Are you still on the fence about digital advertising and trying to decide if it’s worth it for your automotive business or just a fad that will pass? Well, we hate to be the bearer of bad news but it's not going anywhere. Social media is an essential part of any modern marketing strategy, and if you're not leveraging its power, then you're missing out and we do not love that for you.
The truth is, social media started out as a way to streamline the consumption of cat videos and funny memes but over time it’s become a powerful tool that can help you build your brand, connect with your customers, and even generate leads. The downside to getting started is there are so many platforms to choose from, and it can be overwhelming to know where to focus your efforts. It’s also a lot to absorb when you realize that you need to actually spend money to make it back and 1$ a day is throwing your money away. That's why we're here to tell you that marketing on social media is a "do or do not, there is no try" situation. You need to commit to it, or you'll be left in the dust. Now, we know it’s easy to use that information as a way to justify the skepticism and procrastination. We also know that some of you are thinking, "But I'm a driver, a small garage, a B2B company, social media isn't meant for me” but that's simply just not true. If you’re a driver you are your brand and sponsorships are derived from how active you are in the online space, and anybody or company can benefit from social media marketing. In fact, social media is an excellent way to build human connections with other businesses and establish yourself or your brand as a leader in your industry. LinkedIn is a great place to start building those connections and relationships by the way. The truth is that expanding your business is going to be work, but that’s not new information- the only difference between now and 15 years ago is you can do it from the comfort of your home instead of at conferences, offices, and mixers.
Let's dive into some of the reasons why social media marketing is so important, and why you need to be doing it.
BRAND AWARENESS.
Sharing your company's story, values, and successes on social media is a great way for you to open the door for your audience to see what you’re all about and build that connection consumers are looking for. It doesn’t matter if you’re a large, small, or somewhere-in-between company, people want to know who they’re supporting with their hard-earned dollars. You can extend your reach even further if you have awesome employees or friends that are willing to share your posts and participate in that content. People trust people, and people trust their friends and family so using that network to build a reputation with the potential to connect you to hundreds of immediate or once-removed customers is a valuable tool to have.
LEAD GENERATION.
Yep, social media can organically generate leads for your brand. If you’re able to create quality content, spark meaningful conversations, and level up engagement within your target industry, you can build credibility with potential customers, and that ultimately results in the generation of new leads. It's not just about generating leads though – social media can help you nurture them too. If you’re offing useful information, posting tips and tricks, “how to” content, or tutorials and blogs, you can help potential customers solve problems and build trust and credibility with your brand that will make them want to purchase, continue to purchase and share their experiences with their own following leading to more organic reach for your brand.
FEEDBACK.
We push the call to action portion pretty hard on social media because it gets results, but it also provides a space and opportunity for your target audience to voice their opinions and by listening to your customers and what people are saying about your company, you can get candid feedback about how others view your brand. Everyone loves the good news, but the bad reviews offer something too- it gives you a chance to improve the weaker areas of your business while reinforcing the portions that hit home with your target audience. It's a line of direct communication with the very people you’re trying to reach and what’s better than free feedback that leads to a better product, service or experience?
COMMUNITY.
With time the goal of advertising on social media is the eventually build a community that supports your brand. When you take the time to make content people want to see, plan out when they see it and in what format, and then engage with them on whatever platforms you choose to use you can build a solid and active community of users who will do a lot of the leg work for you. They will share your posts, tag you in their own content to reshare which only helps you build trust, defend you against the nay-sayers, and will ultimately help you reach more people who align with your brand.
WE'RE JUST SCRATCHING THE SURFACE HERE.
There’s so much more to it but these are the basics and the most important. If you’re not going to put in the initial work to build that community then you’re likely going to suffer more than those who do. It takes time, effort, an appropriate ads budget and some learning of best practices to get started but you’ll see the return on your investment if you’re open to making changes and keeping up with the times as they quickly change. Billboards and radio ads have a place, but social media is where the current and next generations live so you’re going to have to get on their level. Lastly, this is not something you can sometimes do. People are fickle and loyalty is not what it used to be. Consistency is key and you need to reliably serve up the content to keep your audience engaged or you will lose their interest, and they will find someone else who gives them the attention and connection they’re looking for. Advertising your brand on social media is a necessary evil that every company regardless of size is going to have to confront at some point. We know not everyone has the time, energy, or ability to dedicate themselves or an employee to managing an entire marketing campaign and strategy. If you know you could be growing, but you’re stuck on a plateau reach out to see how our team of automotive marketing professionals can help get you back on track.