Leveraging Facebook to Move Metal

Did you know there are dealers today who are actually moving metal with their free posts on Facebook? Moreover, because these efforts are measurable in Google Analytics, they can quickly tell what’s working and what’s not. If your website traffic from your organic (free) posts on Facebook isn’t driving real leads and calls, then read on to learn how others are doing it.

Social Media Best Practices

Dealers showing success with their Facebook posts understand that an overriding theme of their social media efforts should be to humanize the team – that is, that your team is local, human, and fun. Consumers know you sell cars, so be careful how and how often you remind them. If you want to move metal, sell more parts, and/or drive more service business from free Facebook posts, then follow these 8 quick tips:

Employ a Facebook-First Strategy with your organic content. That is, focus on Facebook ahead of all other social media channels. Facebook offers the greatest opportunity for your posts to go viral in your market.
If you feel you “need to be everywhere,” consider buying ads on other networks like Snapchat, Pinterest, and TikTok.
If you’re posting good content that’s generating engagement on other networks, repost it to Facebook.
Contests are the key to building a loyal following in your market, though these efforts should follow four important rules:
1. Keep it Local: Don’t offer Amazon or Walmart gift cards, for example, because you don’t want to award anything to people living outside your market. Instead, purchase gift cards from local small businesses to give away. You’ll be showing community support, and you’ll ensure the winners live and/or work in your market. (Hint: If you let the merchant know you’re buying these for a Facebook giveaway, you’ll often be able to purchase the cards at a discount.)
2. Keep it Simple: There’s no need to give away a cruise. Some potential customers will think there’s a catch, and your costs won’t justify the resulting traffic, leads, calls, and sales. Instead, offer a $25 or $50 gift card. The amount you offer depends on the size of your dealership and market. A small-town dealer selling 40 units/month should probably offer $25 gift cards, while a 200+ unit dealer in Nashville might need to offer $50 gift cards to gain enough local interest.
3. Keep it Regular: So far, weekly contests are proving to work best but keep them regular. For example, announce the contest every Thursday afternoon with the giveaway on Friday afternoon. (Two posts: One announcing the contest; one announcing the winner.) However, it’s important to understand that it may take you several weeks before you start to see large increases in engagement. Don’t give up after just a few tries.
4. Make it Easy: If it’s not easy for consumers to enter the contest, they won’t. For example, just ask them to Like and Follow your Page and Like the Post. Award extra entries if they Share the Post or Comment on it.
Activity breeds activity, so be sure to post your happy customer photos, and ask the customer to share your posts. Tag them in the posts if they will allow it. And use a gimmick (if allowed by your OEM) in the photos. For example, a giant key, a bow, a red carpet, or even a Fat Head of the owner or GM.
Always link to your website. This is non-negotiable! Every post should include a relevant link back to your site. For example, if someone bought a new vehicle and you post the customer photo, the link should point to your current inventory of that model. (This provides some SEO value, but also makes it easy for others to check out similar vehicles with just one click.)
Above all else, make sure your posts show the human side of your business. People buy from people they like and trust, so your posts should drive this. Simple content like Birthday and Work Anniversary posts can do a lot to humanize your staff in the eyes of the public.
Ditch the “free” OEM posts. OEMs love to fill your Facebook feed with “magazine ads” that end up harming your social media efforts. These posts usually get no engagement, and this results in Facebook throttling back the exposure of your future posts. Anything that looks like an ad should only be posted as an ad.

Once you’ve mastered these 8 best practices, feel free to get creative with what you post… so long as whatever you’re posting shows your team to be local, human, and fun.

Good Selling!

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More Social Selling lessons available in Ridiculously Simple Car Selling and Assumptive Selling: