Those in the automotive industry tend to live in a professional bubble. We love what we do for different reasons, but for many (such as me), it's a matter of working in an industry that is completely different and more challenging than others, particularly when it comes to digital marketing.

This is a competitive world. The competition level is draining and exhilarating at the same time.

Those of us who are passionate about learning and applying the latest and greatest in automotive digital marketing often visit networks like Dealer Elite, Dealer Refresh, Driving Sales, and Dealer Bar because we know we can find high-level discussions and amazing best practices to try at our stores. In many ways, we've built a "cool kids' club" comprised of industry insiders and savvy dealership personnel who want nothing more than to make their companies prosper above the competition.

This is the mentality that has helped us form connections with the right people in the right ways. Those I meet online or at conferences are usually either amongst the people who are "in the know" about advanced digital marketing or those who want to absorb as much new material as possible. That's one of the reasons that I joined Dealer Authority and it's the reason I'm posting this article today.

We expect the best. That's why we're here. We want to discuss what is working for others, what new techniques are emerging, and why we should try this new strategy or that old strategy at our own stores.

It's a perfect reflection of the way that aggressive dealerships should market their own stores. You expect to read about the best things available right here, and you should expect to deliver the best marketing at your dealership. This is why I get very passionate when it comes to pushing clients to take advantage of the best opportunities available to them. You shouldn't settle. Not today. There are too many amazing ways to market your dealership. Settling for what's acceptable to most dealers is not the best course of action most of the time because the things that are universally accepted are rarely the best choice.

As we push through conference season and on to planning for the new year, it's important to keep the culture of networks such as this one in mind. We see good here. We also see bad. We have productive discussions. We also see some pointless ones. Sifting through the good and bad to find what's truly great - that's what will separate the wheat from the chaff in the coming months. When sales are down, we need to be active in our pursuits of greatness. When sales are up, we need to be even more diligent because abundance will lead to complacency for many of your competitors and you do not want to accept that as an option.

What we learn right here is important, but how we apply it is even more important. You're here because you want to find greatness and bring it to your dealership. That means not settling for anything short of the best.