Social Media in the Automobile Business

I read an article this past weekend in the Jacksonville Times Union that disussed the use of Social Media and how it is driving traffic into local Automobile Dealerships. It also commented on Ford’s “unusual launch” of the 2001 Explorer fueled by the “buzz” created by social media leading up to a helicopter delivering the new model at an aviation show in Oshkosh, WI. What I came awy with through all of this discussion was that the use of Social Media is that it can be very powerful if used correctly in this market. The message was, “It’s not about selling a car but about connecting with customers on a personal level.” This is the approach I take throughout my business in two of the the services that I offer – SMART Conversations and Cyrano’s Closed Loop Marketing System. The personal connection is very important in today’s somewhat non-personal environment in which we live and work.