FuzeCast Podcast: Recent Episodes
Team MotoFuze
MotoFuze, a division of FuzeCast, is revolutionizing how automotive dealers connect with consumers and engage employees with the industry’s first Customer Experience Management (CEM) system. Our podcast is dedicated to providing FuzeCast users with the latest information and trends in social media advocacy and digital engagement technology. Visit us at motofuze.com
Smart businesses everywhere are using social media to help them build and improve their fan bases in order to increase brand awareness and boost sales. So what makes them so smart? They know social media is where it’s at for companies that want to quickly reach the most people and earn word-of-mouth marketing. A heavy majority of marketers—72% in fact—say social media helps them develop loyal fans and keep their businesses top of mind in the marketplace. So when it comes to earning the trust of potential shoppers, one of your goals should be to gain online visibility for your dealership and expand your reach by getting in front of online consumers.
Tweet me at @SocialLittleMan
Today’s busy and fast-paced lifestyles have left consumers to lean on online interaction as the most efficient way to get and share information, leaving marketers to figure out the best ways to connect with shoppers and disseminate targeted content. Perplexing as it may sound to businesses, shoppers don’t necessarily buy online for the purpose of obtaining lower prices; in fact, convenience, speed, and flexibility are high-ranking motivators that drive online shopper behavior, and the businesses that have taken these learnings to heart are the ones that are winning in the online loyalty department.
Your Online Advocacy Plan
When consumers are online, they gravitate toward brands they know and find familiar, highlighting the fact that social media serves more as an online advocacy plan rather than a brand awareness campaign for those consumers who haven’t yet been introduced to a brand. In other words, social media will be your best friend when it’s time to build loyalty and enhance the relationships you’ve already begun to create, however it’s more difficult to find new followers on social media and convert them into loyal brand enthusiasts if they have no prior knowledge of your brand. Social media is a great fire-spreader, and keeping that in mind, businesses will do better when they bring with them a spark to help the fire spread.
Start a Fire
Your customers are the spark that will start your online fire. They are your cheering section, your fan base, your pep squad—and you’ll want to keep track of them even after they have made their purchases so you can invite them to be a part of your online social circles. Every time your dealership provides top-notch customer service, you’ll want your customers to advocate for you online, because when they share their experiences, word will spread to their online friends and acquaintances. Sure, you could post all the great things you do all on your own, but you don’t have nearly the combined reach as that of your customers. By continually adding to your fan base of happy customers, you’ll grow your dealership’s online reach, increase brand recognition, and keep your dealership front of mind with potential future shoppers.
As you build your social media presence, your loyal customers will want to contribute and interact with your online content, creating a natural advocacy plan for your business. A great way to ensure consumers continue to interact with you online is by continually updating your platforms with relevant and interesting content that is helpful to shoppers. Don’t overload them with sales pitches; instead, offer quality content that gives consumers something they can use. Consider car-buying tips, maintenance how-tos, or vehicle comparisons. Whenever you think of a topic your audience will love, take the time to post it—and then, remember to also take the time to interact with your fans. It makes a difference, and they’ll notice when you make a point of chatting with them or answering their questions.
Growth Takes Time
We like to think things move at warp speed on social media, but it’s important to remember that building and growing your fan base takes time. Think about your favorite sports team. Or your favorite band. Or your favorite anything. It took time for them to ingratiate themselves with you. Why? Because they had to prove themselves worthy of your admiration and loyalty. It’s works the same way for every business, and that’s why you need to stay the course by providing consistent great service, a dependable online presence, and quality content to back up your brand. Customers will begin to see you as a thought leader and a dealership that deserves their loyalty when you continuously provide for their needs both in the dealership and via your social media platform.
Take Care of Your Platform
Many businesses look at social media as something they have to do in order to keep up with today’s consumers, but this mindset often doesn’t allow them to prepare a complete game plan in order to can reap the true benefits of social. Social media is a tool that, if used correctly, can boost your business exponentially—by way of bottom-line numbers and consumer popularity. The trick is this: You can’t just “set it and forget it.”
In terms of things you must care for, your social media platform is more like a puppy than a pet rock. In other words, you need to have follow-through and take care of your platform. Not only do you need to continually post unique and updated content, you also need to be aware of how consumers are interacting with your content. Do you know how many of your online fans actually shared your content? Do you have a way of finding out which online supporters walked back into your dealership for repeat purchases? The metrics behind your social media work are integral to your success as you build your network of loyal fans.
If you’ve provided great dealership service, you’re already off to a great start. Simply continue where you left off by offering quality content and great online interaction, and you’ll see your fan base steadily grow. Be consistent and be a presence consumers can’t ignore. Tell a story that’s worth sharing—and then follow through to see who’s passing it along, who’s visiting your dealership, and how your content is affecting purchasing decisions. Use the power of social media to build your fan base and keep your dealership top of mind with consumers, and in turn, you’ll begin to see greater brand recognition and improved interaction with your audience.
In little less than a decade, social media has exploded from being a part-time diversion for students to a staple in everyday consumer life. Today, 73% of the U.S. population has a social media profile—a 6% increase from last year. This is a significant statistic that represents the sway social media has within the U.S. marketplace.
As your dealership processes the dramatic impact social media has on the consumers and the way they now shop and research goods and services, it’s important to focus on a game plan that will place you in a position to successfully grow your business. With a majority of the U.S. population leaning on social media to guide them when it comes to researching, purchasing, and receiving product feedback, how will your dealership stand out from the crowd?
Social Network Profiles
All social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and any others you can name allow users to create a profile page, which is essentially a way for people to build their own unique landing pages—a place to outline whatever it is they want everyone using the site to know about them. The more completely you fill out your profile, the more people will know about you, and the easier it will be to find you when people are trying to filter you out of the masses of other users who also have online profiles.
Your profile page—whether it’s your personal profile or your company profile—is likely the first contact someone will have with you, so it deserves your focus, and it should contain the information you want to share with everyone. Remember when a firm handshake and eye contact were the way to make a good first impression? That’s still the case when meeting someone in person, but since many of our interactions now take place online, profile pages have become the new first impressions for many people and businesses. It’s your way of shaking hands with consumers and making eye contact. For individuals, it’s a way of getting to know each other. Since it’s likely a profile page will be the first impression given in the social media world, people are spending more time ensuring their pages contain the information they want to share—and that’s what your dealership should do, too.
A Significant Number
You can be sure something BIG is going on when 73% of the population has social media profiles. As that number continues to increase, we’ll continue to see individuals focused on their profiles, and it’s for good reason: That’s where they’re spending a good portion of their time interacting, researching, shopping, and simply socializing. People have created their online hangouts, and it’s a way of saying social media isn’t going anywhere. If anything, the ways we use social media continue to expand and become even more innovative and integral to our everyday lives, so it’s more important than ever for your dealership to become an online presence and be active in the social media world.
A recent Pew Research Center study confirmed that not only are adults using the internet in increasing numbers, 52% say they use 2 or more social media sites, a number that increased by 10% in just 1 year. And if you think social media is only for millennials, think again. The same study tells us over half of adults age 65 and over who are online use Facebook. Additionally, it’s important to note that most Facebook users aren’t just glancing at posts and scrolling by; instead a majority say they share, comment, or post, showing that users are interacting and engaging instead of simply logging in to lurk.
What This Means to You
John Muir said, “The mountains are calling and I must go.” I’m going to change that slightly—with apologies—for the purposes of this post and say:
Social Media Is Calling and You Must Go!
Even if you’ve been a lone wolf until now, fearlessly standing your ground and mailing old-school fliers as fast as you can stuff them into the corner mailbox, your time is up. It’s time to gird your loins and get ready for everything social media has to offer your dealership. Trust me; you won’t be disappointed.
Chances are, you already have a Facebook page. Probably a Twitter page and a blog, too. (If not, you need to get them.) Then it’s up to you to let everyone on the green earth—start with all your online friends and acquaintances—know you’ve decided to keep in touch with them and share valuable information and content via social media. And what will you get in return?
The Payoff
It doesn’t happen overnight, but the return on your investment in social media is huge. When you invest the time and commitment it takes to connect with your audience and provide meaningful content, word will spread that you are a thought leader in your industry. You already have an online audience, and when word spreads that you offer relevant, valuable content, you’ll gain brand recognition and loyalty, the opportunity to convert new leads, and more brand trust—and through it all you’ll lower your marketing costs and improve your bottom line. It’s a win on all fronts when you consider the expanded reach your brand is likely to achieve through your efforts. It’s time to get social!
Forget the Billboards: 74% of Consumers Rely on Social Networks to Guide Purchasing Decisions Social media holds a powerhouse of capabilities for your dealership. And don’t let the name fool you; it’s not just for socializing. It’s being utilized for everything from shopping to research to networking and pretty much anything else your mind can conjure up. Social media’s importance to consumers is becoming more and more apparent as higher numbers of individuals lean on various networks like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, and others to guide their purchasing decisions. In fact, a whopping 74% of consumers now rely heavily on information gathered on social media to influence their purchasing decisions, a statistic that should pique the interest of any business looking to grow in today’s marketplace.
What does that mean for your business? It means many things, but first and foremost, before you consider spending money on things like billboards, newspaper ads, or television spots, you should take a long, hard look at how you can best position your brand on social media. With such a high percentage of consumers turning to social sites as a guiding presence when it comes to purchases, it’s in the best interests of your dealership to create an online social presence that highlights your brand, grabs the attention of your audience, and keeps you front of mind with shoppers. Online influencers—those who have significant networks and the ability to affect opinions—play a huge role in the success of your dealership, and when you begin to leverage the brand influencers you already have, you’ll be a step ahead when it comes to positioning yourself for social media success.
The fact that such so many consumers are impacted by the influence of social media is a sign of our increasingly-connected world, and in order to remain relevant in our highly-mobile society, it’s necessary for businesses to take the logical step of ensuring they are fully present where their consumers are doing business. When you think about it, being online and aware of the things that influence your shoppers allows you the opportunity to effectively promote your business and respond to consumer needs in a timely manner. If you’re busy going door-to-door handing out promotional flyers while everyone else is interacting online, you’ll miss out on a majority of your potential sales.
Rock Your Business With Social Have you ever gone to the gym and seen someone working out while jamming to tunes on a vintage Discman? You KNOW the sound from your Beats By Dre™ is WAY better, but Retro Guy across the gym needs to experience the difference and really be educated about what he’s missing before the realization finally hits that the day of the Discman is over. The old ways of marketing have gone the way of the Discman, and while some people are still using them, they’re not nearly as effective as what your dealership could be doing.
The thing to remember is when consumers rely on something—in this case, social media—it’s a telltale sign about where your business needs to be and what you need to focus on. Consumers have the spending power, and right now, 74% are informed by social media when it comes to making purchases.
Why? We live in an age of speed and convenience, and online not only can consumers research products and get feedback from previous purchasers, they can also make purchases and leave their own product reviews for future buyers. Done correctly, the power of social media has the ability to shine a positive light on your business, highlighting your products and services and engaging consumers in order to drive more traffic to your dealership.
What Should You Do? As a busy dealership, you may be wondering exactly how you’re supposed to tackle the world of social media successfully. The key is in knowing you aren’t expected to become a master of every network in one day; in fact, select the two or three social media networks that will work best to highlight your brand and plan on focusing your time on those as you get started. Chances are, most of your employees and customers are already on sites like Facebook and Twitter, so those are probably great places to start when it comes to engaging your influencers and getting the word out about your brand, what you offer, and sharing high-quality content. Check out some of the ideas below to get you going in the right direction and keep you from dropping all your marketing spend on billboards and high-dollar mailers with non-quantifiable results:
- Get out there. The first step is to go where your consumers are shopping and researching—and that means making your presence known on social media sites. Don’t let the technology or the analytics intimidate you; instead, make a plan and let your customers know you want to contribute to the sites that save them time and offer them convenience.
- Offer valuable information. You’ve heard the 80/20 rule on this site before, and that’s because it’s important. Make sure 80% of your content is valuable information that addresses customer problems or challenges, leaving only 20% for sales-related content. Don’t inundate your audience with a hard sell; instead provide interesting content that will make them want to come back for more. Got great advice about the safest way to change a tire? Share your knowledge and become a trusted source.
- Know your audience. When you get to know your consumers, you’ll have a better idea of their pain points and what you need to offer as a dealership in order to gain their trust. By being present and interacting with consumers online, you’ll get to know them and be better equipped to meet their needs.
- Create and customize. Whether it’s a personalized look and feel to your page or whether it’s an event at the dealership, you’ll begin to stand out from the crowd when you take the time to stand apart and, in turn, invite your consumers to be a part of your presence—both online and in the community.
- Include customers. Everyone likes to be the hero of a story, so be sure to share customer photos and videos whenever possible and thank those who are helping to make your dealership a success. Remember, positive interaction will give way to sharing, commenting, and even more social followers.
By including social media content in your marketing plan, you’ll be sure to gain connections, increase engagement, and boost the bottom line for your dealership. Consumers are hungry for businesses that are able to meet them where they are shopping and researching, offering them the speed and efficiency they demand in today’s fast-paced world. Social sites that enable and facilitate smoother shopping experiences are just one way technology is managing to align with the lifestyles of today’s consumers, and by offering valuable content and information via social media sites, you’ll be demonstrating that your dealership is ready to meet shoppers where they need you most.
From Susan Givens, Publisher of AutoSuccess Magazine
Selling a car is great, but should it be the ultimate goal of your dealership? While selling a vehicle may be the measure of achievement on the surface, the most successful dealerships know that selling a car is only the first step on the road to lasting success.
In the pages of AutoSuccess, many of our articles deal with the subject of customer loyalty and retention, and how important — and beneficial — it is to the health of your dealership. We're currently running a series in our Dealer's Panel on that very topic (the series started in our February 2015 issue, on page 28; you can also follow this link).
But, if the concept of loyalty doesn't make the sale in your mind, maybe the numbers will:
• When a customer returns, your path to the sale becomes much shorter — Approximately 43 percent of customers who keep coming back to a dealership buy their next car there. When you engage with the customer, value the relationship and give them reasons to come back, customers will reward you with their business.
• Aren't you loyal to certain businesses? — Customers are no strangers to the idea of loyalty to a brand or company; 75 percent of car buyers use loyalty points/rewards programs with other types of retailers. Look at it from the vantage point of the consumer, which you yourself often are: Don't you feel valued when you're rewarded for your return business by your grocery, airline or even your favorite lunch spot? Reward your steady customers, and reward yourself at the same time.
• Give customers a reason to come back — When 59 percent of consumers say they would try a new brand or company for a better service experience, you've got to take notice if you want to stay relevant. Again, put yourself in the customer's shoes. If you don't feel valued at a business, if you don't feel like they appreciate the time, effort and money you're spending by doing business with them, why would you come back — especially if you had options. Do your customers have options? Give them a reason to do business with you.
• Above all, give them a reason to stay — If a customer has a bad enough experience, there's nothing to stop them from walking away, and 78 percent of consumers have reported doing just that because of a poor service experience. While it might just be another Tuesday afternoon for you at work, buying a car is a big deal for the average consumer; it's the second biggest purchase most will make. If you give them any reason to feel that they're not being treated well, why should they stay? Would you, in that position? Be honest with yourself and look at your processes. Are there areas where you could make the customer feel special? There probably are, and there are probably ways to immediately improve that wouldn't cost you a cent.
Customers are better educated than ever before, and there isn't a shortage of dealerships when it comes time for them to buy a vehicle. Be the dealership that stands above the rest when it comes to treating customers right; they'll reward you with their loyalty and their future sales.
Tweet Your Leaders...75% of the World's Leadership is on Twitter Many people still remember writing letters to their congressmen or senators whenever they had an issue, a complaint, or feedback. It took paper, pens, envelopes, and stamps—as well as quite a bit of determination in order to get the attention of someone in a leadership position. Now, however, things are quite a bit different. In fact, the power of Twitter has taken hold of nearly everyone, so much so that in 2013 individuals could tweet at 75% of the world’s leaders on Twitter. Increasingly popular among world leaders, as of 2014, as many as 83% of leaders were present and accounted for on Twitter.
Twiplomacy is a global public relations study that delves into Twitter usage by world leaders. Conducted by Burson-Marsteller, a global public relations and communications firm, the study identifies and analyzes world leaders on Twitter and their Twitter usage. With 669 Twitter accounts identified belonging to heads of state and government, foreign ministers, and their institutions throughout 166 countries, Twiplomacy uses various data points to calculate Twitter activity and connections.
The Twiplomacy 2015 study delves into the world of leadership via social media, showing us the power of Twitter is an effective way for leaders to reach the largest and widest spread followings with a small amount of time investment. As Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission says, “Twitter has proven to be a revolutionary social network even in politics. It is an extraordinary channel of diplomacy and of communication.”
Twitter is a powerful social network that is attractive to individual citizens interested in communicating with people everywhere, as well as world leaders whose jobs necessitate timely global communication. Interestingly enough, according to the Twipolmacy study, President Obama was the first world leader to set up a Twitter account on March 5, 2007 (at the time a US Senator). He is also the most followed and most listed leader on Twitter, appearing on over 207,000 Twitter lists. Other early adopters of Twitter include Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, Canadian Prime Minister Harper, and the US State Department.
Although world leaders are known to tweet in 54 different languages, Spanish is the most tweeted language, with English being the language used in most world leaders’ accounts.
Why Twitter?
To some it might seem unlikely that so many of the world’s leaders can be found on Twitter—a network so many of us use every day to convey just about anything in short 140-character bursts—so why are they choosing the social scene? The short answer is this: Social media has amped things up for everyone, including world leaders. When it comes to getting their messages out and improving their visibility, social media has taken them from a local level to a global level. Instead of traveling, doing countless television interviews, or beating the streets, leaders can now post their messages on their social media platforms and instantly achieve global acclaim.
When you think about it, leaders are like a business. In order to be successful, they need to go where their customers—or constituents—are, and right now, most of those people are online, sharing their thoughts and opinions via social media. If world leaders want to be seen, heard, and appear relevant to their audience, they know they need to be where that audience is spending their time, and that is on social networks.
The power of Twitter lies in the fact that people are able to connect globally, and individuals quickly feel more connected to their leaders. With short posts, individuals are able to communicate direct messages to a large audience and interact almost immediately. More and more, leaders are acknowledging the need for their constituents to feel connected to them through various social media outlets, so it’s no surprise to note that the White House uses not only Twitter, but also Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Reddit to connect with citizens throughout the US.
Of course, busy world leaders are backed by large staffs of professionals, and that doesn’t stop when it comes to social media. While some leaders tweet for themselves, you can be sure many of them have staffers helping them out when it comes to social media posts and replies. So if you send an @ mention to a world leader, you can be pretty sure he or she probably won’t directly read it, however, there’s probably a staffer somewhere down the line who will give it a glance.
Elected in May 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India wrote, “I am a firm believer in the power of technology and social media to communicate with people across the world.” As one of the top three most followed Twitter accounts, he is backing up his belief in the power of social media by interacting with his many followers via Twitter and his online platform.
While there are doubters when it comes to whether or not the importance of government matters can be conveyed in a mere 140 characters, a vast majority of world leaders resoundingly agree that twiplomacy is the way to go. No one is saying social networks will completely replace face-to-face meetings when it comes to important political work, however it’s smart to utilize the tools available in order to connect with and reach as many people as possible in an efficient and relevant way. The world is ready for twiplomacy, and world leaders are showing us they are embracing the technology!
Subi Ghosh, Executive Vice President of Dealer Authority Joins Host Joey Little When it comes to giving dealers what they need from a marketing perspective, it’s important to have a strategy that utilizes hands-on dealership experience. That’s one of the things that helps Dealer Authority to separate itself from the competition. We take “car people” and train them about marketing versus taking marketing people and trying to teach them about automotive.
With Subi Ghosh as our Vice President of Marketing, we get the best of both worlds. She is an avid student of the digital marketing game and her experience at every level of the dealership world helps make the translation between the two easier to integrate.
Subi has spoken at various automotive marketing conferences, including the Internet Sales 20 Group, Digital Dealer, and Driving Sales Executive Summit. She is also a blogger on the science and art of automotive digital marketing and has contributed to sites such as DealerKnows as well as DealerOn with their webinar series.
Follow Subi on Twitter @Subi101
It's probably not a surprise to anyone to learn the way men and women use social media varies quite a bit. While men frequently turn to social media for business reasons, women often feel more comfortable revealing information about their personal lives online, leading to more expressive posts and interactions. For businesses and dealerships who reach these consumers, this means women are open to sharing their experiences and recommendations with their online social circles. According to brandwatch, 76% of women are online, which gives you a large audience when it comes to networking and getting your brand story shared.
Not only are men and women completely different creatures outside the social media world, they can also be generally broken into two distinct groups according to their online social behaviors as well. While women tend to go online for social reasons—to stay in touch, to reach out, and to connect with family and friends—it’s important not to discount them as valuable online contacts for your business. According to a recent Pew study, not only do women spend more time on social media networks, they are also more likely to interact with brands online. In fact, once online, 54% of say they have shown support for brands, and 53% have accessed a brand offer via social media.
What Women Want
This is the eternal question, and most of us would say we don’t really have the answer—however, when it comes to social media, we can come pretty close! Not only do the myriad social media sites women are dominating today offer a reasonable amount of control regarding when, where, and to whom users are speaking, they also offer a platform for women to discuss topics that are relevant and interesting to them. From business to shopping to childcare, and everything in between, today’s busy women are able to interact with friends, make purchases, and voice opinions in an efficient and relatively safe way. They can connect with people both near and far, find their favorite brands, get great deals, and share what’s going on with their families—all in one convenient spot. There’s no place comparable to social media that can offer all those things.
The Women of Social Media
There is strength in numbers, and the numbers prove that women in social media are a powerful force. Those considered “The Women of Social Media” spend one hour or more every week on social media sites, with high-ranking enjoyment levels. Highly influential, these women say they enjoy their activities on social media as much as—or slightly more than—other social activities. When businesses work to gain the trust of these women, they can be the best online social brand advocates because of their influence and reach.
Just about every social media platform is dominated by women. With Facebook and Pinterest leading the charge, there are many others that shouldn’t be ignored. Although Twitter started off as a male-dominated platform, it is now tilting toward the woman-dominated side, with female users outnumbering males by 6 percent. In looking at online social sites, it’s easy to let numbers and percentages pile up and blur together, but there is one number that can’t be ignored. The spending power of women is astronomical and can’t be ignored by businesses that hope to be successful. It is imperative that businesses know where women are shopping and what they are interested in. If they are shopping online via social networks, and if they are getting their advice and information about products online, that is where businesses need to be.
Women currently account for 85% of all consumer purchases—everything from automobiles to printer paper is purchased by women, and smart marketers and businesses are studying their movements. With a whopping $5 TRILLION in spending power annually, it’s time to pay attention to the ladies; so get online, make friends, and get noticed.
All of this is to say that although both men and women have a strong presence in social media, savvy businesses need to pay attention to the presence and power of women online. An large group of influencers with mega purchasing power, women have the ability to spread the word about brand, share information regarding their preferences, and offer up opinions that reach substantial markets. 76% of women are using social media to get things done—and that’s what you should be doing, too!
Jennifer Briggs is a self-described numbers wonk. A certified business intelligence report designer, Briggs has used statistics to build the Internet presence of Feldman Automotive, an eight-store group in suburban Detroit.
Her goal is to create a mini version of AutoNation's new digital strategy, which relies on strong websites and Google placement to reduce reliance on third-party shopping sites for prospects. "I want to go from 10 websites to three mega-websites, she said.
Briggs is well on the way to attaining her goals. Since joining Feldman two years ago, Briggs has advanced a strategy that had five people handling Internet prospects for the group to one that now has 30 people with defined roles for how that's accomplished. Briggs put a business development center in each location.
With people now systematically following up on those leads, the group is closing on 15 percent of Internet leads from all sources vs. 4 percent when she arrived.
Unique visitors to the group's 10 websites have jumped 170 percent since she came aboard from a dealership group in Saginaw, Mich., where she competed against her best friend and previous 40 Under 40 winner Bobbie Herron of Garber Automotive Group.
Briggs said she is constantly looking for the next dealership software breakthrough to try to give Feldman an edge in the heavily dealered Detroit market.
She gets to see those technologies first hand as a frequent speaker on the dealer marketing conference tour, including the upcoming Women in Automotive Convention scheduled in Orlando, Fla., in August.
Follow Jennifer on Twitter @NextLevelBriggs
This is a short intro/explainer video we created to share all FuzeCast can do for your dealership. We'd love to get your feedback! #StrongerTogether
MotoFuze Strategy Team welcomes team member and Data Scientist, Paul Chua to the podcast for a discussion on data driven social strategy and defining true engagement. Paul is a strategic member of the MotoFuze Development Team. Most of us don't exactly understand what he does, but we know it's smart and important.
The way businesses communicate with one another has evolved drastically over the years and at the speed of light over the last decade. Join MotoFuze VP of Social Strategy Joey Little, Content and Marketing Director, Kristin Huntley and Director of Product, Cody Garnett for this roundtable discussion highlighting the importance of having a #strongertogether strategy for communication at your dealership that's designed to deliver a positive customer experience from the first interaction with your brand.
Please give us your feedback! We'd love to hear from you. Connect with Joey on Twitter @sociallittleman and Kristin @seekristintweet!
To be a true digital leader requires a metamorphosis: you must connect directly by listening, sharing, and engaging using digital technologies. This metamorphosis is not easy, comfortable, or painless—if your palms aren’t sweaty or your stomach isn’t churning, then you probably aren’t really practicing digital leadership.
Charlene is the Founder and CEO of Altimeter Group and the author of the New York Times bestseller, Open Leadership. She is also the coauthor of the critically acclaimed, bestselling book Groundswell, which was named one of the best business books in 2008. Her next book “The Engaged Leader” will publish in March 2015.
She is one of the foremost experts on social media and technologies and a consultant and independent thought leader on leadership, strategy, social technologies, interactive media and marketing. Formerly Li was vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research, worked in online newspaper publishing, and was a consultant with Monitor Group. She was named one of the 100 most creative people in business by Fast Company in 2010 and one of the most influential women in technology 2009.
Charlene is frequently quoted by leading media channels such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, and The Associated Press. She has appeared on 60 Minutes, The McNeil NewsHour, ABC News, CNN, and CNBC. She is a much-sought after public speaker and has keynoted top conferences such as the World Business Forum, World Economic Forum, American Society of Association Executives, SXSW, and Web 2.0.
Charlene is a graduate of Harvard Business School and received a magna cum laude degree from Harvard College. You can follow her blog at charleneli.com/blog or at twitter.com/charleneli.
Get your copy of Engaged Leadership here.
Tracy Myers is a 7X Best-Selling Author, 2X Emmy Winning Movie Producer, 7X Telly Award Winner, Speaker, Wrestling Promotor, Entrepreneur & Automotive Industry Leader.
To learn more about Tracy Myers visit his website: http://www.tracymyers.com/
For information about the Unfair Advantage Mastermind Group visit: http://unfairadvantagemastermind.com/
Sites we referenced today:
strikingly.com [website builder]
visualize.me [infographic from your LinkedIn profile]
Want more? http://motofuze.com/blog
Follow Joey Little on Twitter @sociallittleman
Follow Julian Johnston on Twitter @julianjohnston
Follow Kristin Huntley on Twitter @seekristintweet
Follow Laura on Twitter @lauradrives. To learn more about Alan Ram Training visit: http://proactivetrainingsolutions.com/
Follow Joey on Twitter @sociallittleman or find him on the Motofuze blog at: http://motofuze.com/blog/
Welcome to our series highlighting the 99 things you need to know about social media, social networking, social broadcasting, etc. Hosted by Motofuze VP of Social Strategy Joey Little @SocialLittleMan
Welcome to the http://MotoFuze.com web series highlighting the 99 things you need to know about social media, social networking, social broadcasting, etc. Hosted by VP of Social Strategy Joey Little.
According to LinkedIn 80% of your page's posts to Facebook need to be content marketing; posts that provide information on your goods, services, culture, successes.
Read more: Go Where the Customers Are - 80% of your posts to Facebook need to be content marketing.
Welcome to the http://MotoFuze.com web series highlighting the 99 things you need to know about social media, social networking, social broadcasting, etc. Hosted by VP of Social Strategy Joey Little
This video focuses on the fact that according to LinkedIn 81% of small and medium sized businesses use social media in their marketing plan.
Read more: Go Where the Customers Are - 81% of small & medium sized businesses use social media.
Welcome to the http://MotoFuze.com web series highlighting the 99 things you need to know about social media, social networking, social broadcasting, etc. Hosted by VP of Social Strategy Joey Little
82% of consumers use Facebook for customer service...Read more: Go Where the Customers Are - 82% of consumers use Facebook for customer service.
From Q1 2013 to Q1 2014, marketers have observed an 83% increase in
advertising spend on Facebook—a number that is telling for various reasons.
With over 750 million users, Facebook is recognized as the world’s most popular
network and a place people go to connect, keep in touch, and inspire various
circles of friends and acquaintances. More and more, however, savvy marketers
and businesspeople are discovering the sheer marketing power that exists on the
social networking site, offering up goods and services to anyone who is within their online reach.
Read more: Go Where the Customers Are - Facebook advertising spend increased 83% from 2013 to 2014.
Welcome to the http://MotoFuze.com web series highlighting the 99 things you need to know about social media, social networking, social broadcasting, etc. Hosted by VP of Social Strategy Joey Little
84% businesses do not make any attempt to measure social ROI. Read more: Go Where the Customers Are - 84% do not make any attempt to measure social ROI.
Welcome to the http://MotoFuze.com web series highlighting the 99 things you need to know about social media, social networking, social broadcasting, etc. Hosted by VP of Social Strategy Joey Little
85% of adults visit YouTube once a month.Read more: Go Where the Customers Are - 85% of adults visit YouTube at least once a month.
Where do you turn when you’re looking for solid reviews about products and service? Who do you trust to give you the advice you need before you buy?
Would you rather just guess about a provider, or would you feel safer going with someone who has a proven record of providing top-notch service? There are a lot of questions that can go into a purchase, especially if it’s a sizeable one that requires a lot of thought and research.
Read more: Go Where the Customers Are - 86% would pay more to a business with positive reviews.
You know all those cute pet photos? Or the Ugly Christmas Sweater party pics? Or even the ridiculous disgruntled cat with the quote of the day? Yeah, all of those are getting crazy action on Facebook. Why?
Read more: Go Where the Customers Are - 87% of Facebook interaction is with an image.
The bad news I’m about to tell you is going to HELP you in the long run. If your company is using social media to propel your business to the next level, there’s an 88% chance that the people behind that push have no idea what they are doing. That’s a tough thing to hear for a couple of reasons. First, it’s a fairly large percentage. Secondly, paying social media gurus can be expensive, so you expect them to know what they are doing.
Read more: Go Where the Customers Are - 88% of businesses have no idea what they're doing.
Although the power of social media isn’t surprising to most of us, this particular statistic MAY come as a surprise. When we think of journalism and the reach it has in today’s society, many of us may tend to think of the traditional face of journalism. We may think of reporters hitting the streets and pounding the pavement to follow up on leads, but in today’s journalistic world, things couldn’t be farther from that image. In a survey conducted by CISION in 2010, a poll found that 89% of journalists use social media to conduct their research...
Read more: Go Where the Customers Are - 89% of Journalists are using social media for research.
It sounds a little creepy, and it sounds even creepier when you think that the term encompasses a full 90% of social media users.
So what is a lurker? Are you a lurker? Are you being lurked at? (Do these questions make you feel like you should quickly run and join the nearest Witness Protection Program?)
Read more: Go Where the Customers Are - 90% of Users on social sites are lurkers.
If you are trying to get shoppers to visit your brick & mortar store, then this is the post for you. Why? Because the focus for the next several paragraphs is going to revolve around online marketing—and if you don’t know how those two are linked, this is REALLY the post for you.
Read more: Go Where the Customers Are - 91% have visited a store because of an online experience.
It makes sense when you really think about it. If you are looking for someone to take care of your kids or your beloved family pet…or if you are searching for a computer tech to delve into your most protected systems to fix a few glitches…or even if you are looking for the perfect artist to airbrush a picture of Elvis onto your bathroom wall, are you going to turn to ads that pop up in places like search engines, mobile devices or even the ads in the ancient magazines at your doctor’s office?
Read more: Go Where the Customers Are - 92% trust peers over advertising.
What does this mean? You need to give your followers something to look at.Your post could be getting a LOT more traction if it only had some visual stimulation.
As humans, we crave visual stimulation in our daily activities. It energizes us, gives us something to think about and engages us in what’s going on. An online page filled with endless words can lose our attention faster than a copy of War and Peace in an overly warm room. If you want to be engaging and grab the attention of followers, if you want to grow your brand and be captivating, then you need to remember to jazz it up visually.
Read more: Go Where the Customers Are - 93% of your content needs to be visual.
Recruiters know that just about everyone has some sort of social media presence, and when the time comes to make the decision about the right person for the job, you can be sure they will turn to sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and many more to do their research. In fact, 94% of recruiters use social media to research potential employees. Read more: Go Where the Customers Are - 94% of Recruiters use Social Media.
Pinterest has influence with a staggering number of people—and smart brand marketers are wise when it comes to working this popular content collecting site into their marketing plans. As the social media movement continues to thrive, Pinterest is right in the middle of the scene. A very interesting fact for business professionals is that 95% of Pinterest users end up buying online. Read more: Go Where the Customers Are - 95% of Pinterest users buy online.
Welcome to the MotoFuze.com web series highlighting the 99 things you need to know about social media, social networking, social broadcasting, etc. Hosted by VP of Social Strategy Joey Little. 96% of all worldwide brands use Twitter...Read more: Go Where the Customers Are - 96% of Brands are on Twitter.
Welcome to the MotoFuze.com web series highlighting the 99 things you need to know about social media, social networking, social broadcasting, etc. Hosted by VP of Social Strategy Joey Little.
97% of all consumers search for local businesses online.
Read more: Go Where the Customers Are - 97% of all consumers search businesses.
It seems like a pretty simple plan, right? In order to sell the products, services and brands that are attractive to shoppers today, it’s important to get in front of consumers where they spend the majority of their time. In 2010, 98% of 18-24-year-olds were actively on a social media site, and with the trends and capabilities that continue to advance, that number has surely increased—growing closer to 100%. With numbers that significant, smart marketers are making the decision to go where the customers are, and they are finding that buying power is revealing itself in social media.
Read more: Go Where the Customers Are-98% of 18-24 year olds are on social media.
It’s no secret that some of our favorite (and not so favorite) celebrities get retweets by the thousands, and let’s not even mention their presence on Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Instagram and all the rest. The list goes on, and the media presence of the people using these sites just keeps exploding.
But here’s thing–those people account for a very small piece of the population. So what are the regular, everyday people supposed to do when they just want to get their names out there? The reality is that 99% of all organic social media posts will generate little to NO public engagement. A recent study by SocialFlow found that among these posts, however, more than 361 million unique users were reached, resulting in almost 1.5 billion social actions.
Read more: http://motofuze.com/99-percent-of-social-media-postings/
Who Do You Trust? 92% of Consumers Trust Peer Recommendations Over Advertising
The post Who Do You Trust? 92% of Consumers Trust Peer Recommendations Over Advertising appeared first on MotoFuze.
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