Want to see an example of an automaker getting on board with social media marketing? Buick is striving to appeal to the social media generation with its latest promotion, Quest for the Keys, integrating location-based social sites like Foursquare, Gowalla, and Facebook Places as well as Twitter and a custom Facebook application. This promotion involves a scavenger hunt in major cities around the US in which people use social sites to find clues to win money or even a new Buick. They can also enter from home with a Facebook trivia game.

This promotion shows a well-developed automotive social media strategy that takes advantage of multiple platforms to appeal to as many people as possible and engage the millions of people using social media across the nation. Members of younger demographics who might not otherwise consider a Buick as their next car will get involved in tweeting and using these social sites to enter to win.

Dealerships can learn from this example to come up with smaller-scale promotions around their communities. Car dealers need to take advantage of location-based social media advertising to engage people who might not normally connect with them. Also, a promotion like this encourages people to post on their Facebook and Twitter profiles (especially if they know they could win), giving added exposure to a dealership.

Paul Potratz