As online communities grow in ever-increasing numbers, are you a part of the conversation or standing on the sidelines? Social media sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter allow you to engage your customers outside the store and develop relationships that drive repeat and referral business. This webinar examines the rules of engagement on these sites to help you understand the channels and how you can capitalize on them. For the full audiovisual presentation, visit dealers.cars.com.

1. Welcome to Today’s Webinar
We will begin promptly at noon ET
To hear the audio portion for today’s session, please turn up
your computer speakers or use a pair of headphones.

2. Cashing In on Web 2.0
Using Social Media Sites to Drive Sales

3. Welcome
• Have a question? Need our attention?
• Enter your question or comment by clicking on
the question mark in the lower right corner of the
WebEx browser
• Tweeting today’s call? Use #dalive.
• Want a recording of today’s presentation?
• Visit http://dealers.cars.com/live on Monday
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4. Webinar Audio
• To hear the audio portion
for today’s webinar:
• Turn up your computer
speakers
• Use a pair of
headphones
• Having audio problems?
• Request a toll-free dial-in
number for the WebEx
teleconference
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5. Today’s Moderator
Kathy Kimmel
 Director of training, Cars.com
 More than 15 years experience
in automotive retail
 Featured speaker at industry
conferences
 Connect with Kathy:
http://dealers.cars.com/facebook
http://dealers.cars.com/twitter
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6. Today’s Panelist
Rob Fontano
 John Marazzi Nissan
 Internet sales director
 Naples, Fla.
 8 years experience in automotive retail
 Connect with Rob at:
http://www.facebook.com/marazzinissan
http://twitter.com/marazzinissan
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7. Today’s Panelist
Alex Snyder
 Checkered Flag Automotive Group
 Ecommerce director
 Virginia Beach, Va.
 20 years automotive industry experience
 DealerRefresh.com contributor
 Connect with Alex at:
http://www.facebook.com/checkeredflag.va
http://twitter.com/axsnyder
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8. Today’s Objectives
• Understand why social media is important for your
business
• Identify which social media sites connect your
store with in-market shoppers
• Incorporate social media sites into your sales
strategy
• Develop site-specific tactics that help you engage
car buyers and encourage open communication
• Determine who should manage your social media
presence
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9. Social Media and Selling Cars

10. Social Media and the Bottom Line
• Brands active in social
media reported revenue
growth of 18 percent
versus last year
• Inactive brands reported
a 6 percent revenue loss
• Participation in social
media improves your
store’s search engine
performance
1 Altimeter Group and Wetpaint, 2009
10 Graph source: eMarketer.com, December 2008

11. Social Media Usage Soaring
• Twitter (green): + 1,164 percent
• Facebook (blue): + 248 percent
• LinkedIn: (yellow) + 95 percent
• YouTube: (orange) + 32 percent
• MySpace (pink): - 6 percent
Source: Compete Inc, June 2009
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12. Why Get in the Game?
“For companies, resistance
to social media is futile.
Millions of people are
creating content for the
social web. Your competitors
are already there. Your
customers have been there
for a long time. If your
business isn't putting itself
out there, it ought to be.”
Source: BusinessWeek, Feb. 19, 2009
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13. Dealership Benefits
Social media:
 Works well with business-relationship model
 Drives cost-efficiency in marketing
 Provides your store with low-cost tools to connect with
customers, prospects
 Creates opportunity to build referral business
 Extends your relationship with customers beyond the
purchase
 Expands your store’s reach
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14. What is Social Media
“All things being equal, people will do business with
their friends. All things not being equal, people will
still do business with their friends.”
Jeffrey Gitomer
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15. Rules of the Road
Social media success depends on:
 Strategy
• What do you plan to accomplish?
 Communication (i.e., talk and listen)
• Engage audience with a real person or a personality
 Relationships
• 93 percent of social media users believe companies should
have a presence; 85 percent want meaningful interaction1
 Transparency, sincerity
 Ownership
• Someone with passion/commitment to implement program
1 Cone, Business in Social Media Study, September 2008
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16. How to Use Social Media
Create content consumers
want to connect with:
 Store and automotive
expertise
 Car reviews
 New product information
and new arrivals
 Events
 Incentives and service
 Maintenance tips
 Job opportunities
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17. Enthusiast Blogs, Forums
• Identify people in your store
with knowledge and passion
for your vehicle types,
makes/models
 Look beyond sales to parts,
service, body shop
• Share information based on
your experience, research
• Let members approach you
about a vehicle purchase
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18. Dealership Blog
• Post timely and relevant
information for customers
• Promote your dealership
 Inventory, including new
arrivals and specials
 Incentives and events
 Service, parts, accessories and
body shop
 Job opportunities
• Invite customers to follow
you on Facebook, Twitter
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19. Facebook
• Create a business page for
your store, persona
• Invite staff, customers to
“become a fan”
 Add a website button
 Call to action in advertising
 Point of purchase
• Use page to create value and
drive conversation
• Don’t be a motor mouth
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20. Facebook: What’s on Your Mind?
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21. Twitter
• Create an account for your
store
• Invite sales, service, parts,
body shop customers to
“follow” you
• Discuss store, industry and
community news, events
• Re-tweet, respond to posts
to drive conversation
• Register with directories
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22. Twitter: What are You Doing?
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23. YouTube
• Create a channel for your
store
• Share videos you’ve
developed:
 Customer testimonials
 New-model introductions
 Make/model comparisons
 Dealership tours
 Vehicle walk-around
demonstrations
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24. YouTube
• Promote videos through your site, social media
channels
• Monitor, respond to comments about your videos
• Join discussions in automotive-related channels
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25. Work Smarter: Social Media Tools
• Applications integrate
blog, Facebook and
Twitter activities
 Share posts across all of
your accounts
 Monitor conversations
 Work with followers
• Stay on top of social
media trends, new tools
 Mashable.com
 Socialmedia.biz
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26. Track Social Media Performance
Free tools help gauge
program effectiveness:
 Facebook Insights
Page
 TwitterRank.com
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27. Build Professional Connections

28. LinkedIn
• Create a personal profile outlining your
professional expertise and positions
• Connect with colleagues
• Join industry-related groups and participate in
discussion areas relevant to your field and
personal interests
• Resist the temptation to advertise your store,
listings
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29. Industry Blogs, Forums
• Join online communities to boost
sales performance, advance your
career
• Learn about and discuss online
automotive news, trends
• Use sites developed by:
 Automotive salespeople
 Industry consultants
 Vendors
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30. Review
• Social media provides you with a low-cost channel
to:
 Connect with customers, prospects
 Promote your inventory and brand your store
 Discuss, learn about online automotive news, trends
• Success with social media hinges on a strategy,
communication, relationships, transparency and
ownership
• Remember: Car buyers want to engage with your
brand and get help with their purchase decisions
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31. Let’s be Friends
Join us on our all-new
Facebook page
 http://dealers.cars.com/facebook
 Designed especially for dealers
with news and tips to drive your
online success
 Stay in touch with the latest from
DealerADvantage, including
video tips and information on
Cars.com events
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32. More Ways to Connect
Join the conversation about
online automotive with
Cars.com:
 Read our all-new blog launching
in late August
• http://dealeradvantage.cars.com
 Follow us on Twitter for daily
twips and advice
• http://dealers.cars.com/twitter
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33. Register Now for Our Next Event
Sell More Cars: Tips You Can Implement Today to
Close More Deals
 Friday, Sept. 11, Noon ET
 In this session, you’ll learn how to:
• Develop listings that answer shoppers questions and help
them form an emotional connection with the car.
• Leverage emerging channels such as online chat, the mobile
internet and social media to engage with buyers.
• Optimize your new-car lead, SEM and SEO initiatives.
• Stay in communication with car buyers until they’re ready to
move forward with a purchase.
 Register at http://dealers.cars.com/live
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34. Questions & Answers

35. Thank You & Good Luck