Dealerships big and small have an opportunity to increase their visibility online. We’re not saying it’s the only way to reach your customers, but the newer generations rely on certain indicators, like reviews, when making purchase decisions.
Help them along by taking a few simple steps.
You don’t need a marketing degree to make these happen, just a little willpower and creative thinking.
1. Get on Google
Ranking at the top of Google takes a bit of work, but there’s a quick and easy way to show up as your business for free!
Create a Google MyBusiness account.
It works in two ways: shows up when someone searches your business name and shows up as a nearby business in Google Maps when someone searches your business/service type, e.g. “equipment” or “farmstead.”
They’ll see your business name, a description of what you do, your contact information, your business hours, and reviews left by customers.
Setting it up is only step one. You will need to monitor it. Be sure to select push notifications, so you’re alerted when someone leaves you a review. You’ll want to respond within a reasonable time.
If it’s a favourable review, thank the customer. If it’s less than favourable, apologize for their experience and invite them to connect with you offline via email or phone. You don’t want to start solving the issue in the comments.
When you receive push notifications, you can also get reminders to update your hours for holidays so customers don’t show up while you’re off enjoying Labour Day.
2. Stay Active on Social Media
Whether or not you have a marketing team, person, or it’s a side-of-the-desk job, your social accounts may need a little TLC.
If you choose to be active on social media, keep your presence up at least once a month. You can do this by updating your hours, posting about a promotion, or talking about your services.
If you don’t want to be active, it’s probably best to archive your account.
Your customers want to find up-to-date information and an inactive account says more than you might think.
If you’ve got regular posting down pat, start interacting with your audience. It is called social media, after all!
Follow local businesses, community events, customers, etc. and comment, like, and share their posts.
3. Post Unique Content
Some of you may be handed pre-written content from your manufacturers to post on Facebook and Twitter, and you may be thinking, “great, one less task on my to-do list,” or it may be a requirement of your contract with them.
Either way, all of your direct competitors are also posting the exact same thing.
We’re interested in making your business sound as unique as possible (and that goes beyond location). So spice up the posts with a compelling customer story, a staff tip, or a reason why they should deal with you specifically.
Ask yourself, what makes you different than other [insert manufacturer name] dealers? Then share that!
4. Share Your Story on Your Site
You may have been handed a templated website similar to social media content.
While there may be requirements for minimum content, you have the opportunity to tell more of your story.
Take a moment to think about these prompts and then answer them in your “about us” section.
- How was the dealership started?
- Is it a family business?
- Has ownership changed?
- How many years of experience do you have?
- How long have your staff worked there?
- Do you have a specific philosophy?
Just the Beginning
There are a lot of marketing tactics that you can employ to make your business stand out against your competitors. But start here, give these tips a try, and let us know how they go for you!