Of course that’s because “traditional” dealer advertising doesn’t work—but let’s save that for a future blog post.  Instead, let’s talk about a few ways you can get around this problem while still putting plenty of new leads and prospects into the pipeline.

Essentially, if your goal is to cut back on advertising costs, you simply have to shift your focus to the existing customer base right under your nose and prime them to send referral business your way.

And besides the fact that referrals are a free or extremely low cost way to bring fresh leads into your store, customers who come in at the recommendation of a friend or family member typically have a more positive buying experience and are an easier close than a cold lead off the street (perhaps because they are “pre-sold” after hearing about the great buying experience of the person who sent them there).

So if you’re sick of spending a fortune on advertising and want to see more referral-based business at your store, try the following:

1. Create a buying experience that makes people WANT to refer their friends- If the typical buying experience at your dealership is pushy, unfriendly, difficult, etc. people will naturally tell their friends to steer clear of your establishment when they are looking for a car. It’s natural to want to push hard to meet your numbers for the month, but remember, a customer who feels valued and treated with respect is worth a lot more money to you in the long-run as they (and all of their friends/family) will become customers for life.
2. Offer something of value in exchange for sending referrals- Here’s where many dealers get it wrong. They ask for referrals and offer something that is of NO value to the customer ( ie. a T-shirt, a mug or other trinkets) for doing so.  Instead, if your goal is to motivate people to send business your way, up the ante a little and give them something they actually want (ie. cash, deeply discounted deals) for doing your dirty work.
3. Stay in contact with your customers long after the initial sale- You’ve heard the old saying, “out of sight, out of mind,”… which is exactly the dynamic that takes place after a customer leaves your store.  You can’t expect them to refer business your way if they aren’t thinking about you, so go the extra mile to send an email blast, newsletter or postcard to them each month reminding them how much you appreciate their business and any referrals they can send your way.

Of course don’t just take my word for it—put some of these strategies to work for you and let me know your results.  I’d also love to hear some of the strategies you may have implemented in the past that’s caused more referral-based business in your store.  Please also feel free to share your current struggles or questions you may have about creating business from your existing client base.   You can also email me privately at ring@yeschant.com if you require further assistance or a need a custom plan to effectively market your dealership.

If you are not familiar with keywords or basic SEO principles, they are simply words are phrases that describe your product or services.    A few examples of good, geo-targeted keywords would be “used car dealership Philadelphia,” “PA Nissan,” or “Kia dealer New Jersey”.

So the goal of SEO, then, is to strategically work these keywords into YOUR website copy, thus giving you a better chance of being found by prospects who use these phrases during their search.

Yet how do you know what keywords your prospects are searching for in the first place?  Here are 3 easy steps to find out:

1. Compile a list of the keywords you THINK prospects are using to find your product or services online.
2. Put together a group of friends, family…or even complete strangers and ask THEM what they would type in Google if searching for your product or services online.  The simplicity of their choice may surprise you.
3. Use Google’s keyword tool to plug in all of the keywords you’ve compiled above to see how much they are REALLY searched across the web.  Again, the results here may surprise you.

Finally, when you’ve gathered a good list of targeted keywords, be sure to start using them on your blog, in titles, headlines, meta tags, anchor text and all over your website copy.  This will help you attract more internet shoppers, and hopefully buyers, if your website is good enough to close the deal.

More on that next time.

Yet these buyers don’t start with basic, broad keywords like “new car Alabama” or “used car dealer New Jersey” as you may think.  Instead, buyers hit the internet with LOCAL results in mind and expect to find dealers right in their own backyard.

But surprisingly half of the dealers in town won’t show up in Google when customers search for them…even those who spend a small fortune maintaining their websites and blogs each month.

Why?

Because they aren’t using hyperlocal keywords on their web pages to ensure local buyers can find their site!

If you aren’t sure what hyper local keywords are, they’re essentially phrases that describe WHO you are and WHERE you are in relation to your customers.   Here’s a few example of broad vs. hyperlocal keywords to give you a better idea:

Broad: Kia dealer   Hyperlocal:  Kia Dealer Adams County

Broad: Dodge dealer   Hyperlocal: Dodge Truck Dealer Lehigh Valley PA

Broad: Lexus Dealership MD:  Hyperlocal Lexus Dealer Silver Springs MD

Just imagine someone  “googling”  similar phrases unique to YOUR area that you’re  not including on the dealer site.  If Google can’t match these words to the content found on your web pages, your customers certainly won’t know you exist in their search for a new car online.

So how can you better optimize your site to ensure local buyers are finding you when searching in Google?  Here’s a few suggestions

1.   Put Yourself in a Local’s Shoes- Think of what you would search in Google if looking for similar services.  You should also consider how you describe your area as well, since most people include geographic keywords like “South Jersey”, “Orange County” or “Delaware Valley” in their searches.

2.    Do some keyword research: Google has a free keyword tool you can use to find out EXACTLY what people are searching for when looking for car dealerships in your area.  Start by typing what you “think” people are searching for and compile the frequently searched keywords that come up along the way.

3.     Get those Phrases on Your Website: Ideally, you’ll want to sprinkle these hyperlocal phrases in your copy, subtitles, headings and even the footer if possible.  If you manage your own website, be sure to include some of the most frequently searched terms in the Title tag and in the description of your site as well.

And as always, if you are struggling to optimize your dealer site for local search or just not sure how to get started, feel free to email me at ring@yeschant.com with your questions.

As an additional bonus, I’m offering readers of my blog this week a complimentary 30 minute coaching/strategy call with me to discuss YOUR dealership and your ongoing training/ marketing needs.  This is not a sales call….it’s a no-strings attached coaching call which you can set up by emailing me at ring@yeschant.com .  I simply want to help you get your dealership going in the right direction and some private coaching may be the key to making more money in 2010!

Equally troublesome for local Toyota dealers is the manufacturer’s decision to halt production on eight models, including Camry and Corolla until this issue is finally resolved and a plan for repairing vehicles already on the road is in place.

This may very well mean huge financial losses this year for the Japanese auto giant, who up until now came out of the recession and US credit crunch relatively unscathed.

For local dealers though, the recall means more than just short-term financial loss until the problem of sticking gas pedals is resolved. Instead, stores will have to work harder to regain the trust of their past and future customers to ensure they don’t take their business down the road to GM or Ford.

One of the best (and most cost-effective ways) for local dealers to do this is to open up the lines of communication and effectively engage their past and prospective customers through social media and blogging.

Through the dealership blog, Twitter or Facebook pages, local dealers can provide real-time updates on the situation, answer questions about the recalls and what vehicles it pertains to, explain the safety of Toyota vehicles not currently affected by the recall (which is important as local stores will need to concentrate on pre-owned sales during this time) and make it easy to schedule a service appointment to repair the problem once a plan is put in place.

And while past and prospective customers may feel angry and not trust the Toyota brand right now—they’ll come to trust the STORE as an informational hub and hopefully choose to do business there in the future.

So if you’re operating a Toyota Dealership and haven’t gotten serious about implementing a social media or blogging plan in your store—it’s time to get started! Get a video camera, set up a blog, look into email marketing and start engaging with local residents on Twitter and Facebook. It may be the difference between operating in the red or black this year.

Of course if you have no idea how to get started with the strategies listed above, please email  ring@yeschant.com for a quote on social media and internet marketing implementation at your store.

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

However, because of the prevalence of spam and unwanted solicitations, prospects are often leery about giving their email address away to a car salesman or service department.

Yet if you know how to “sweeten the pot” when asking for an email address, you can gather contact information from 99% of your prospects almost 100% of the time, to your benefit.

You do this by offering a very real incentive in exchange for their email address. Whether that’s a service coupon, a special discount off the vehicle of their choice or an entry to win a flat-screen TV at the end of the month, you want to provide something of value in exchange for access to their inbox on a regular basis.

Similarly, you’ll want to be very clear about what you’ll do with their email address once you receive it to remove any fear or reservations that you’ll use this “access” to spam their accounts.  Explanations such as, “You’ll be subscribed to our newsletter where we’ll send you weekly service coupons and deals not available to the public” work well in bringing down the walls of prospective buyers.

Either way, make a commitment this year to start collecting email addresses from every single prospect that enters the dealership.  Take time to get very clear on what you’ll offer in exchange for this email address and how you’ll be communicating with your leads once you do.  Clearly explain that to your prospects and you’ll be on your way to building up a house list prime to get results for your dealership!

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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

That’s simply because consumers now search for EVERYTHING online, and dealers who aren’t savvy to this trend (or sadly believe people under 50 still use the yellow pages) are missing out on business because of it.

Not to mention, getting listed in local directories gives you extra links back to your site and takes up more real estate  in Google, both which are great for SEO and standing out in an oversaturated auto industry.

So with that said, one of the most popular local directories right now is yelp.com.  Yelp.com provides hyperlocal results for people actively looking  for services in their immediate area.  The site also allows consumers to leave reviews of your services—which can quickly help you stand out in the crowd.

Fortunately, getting your car dealership listed on yelp is free and can be done in 3 easy steps.  They are as follows:

1.       Get Started

Simply click here to get started on yelp.com’s business page.   The screen should look like the one below:

2. Find your business

Enter the name of your dealership and city to “claim” your business.  If your business can not be found by yelp, you’ll come to the screen below and have the ability to create your own business profile:

3.       Complete your company profile

Simply fill out as much information that you can regarding your dealership.  Once you’ve done that, check your email address, confirm your listing and you’re firm will be live on yelp!

As a bonus (and for even better results), ask a few happy customers to leave a detailed review about their experience working with you.  You’ll also want to make the review process as easy as possible for your customers, which means giving them the direct link to your profile page and offering a “gift of thanks” (i.e. a gift card, discount on future services, etc) as an incentive for following through with your request.

That’s it!  Now go claim your business and get listed on yelp.com!

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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

1. There is no friend limit on a fan page
2. It helps to cut back on spammers
3. You can send broadcasts to all of your “fans” in one shot about promotions, deals, sales, etc. instead of sending a handful at a time under the normal Facebook page restrictions.

Yet the key to building up a successful fan page (because you can’t exactly follow and friend people with your fan page) is to make it as easy as possible for people to click your link and start engaging with you on the site.

So besides putting reminders on your blog or in other promotional materials, it’s also a great idea to add a Facebook Fan Box widget right to your site so customers can have one-click access to your page.

Sounds simple right?

Don’t worry—it really is

To start, you’ll need to log into your fan page.  On the left side (under your picture) click the link for “Promote with a fan box”.

When you get to the next page, select the platform that you are blogging on so facebook can generate html code for you.

You’ll then copy that code and paste it into a text widget in the sidebar of your website.  Hit save and you’ll have yourself a cool new fan box!

On a side note, sometimes the fan box’s default settings are too big for the sidebar.  That’s OK, you can manually adjust by manipulating the html.

Just look for the part of the code that says,  <fb:fan profile_id=”XXXXXXXX” stream=”1″ connections=”10″ width=”300″></fb:fan>

Simply adjust the number after “width” (try something like 250 to start) and see if that looks better in your browser.

Good luck and happy marketing!

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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 accommplish 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 hollistic inventories of the effectiveness of each dealership he manges.  For more information on Robert’s services or to contact him directly, please email ring@yeschant.com

Basically, this program allows Google to “alert” you any time a particular word or phrase is mentioned on the web or in the blogosphere.

I’m going to explain how to set this up in a minute, but first lets discuss some useful and practical ways to leverage Google Alerts in your car dealership marketing strategy.

First and foremost, Google Alerts is great reputation management tool.  Auto dealer marketing mangers and executives should always set up an alert with their dealership name and name of each key employee to monitor what people are saying online regarding your dealer or service experience.

Google Alerts is also a great way to keep up on breaking news within your particular industry– which is of course a handy way to come up with relevant blog topics that draw traffic from your “ideal clients” searching for answers/ help in that particular area.

So now that we’ve discussed some of the ways to properly use Google Alerts, the following is a brief tutorial on how to get set up.

Step 1: Log into your Google Account. Do this by going to http://www.google.comand signing in at the top right hand side of the page. If you don’t have a Google account, you will need to create one to sign up for Google Alerts.

Step 2: Once you login, click on “Alerts” under “My Products” on the main dashboard.

Step 3: Enter your desired term in the “search term” box. Then choose how often you want to receive the notifications (once a day, as it happens, etc) and make sure the alert will be delivered to the proper gmail address. *Note: use quotation marks on your alerts to keep specific words together– such as “brown daub kia” .

Step 4: Hit “create alert” and you’re all done! Now just sit back and wait for the notifications to start hitting your inbox!

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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