A NOT so-new kind-of advertising
Are you in the franchise car business?
You should be 🎯 we targeted you.
And yes, we can do the same for your customers.
Even more so.
— You’re a GM, a Dealer Principal, or, maybe you run a Parts or Service Center.
Probably, you advertise on social. And probably you think it’s a black box — even when you know that what it should be is a powerful tool for growth.
And it’s not like you haven’t tried…
You’ve got the clicks 🖱️
You’ve got the views 👀
Maybe you’ve even got some short-term sales 💲
But mostly what you got is a big bag of broken promises ❌
Why?
Because of the agencies!
Yes, it’s your so-called experts — the ones hired to grow your business on social — who are to blame.
They fail because they’re blind to the observable fact that social media success is all about being popular, interesting, and entertaining.
…Dealers, if your ads are “not working” on social, it has nothing to do with the channels themselves, and everything to do with how your current ad agency thinks about and uses them.
I call these misguided marketers First Wave.
But that’s them — our competition…
Let's not let these bad🍎’s spoil the whole bunch.
Because, ultimately, social media IS still gold for car dealers.
But only when done right.
Done wrong, and it’s nothing.
In fact, even done just Basic and it’s nothing.
Remember, Facebook and Instagram are not Google.
Basic — or, at least, generic — on Google can still make you millions (dealers know this).
But on Social?
Try being basic on social — go around Facebook and Instagram saying and showing the same things as your competition — and you’ll see it do nothing but burn 🔥 ad spend.
Continue to find out more about what social done “right” vs “wrong” means for your dealership Owners and execs: To talk social ads, call or text me, Gerald Lombardo at 561-632-7101
Does my dealership NEED social advertising?
Short answer, YES.
Why?
Because Facebook and Instagram are incredibly popular — prime real estate 🏠 for the right kind of advertising.
Think of it this way:
Close to every person in your market drives up-and-down the Meta Speedway — and they do it every day, multiple times per day.
…“But if social is so popular, why do my ads fail?”
The clear, yet painful, answer is because they’re not good enough. They do not accomplish the fundamental goal of bringing attention to your dealership.
Bumper-to-bumper traffic 🚗 along the Meta Speedway is, on the one hand, an opportunity. But it’s also a challenge since with stiff competition comes the absolute need to stand out — to be unique, entertaining, and memorable.
Mind Share becomes Market Share.
First Wave marketers have no idea what this means, never mind how to do it.
How to know if you’re dealing with an ineffective, First Wave social agency
Start by some straightforward questions.
For example:
What do my ads look like?
Who sees my ads?
How often do the SAME people see my ads every month?
Any convo with your ad agency around these questions will give you clues as to whether you’re dealing with snake oil or the real thing.
For full list of of pointed questions, jump to Dealer Pop Quiz - GOTCHA Questions vs Ad Vendors
Or, if you want to see your dealership’s LIVE ADS on Facebook and Instagram?
Go to Meta Ad Library
Search for your dealership by name
See Facebook + Instgram ads for yourself.
Are you ads generic? Do you say the same stuff on social as your competitors? Do your standout?
A not-so-new kind of advertising
Social advertising is a game played in the minds of your customers.
It’s a game where those who lose get nothing but burnt 🔥 ad spend, and those who WIN get something priceless: A waterfront spot right between their customer’s ears.
Prime mental real estate 🏠
…“Okay, so how does my dealerships win? What’s the right way to use Facebook and Instagram?”
The formula is straightforward, but not easy: First, you must be interesting — then engaging — then, finally, memorable.
Mix these ingredients with the right time and budget, and watch as your dealership grows from frozen, brick-and-mortar business to living, breathing brand.
Can my dealership really be interesting on social?
Yes!
Absolutely — why not?
The key is understanding that being interesting does NOT mean only talking about yourself — your inventory, your offerings, your staff, and your deals.
That’s the opposite of interesting.
Instead, your dealership’s social ads should be all about THEM — your audience.
— Their movies
— Their music
— Their teams
— Their humor
— Their taste
It’s this “Audience-first, Interest-based” approach that drives our uniquely effective social ad process at AUT0MiZE.
To talk more about your dealership’s online advertising, call or text me, Gerald Lombardo at 561-632-7101.
AUT0MiZE Social Ads In-Action
The great Mariano Rivera Honda came to us with a problem:
“We need more Used inventory. All the (high-quality, not-too-old) models we can get. Hondas and more…We can NOT use standard acquisition tactics like going to auction, because NY auction prices are sky-high, even above book.”
This is where we start — with a refined business “problem,” which is — for us — an opportunity for advertising.
Next, we find or invent an ideal, financially feasible group of people — people who, in this case, might be persuaded to sell us their car or truck.
We call this your ad’s “Seed Audience.”
…“Where do Seed Audiences come from?”
Different places. For the Offer You Can’t Refuse campaign (above), we tapped into an existing (yet untouched) customer group ready and waiting in the dealer’s database.
Depending on the campaign we either find, mix, or make these custom Seed Audiences from scratch.
More on Seed Audiences
Some of the best, commonly ignored, Seed Audiences already live in your database. These include Customers who have BOUGHT a vehicle from your dealership, but who have never visited your service center (Sold-not-Serviced).
Or — as in the Godfather / Offer You Can’t Refuse example — customers who have SERVICED their vehicle with you, but who have never bought or sold to you (Serviced-not-Sold).
…Dealers, try asking your social marketing vendor about “in-database ad targeting.” In other words, are they helping you strengthen customer LOYALTY as well as grow conquest?…Not doing so is a problem — it’s like not playing defense.
For more on how Audience-first thinking can help your dealership find profits you didn’t know you had, call or text 561-632-7101 with your name and dealership.
More on Audience-first, Interest-based ads
One of the pleasures of what we do at AUT0MiZE is riding social’s never ending wave of Interest-based ad opportunities.
There are as many ad opportunities on social as there are interests in the human head 🧠
Family
Sports
Music
Movies
Cartoons
Food
Funny stuff
Local news
Seasonal content
Pop culture
Current events
Every holiday, every milestone, every memorable moment — all building material for engaging, effective social ads.
🛑
And now…
Our final scene 🎬
Cari the Car Shopper is ready to buy.
Her afternoon is free. Her credit, good. Today is the day.
What dealership, if any, comes to mind?
Sure, she knows the big car manufacturers — Honda, Porsche, Ford, Chevy, Toyota, you name it — but, does she know you — your dealership?
Well, if you look and sound just like your competition, how can she?
…So then, how will Cari choose?
Probably, she’ll default to
a) the cheapest dealership
b) the nearest dealership
c) Or (if she really knows what she wants) the dealership that has it
But what if things were different?
With AUT0MiZE — with our exclusive Audience-first, Interest-based approach — things ARE different.
Suddenly your dealership stands out — you don’t look, sound, and act like everyone else.
Now she remembers: Your look, your style — your unique brand. You’re interesting. You’re entertaining. You’re fun…And, most of all, you’re not all about you.
