That is a great article. I have started using my Twitter, Facebook and yes even My Space accounts to get the message out about Jim Glover Chevrolet. The problem is there isn’t enough hours in a day to keep those social places up-to-date – lol. One of the things I have just started doing is an Internet Based Radio program on Blog Talk Radio and IT’S FREE. I do a weekly show that started out being about 45 minutes but will be expanding to a one hour show. This week’s show is a 2 hour special in honor of the return of the Camaro. I had been doing a podcast and happened to be introduced to BTR by Philip Zelinger. Thanks Phil. Now while it hasn’t stirred up any business, I do enjoy doing the shows, reviewing Chevrolet products as well as other Car related subjects. We even try to have some fun with Trivia and some audio from past Chevrolet TV commercials. But I guess my point is that anything new should be explored. But who knows, maybe one day, someone will call and say I was listening to your show and I want to know more about…. One can only hope. So your article was great. Relationship building is one of the best tools one can use, especially in these tough economic times.

I am sure every dealer would agree that leveraging your staff to become advocates is one of the best ideas but it takes time and patience, which a lot of dealerships just don’t have the dedication needed to see it to fruition.

For the dealerships that do embrace social media I think they will be able to gain local market share by being seen repeatedly where the customers are looking and browsing socially. The average Myspace user checks there page something like 35 times per day and I am sure Facebook is similar. So marketing impressions from a dealership on Myspace or Facebook page could help solidify the brand in the browsers mind. Remember brand impressions count and studies have shown it takes from 7-27 positive brand impressions for a shoppers to take action.

This article has been a great idea starter for me thanks for posting it.

This will come in time, I believe. It’s already happening. Look what has evolved in the auto industry just through the last year.

But there is an element to social networking that I see imposing change in the employee-dealership relationship. It’s the branding element. I see sales in the auto industry evolving to a state comparable to the Real Estate industry where automotive sales professionals are building their own brand equity under the roof of a dealership rather than just trying to use social media to sell cars.

Good topic Audrey.

That said, the best place to pass on consistent policies and procedures while considering “risk management” for the dealership is in the employee handbook. Just ask your attorney and he will explain that “no policy” actually is a policy by “ommission.” When an employee mis-represents your dealership to a customer – with or without your knowledge and/or permission – you are liable; even if it is only based on the “deep pocket” theory applied by most attorneys seeking damages for their client.

The first issue that has to be addressed is the “buy in” from the dealer that the internet has matured into a “pull/push” media rather than a “push/pull media as far as customers are concerned. As a result, the website of today is already different than yesterday’s and they will be drastically different than tomorrow’s. Transparency and simplicity is already a practiced wisdom in dealer’s sites which have learned to prioritize relationship selling over simply posting price and product. Since it is difficult to have a relationship with a building or a corporation the people factor has to take precedence. Step one is to integrtate a dealer’s blogging site for customer generated content including their staff’s postings and comments.

The problem is that many customer assume that a dealer’s site is self serving and they challenge the source. The only solution is independently develped “relationships” in other sgared verticals like face book, twitter and other communal sites where you are able to kmake friends who are happy to find out that – coincidentally – you also sell and or service vehicles. After all, everyone would like to have a friend in the car business!

As far as the posted point – yes, include instructions, policies and procedures for social networking ploicies and procedures in your employee handbook and enforce it the same way as the other issues that it includes.