5:40 pm, December 16, 2011
DIGITAL marketing firm Razsor has put together five tips for dealers looking to put in place or reinvigorate their digital marketing strategy.
1. Changing consumer behaviour
Consumers are now checking prices on the internet via their phone while on the forecourt. Nearly three-quarters of consumers Razsor asked said they use their mobile phone for research before purchasing something. Razsor says dealers need to fully understand this changing consumer behaviour to engage with consumers, drive web traffic and ultimately sales.
2. Listen and learn
Dealers should organise their team so they are well-placed to be able to listen to digital conversations going on around them. For some dealers, this may mean having a dedicated head of digital communications.
3. Digital strategy as party of business strategy
Razsor says dealers’ digital strategy should feed into their overall business strategy, with business-related key performance indicators (KPIs).
4. Rapid response
Razsor recently found that 67 per cent of people would be likely to spend more money with dealers they consider to be responsive – so be interact with customers via live chat, Twitter and Facebook.
5. Back to basics
The basics in digital, mobile and social marketing are still the same as traditional marketing. Honest, clear descriptions of stock, fair pricing, a website that is easy to navigate and a strong understanding of audience will be as crucial in 2012 as ever.
Andrew Whitehair, MD at Razsor said: ‘It took time, but in 2011 brands and businesses finally realised that if their audience is online on Facebook, Twitter, discussion forums or the mobile web, that is also where they must be.
‘Digital marketing can be incredibly daunting, but the right presence online is critical to being seen by consumers and the feedback consumers give online is invaluable. Dealers should start listening and if possible, engaging, as soon as they can to ensure they stay relevant in this new digital landscape.’
