With the rise of social media, car shoppers browse these platforms to get real-time updates in the automobile industry as well as do some research about a possible purchase.
The power of social media is undeniable. A recent study by Digital Air Strike proves the fact that social media platforms are a powerful marketing tool, giving us the following data:
- 75% of car shoppers trust social media more when choosing a car dealership to visit;
- 66% of customers claimed that they clicked on a car dealership ad on Facebook, and it influenced their decision to visit a certain car dealership’s website;
- 84% of customers use Facebook and other social media platforms to research car dealerships and to read customer reviews.
Social media platforms can give valuable social data for car dealerships to build strong relationships with the customers and create a successful dealership network. Using social data is also an important part of a marketing campaign.
The question remains: how do you get social data and how can you use it? Let’s take a look at how to use social data for the benefit of creating a successful dealership network.
1. Find the Platform to Suit Your Needs
Not all social media platforms work the same in terms of marketing. If you’re going to advertise on certain social media platforms, you need to collect the full social data on them to figure out, which platform to focus on.
For example, Facebook has better click-through rates (CTR) and cost per click rates (CPC) than other social media platforms. According to WordStream, Facebook has an average CTR of 0.90%, and the average CTR and CPC for the automotive industry on Facebook are 0.80%, which is just a bit below average and is still a good index.
To compare, YouTube’s average CTR is 0.5320% and for the automotive industry, an average view CTR is 0.9100%.
These stats depend on the features of a social media platform, as an ad on YouTube can be easily skipped while a Facebook ad cannot often be ignored that easily.
To get the social data about the CTRs and CPCs of a certain social media platform you can use certain online tools that will save you a lot of time:
These tools essentially work the same to help you monitor and analyze stats from a certain website. Also, Motomo has a feature that helps you monitor the activity on a local level, which is a great tool for car dealerships to build a successful dealership network.
2. Research Hashtags
To build a strong B2C community it is essential to have your customers recognize you. In social media marketing, one of the best ways to get out there and introduce your brand to the wider audiences is to use hashtags.
Hashtags work essentially the same on every social media platform. “Hashtags increase the visibility of your brand and improve your social media presence”, says Angela Peterson, a marketing specialist at Flatfy. But hashtags are especially valuable when it comes to creating a successful car dealership network as they help you get recognized better.
Hashtags give you social data necessary to study your target audience and build strong a connection with your customers. Creating your own hashtags is a good idea for your brand’s visibility, however, it won’t get you instant recognition. The best way is to study themost popular hashtags and see what people are talking about. You can use them as well, as long as they remain relevant to your brand.
3. Start Your Own Social Media Customer Service
Customer support is one of the most effective ways to get accurate social data. An outstanding customer support is crucial for your brand’s recognition and good relationships with the customers.
To create a successful dealership network, you need to unlock customer support on your social media accounts. According to Sprout Social, 90% of customers choose social media platforms as the preferred way to communicate with the businesses. Moreover, customers expect to be replied within 24 hours after sending an inquiry to the car dealership representatives on Facebook.
Investing in customer support is crucial for car dealerships to build a strong network as it gives you the tools to strengthen the relationships with the customers.
The Bottom Line
Social data is crucial for creating a successful car dealership network. Social media give abundant data on how your customers treat your brand online and what you need to do to improve the relationships with them. Hopefully, these tips will help you use social data the right way to create a successful dealership network.