SMART Guide to Digital Marketing Success in 2016.

Transcription

1 SMART Guide to Digital Marketing Success in CDK Global, LLC CDK Global is a trademark of CDK Global, LLC.

2 In 2016, digital marketing is no longer optional. It s required. Your online audience is growing every day, making it more important than ever to be social and present on the Web. Be strategic and develop a plan for the near future. Your competition already has. Don t think of this as adding one more thing to your already overflowing plate of things to do. Think of your digital marketing strategy as a means of encouraging efficiency, saving you time, and measuring your success. Being strategic will also impact your budget in a good way. In 2016 resolve to be SMART smart with your goals, your budget and your digital marketing. At CDK Global we re here to help, and this easy-to-follow guide on creating SMART goal strategies is a great place to start. This SMART system helps you remember the five must-haves every goal should feature this year: S M A R T SPECIFIC MEASURABLE ACHIEVABLE RELEVANT TIMELY Let s get started

3 SMART Goal Let s start with the S, as in making your goal Specific S M A R T What does that mean? Setting specific objectives means outlining exactly what you want to accomplish. Simply put, the more precise you can be in your digital marketing, the better the results. With any strategy you implement, you should always consider the five W s: Who? What? When? Where? Why? If you can answer each of these questions for all of your digital marketing campaigns, you re off to a great start. How can I do it? Start by thinking of a scenario applicable to your business needs a current problem you re trying to solve. For example, your OEM just announced a completely redesigned version of your most popular model. Exciting! But what about all that previous model year inventory? Time to get it moving. SET THIS SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE: Clear out older model vehicles by utilizing digital advertising for eight weeks to target engaged, online shoppers with timely and compelling offers. 3

4 Why should I do it? A digital campaign that is Specific will help consumers cut through the everyday marketing clutter with advertisements delivered at the right time with the right message. Today s shoppers utilize a plethora of third-party resources in their online search for information, such as OEM and dealer websites, social media platforms, research portals (Edmunds.com, Autotrader.com), review websites and search engines. Fine-tuning your message and targeting shoppers with digital advertising allows you to keep customers engaged with a seamless website experience and retargeting banners as they continue shopping. And, because you know specifically what you want to accomplish, it s easy to keep your eyes on the prize and measure your success. Did you know that 95% of auto shoppers use digital channels 95% to research their next vehicle purchase or service experience and they re not just using Google? 1 But, the days of just showing up on Google have passed. Your customers have more information and are more distracted than ever. Pro Tip Take time to determine what differentiates your dealership experience from area competition and include that message in all of your digital advertising. High performing dealer campaigns use display, retargeting and paid search channels to communicate their dealership advantages and make it easy for shoppers to get more information with engaging landing pages and a personalized website experience. Christina Grob Senior Digital Advertising Analyst How can CDK help me? Our digital advertising packages apply technology to help you reach the right customer, at the right time, with the right message, regardless of where they re researching. And, success is amplified with a great strategy the more specific the goal, the more specific the customers you ll find and clear that unwanted inventory off your lot. Source: 1 Millward Brown Digital/Google Vehicle Shopper Path to Purchase Study, September

5 SMART Goal Next, let s tackle the M as in ensuring that your goals are always Measurable S M A R T What does that mean? Setting measurable objectives means you can analyze data and track progress towards what you are trying to accomplish. This means having access to, selecting and effectively tracking the right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to follow your progress. Some common mistakes made in setting SMART objectives are selecting the wrong metric or not having set a specific enough objective to track in the first place. How can I do it? Simply pick something you can measure. It can be in dollars, foot traffic, online traffic, or anything else. It doesn t matter; it just needs to be something you can quantify and compare. For example, you know you need to start thinking about the amount of time shoppers spend on your website. SET THIS MEASURABLE OBJECTIVE: Begin tracking consumer engagement for a specific model (i.e. How many people check out a certain model and how much time do they spend looking at it?) on your dealership website to increase traffic and sales. 5

6 Why should I do it? If you ve made your objectives specific enough, it should be fairly easy to measure the results. And, by being both specific and measurable, you ll have proof that your digital marketing campaigns are delivering the results you expect or be able to make adjustments based on hard facts. There are lots of metrics to choose from, such as advertising click-through rates, leads for that model, Vehicle Details Page (VDP) views or total time spent on those VDPs, or both. Whichever metrics you use should be tracked year over year rather than month to month. Year-over-year measurements are often more accurate as they account for seasonality. How can CDK help me? We provide industry-leading real-time reporting to all customers in our Dealer Command Center. Our reporting solutions are built specifically for the auto industry. They provide actionable data and insights from multiple perspectives from high level looks at entire dealerships, dealer groups and manufacturers, down to detailed data on individual models and VINs. Pro Tip Even your marketing misses can be hits with great measurement. Quite often in the fast-changing world of digital marketing, we have to try a few things before we find a method, target, bid, etc. that really works and moves us towards our goal. Without proper measurement, these periods of trial and error can be long and frustrating. Setting benchmarks, tracking campaigns individually, and running small tests that often incur minimal commitment of resources. Just remember to keep an eye on the numbers. Michael Eggerling Product Marketing Manager, Business Intelligence 6

7 SMART Goal On to the A, which stands for reaching for what s Achievable S M A R T What does that mean? Setting achievable objectives means being able to do what you say do you have the resources available to you to take action, and can you accomplish what you re setting out to do? When everyone works together to achieve a common goal, your business prospers. Determine if there are any barriers in your way, assess the capabilities of your team and any restrictions that may stifle you from accomplishing what you re setting out to do. How can I do it? Think about how social media comes into play at your dealership. Customers are using the Internet to get the scoop on your business more and more every day. They are checking you out on Facebook, your website, or third-party review sites. If they see you re providing useful advice, have helpful staff and are active in the community, they ll naturally think of you next time they (or their friends) need the services or products you provide. But what if you need to increase your social media presence? Is that something you can easily achieve? Sure it is! SET THIS ACHIEVABLE OBJECTIVE: Improve your dealership ratings on social media sites (e.g. Yelp, Google+, etc.) from two stars to four over the course of 12 months and promote these great reviews on social media channels like Facebook to win new customers. 7

8 Why should I do it? Reputation management and social media are key indicators for your business and they go together naturally in fact, the top three influences for buyers include friend or family recommendations, online review sites, and social media 1. Tackling your online reputation scores could sound daunting at first glance, but it may be easier than you think. Knowing you ll be taking action across the board makes it attainable. Involve your team in order to provide the best customer experience you can. Ask for customers feedback the only way to improve your stars is to add more good reviews to the mix. Encourage customers to share reviews on third-party sites like Yelp, Facebook or Edmunds.com. Share reviews and other helpful information through social media channels to encourage customer referrals. Pro Tip Whether responding to a negative review, communicating with a customer on Twitter, or posting to Facebook, sincerity is key. Keep your tone conversational, and in line with the voice of your brand. And remember, a negative review is not always bad. It is an opportunity to show others how you resolve complaints. Nobody is perfect. Robert Allen Social Media Marketing Team Lead How can CDK help me? Managing the reputation process and posting to social media on a consistent basis can be overwhelming. That s why we offer Social Media Management, which provides experts to help you with reputation management and social media, helping you make the most out of every customer touchpoint online and on the showroom floor. Source: 1 CrowdTap Poll of Car Buyers, February

9 SMART Goal And now to the R, which encourages you to stay Relevant S M A R T What does that mean? Setting relevant objectives means aligning your strategies with your business and your marketplace.this means that you need to reflect on your business s goals as well as your customer s wants and needs. Are you taking into consideration your unique brand, your market, your profit centers? How can I do it? First, evaluate the drivers of your business is it New Car sales, Used Car sales, your Service drive? Make sure the objectives you create are affecting your bottom line and set your sights accordingly. For example, you can utilize digital marketing assets to deliver a consistent message to customers, whether they are viewing your website, visiting your store, or looking at reviews on social media. SET THIS RELEVANT OBJECTIVE: Increase traffic to my Service drive this year by promoting offers such as tire specials, oil changes, etc., to shoppers searching for that information on the Web. 8

10 Why should I do it? It s important to personalize your digital showroom so that a customer can quickly and easily get to the right vehicle or offering for which they are searching. This can help sway them to make you the preferred place they go whether they re looking for a new car or maintaining their existing fleet. Today, it s all about convenience and offering relevant data to consumers. Personalization needs to be based on what shoppers are doing on or off your site. If you can better understand their interests, you can create a website experience in line with their searching habits. Pro Tip Be strategic in utilizing emotional marketing and incentivizing content. Make sure shoppers see relevant information on inventory search results and other landing pages in addition to the homepage. How can CDK help me? You want to be timely and relevant for consumers, and the right solution can make that easy. Website Personalization gathers information from a variety of sources, both on your website and off. Every click represents engagement and interest, and that interest dictates what someone sees when they come to your site. Don t waste a shopper s time with irrelevant information, when you can cater to their interests. Jonathan Curtis Senior Account Advocate 9

11 SMART Goal And finally there is a T, which reminds you to be Timely S M A R T What does that mean? Setting timely objectives means deciding a realistic timeline for when you want to achieve your goals. The best part about timely objectives is that they allow you to check things off your list. They give a beginning and ending to activities you need to accomplish. Being timely lets you know you re doing something and you aren t slowing down. How can I do it? Making sure your objectives have a distinct timeline is easy. Getting the work done in the time you ve set for yourself is a bit harder. For example, what if you want to stay current in your promotions and utilize digital marketing assets to deliver a consistent message to customers whether they are viewing your website, visiting your store or looking at reviews on social media? SET THIS TIMELY OBJECTIVE: Ensure your promotional campaigns are executed in a timely manner and consumers are provided with up-to-date and accurate information that allows them to take advantage of OEM incentives in

12 Why should I do it? It s important that your goals and objectives are aligned with requirements from your OEM and the needs of your customers. That s easier said than done as offers are being updated on a continual basis. In a world that moves lightning fast, aligning your digital marketing presence (and your offline efforts as well) is important. Customers expect all the information they want to be accessible with the click of a button, and it can be a challenge to stay up to date on all the latest trends, technologies, analytics and communication strategies. Helping the customer throughout their journey and making it easy to shop your brands are key to building a trusted relationship. How can CDK help me? An Account Advocate can provide credible, influential sets of do this/don t do that recommendations based on an analysis of your digital performance. Think of these trusted advisors as extensions of your team, dedicated marketers who will actively help you meet your business goals within budget. They can be a great sounding board and an amazing resource to help you execute in a timely way to make the most of your investments. Pro Tip The average person views over 200 ads or messages throughout the day. Giving the consumer a solid consistent message throughout your website, social media, and offline initiatives helps them retain your message and remember you among it all. Tonia Johnson Account Advocate IIl 11

13 When it comes to digital marketing, being SMART is easier than you think. S M A R T SPECIFIC MEASURABLE ACHIEVABLE RELEVANT TIMELY Just follow our SMART guide to make your goals more Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely. With the right strategy in place, your digital marketing will meet the demands of your consumers and drive more traffic into your dealership. Now that s a SMART way to do business. Need more help? CDK is dedicated to your success. Visit cdkglobal.com or call us at for more information about how our solutions can help. 12