This Week in Social Media with @seekristintweet – News for the Week of October 12

LinkedIn Groups Will Be Made Private

LinkedIn announced the latest updates to Groups including an improved Groups interface on desktop, and a standalone iOS app beginning today, October 14, 2015.  [Android is also on the way.]  The app offers group push notifications, and all Groups will now be private, so only Group members will be able to participate in, and see conversations posted to the Group. LinkedIn is also blocking search engines from discussions to offer professionals a more private communication space. Dealerships, it’s time to spiff up your LinkedIn Profiles, and choose the best inventory and event pics to share with followers.

Facebook Is Testing Reactions

Beginning in Spain and Ireland, Facebook is testing Reactions and determining user satisfaction with various emojis that are available alongside the “like” button. Although there is still no “dislike” button, the emojis allow for a wider range of emotion as users interact with posts. Available on any Facebook page with a “like” button, users can access the additional emojis by hovering over the “like” button or long pressing. A panel of different reactions, including “like,” “love,” “haha,” “yay,” “wow,” “sad,” and “anger” will then appear as choices for users. Since the feature is still in its experimental stages, it’s possible even more updates will be seen before the full launch goes into effect. Keep engaging consumers and sharing your content across social platforms to increase your brand’s visibility—and take advantage of the newest Facebook features when they’re available to help you communicate even more effectively.

Twitter Moments Comes to the U.S.

U.S. Twitter users can now see top trending topics on Twitter by tapping on the new Momentslightning bolt tab on their screens. Twitter follows emerging stories throughout the day and keeps users updated.  Swipe to select specific categories to narrow down your categories and see what’s been happening during the past few days. Once a Moment has been selected, a title and description are given, and users can jump right in and view images, Vines, videos, and GIFs. Moments can be shared or followed, and users will know when Moments have been updated when a blue dot appears in the corner of the image associated with the Moment. Dealerships active on Twitter should leverage Moments to be on top of trending content important to your dealership brand.  Embed Moments in your blog posts, articles, newsletters, and emails—wherever it fits with your brand. 

Facebook Lead Ads

Facebook Lead Ads were recently introduced as a way of offering a fast and private way to sign up to get information from businesses, and now lead ads are available to all advertisers. When users click on a lead ad, an auto-populated form pops up and is filled based on previously-entered Facebook information. The form is editable, but the auto-populated format makes this a quick, two-tap process which allows contact information to be submitted to businesses quickly and safely. By syncing with a CRM, businesses can collect and respond to lead ads in real-time, and capture cost-per-conversion metrics easily with lead ads. Dealerships will want to evaluate Lead Ads in their overall digital marketing strategy.  Try a test ad and see how Lead Ads perform in your market. 

Facebook Verified Badges

Facebook recently started rolling out Verified Badges for local businesses, which means businesses with local Pages will now get an official stamp of authenticity to help them stand out from the crowd. Verified Badges will show up as gray checkmarks, and they’ll be available for businesses located in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. A way for Facebook to show support for local businesses, Verified Badges will help consumers locate authentic accounts for local merchants. Dealerships, grab your verified badge and make sure your customers know they’re on the right page with a verified badge.  

Periscope “On Air” Button

Periscope’s newest update, the embeddable “On Air” button comes to life when you’re live, letting users know your status and username as you’re broadcasting. When users click the button, they will be taken to a new window, which displays a profile page, and if the user is live when this window opens, his or her live broadcast will automatically begin to play.Dealerships will no longer have to tweet to let your fans know you’re on air!  Capture dealership events, lot walkthroughs and more to create authentic connections with customers.  Humanize your brand and make your customers and employees the stars of your broadcasts by showcasing events, awards and accomplishments. 

Social Media Tip of the Week—Are they “Always On Your Mind”?

It’s easy to do the same things over and over when it comes to engaging your online audience, but it’s important to periodically take a break, step back, and make sure you’re looking at things from your audience’s perspective to be most effective with your content. To boost engagement, ask yourself things like:

• What kinds of topics have interested my followers in the past? What has kept their attention, garnered comments, questions, and shares?

• Is there information regarding new vehicles, updates, or incentives that would be particularly interesting to this customer base? What have they shopped for in the past, and what are they currently looking for?

• Has the dealership received customer feedback that would guide us in future posting? Are we able to help troubleshoot, anticipate questions, or provide maintenance suggestions?

• What other blogs and websites are customers mentioning in their online comments or discussions? Can the dealership learn about trending topics or industry issues from them?

• What are my consumers’ biggest challenges when shopping for vehicles, and how can my dealership help make the process easier? How can we communicate that in our content?

• Do our customers have unmet needs, and can the dealership find ways to meet those needs? How can we convey our desire to help in our online communication?

• What solutions does our dealership offer that would be of interest to shoppers? How can we tell them about those opportunities at the most ideal times?

The most important thing is to remain customer-focused.  This is something that won’t escape potential customers when they cross your digital path! Let your dealership be known for answering consumer questions, offering information to make their lives easier and supporting the community where you live and work.