The growth of internet review sites such as Yelp and Google Maps proves that people trust the opinions of absolute strangers over your dealership marketing materials any day.  Buyers now feel empowered and more purchase- savvy knowing they can “Google” your dealership and find out EXACTLY what you’re about and how past customers feel about your store.

Of course you know just as well as I do that happy customers aren’t nearly as vocal about their opinions as disgruntled ones….which works to the disadvantage to auto dealers not operating online.  Yet smart auto dealers (such as yourself) should recognize this new trend and take action!

So here’s what you do can do immediately to drown out the negative reviews and get your own POSITIVE testimonials online in a way that gets maximum results:

1. Invest in a cheap video camera.  You can even get a pocket Flip Cam for under $150 and still do the trick.
2. Ask to record testimonials of happy customers when they love you and your dealership the most—which is BEFORE they get into the F&I Office!
3. Create a page on your website or a special testimonial site (you can see my client’s site HERE as an example), where these videos will be hosted and available for public viewing.

It’s really that simple.

So the next time potential customers go searching for “dirt” about you online, give them something POSITIVE to gleam over in the form of video testimonials.  I’ll also cover what to do about those “bad” reviews in the weeks to come.

And of course, if you’re an auto dealer struggling to effectively market their business online, shoot me an email at ring@yeschant.com and we can talk about some implementation strategies in the places you need them the most.

Happy recording!

Image courtesy of Flickr

About Robert Ring, Auto Dealer Marketing Strategist

Robert Ring is an experienced car dealer marketing strategist and consultant for auto dealers seeking to increase brand awareness, generate more leads and increase their bottom line with the power of online dealership marketing,  To accomplish this, Robert helps dealers set up websites that work (and outrank the competition in search), install CRM and email marketing systems designed to generate fresh leads or sales of aftermarket products, social media strategies to reach prospective buyers on their own turf and holistic inventories of the effectiveness of each dealership he manages.  For more information on Robert’s services or to contact him directly, please email ring@yeschant.com