In years past, car dealerships hung balloons and inflatable animals outside their businesses to entice potential buyers. Today, they post Facebook status updates to fill locals in on slashed prices and other incentives be had. Believe it or not, more dealerships are getting in on the action; in fact, one firm aims to capitalize on this new trend.
It’s called TK Carsites, an Irvine SEO and Orange County social media company founded by Richard Valenta. Staffed by marketing professionals who help dealers with social media strategy and writers who pound out posts for them on sites like Facebook and Twitter, TK Carsites firm helps some 40 auto dealers nationwide.
Valenta said that owners of car dealerships are flocking to the Internet in droves – and those who aren’t, definitely should be. “Auto dealers not on Facebook are missing the boat because that’s where their customers are,” he says. “And that’s where their customers expect them to be.” Rates for his Irvine SEOfirm start at $700 monthly for basic Facebook marketing and go all the way up to $8,000 monthly for website design, hosting and marketing services.
Some of his clients are more hands-on than others. Chuck Capps, one of the owners of Advantage Nissan in Bremerton, Wash., says he spends a few hours daily on social media. Tools offered by TK Carsites like chat features and video streaming help dealers interact with customers and show off inventory.
Capps says these features help improve his dealings with today’s tech savvy, notoriously prepared customers. “People don’t just drop in like they used to,” he says. “Before they visit, they’ve already done their homework, narrowed their choice down to 2 or 3 vehicles, talked to us online about pricing.”
If the story of this Orange County social media agency proves anything, it’s that social media marketing can work for .
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