Author: Jennifer Sanford, Dominion Dealer Solutions, Director of Strategic Marketing
In past blogs, I’ve talked about cultivating a “brand worth promoting” and how you can determine if you have one.
Today, I would like to address ways your dealership can embody that intentional brand — from the inside out — and create a consistent customer experience.
There are three basic channels you need to employ to establish and sustain this living brand. They are:
owned media channels
earned media channels
paid media channels
Each of these channels contain many options. Today we’re going to address high-level action items to get you thinking about the different media options within those channels. The Marketing Consultants at Dominion Dealer Solutions can also help you navigate the details of each of these channels.
Owned media channels – This is your website and your dealership, the pieces of real estate that are completely under your control.
Tip #1 – Dealership. Make sure your dealership is inviting and accessible to your customers — and ensure that your team knows how important that customer orientation is to your entire success.
Tip #2 – Website. Same as above. Your website should be inviting and accessible from every device. Mobile technology is key. The site must be easy to navigate for vehicles, service information and specials from a laptop, a tablet or smartphone. Choose a website provider the way you would choose an architect. Look for expertise in responsive technology and the ability to design and merchandise your inventory effectively.
Earned media channels – This is your reputation – what people choose to say about you.
Tip #3 – Reputation – Monitor what people say about your dealership on all of the relevant resources – from Google to Dealer Rater. You need to know how people are expressing their experiences at your dealership so that you can fix problems and celebrate successes.
Tip #4 – Media and Social Media – You do worthy things. Tell people about them, and use your blog and social media to connect with your community about the cool things your dealership and your team do in the community. Most importantly, you must assign someone on your team to manage this media – and/or to work with an external social media team. Someone on your team must “own” this function to guarantee that your agency is posting content that represents your dealership – not some dealership across the country.
Paid media channels – This is the media that you purchase, from print advertising to TV to online banner advertising.
Tip #5 – Digital Media – Invest in your website by purchasing pay-per-click search marketing. This is a fundamental means of putting your dealership exactly where shoppers are looking for it. Choose a reliable vendor to help you; otherwise, you could be spending a lot of money on people who are not your target market.
Tip #6 – Digital Media – Continue to invest online. Shoppers expect to encounter your brand in many places in order to gain confidence in your business. The web is likely the first place they will encounter your brand. Make your first impression a good one. You can choose pre-roll video, retargeting, paid social media marketing, and even straight up banner advertising. They are all valuable components to yourmarketing mix. And, like above, you need a knowledgeable partner to help you choose and execute your plan.
Your dealership is likely handling some of these media channels very well. It’s also likely that there is room for improvement across the board. We all develop bad habits, and we routinely have gaps in our effectiveness. Click here to reach out to our marketing consultants to talk more about how your dealership can deliver a consistent customer experience.
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