting out with social media is talking without taking the time to listen. Social media is all about creating a real relationship between your RV dealership and your customers. These types of relationships can’t be fostered when one party does all the talking.

A recent blog post by Eric Harr“Myth: To Be Heard, Talk. Truth: To Be Heard, Listen.” is full of great information on the importance of listening. In his post Eric details the ways in which you can spend more time listening and still be heard. Here are some of our favorite points:

1. 80/20 Rule - You should be 80% listening and 20% talking. It’s hard to write back or produce valuable content if you’re not listening to what your customers are saying.

2. Quality Counts – Don’t stop talking completely, but when you do respond, make sure what you’re saying is valuable and engaging.

3.  Listen to Learn – You should be listening to your customers so you can know better how to improve their lives. You’re building loyal followers by offering information that makes them feel special or is valuable o them.

4. Get Personal – Ask questions about your customers. Make them feel like they are in a personal conversation with you. Social media is a great tool for making mundane conversation personal. Find out about your customers and engage them in conversations that apply directly to them.

5. Caring is Sharing – If you make people feel like you care about them, they’re more likely to spread the word about your dealership. And, we all know that it’s hard to beat good word of mouth.

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Making a Connection

As an RV dealer, you understand the importance of making lasting relationships with customers as soon as they enter your dealership. You do this through your charismatic sales people and the trust they build with your customers. Social marketing should work the same way. Adding a personal touch to your social media outlets can provide a human-element that people are naturally drawn towards. We’re not saying post about what you ate for lunch, but reminding customers that a real human being is behind all those Tweets can add value.

Try posting pictures of your sales people with your new Jayco models. If your dealership is family-owned, add a Facebook picture of your family at the dealership. Encourage your readers to post pictures of their wonderful experiences in your RVs.

Also, Tweets and Facebook status updates can be a great tool to connect with customers on a personal and emotional level. Welcome a new employee publically or post an update about how you just helped a family of five find the perfect RV for their trip to the Black Hills. These little personal touches help you build relationships and rapport with customers before they even walk onto your lot; you’re already a step ahead!

Here are a few easy tips for adding personal touches to your social media sites:

  • Use “we” and “us” to add a level of intimacy
  • Show emotion to give customers something to relate to, but make sure to find a balance. Too much emotion can be off putting
  • Tell stories online. Stories are a powerful way to engage and impact readers.
  • Be funny, but a word of caution, be aware that people are easily offended, confused, and mislead. So keep it classy!
  • Add posts about exciting updates in your area. Remember to keep it positive! If your local sports team is doing well, congratulate them publicly! The support you show reflects your appreciation for the community your customers live in

*Photo credit: JerryCharlotte

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Your dealership – not so frequently asked questions.

Opening your dealership up using social media

Developing topics and themes for writing seems to be the #1 request we get. We’ve got ideas all over the place — here, here, and here for starters. But, why not take it a step further. Social media is about interaction, about getting personal (like sharing your RV dealership’s story) and opening yourself up to your fans and customers.

Solicit your fans and followers to see what they want to know. Answer some tough questions, bring up some insightful topics and let them get to know your business on a deeper level.

You could do a FAQ’s post (or a “not so frequently asked questions post”), answer one question a week or post in any other fashion you can devise. Here are some questions to get you started, and to give your followers an idea of what to ask:

  • What drew you to the RV manufacturers you carry? Why do you continue to carry their products today?
  • What is your favorite part of the RV sales process and why?
  • What is your favorite role that you’ve held at your RV dealership?
  • What got you into this business in the first place? What motivates you to stay with it today?
  • What is your favorite, all time, RV dealership memory?
  • How has your RV dealership changed over the years?
  • Why are you passionate about the RV industry? Why do you love it?

Answer honestly. Don’t making selling your focus. Be yourself.

*Photo Credit: Leo Reynolds

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This information is brought to you by HuebnerPetersen's Dealer Marketing Services and Front Lines Marketing Programs. Please visit http://HuebnerPetersen.com for further information.

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