Let the 2018 planning continue with our second look into MHEDA’s 2018 Critical Impact Factors. MHEDA’s tenth-factor details that “Businesses need to adapt their communication strategies to cross all forms of technology in order to connect with their employees and multi-generational buyers.” While this statement can encompass a variety of communication strategies, we’re going to focus on some of the emerging digital ways to communicate with your audience.

First, let’s go over my favorite communication strategy, social media. Social media is an easy, affordable way to get the word out about your business. According to research done by Pew Research, 68% of adults in the U.S. use Facebook. While social media is becoming a staple for every age group, it is one of the best ways to engage with millennials. This research also identified that a whopping 86% of 18 to 29 year-olds use social media. As this demographic starts to take over the workforce, it is imperative that as a dealer, you connect with these future buyers on the platforms that they use and understand. Social media can be a tricky beast to tackle, so if you’re in need of some help or just want to learn about ways to put your inventory on your dealership’s social pages, check out our GoSocial service! We have created a system to engage your users while also attracting new buyers to your business.

Another simple and efficient way to communicate with your audience is email. Email marketing is an easy way to get information about your dealership out to your customers. You can use this tool to communicate promotions, new inventory, changes in staff, and everything in between. We like to utilize email marketing just for check-ins too! This can help us make sure everything’s running smoothly with our dealers and their services. HubSpot details best practices to follow to help you create an email marketing strategy that works for your dealership. Unsure of where to start? One easy way to create great emails is to follow a template! There are many free options online or you can look into paid services. Services like MailChimp offer free and paid services with email templates included! Campaign Monitor is another source that gives you access to 30+ free templates or a template builder to create your own.

Lastly, let’s take a look at search. Our previous blog post featured one of our search team members, Danielle, as she went over all of the successes with paid search. This strategy is effective as well as time-efficient! Our Search Services team can create ads that are targeted towards the customer base you’re trying to reach, as they are searching for your products and services online. You can check out more in Danielle’s post, Paid Search Services and the Google Tools Making it Happen.

Implementing these tools will enhance your strategic plan for 2018! If you want more information on the services offered, please reach out to your CAM or, if you have any questions, leave a comment below!