The new rule of the game is that social media shapes public perception of what businesses they should buy at. It isn’t enough to have a web page with inventory anymore; you need to become actively engaged online with potential customers to increase your real-time conversion and retention stats.

Taking control of your public identity

On the Internet, you have to be proactive to be in control of your public image and identity. Spend the money to have research done on what terms apply most to your business online and make sure you reserve all the various versions of your dealership name as well in account and site names.

This will help to put you at the top of the search list. You also need to make sure that there is someone whose task it is to keep your social media accounts active. Just posting when you have a sale is not going to do it, build your brand image by building engagement online with potential customers.

The best way to do this is to interact with them in ways beyond the needs of your business and to meet them where you share interests person to person.

Using reviews to help

Always post links to places customers can review their experience at your business and make sure to reply to any comments about your business online. Be careful though; never reply to a negative review by being defensive. Don’t promise the world but keep a cool head and approach it as a means to learn what you can do better, as well as try and find out what you can do to rectify the situation.

One thing you should never do is reply privately to a public comment. While you may not want to have a negative conversation out there for public viewing it is essential that it is. How you handle a negative response or complaint is going to be watched closely by others. Handle it graciously and you will increase your public cache tenfold.

One rule of thumb is to assume that for every one person identified on social media with a public comment, there are ten people you can’t see watching the conversation to find out what you are like.

Becoming the source

Knowledge is power and the Internet is making megalomaniacs out of many a consumer who was otherwise normal. The more you can create the identity for yourself and your dealership as being the place to go for information that isn’t just about buying a car, the higher you will score in customer’s eyes.

Make sure to start and keep up with a blog that has features such as how to wax cars or do general maintenance at home. Features that give information and knowledge to car owners in how to take care of their vehicles, as well as blog posts that emphasize how to a good deal at a dealership are going to create the image that you care about customers because you relate as a car owner and person first.

Avoid the posts that do little more than repeat your business name and how wonderful you are, that will send your public rating plummeting.