2013 Car Dealer Resolutions: 6 Ways to More Fully Engage Women Car Buyers through Social Media

Posted: February 1, 2013 by Anne Fleming, Car Buying Advocate

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6 Ways to More Fully Engage Women Car Buyers through Social Media

PITTSBURGH, PA – Women-Drivers.com

According to the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, two-thirds of all economic activity in our country is now influenced by shared opinions about a product, brand or service. That number is much higher within the automotive industry. Furthermore, over 50% of car buyers are women who shop online before ever visiting the dealership.

This year, dealers are making New Year’s resolutions to equip themselves with the knowledge they need to attract women car buyers through social media. But knowing doesn’t always make the difference, does it? We all know how to lose weight, but that doesn’t mean that we follow through. Women don’t turn exclusively to traditional media for information on buying decisions anymore. They get their product recommendations from peers and others through online sources and sites, and comparison shop at dealer websites and internet departments. .

Here are six effective ways dealers can use social media to attract this powerful buying segment.

#1. Create a powerful, interactive online presence.
If you don’t have a compelling online presence, you are losing business. Car sales can originate from internet leads, particularly from women car buyers. If your website is not attractive and doesn’t have good content, they will assume your dealership is bad and your competition is only a click away.

Ensure your auto-emails are personalized and have a link or two that pertains to something that will assist a woman buyer – above and beyond an image of the car and a standard quote. How about an article on interest rates or, how to lower car insurance or the latest safety and technology gadgets to keep her family safe? Have it be pertinent to her.

#2. Create positive associations and increase traffic.
Social media allows you to attract and maintain an audience of women car buyers who want to interact with you. Have active Facebook and Twitter channels with posts that are of value to her. Don’t always make it about the car; she buys a car only every 4 – 5 years on average. Remember WIIFT? What’ In It for Them. Once you have an audience that is engaged and listening, you can drive them to your website. Boost your brand reputation and SEO with reviews, reviews, reviews.

#3. Connect with your customers.
Women car buyers visit dealer websites based on the on-line recommendations of others. They also post reviews in great numbers and like to share information with others about your salespeople, customer service, and the value you offer. Connect with them and respond to the information shared. Never have a review go un-thanked or un-engaged. After all, customers want to be acknowledged.

Some women need a nudge – offer them a service coupon or discount for writing a review.

#4. Use social media to turn one-time women car buyers into repeat buyers.
Sound too good to be true? Farfetched? Right now it may.

Many dealerships have 20,000 customers in their database and 342 friends on Facebook – quite a disconnect. Target, Dove and Playtex don’t have this problem; after all it comes down to engaging content that women find valuable. It’s no secret that women as a whole have not been engaged by car dealerships before, so this remains a huge opportunity. Work with experts to put a strategy in place, and, unlike going to the MAC machine and getting cash, this is a much slower, steady and continuous marketing process.

#5. Listen intently to your customers.
Think of social media as a way to keep your dealership top of mind while hearing what your customers are saying (or, not saying). Women buyers want to talk to dealers directly and be heard. Directly, doesn’t translate to face to face with all; frequently this is done on review sites or email. Responding is key – look for opportunities to turn a (bad) review into a higher scoring one.

#6. Get Over It
In speaking with a dealer principal of a large, metropolitan Ford dealership last week, I asked him where was his dealer’s Facebook page – I had Googled it and nothing appeared. His response? “I don’t believe in Facebook. And we don’t have one and we are not going to have one.”

With Facebook recently hitting a billion members, I chuckled to myself. Sometimes in life, we need to get beyond our own point of view. A wise coach of mine told me years ago “Arrogance is thinking that the awesome mystery of life and business can be seen by just one point of view – your own.”

About Women Drivers
Women-Drivers.com provides car dealers with distinct, web-based marketing solutions that build trust and transparency, resulting in greater sales and servicing from women. Women-Drivers connects women to Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™ Dealers and publishes a platform of services to qualifying dealerships to distinguish and market themselves. The innovative Facebook Integration of women+family content results in dealerships building larger social communities, longer time spent on the dealerships site, and more sales conversions.

Contact 412.327.2604 to schedule Anne Fleming for an interview. Learn more at Women-Drivers.com

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Communicate tangible value-adds in your advertising.

If your store provides overnight loaner cars, include this in your messaging. It’s the #1 concierge item requested by women.

A confident, pleased buyer who writes a great review of her experience can influence countless other women to follow her lead.

Ask, track, and always respond to reviews.

Reviews are 3 times more influential than advertising when women buy a car.

Women want to read others’ experiences to help verify what dealerships to visit. Showcase these valuable testimonials on your home page or their own navigation section to build trust and credibility – don’t hide them in ‘About Us.’

One Size Does Not Fit All.

Step back and ask, who does your advertising really speak to?

Women are looking for connections with car dealerships.

Enhance your advertising by investing part of your ad dollars into what’s in it for her. Include dealer reviews and ‘Dealer of the Year’ awards. Remember to also sell your dealership, not only cars.

Never miss a simple action to upsell your store.

Offer a 3-minute tour, share about extended service center hours, mention that you offer overnight loaner cars, and give a free car wash coupon. Always look to surprise and delight.

Develop relationships with online guests.

Provide informative, helpful content in your BDC email response as well as link to reviews highlighting authentic consumer experiences.

76% of women rated their dealership’s website 3 out of 5 stars.

As the first point of engagement for customers, be sure your website represents your brand well, conveys trust, is welcoming, and contains educational content that adds value.

The #1 digital resource women use when buying a car is the dealership’s website.

Include images of women throughout your digital assets and online marketing campaigns.

It takes more than having a female spokesperson to market to women.

The #1 reason women choose to buy is TRUST which requires implementing new behaviors, attitudes, processes, and messaging.

Make your dealerships a welcome destination for all customers.

Always greet your customer through active listening, use empathy and understanding, and taking an interest in what they need or want – even if it’s outside the car purchase.

Include informative, engaging content on your website.

It helps build trust and ensures guests get value from your brand.

Behavior Economics demands tracking when your customers fall off.

Dealers with outdated behaviors and attitudes are losing traction with women in this competitive industry.

Measure and track the number of women leads and buyers each month.

You can’t grow what you don’t know.

Create the right conditions for the sale on the first visit.

Ask questions, listen, and get to know the customer. Never interrupt and don’t assume. Consider there won’t be a second visit.

Dealers need to shift the paradigm to effectively engage, market and optimize sales to women.

What is your Trust Dashboard with this market?

53% of millennial car buyers are women. Almost 4 in 10 women are the breadwinners in their family.

How is your current and future customer demographic represented in your front line team?

Crack the code by turning reviews into real-time data to make yours the go-to store.

Our platform collects unprecedented pre- and post-purchase analytics about what your #1 buyers want and prefer from participating dealers.

Transform your messaging and make the showroom more customer-centric.

92% of reviewers choose to opt into a 25-question survey summarizing their visit. This unbiased data is available in predictive analytics WSI (R) Dealer Data reports chronicling what these buyers want and experience.

Game-Changing Predictive Analytics.

What women want at the dealership has predominantly been an absent dialog; those statistics and conversations have generally been national. Dealers now have access to their own proprietary data through our platform. This provides leaders at each business the ability to have honest insights allowing for predictive awareness of behaviors, preferences, and experiences.