Since my post last week, Trust Me, I’m Your Vendor, I’m happy to say that some automotive marketing companies have reached out for advice on how to protect their dealer clients from advertising violations. This is a very positive step and I applaud…

In constant pursuit of keeping up with the Marketing Jones Family, I came across a book by David Cummings and Adam Blitzer called Think Outside the…

Those who know me would likely agree that I am a massive data junkie. Don't believe me? My twitter profile even says it so it must be true! I'm not exactly sure when or how my…

The news broke this week about a Louisiana marketing company that has been permanently banned from automobile advertising and marketing in North Carolina. Since Arizona, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oregon and Pennsylvania joined North Carolina in bringing the case, there will likely be repercussions for the vendor in other states as well.

On the surface, it looks like a…

After much anticipation, Facebook announced the incorporation of a new search feature into the popular social media platform yesterday.  Graph Search utilizes the information users have been sharing on Facebook and allows you to search with it.

While Facebook’s platform already includes the ability to perform web searches, Graph Search allows you to find more of what you want through your friends and connections. Every search provides individual results catered to only you.…

One of the biggest problems faced when businesses try to use social media as a marketing tool is that there are simply too many social media sites. A day doesn’t go by when I’m not asked about this new site or that old site and whether or not they can be used is marketing. Most can. However, most simply do not have the reach to make them worthwhile. For the…

“Journalist” according to Wikipedia: “A journalist collects, writes and distributes news and other information. A…

Over the years I've seen so many friends start a new project, then do it half-assed and bail on it, only to say "that just didn't work for us".

Sometimes the products they bought were crap, but sometimes, (many times), they didn't really commit. 

This is why I was so pleased to see the good folks at Don Seelye Ford Kia in Kalamazoo going BALLS OUT WITH THEIR SMS CAMPAIGN! 

They have their info on their online overlays on Cars.com, Autotrader & their Website but…

Pre-Roll Video Ads Still Hated, Here to Stay

In all the internet, is there a less innovative ad type than the pre-roll?

It's pretty much just the classic 30-second spot, lifted from broadcast TV and occasionally shortened to 15 seconds.

Yet when it comes to online video, in the end, that's where the action is. The ad unit has been maligned, foresworn, abused and dismissed. But like a cockroach, it…

In 2013, there will continue to be a growing number of people who have their smartphones and tablets handy while watching television. People are multitasking more often now than ever before while enjoying their television time. They are Tweeting, posting to Facebook, and visiting websites all from the comfort of their living…

Here we are in 2013…every January 1st you expect to be able to feel the changing of the year in your bones, and every year it’s just another day. There’s nothing magical about the calendar, there is no ancient alchemy in the progression of time, it just moves and we move with it. If you want the day to have weight, that weight has to come from you. We’ve talked about making resolutions and sticking to them, and now is the time to put up or shut up. If you want to have a successful year…

No matter how many new marketing options come onto the scene, automotive direct mail continues to prove itself as one of the most valuable tools in any car dealer’s arsenal. Why? For its ability to drive new sales.

Direct mail is not only something that prospects can see and…

Those of you who know me at all know I do not dabble in little projects often.  I like to spend my days breaking records, thinking big and planning attacks on the competition.  That said, it is always good to have a plan in place to follow that has been carefully crafted to do all those things.

This is my plan for 2013 and you are welcome to…

Annnnd we’re back! I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas, a happy Chanukah, and/or a pleasant other seasonal holiday. Now that we’re all back to work, I figured we could ease into things by thinking about the future, namely 2013. It’s only a week away, and this is the perfect time to take a look at your strategies for SEO, …

I had the pleasure of watching a very informative webinar last night that really brought home the importance of having a robust dealership presence online.

I truly enjoy studying the shift in advertising from the traditional way of doing business to the modern way of doing…

I knew this was coming, Video trumps everything!

Having already ticked off many users in late 2012 with photo-licensing changes, sharing limitations, and an end to policy voting, Facebook plans to insert video ads into users’ News Feeds in 2013, according to a report.

Facebook plans to unveil 15-second video ads by April…

Ed & Lon Safko Speak To Social Media For Auto Dealerships from Lon Safko on Vimeo.

The answer, of course, is an Instagram. Listen, I’m not going to tell you that’s a great joke, simply a relevant one, because the social picture sharing and food-photo-filtering site has been making waves this week with their announcement that all your photos will soon be theirs. Everywhere, millions of voices are crying out against the image of Instagram CEOs…