Dealership MarketingIndustry News & TrendsOther Stuff

NADA: Internet Advertising tops 50%, TV & Radio Lose

I carefully navigated the NADA website, clicking the button to download one of my favorite semi-annual automotive industry reports. I had heard the 2017 results were finally available, and I was anxious to dive into the data. I double-clicked to open the report, quickly scrolling to the “Advertising Expenditures” section. And then…my jaw dropped. I’m …
Dealership Marketing

Who? How? A Closer Look at Inquisitive Paid Search Traffic

One of my favorite techniques when auditing automotive dealers’ paid search spending, is to compare the search queries to keyword purchases. The search queries are the exact phrases that visitors are typing into Google (or other search engines). I find it useful to compare the search queries to the actual keyword(s) the dealer is purchasing. For instance, if …
Best PracticesDealership MarketingDealership Operations & ProcessesOpinions & Advice

Down Market? Time for a Little “Old School” Automotive

Listen to Audio Version Old School is New Again While most of those who use the term “old school” in automotive retail are speaking disparagingly about dealerships, managers and salespeople relying on outdated marketing, sales techniques and processes; the truth is that the most successful dealers I work with today understand that sometimes “old school” …
Best PracticesDealership Communication ToolsDealership Marketing

Can a $100 Chatbot Really Replace 2 BDC Agents?

  Can a $100 Chatbot Really Replace 2 BDC Agents? Before I answer the question posed in the title, let’s agree on a few things: Facebook is not going away; Most of your customers are already there; Your kitten pictures and inventory vomits aren’t being read; and Facebook Ads work, but you need to start …
Best PracticesDealership Marketing

Some Website “Expert” Adjusted Your Buttons, And It’s Costing You Sales!

Website Buttons… and why in the world are you letting self-appointed “experts” screw everything up? There are two quotes from baseball’s late, great Rocky Bridges that I just love: “Albuquerque: You can’t spell it, but you can smell it.” and “There are three things the average man thinks he can do better than anybody else: …
Best PracticesDealership MarketingIndustry News & Trends

18.2 Reasons to Reconsider Google’s Zero Moment of Truth

For the past three years, Google’s Zero Moment of Truth has been a pillar of the automotive industry. Wedged into nearly ever conference workshop and lauded by trainers, vendors and dealers alike, the groundbreaking study shed light on the multi-faceted journey car shoppers take every day when purchasing vehicles. With tangible proof of the importance …