Six Ways Your Dealership Can Get the Most Out of Facebook

You may not think of Facebook as a serious marketing channel for your dealership, but if you know what you’re doing, it could be.

It’s not just about being on the social media platform, to really make the most of Facebook for business use and start generating brand awareness and leads, you need to think carefully about how your page and activity represents your dealership and develop a comprehensive strategy.

1. Content

Try and vary the content you publish on Facebook to keep your followers engaged with your page. If I have just purchased a vehicle from your dealership and you ask me to like your Facebook page but all I’m seeing from you is pictures of your stock, I may lose interest and unfollow or unlike your page, because I am no longer interested in buying.

You want to keep consumers who have bought from you before on side so when their finance is due or they are looking for a new vehicle, they will be more likely to return to your dealership. You can do this by giving your page some personality.

Let your followers know what you are up to by posting about events you attend or host and publishing pictures of you with happy customers collecting their vehicles. You could also throw in some comedic posts, fun facts and thoughts about what’s happening in the industry. These types of posts are excellent for generating engagement. Consumers find variety interesting, so try not to put yourself in a box with posting.

2. Video

Video content is king on Facebook. You could do walk around videos of a specific vehicle in stock, coupling this with a running commentary of you talking through the features of the car. Remember to upload to Facebook directly though instead of uploading to YouTube and then sharing to the platform. Native videos will get far more reach and engagement compared to ones from external sources.

3. Profile Picture and Cover Photo

Imagery is key when it comes to developing a brand and raising awareness of it, so the profile picture for your Facebook Business page should be your company logo and it should be a clean, high-quality image to reflect the professionalism of your dealership.

Your cover photo could be a nice picture of your pitch. If you wanted to go the extra mile and really impress your audience, you could even upload a video, panning around your showroom.

4. Replies and Comments

Always reply to any comments and reviews you get. This shows previous customers and future prospects that you value their feedback, and you care about their satisfaction, which will encourage them to buy from you. Replies have become an expectation nowadays, so fast responses can be a game changer.

5. Facebook Pixel

If you haven’t done so already, sign up and create a Business Manager account on Facebook. Once you have done this the first thing I would do is install the Facebook Pixel on your website. The Facebook Pixel is a tracking code, which allows you to build audiences and re-target to consumers who have visited your website before. It is a highly effective tool to have.

All you will need to do is retrieve the code from your business manager account and ask your web vendor to install it for you.

6. Reviews

Have you got your reviews section turned on? I know a lot of dealers are worried that they will get bad reviews but you’ve also got an opportunity to get plenty of good ones! Plus, in a world where the consumer does 90% of their research online to buy a car, reviews are a huge influence, so not displaying any may deter some shoppers from pursuing a purchase with you, instead looking for a different dealer who has a positive online reputation.

I would therefore definitely recommend having ratings and reviews enabled. Even if you do get a bad review, it can still be seen in a positive light if you reply to the consumer in a friendly and transparent manner and try to help them to resolve any issues they might have had.

To speak to Joe about running your dealership’s Facebook account or for more information on how Click Dealer’s team of in-house social media specialists can help you with social media marketing, get in touch today via marketing@clickdealer.co.uk, 01782 478220 or through our contact page!