Blog Thoughts - Connections -Why Your Dealership has to Blog

Why is it that you keep reading certain blogs over and over again and others you dismiss after a few lines? What value are you looking for from your blog reading? Why do people keep visiting myspace.com when the pages are so god awful busy and ugly? The answer for most people is connection.

The world is changing, and it is infinitely more intimate then it was when I was a little girl. In the past *cough* 20ish years *cough* we have gone from the idea of "big business" to the global marketplace. Brand is no longer the most important factor in choosing a company, especially for women. Women want to buy from people they trust, we want to know that if our car breaks down the company/dealership will take care of it because they care about us. Today's busy woman demands a dealership she can have a close relationship with. She has to know that when she hands over her keys that every care is going to be made to address the concern, and that the dealership is going to go above and beyond to protect her family and save her money on costly repairs.

Buying a car is a lot like buying meat was back when the "Brady Bunch" was on tv. Alice always bought the families meat from the same butcher because he knew what she liked, how she liked it and he would even deliver it if something came up. Sam was more then just the guy who cut their meat, he was an extension of the family, he was part of Alice's external support network. Just like Sam, your dealership can become a part of the family, and the best place to start is your blog.

Avinash Kaushik makes a great point in his blog Occam's Razor, that to be successful your blog has to be a discussion and not a monologue. I would also argue that your blog should be reflective of the writer as well as the dealerships personality. Go ahead, allow yourself some free reign and have fun with it. If you are having fun then your readers will have fun and keep coming back. Someday those loyal readers will need to buy a new car, and since they already like you (and maybe even want to meet you) they have a positive connection with your dealership and are far more likely to buy from you.

warning:

A stuffy, sterile blog will be just like talking to yourself digitally...and that would be creepy....

It's the Holiday Season - A Hectic Time

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately, but I am in full holiday crunch mode :). In addition to the usual holiday tasks of baking, entertaining, cleaning, shopping, wrapping, ect, there are a bizzilion things to do for my clients. With the end of the year comes a bevy of holiday sales, charity events and that all important end of the year crunch to clear out their lots.

The best part about this time of year is that so many people and businesses take a few extra moments to do something nice for someone else. Yesterday I was in the grocery store picking up some last minute baking supplies when a woman approached me and asked me if I wanted her Turkey Points (points you earn by shopping at Shaw's and can redeem for a free Turkey). I told her that I didn't use them and instead had been giving mine to the local homeless shelter. She thought that was a good idea and said she would stop by on her way home and donate hers as well. Everyone in the line with us gave their points to her as well, in the end she had enough points for 4 turkeys!

With the world being so crazy these days it's nice to see that some people still possess the ability or maybe it's desire to help someone they may never meet. So here is my holiday challenge to all of you: Find a way to make another persons day brighter. Donate to a charity like Donors Choose, Caring Bridge, & Make A Wish or simply hold the door open for someone who's hands are full of packages. After all it's the little things that make the season bright.

Weathering The Storms of Automotive Change

Today I was doing some research on one of my clients market areas (Harrisburg, PA) and I stumbled across this website : http://mccafferty.com/index.htm for a dealership has been open since 1954! My little Friday addled brain just boggles thinking about all the events and crisis's they have successfully navigated around. I wish all my clients this much success and longevity!


Happy Friday!