The Market is Down. It’s Time to Get Aggressive.
 I talk to dealers every day, even (sadly) when I’m on vacation. The general consensus is that the market is down and it’s time to cut costs. Thankfully, cutting costs doesn’t necessarily mean cutting corners. Despite how bad it is out there in the automotive industry, the online marketing aspect of the industry is getting a well-deserved spotlight shone on it. Dealers are being forced to take their tremendous television, radio, and newspaper budgets and cut them while still getting the same (or better) bang for the buck.
Economy is where Internet marketing shines. As we develop new technologies to streamline our efforts, automotive vendors are able to offer more exposure for less money then they ever have before. Between websites, microsites, landing pages, search engine optimization, pay per click marketing, and automotive social media, it is easy for a dealer to have a complete presence attacking the market exactly where their customers are waiting for them: online.
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Bill and Mary aren’t here right now . . .
 One of the toughest parts of an Internet Coordinator or Internet Manager’s job is getting the prospect on the phone! Seriously, this may truly be the hardest part. Statistics show you will only reach between 11 to15 percent of people that you attempt to call. Think about this in a different way. That means 85 to 89 percent of the attempts you make to prospects will not get answered, or the prospect will not have time to talk, or they bought elsewhere or changed their mind. The likeliest scenario is that you will get their voicemail. That’s right; the majority of the Internet Sales Professional’s job is leaving voice mail messages and a lot of them.
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rships, you’re going to need “Cyber Workers.” As Joe Louis said, “You can run but you can’t hide.” That means you might put off the inevitable but at some point you have to face reality and spend part of your budget on resources to maintain your dealership’s cyber presence. Today, most dealerships have an Internet Sales Director or Manager, some have Internet Coordinators or appointment setters, and still others have Internet Sales Consultants and IT specialists. All these positions are necessary, but rarely do I see a dealership with a “Cyber Worker.”
"Aren’t you supposed to be going after Google? Why are you spending so much effort on Twitter?" When I tell them that Twitter is the future of search and the reason that Google has shown so much interest in buying them, they normally laugh. "What, are people going to search for ‘What’s JD Rucker doing right now?’" With changes made yesterday to Twitter search, it appears that CNET, Mashable, and Techcrunch/Washington Post are finally starting to agree with me.
