Automotive marketing is becoming more innovative than ever as more marketers within the automotive realm are exploring search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising, and social media marketing. But while car dealers are struggling to keep their doors open in the current downturn, the truth is that there are still so many opportunities to adopt aggressive SEO and Social Media Marketing strategies.
Perhaps one of the largest hindrances to the adoption of social media marketing for car dealers and the auto business in general is the lingering misconception that social media is simply for entertainment purposes, or perhaps only caters to a very young demographic. Truth is, social media websites are increasingly dynamic when it comes to how they are used and the users they attract.
Social media is more than that funny YouTube video that got passed around the office via email. More users are using it to shop and to find content on the Web, and in many ways compliments or parallels the way content is found via search engines. Although advanced search algorithms help deliver relevant content to users when they perform a search query, social media websites can serve the same function, but uses content submitted and/or promoted by users rather than relying on algorithms alone. Already we’re seeing a convergence of these two areas as seen by Universal Search and Google’s recent release of SearchWiki.
While that sounds great for those who haven’t really considered social media marketing before, many marketers have dabbled in social media and have failed miserably. And while most social media marketing campaigns fail, there are plenty more that succeed and find more traffic, more leads, and more links coming to their Website.
What makes social media especially exciting when it comes to car dealers and the automotive industry is that the vertical is rich with opportunities. First, potential car buyers these days go online to begin new and used car shopping. Having a site that’s findable via effective SEO and PPC strategies is one important factor to reach out to these consumers. Secondly, shoppers may also be utilizing social media websites to find additional information on a particular car, a brand, or a dealer. The last point I want to make is that the automotive vertical is unique in that it has consumers that are passionate about specific brands and about cars in general, and as such there’s opportunity to use innovative marketing AND impeccable customer service to excite existing and potential customers and drive positive exposure online.
While dealers strive to move forward in a weakened economy, the exploration of social media in your online strategy could yield cost-effective results. Social media is relied upon more and more as a utility to find and compare information. Over time, the relevancy and importance of user-edited content will only become more important, resulting in further convergence between social media and search.
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This post was written by...
David Lux – who has written 84 posts on Automotive SEO. David is the Content Manager at TK Carsites and spends copious hours devouring content concerning autos, SEO, and social media. You can follow him on Twitter: @autocontent
