Social Media for Dealers

A resource from HuebnerPetersen's Dealer Marketing Services

February 23, 2012 • 2:02 pm 0

What To Write: Camping Packing List.

Writing for dealerships

One of the hardest aspects when using Social Media is coming up with new content that engages your followers. Coming up with new ideas on what to write every day can be a job in itself. In our “What To Write” series we try to give a few ideas on how to get your content going.

An easy way to create content is to form a theme then occasionally post something off of that theme. For example, use a camping packing list as your theme. Remember to not only make comments, but also ask questions. Here are some posts you you could build around packing for camping:

  1. If you go camping this weekend make sure to pack extra blankets. It is supposed to be chilly!
  2. What is one item that you can’t live without while camping?
  3. Packing lots of hot dogs and marshmallows for this weekend’s camping trip. Can’t wait for some good campfire food!
  4. Quick poll: What is the perfect way to cook a marshmallow? A. Barely heated, just a little warm B. A good medium, with a little brown all over C. It’s not a campfire marshmallow without some char!
  5. Camping list for this weekend: Hiking boots. Check. Backpack full of trail mix. Check. Lots of sunscreen. Double check.
  6. If you go camping this weekend make sure to pack a tank top and sandals. It is going to be beautiful weather!
  7. At our dealership we are debating whether or not popcorn is a camping list necessity. What do you think?
  8. When you go camping, do you bring your own firewood or chop it up lumberjack style?
  9. Quick poll: What beverage would we find in your camper’s refrigerator? A. Lemonade, there is nothing like a refreshing drink on a relaxing camping weekend B. Water, with an active camping weekend like ours, it is important to stay hydrated C. Soda, camping is a party for us and it’s not a party without Coca-cola!
  10. If you go camping this weekend be sure to pack an umbrella. It will be rainy, but there is nothing more soothing than hearing the soft raindrops on the roof of your camper!

photo by J. Paxon Reyes

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December 30, 2011 • 10:58 am 1

How To Avoid Sounding Like Spam.

When diving into social media, dealerships can run the risk of sounding like spam.  Nobody will want to follow your dealership if they can’t distinguish you from the junk mail they receive in their email inbox or the never-ending advertising messages in their social media streams.

You can get around sounding like spam by following a few simple rules:

1.    Quality not quantity. Social media is a tool for developing relationships with your customers. Make sure that what you have to say is valuable to them and promotes a conversation.  Is what you’re saying interesting to you?  Would you ignore, listen, or respond?  Go for quality posts.

2.    Use variety. Re-posting something you have already said can be a good trick, but sometimes people see that as spam. Work on rewording and repurposing your content before re-posting something too similar.

3.    Ask questions.  Remember that social media is a conversation with your customers.  When you ask questions, you are giving customers an easy opportunity to interact with you.  Ask them questions. Be personal.  A back and forth conversation is rarely seen as spam!

4.    Be careful with punctuation.  Nothing screams spam more than the overuse of exclamation marks. When you are overly enthusiastic in your social media it can seem fake. You want to be as real and personal as possible, so limit those exclamations.

5.    Don’t be too self-promotional. You want to use social media to build a relationship with your customers; social media is not like traditional advertising, it is not simply venue to sell your product, but a way to meet and learn about your customers.

As your dealership develops social media goals be sure that you keep these anti-spam guidelines in mind.  Remember: If it sounds or looks like spam to you, then it will definitely look like spam to your customers.

*photo by Robert Hruzek

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November 29, 2011 • 1:15 pm 0

RVIA is getting social!

RVIA Expo in Louisville

It’s that time of year again — time for the big RVIA Louisville show. A week of checking out all the new products and getting sneak peeks for what the industry has in store as we all head into 2012. With so much excitement and change literally under your nose, you’ve got the perfect opportunity to update your social media program based on all the new things your learn and see. Here are a few ideas to get you started, but keep in mind that the options are endless.

1.  Write a blog post about the updated “green materials” and aerodynamic profiles you see in the 2012 product

2.  Post pictures of the most impressive new units (and their interiors) on your Facebook page

3.  Twitter positive quotes & ideas from the Outlook Breakfast

4.  Make LinkedIn connections with the different people you meet

5.  Take pictures of new units you’ll soon have at your dealership, make a gallery on Flickr or share teasers on your Facebook page

6. Blog about what makes you most excited the upcoming 2012 product and what it means to your customers.

RVIA is all about the changes and new products. Make sure you use this opportunity to share all the excitement you have for the upcoming year with your customers!

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September 23, 2011 • 11:32 am 1

What To Write – Fall 2011 Edition

The official start of fall is just a few days away and that means that while camping is wrapping up in some part of the country, it’s also still going strong in others. Making sure to stay connected with your readers and followers is as important now as it was back in May when you were hoping to get them in a new unit for the season. Trying to develop new topics, creative things to write about and ways to make sure you’re staying interesting can get tricky and we’re here to help! To get you started here is a list of things you can write, post and get creative with:

1.) Winterization. It’s something RV owners need to be doing if they aren’t going to uses their unit over the winter. So, help them understand what it is, what it entails, how long it will take as well as the costs associated with it. The more they know, the more comfortable they’ll feel.

2.) Storage. This goes hand in hand with winterization. Many HOA’s won’t let RV users keep their units parked out front or in their driveway, leaving them with a need to find storage through the cold months. Do you offer RV storage? Can you hand out recommendations on where they could go? Be a resource.

3.) Did you know? There are all kinds of fun facts out there about camping, RVing and just being outdoors. Share some interesting facts about your state or about different campgrounds. Everyone loves having a little random knowledge to toss around.

4.) Camping on a budget. Now is the time of year for you customers to stock up on everything they could ever need while out on the road. Whether it’s camping chairs, portable grills, smore sticks or something else entirely, stores are dropping prices and moving merchandise. Share deals and tips on where customers can get great bargains on the things they’ll need. They’ll thank you for it.

5.) Halloweening in your RV. October is just a week away and with it comes Halloween. Decorate an RV for halloween and share how you did it and what they’ll need to get in order to achieve that look!

6.) Customer photos. Everyone loves a photo, and with that a good story. Share unique customer stories and testimonials from happy campers. It not only increases your credibility but adds goodwill by getting customers involved.

7.) Chilly weather safety tips. Though man take a camping hiatus during the snowy months, there are also those who like to tough it out. That’s what those high R-values are for right? Share tips for staying safe and keeping your RV in tip top shape while keeping the wheels moving during snow season.

8.) Seasonal camp food. With fall in full swing share great fall recipes for crock pot soups, grilling out and chili! People love a good, warm fall meal. And, to stick with the halloween theme, talk about spooky snacks to have on the road!

*Image Credit: Axel-D

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August 18, 2011 • 9:12 am 0

Staying relevant & what to write

The best way to stay in the forefront of a customers mind, is to stay relevant. I know we have driven this point home, but we also want to be sure you are posting a variety of different topics, making sure to stay relevant to your customers and your readers. There is nothing that will push customers away faster than a blog or Facebook site chalk full of dull, repetitive or random information. This it the opposite of what you’re hopefully trying to accomplish in social media. The truth is, most customers don’t want to be told about the units or upcoming sale events, they want to be able to talk to other customers about your RV dealership and your products. They want to do research about you, but also want to get to know who you are and what your RV dealership is all about.

Getting your RV dealership up and running on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs) is just half the battle. Giving your customers a variety of relevant topics is the other half to the equation. By offering tips and blurbs about awards, special offers, fun suggestions, dealership updates -  just to name a few, you are engaging your customers with a variety of subject matter. You’re providing them with valuable content that they’ll find entertaining or useful as they search or maintain their RV.

For so long, RV dealers relied on commercials, billboards and catchy jingles to push their brand and to sell their units. Nowadays, you have to keep up with the times, and the times have changed. It doesn’t mean that the traditional mediums no longer work, just that there are new avenues to work with.

If you’re struggling to come up with something to write about, here are a few of our favorite topic filled posts:

Use any material you can find!
What should you write about?
Topics to keep summer sizzlin’!
Summer isn’t over, what to write!
If you STILL don’t know what to write about…
A few ideas as you head into the fall season!

*Photo credit: Milos Milosevic

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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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