We all know Social Media has been around for a few decades, specifically the megalith that is Facebook. As you’ve likely experienced, Facebook has changed a lot since its inception. Why the history lesson? Because of these changes, there are some misconceptions about what is, and just as significantly, what is not, important when it comes to your dealership’s Facebook presence.
When did everything change on Facebook?
It’s easy to forget how we got to where we are now. For a walk down memory lane, here’s a brief history of Facebook and the changes that have affect businesses and promotions:
2004 – Facebook was launched. It was directed at individuals and simply a profile page you could customize.
2007 – Facebook introduces pages and paid ads for brands
2009 - The Facebook algorithm started to prioritize “popular” posts. This was quantified by engagement: Likes and comments.
2015 - the Facebook algorithm down-plays posts from Pages in Newsfeeds: “When Facebook updated its News Feed Preferences with See First, they claimed the update would have little impact on marketers, which may not be entirely true. If Pages can somehow be selected in a user’s See First preferences, then there’s enormous potential for increased sales, site traffic and activity, and brand awareness. However, for mid-level Pages who employ paid ad campaigns in the quest for more Likes, there may be some damage. The value of a Like for Pages may be diminishing, especially if those Pages are not frequently prioritized in users’ See First.”
Why is this important? The shift away from pages means users are interacting with your Page content less. If they’re not interacting with your page, why have it? This is why: Your Facebook page is a resume for your dealership. It is a quick reference location to tell your story and why potential customers should buy from you.
What People Are Looking for on your Facebook Page
Reviews
Did you know, 75% of car buyers and 68% if service customers will do research online. This includes social media pages and review sites. Now, take a moment to look at your Facebook Reviews. Are these what you want your customers to see? If not, consider the following taking the following actions:
1. Respond to your negative reviews. You can do this with the help of an agency, or you can have a member of your team do this. Your response will display your dealership’s ability to deal with errors, customers, and concerns.
2. Have a good experience in the dealership? Ask your customer to leave a review that day before they leave.
Posts
If you haven’t noticed yet, posts to your page don’t get many interactions anymore. But they do get views when people are looking at your page to get a better idea of who you are as a business. So, what kind of posts should you be putting out there?
1. Happy Customers – This is the easiest way to show that people enjoy working with your dealership.
2. Highlight Reviews – Have a particularly spectacular review? Put it front and center on your page
3. Reels – Facebook is putting an emphasis on reels, so if you’re looking for more reach with your posts, combining video from your dealership with a trending audio can take your content from 60 views to 1,000 views or more.
4. Charity and Community Events – Post Reels and images of your team participating in community events
If you’re looking to improve your post performance, we’ve included a series of questions to ask yourself as you work toward getting the most interactions you can:
Details
These are items that can fall by the wayside but here are somethings consumers will be looking at and for on your Facebook page:
- How long has it been since you’ve updated your cover photo?
- Is your contact information up to date?
- Have you updated your hours recently?
Final Thoughts
It’s important to look at your Facebook Page a little differently than you would have 10 years ago. Is it a lead generator? No. Is it the interaction hub it used to be? Also no. However, it is an excellent snapshot of how you do business for potential customers to explore. A first impression if you will. Make sure it’s a memorable one.
References
https://medium.com/social-media-for-business-owners/5-important-social-media-statistics-auto-dealers-need-to-embrace-bdccf7797d43