Mark Gilbert: How to Use Social Media for Your Dealership

According to Mark Gilbert, social media has become a major influence on buyers’ decision making processes. A vast majority of car buyers have accounts on Facebook and Twitter and most millennial buyers also have Instagram installed on their mobile devices. Any strategy to reach out to these markets must incorporate social media marketing; otherwise, Mark Gilbert says, they run the risk of missing out on potential sales. Below, Mark Gilbert lists different social networks and how dealerships can get the most out of them.

1. Facebook. As of 2015, 84% of potential customers are on Facebook. This figure is likely to be higher in 2019. With Facebook rolling out the Marketplace platform, dealerships suddenly have a dedicated venue for promoting their inventory. You can place ads and specify the geographic areas where you’d like to promote your dealership. This strategy results in higher click-through rates (almost 200 percent) than Facebook ads for other types of products or services.

2. Twitter. In 2013, Twitter users posted more than 320,000 tweets about cars daily; 75% of these tweets were related to either buying or owning cars. Social media marketing platforms can target these users and either send direct messages or make focused advertising visible on their timelines. For the same year, Twitter was directly or indirectly responsible for around $716 million in car sales – a drop in the bucket compared to other advertising media, but still a significant amount.

3. Instagram. This mobile-focused media-sharing app, owned by Facebook, has a massive user base among millennials. Instagram provides an excellent platform for sharing photos and videos that feature cars in actual use, whether it’s a lazy drive by the seaside, at a campsite, or at a tailgating event at a college homecoming game. With more than 5 million Instagram users in the U.S. alone that claim cars are their number 1 passion, the app holds endless possibilities for promoting your dealership.

Mark Gilbert Observes Dealership Need for Compliance Officers

Mark Gilbert joins other trainers and automotive dealership stakeholders in acknowledging that one main issue in the industry is the lack of competent employees like service technicians and compliance officers. According to some, these two positions are most vital to the field.

The National Automobile Dealership Association estimates that out of all the showrooms and groups nationwide, only 14 compliance officers are accounted for in the organization. Supposedly, most dealerships are using outsourced personnel for the post, which some think tanks warn against. In addition, the post is not actually a required position to fill, so most in dealership managements just let it be.

Supposedly, having an in-house compliance officer has more advantages than downsides. According to Mark Gilbert, one main reason to retain an officer in the position is they are the most knowledgeable when it comes to rules and regulations. They can serve as regular liaisons between the company and the local agencies.

Experts also agree that with someone knowing the ins and outs of bureaucracy, a compliance officer is versatile enough to step into other roles when needed.

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