Check out this video on YouTube:
http://youtu.be/PzBSbV1je2I
Sent from Ralph Paglia's iPad 3
Automotive Social Media Reputation Management
Monday, September 29, 2014
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Dealer Marketing Magazine: Who Invented Online Car Shopping, And in What Year?
12 Great Events in Automotive History
For my automotive sales article this month, I thought that taking a little quiz might make for a nice 10-minute or so break from the routine .
As we're talking about cars, dealers, and dealership business software here, I'm keeping that theme going for this quiz, which I'm calling "12 Great Events in Automotive History." Some readers may have to ponder their answers for a while. Others who've been selling or servicing vehicles for a long time may know most of the answers from memory—or from the study of automotive history.
There's no monetary reward for taking the quiz, of course, except the value you'll take away and find useful for filling lulls in conversation now and then. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper, then look at the answers provided at the bottom of the page: Don't cheat!
I trust my research provides the right results; if you have something different, let me know. Either way, my hope is the few minutes spent to take this quiz will bring you some fun distraction and a smile.
Ready? Here we go (answers below):
- In what year did NADA introduce the NADA Official Used Car Guide?
- Which American make marketed the first front-wheel drive vehicle?
- What year did airbags first appear in vehicles sold in the U.S.?
- Who challenged consumers, "If you can find a better car, buy it."
- Upon what chassis platform was the original Mustang built?
- What current popular brand has its roots in WWII?
- Which upscale domestic once used V-12 power?
- When did the Third Brake Light law take effect?
- What company "invented" the dealer management system?
- Who "invented" online car shopping and in what year?
- What year did Dealer Marketing Magazine release its first issue?
- What company pioneered data mining and developed the opportunity selling strategy that helps more than 2,600 dealerships sell an additional 5 to 100 or more vehicles each per month to existing customers?
Answers: 1) 1922; 2) Cord 810, in the '30s; 3) Oldsmobile Toronado, '73; 4) Lee Iacocca, Chrysler Corporation, introduction of the K-car; 5) Ford Falcon; 6) Jeep 7) Lincoln, in its Zephyr model, 1936-1948; 8) 1986; 9) The Reynolds and Reynolds Company;
10) Ralph Paglia in 1988 using Bulletin Board Systems and Compuserve ISP while GM at Kearny Mesa VW and then Bob Lewis VW, San Diego, commercialized by Autobytel, in 1995;
11) In 2002, with the cover feature, The Top Booths for You to See in New Orleans at NADA 2002; and 11) AutoAlert, 2002.
Boyd Warner is CEO of AutoAlert®, Inc. (www.autoalert.com), the most advanced lead generation solution available on the market today. Contact him at boyd@autoalert.com
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
7 Times You'll Kick Yourself for Not Learning HTML
by Ginny Soskey
In the same vein, knowing HTML is like making sure you're fully prepared for a vacation. You may not end up using it every single day, but the times you do end up using it, you are so grateful that you had the foresight to figure it out. Knowing HTML can save you hours of frustration, precious time with your design team, or even money dealing with an external contractor.
HTML has always been nice-to-have knowledge, but it's becoming more than nice-to-have for the marketer trying to save a buck. (And that sounds like every marketer I've met.)
In fact, there are a bunch of situations I've caught myself in in which handy HTML knowledge saved the day ... and thus, this post was born. If you're not quite convinced that you'd benefit from knowing basic HTML, keep reading. Here are seven* scenarios you might find yourself in that can be fixed with just a bit of HTML know-how.
1) When Formatting in Your Blog Post/Email/Landing Page Goes Awry
Sometimes, I swear my content has a life of its own -- and a mean streak. That blog post that I worked on all day will suddenly have images with funky spacing, no text wrapping, and outrageous sizing, and, of course, all looks okay in my WYSIWG editor. Luckily, with some HTML knowledge, I can dig into the post to remove and tweak code that is causing the problem.
HTML Pro Tip: If you find a bunch of funky tags you want to remove, copy the raw code and paste it into a raw text editor. Then, choose the Find and Replace option -- you can search for offending snippets of code and leave the "replace" box blank. Once you're done, you can paste it back into your HTML editor, and poof! De-bugged formatting.
2) When You Paste a Blog Post Into Your CMS From Word or Google Docs
Lots of people don't know that writing a blog post in a typical word processing program -- like Word or Google Docs -- and then copying it into your CMS will give you lots of HTML headaches. Sometimes, when you do that, your CMS will add extra snippets of code to your piece that will mess up formatting.
With some HTML knowledge and the pro tip above, you can easily remove any offending snippets when transferring content from Word or Google Docs to your CMS.
3) When You Need to Tweak an Email Template
I'm going to take a wild guess that you don't want every email you send to look exactly the same. While sending consistent emails is a great thing most of the time, there will be specific campaigns you're going to want to customize emails for. This could be as simple as right-aligning your images instead of left-aligning them or changing up the color of your text to stand out in your subscribers' inboxes.
With HTML knowledge, though, you can make these changes yourself, instead of relying on an in-house designer or hired development shop. Seriously, it's empowering to make the changes yourself and move on to more pressing marketing matters.
4) When You Need to Make Your Content Easy to Read
One of your top concerns when creating content is to make it easy for people to consume. This means using formatting (bold, italics, headers, colors, etc.) to make your content scannable and digestible. And while most WYSIWG editors will let you easily apply those formatting options to your content without touching code, not all will. So take control of the way your content looks by souping it up with some <b> and <h2> tags.
5) When You Need to Make Your Content Easy to Use
With long-form content especially, you need to make it easy for people to find the content they want. An easy way to do that? Use HTML to create internal links. See them in action in our glossary of website optimization terms -- isn't it easy to jump to the letter you need? This is an easy hack to do yourself, if you know HTML.
6) When You're Embedding Content on Your Website From Other Sites
One way to easily spruce up your blog posts is to use embedded content -- you know, posts from your social media accounts that can supplement your blog content. We're talking embedded YouTube videos, tweets, Facebook posts, Pinterest boards, and SlideShare presentations.
If you know HTML, you'll know how to embed content in the first place, not to mention troubleshoot any issues if the content isn't appearing correctly. It's been a lifesaver more than once for me!
7) When You're Pitching Guest Posts
Almost every guest post we receive in a Word or Google Docs format. And while that's a great way to judge whether we'll accept the post or not, once we've accepted the post, those formats are time-consuming to format in our CMS (because of the reasons mentioned in bullet point #2).
To save your new guest post editor time, attach a Word and an HTML plain text document to your guest post pitches. Trust me -- they'll be grateful, and maybe want to invite you back to post more often.
*Bonus Scenario: When Your Internet Goes Out and You Want to Save Your Team Time
Okay, I know I said that there would only be seven scenarios in this post, but I couldn't help but include this little tidbit. This isn't something you'll run into maybe ever, but this happened to me last week so I had to share.
My internet went out the afternoon I was on deadline for the next morning's 8 a.m. slot (yeah, we're a pretty agile team) and all of a sudden, it happened: MY INTERNET WAS GONE. Cue panic attack ... until I remembered that I could write the post -- and format it with the correct HTML snippets -- in my computer's text editor to save my teammates time.
And that's the story of how HTML saved my life and the post I was working on. I wouldn't recommend doing this every time you blog, but it can come in handy when you're in a pinch and you know what you're doing.
So really, think about learning HTML as one of your New Year's resolutions. It could be something that ends up saving the day on that random day in June when you need to make one little formatting tweak.
When has knowing HTML come in handy? Share your stories with us in the comments!
Written by Ginny Soskey
Ginny Soskey is a Staff Writer for HubSpot's inbound marketing blog, where she loves to create written and multimedia content day in and day out. Say hey to her on Twitter @gsosk.
| Website
[Sent from Ralph's iPad]
Ralph Paglia
President
Automotive Media Partners, LLC
Ford Dealers get Google+ Services from FordDirect at No Charge to Dealership
Great News! To help drive more web traffic into the dealership for sales and service appointments, Ford and Lincoln have partnered with FordDirect to provide professional Google+ business listings at no charge to all dealerships and Quick Lanes.
Every Ford and Lincoln dealership and Quick Lane Retailer will soon have a customized Google+ business listing, and all you have to do is complete a brief survey that has been pre-populated with your dealership's information. Please click here dashboard.dealerconnection.com to complete the survey. The survey will remain openuntil April 18, so don't wait!
If you don't complete the survey by April 18, a Google+ business listing will be claimed for your dealership using existing information, and you will have the opportunity to make changes as needed. Dealers can opt out of the claiming process by using the same survey if they do not want their page claimed. However, dealerships and Quick Lanes without Google+ business listings will lose traffic and sales and service opportunities.
Remember, 97% of consumers search for local businesses online. Your Google+ page connects you with customers on search, Google Maps, and Google+, no matter what device they are using. (Source: Google) For more information about Google+ business listings, including FAQs, please visit our website at: social.forddirectdealers.com/GooglePlus
If you have any questions, please call your Digital Performance Manager at 1-866-550-7812 or visit www.forddirect.com.
[Sent from Ralph's iPad Air]
Apps To Drive Automotive Consumers Into Your Dealership
Seven Apps That Drive More Automotive Consumers To Your Dealership Website
Seven Apps that Will Steer More Drivers to Your Automotive Website and Customers Into Your Showroom...
Originally Written and Posted by Chelsea Hejny
When people start looking for a car repair shop or are trying to decide where to buy their next car, it's a given that they want a place they can trust. If you're looking to build your brand as one of the good guys, a great place to start is on your Facebook Page. Why Facebook? Because on Facebook you can offer a unique experience to current and potential customers.
Check out some of these app ideas that will make your Page a new-customer magnet, and make you look like the Honest Abe of automotive repair and sales (which we assume you are, of course!).
3 Apps That Will Make Your Reputation Shine
1. Customer Reviews
According to a Zendesk-sponsored survey, 90 percent of consumers who responded to the survey said that "positive online reviews influence buying decisions." Are you using an app to let the world know what your customers think of you? If your automotive business has great reviews, put them out on the social networks for all potential new customers to see. They're gonna search for them anyway, so you might as well make them easy to find. (And it wouldn't hurt to leave some less than glowing reviews, if you have any, on your Facebook Page. Why? Customers are also looking to see how you deal with difficult clients so make sure you respond to criticism.) Check out how Laird Noller Automotive Dealer in Lawrence, Kan. uses a review app to let future potential customers know what existing customers think:
2. Question App
Create an app for your Facebook Page that allows users to ask simple automotive questions or advice. If you're able to spend the time to give free information or advice with no strings attached, it will make you look like one of the good guys. While you're at it, give your Facebook visitors a quote for services they would receive at your shop, or a recommendation for a specialist – even if it's not your place. This small up-front investment may just win you a customer for life. Here's an example of how you might use a question app (Milluh's Auto Shop is not a real business):
3. Charity app
If you were given the choice between patronizing two different establishments, and one was doing something great for the community and the other wasn't, where would you choose to spend your money? Probably the one that is making a positive impact on your community. The Dolan Auto Group in Reno, Nev. is an example of an automotive business that is continually working to make Reno a better place. For example, with their Class Project event the business offers a cash reward to local schools, based on the votes that various schools get using the app example here:
4 Apps That Will Attract New Business
1. Product Promotion app
If you want to show off your inventory — new and used — and highlight special features of some of your products, a product promotion app is ideal. Jim Sigel Automotive, which is based in Grants Pass, Ore. uses a detailed app (just part of it is visible below) to show off new arrivals, but they've also included a quick survey that asks customers about their favorite features, and include a video and some other fun facts about the new Chevy Silverado truck. If you want to check out the app, click here.
2. Giveaway app
A great way to get people interested in your shop is to give stuff away for free. Host an "enter to win" sweepstakes or giveaway in which users will be required to Like your Page in order to enter the promotion. As with some other apps, this is a little bit of an investment on your part, but if you can get the customer in your shop and earn their trust, you may have a customer for life. Check out what Mills Motors in E. Oshawa, Ontario has going. Mills is a Canadian business so their giveaway is for hockey store gift card (of course!).
3. Fan-gated Coupon app
Sometimes simplicity is the best way to get people to engage with your brand. If they stumble upon your Facebook Page and discover they can get 20 percent off an oil change or maybe a discount on a brake check for simply Liking your Page, chances are you'll get more bites. Offering a coupon instead of an Enter to Win may get more people in the door to give your repair shop a try. In this example, Allparts Automotive in London, UK, offers up a 20 percent off coupon for their fans to use in stores.
4. "Request an Appointment" app
if someone's in the market to get an alignment or a new timing belt, they find your Facebook Page and see you stellar reviews, community involvement, and a discount coupon, why not seal the deal right then and there? Add a "Book your appointment" app to your Facebook Page and stop them from looking further. Here's an example of how Christian Brothers Automotive, with shops all around the south and midwest, uses an appointment app on their Facebook Page. Users go into the app and then select their their location and then request an appointment time.
Are you in the automotive business? Have you used apps on your Facebook Page? Which ones have brought business through your door? We'd like to know!
[Sent from Ralph Paglia's iPad Mini]
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Restore The Luster To Automotive Digital Marketing
lEvaluate What's Working — and What's Not
Automotive digital marketing has gone through rapid change over the last few years, which means the things that brought your dealership success before may not be as effective now. It can be challenging to stay on top of the new trends and incorporate them accordingly. Our Local Solutions team saw this in action when we were asked to help a Seattle Chevrolet dealership. The dealership's strategy included local television spots and search engine marketing (SEM) but was lacking targeted display and mobile device targeting. Digital display and mobile targeting have grown to be crucial tools for reaching local customers. The Pew Research Center's 2013 study confirms that 93 percent of smartphone owners use their phones to go online, so if your automotive digital marketing plan overlooks mobile, consider it incomplete. Further,eMarketer points out that a 2013 Nielsen survey revealed that 48 percent of U.S. marketers said multiscreen advertising was "very important" to their marketing efforts in 2013, and a full 88 percent expect it to be very important in 2016.
Put Social Media at the Wheel
Smart marketers understand that traditional marketing, although still a large part of your marketing plan, needs to coexist with online content you share with prospective car buyers. With its Hummingbird algorithm, Google has made it clear that content is king, transforming what kind of content is acceptable to yield higher SEO rankings. We leveraged SEO and social media strategies to help a Tampa-based dealership improve its online presence to combat decreased foot traffic and stand out against competitors in a busy local market. By integrating Google+, Facebook and YouTube into its social media portfolio and investing in more relevant SEO keywords, the dealership saw a 48 percent increase in organic search results, getting their inventory in front of more car buyers in the area.
Automotive News reported on an executive panel at its World Congress in Detroit earlier this year. The overwhelming message from this gathering of marketing experts was "digital first." If the leading car brands are making automotive digital marketing a top priority, local dealerships should follow suit. Doing so will give you the ability to drive new leads and enjoy new revenue streams as the auto industry comes roaring back.
[Sent from Ralph Paglia's iPad Mini]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)