One thing we do on our dealership blogs is include an RSS listing of the inventory. When the user clicks a vehicle then it takes him or her directly to the dealership website where he can learn everything there is to know about it on the dealer’s website.

To see this in action go to http://blog.yourmercedes.com/

There is something to be said for what Ralph wrote previously, about pursuing Facebook as a means for further developing relationships with those who are already customers versus establishing new relationships.

Thank you for stopping by and sharing. You are at least the second UK blogger to comment on this post.

I am currently consulting for a car dealership in Cambridge UK and i have suggested setting up a facebook site to:

a) use as a place to show the cars stocked
b) To encourage users to write a review on any of the cars (these are prestige cars like BMW, Range Rovers, Porsche etc.
c) To enable customers to have another source of where our cars are stocked i.e. autotrader, our website, facebook…basically so that they can chose the media that suits them.
d) To enable customers to keep abreast of what we are doing should they not want to receive email updates.
e) Because it shows us as open and venerable, I bet some car dealerships would be scared of such a thing…i mean people can write what they want.
f) becasuse competitors might do it! it is free and easy to do, so why not do it first!

http://blacksheepthinking.blogspot.com/

http://cardealerforums.com/customer-relationship-management/t48350-future-crm-not-email-text-messaging.html

Interestingly, Sporty81 was from VIN Solutions. I wonder if he has changed his tune since then. I would hope so.

I found this article on Chris Ferris’ ADM Professional Profile and although I agree with the recommendations that you make, I would like to add that the use of Social Media by car dealers may be made much more effective if approached first as a relationship development, enhancement and engagement strategy. Soliciting new customers may be a lot less effective on Facebook than connecting with new and existing customers who have already purchased vehicles or services at the dealership. In many respects, I see the best use of social media for car dealers as evolving more into a CRM-type function than a conquest or new customer acquisition marketing tool. To check out links to a dozen examples of dealers using this strategy, read the article at:
http://www.automotivedigitalmarketing.com/profiles/blogs/automotive-social-marketing

There is a gentleman on the Automotive Digital Marketing Ning Network run by Ralph Paglia that blogs about everything BUT autos. Says he gets lots of dialog generated this way. Link to his profile is below if you want to check it out:

http://www.automotivedigitalmarketing.com/profile/christopherferris

Show me how I can access your FB page.

I understand where your coming from and understand how Facebook can work in other industries and initiatives. But in the context of automotive, and seeing it from the perspective of a potential customer, I wouldn’t go onto Facebook, I would ignore Facebook if it appeared on my Google search and EVEN IF I did go on and read what a dealership had to say, I don’t think it would influence me to purchase from them.

I believe that if the website is a manufacturer or C2C website then Facebook can play a good part. Consumers are looking for recommendations and reviews on brands and models of car to help them decide which to buy. Only 19% of consumers at the moment are even considering this type of social medium when researching their purchase online. http://www.vlane.com is such a site that can and do use Facebook to promote their site, but they aren’t a dealership.

Again, I’m looking at it mainly from my 12 years web experience, 8 of which in automotive in the UK, so it might all be different in the USA.

If you haven’t already check out the Cap Gemini Report 08/09 to gain an insight into what people are doing online.

Cheers

Steve