How to Increase Leads by Building an Online Community
There’s no denying that most people who are looking to purchase a car do at least part of their research online. And, more and more, that research includes searching on social media. In order to effectively capture leads from social media it is important for dealerships and automotive pros to cultivate an online community. To build an online community that helps with automotive lead generation and encourages customer engagement, you need to meet your customers where they are, help potential customers find you, and become the ‘go to’ place for reliable information.
Meet Your Customers Where They Are
The first step in successful social media management is to meet your customers where they are. It doesn’t make sense to pour a lot of time and resources into building a presence on Instagram if most of your customers prefer Facebook, or vice versa. You already have an idea of your typical client based off of past sales. Use that information to research which social media platform that customer is most likely to use. For example, Pew Research Center found that of the adult males in the US who use social media, 63% of them prefer Facebook and 31% of them prefer Instagram. If your target demographic mainly consists of adult males then your time building an online community will be best spent on Facebook. Take some time to learn which social media platform your customers prefer so you can meet them where they are and start building an online community.
Help Potential Customers Find You
If you want to increase automotive lead generation through social media, you need to help potential customers find your profile. There are plenty of options available on social media for customers who are looking for information about making a car purchase. You have to make your business easy to find if you want to be noticed by potential customers. As your community grows over time, it will naturally become more visible on social media. In the meantime, you can get the attention of potential customers by using paid ads on social media. You can tailor the ads based on the needs, interests, and questions of the people who are searching for what you have to offer.
Become The ‘Go To’ Place For Reliable Information
An important part of increasing leads by building an online community is providing current and potential customers with reliable information. If you become the ‘go to’ place for reliable information about all things related to the car-purchase-process, it will help you develop a community that provides you with automotive lead generation. Building a community where people can find reliable information requires that you make a commitment to provide that information. This means you will have to pay attention to social media management in relation to customer engagement. You need to take the time to respond to questions that customers post on your social media profile. Doing that allows you to make a connection with that particular customer and potentially answer a question that others are searching for online as well.
An active online community can be a valuable part of your automotive lead generation efforts. Social media management does take time but it is worth the effort if the time you spend online translates into real life sales.
