Don’t you just hate New Year resolutions?

Regardless of how determined you are to stick to them, very few of us do. I’m told however, that if you write them down you have a better chance of making them happen...

Now if I was an auto dealer looking for dynamic new ways to brand my dealership and market my offers, these would be my New Year resolutions:

1. I will support every event with an eCatalogue in 2012:

Ideal for retail campaigns, eCatalogues energise your brand and promote special offers to your database. They are also trackable, allowing you to see how many have been opened and how many email addresses are no longer active. Best off all, they are amazingly cost effective.

1. I will send an eMagazine every quarter in 2012:

A professionally written eMagazine will keep customers fully informed about what’s happening in your dealership. The six pages plus format means that you can include special offers from every department, including service and parts. The page turning software is especially clever and enhances interactivity. The best part is that you can embed the latest radio and Youtube commercials into the design.

1. I will eBlast my subscribers more often in 2012:

eBlasts are e-ffective! They’re mega cheap to produce and send, can be created in flash, are totally trackable and are a great support for any call-to-action retail campaign.

1. I will post even more YouTube videos in 2012:

Posting a professionally produced video on YouTube is a great way to connect with customers and dominate Google video search results. Enjoy positive feedback from viewers and competitors. What’s more your YouTube video is not just bound to the YouTube site. Your video can follow your campaign through all its eMarketing material and be placed on your website as well.

1. I will respond to comments on our Facebook fan page even faster in 2012:

Some dealers and advertisers still think Facebook is not for them. What they don’t realise is that Facebook reaches nearly 90% of the Aussie internet population and the 35+ age group is the fastest growing segment. It also provides valuable information on your PMA’s demographics, reinforces your brand and lets you post giveaways.

1. I will increase our mobi marketing in 2012:

Smartphone ownership is growing faster than ever. Sending retail offers via your website to a customer’s smartphone gets your business into the hands of your database. All they have to do is ‘touch’ their phones to contact you.

1. I will stay in touch with my customers using SMS in 2012:

It’s so easy and cost effective to text a message with a number and a link such as, a service reminder, special offer, or competition prize details to a customer using SMS.

1. I will include QR Codes in all our marketing materials in 2012:

QR codes take your advertising to a whole new level by providing an immediate link between press and digital. Placing QR Codes on all cars, flyers, business cards, invitations and linking to customers’ apps allows them to effortlessly schedule a test drive, buy online or take-up a exclusive trial offers.  

1. I will give customers a free mobi app in 2012:

This will allow your service guys to post calendar-generated maintenance, motoring advice alerts, service reminders and specials via a calendar-based program. The system is great because log book readings can be tracked and emailed to the customer and it can even have a ‘carfind’ function.

1. I will track all the data that our system reveals in 2012:

The eBusiness software registers who clicked through to your website and social media sites. It also tells you how many eZines, eCatalogues and eBlasts were forwarded and which ones bounced, enabling the agency to keep your database clean and current.

Yes, it’s quite a list – but this is going to be a brilliant year!