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Welcome to Today’s WebinarWe will begin promptly at noon ET

Cashing In on Web 2.0Using Social Media Sites to Drive Sales

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Welcome

• Have a question? Need our attention?

• Enter your question or comment by clicking on

the question mark in the lower right corner of the

WebEx browser

• Tweeting today’s call? Use #dalive.

• Want a recording of today’s presentation?

• Visit http://dealers.cars.com/live on Monday

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Webinar Audio

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for today’s webinar:

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speakers

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headphones

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number for the WebEx

teleconference

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Today’s Moderator

Kathy Kimmel

Director of training, Cars.com

More than 15 years experience

in automotive retail

Featured speaker at industry

conferences

Connect with Kathy:

http://dealers.cars.com/facebook

http://dealers.cars.com/twitter

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Today’s Panelist

Rob Fontano

John Marazzi Nissan

Internet sales director

Naples, Fla.

8 years experience in automotive retail

Connect with Rob at:

http://www.facebook.com/marazzinissan

http://twitter.com/marazzinissan

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Today’s Panelist

Alex Snyder

Checkered Flag Automotive Group

Ecommerce director

Virginia Beach, Va.

20 years automotive industry experience

DealerRefresh.com contributor

Connect with Alex at:

http://www.facebook.com/checkeredflag.va

http://twitter.com/axsnyder

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Today’s Objectives

• Understand why social media is important for your

business

• Identify which social media sites connect your

store with in-market shoppers

• Incorporate social media sites into your sales

strategy

• Develop site-specific tactics that help you engage

car buyers and encourage open communication

• Determine who should manage your social media

presence

Social Media and Selling Cars

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Social Media and the Bottom Line

1 Altimeter Group and Wetpaint, 2009

Graph source: eMarketer.com, December 2008

• Brands active in social

media reported revenue

growth of 18 percent

versus last year

• Inactive brands reported

a 6 percent revenue loss

• Participation in social

media improves your

store’s search engine

performance

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Social Media Usage Soaring

• Twitter (green): + 1,164 percent

• Facebook (blue): + 248 percent

• LinkedIn: (yellow) + 95 percent

• YouTube: (orange) + 32 percent

• MySpace (pink): - 6 percent

Source: Compete Inc, June 2009

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Why Get in the Game?

“For companies, resistance

to social media is futile.

Millions of people are

creating content for the

social web. Your competitors

are already there. Your

customers have been there

for a long time. If your

business isn't putting itself

out there, it ought to be.”

Source: BusinessWeek, Feb. 19, 2009

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Dealership Benefits

Social media:

Works well with business-relationship model

Drives cost-efficiency in marketing

Provides your store with low-cost tools to connect with

customers, prospects

Creates opportunity to build referral business

Extends your relationship with customers beyond the

purchase

Expands your store’s reach

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What is Social Media

“All things being equal, people will do business with

their friends. All things not being equal, people will

still do business with their friends.”

Jeffrey Gitomer

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Rules of the Road

Social media success depends on:

Strategy

• What do you plan to accomplish?

Communication (i.e., talk and listen)

• Engage audience with a real person or a personality

Relationships

• 93 percent of social media users believe companies should

have a presence; 85 percent want meaningful interaction1

Transparency, sincerity

Ownership

• Someone with passion/commitment to implement program

1 Cone, Business in Social Media Study, September 2008

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How to Use Social Media

Create content consumers

want to connect with:

Store and automotive

expertise

Car reviews

New product information

and new arrivals

Events

Incentives and service

Maintenance tips

Job opportunities

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Enthusiast Blogs, Forums

• Identify people in your store

with knowledge and passion

for your vehicle types,

makes/models

Look beyond sales to parts,

service, body shop

• Share information based on

your experience, research

• Let members approach you

about a vehicle purchase

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Dealership Blog

• Post timely and relevant

information for customers

• Promote your dealership

Inventory, including new

arrivals and specials

Incentives and events

Service, parts, accessories and

body shop

Job opportunities

• Invite customers to follow

you on Facebook, Twitter

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Facebook

• Create a business page for

your store, persona

• Invite staff, customers to

“become a fan”

Add a website button

Call to action in advertising

Point of purchase

• Use page to create value and

drive conversation

• Don’t be a motor mouth

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Facebook: What’s on Your Mind?

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Twitter

• Create an account for your

store

• Invite sales, service, parts,

body shop customers to

“follow” you

• Discuss store, industry and

community news, events

• Re-tweet, respond to posts

to drive conversation

• Register with directories

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Twitter: What are You Doing?

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YouTube

• Create a channel for your

store

• Share videos you’ve

developed:

Customer testimonials

New-model introductions

Make/model comparisons

Dealership tours

Vehicle walk-around

demonstrations

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YouTube

• Promote videos through your site, social media

channels

• Monitor, respond to comments about your videos

• Join discussions in automotive-related channels

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Work Smarter: Social Media Tools

• Applications integrate

blog, Facebook and

Twitter activities

Share posts across all of

your accounts

Monitor conversations

Work with followers

• Stay on top of social

media trends, new tools

Mashable.com

Socialmedia.biz

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Track Social Media Performance

Free tools help gauge

program effectiveness:

Facebook Insights

Page

TwitterRank.com

Build Professional Connections

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LinkedIn

• Create a personal profile outlining your

professional expertise and positions

• Connect with colleagues

• Join industry-related groups and participate in

discussion areas relevant to your field and

personal interests

• Resist the temptation to advertise your store,

listings

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Industry Blogs, Forums

• Join online communities to boost

sales performance, advance your

career

• Learn about and discuss online

automotive news, trends

• Use sites developed by:

Automotive salespeople

Industry consultants

Vendors

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Review

• Social media provides you with a low-cost channel

to:

Connect with customers, prospects

Promote your inventory and brand your store

Discuss, learn about online automotive news, trends

• Success with social media hinges on a strategy,

communication, relationships, transparency and

ownership

• Remember: Car buyers want to engage with your

brand and get help with their purchase decisions

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Let’s be Friends

Join us on our all-new

Facebook page

http://dealers.cars.com/facebook

Designed especially for dealers

with news and tips to drive your

online success

Stay in touch with the latest from

DealerADvantage, including

video tips and information on

Cars.com events

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More Ways to Connect

Join the conversation about

online automotive with

Cars.com:

Read our all-new blog launching

in late August

• http://dealeradvantage.cars.com

Follow us on Twitter for daily

twips and advice

• http://dealers.cars.com/twitter

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Register Now for Our Next Event

Sell More Cars: Tips You Can Implement Today to

Close More Deals

Friday, Sept. 11, Noon ET

In this session, you’ll learn how to:

• Develop listings that answer shoppers questions and help

them form an emotional connection with the car.

• Leverage emerging channels such as online chat, the mobile

internet and social media to engage with buyers.

• Optimize your new-car lead, SEM and SEO initiatives.

• Stay in communication with car buyers until they’re ready to

move forward with a purchase.

Register at http://dealers.cars.com/live

Questions & Answers

Thank You & Good Luck