With Big Data and analytics having been the hot topic over the past couple of years, many dealers are recognizing that they can increase the effectiveness of their marketing. Many dealers, however, outsource much of their digital marketing to vendors that sell them on the use of their data to achieve this. The problem is that most vendors don’t really use it as they say they…

Most discussions about Social Media between automotive advertising agencies and their auto dealer clients center around R.O.I.; or their perceived lack thereof. I accept responsibility for providing proof of my performance. However, I question short term quantitative evaluations that don't consider the qualitative long term benefits of customer loyalty, satisfaction, retention and residual income derived from a comprehensive marketing plan that includes social media.



A real world…

Consumers today are increasingly becoming finicky about where and how they want to communicate. While the past may have seen a traditional print ad performing well on its own, that’s increasingly not the case. Data supports the fact that consumers are all over the place and successful marketers know that their message needs to be at every potential touch point possible. The…

On March 9, the popular television show “60 Minutes” aired a segment titled “The Data Brokers: Selling Your Personal Information”. In the segment, Steve Kroft interviewed various privacy experts who explained how companies are collecting and selling very personal information in ways…

Data security is becoming an increasingly public concern as databases from large retailers continue to be breached and consumer information exposed. Congress is holding hearings this week with top data security professionals to discuss how best to prevent future breaches. The concern is so high that Congress is considering implementing…

Dealerships today are continuously seeking new ways to acquire new customers. Endless services and platforms pop up almost daily that offer businesses new ways to reach out to the world and attract new customers – whether that’s through online media, social media platforms, mobile ads or database mining. The problem is that many businesses concentrate far too much on…

Target’s massive data breach, which caused an estimated 40 million credit and debit cards to be compromised during the holiday period, will end up costing them more than just headaches. Target first became aware of the breach a week prior to announcing the breach to the public. This slow response time imperiled consumers.

I was personally affected by this…

In the B2B world, we’re seeing a shift in importance and shopping behaviors by business buyers. What’s interesting is that business buyers are starting to behave more like consumers when making business purchase decisions. A global survey from November 2013 by Avanade reports…

Jim Ziglar recently posted the question - How many Vendors is YOUR DEALERSHIP Paying who are Selling your Customer Data to Other Vendors for Cash?

I'd like to comment as a credit report and compliance vendor with access to complete credit data of every applicant that our customers obtain once a credit app is taken and one or more bureaus are accessed thru our application.

The unfortunate part is that this IS happening in an industry that has been hammered over and over again…

ALBANY, N.Y. – October 7th, 2013 – Auto/Mate Dealership Systems (http://www.automate.com) announced today that its AMPS Dealership Management System (DMS) is fully integrated with AutoAlert, Inc.'s data lead mining solutions. Auto dealers using both systems can leverage the comprehensive data stored in their DMS like never before, using AutoAlert®'s abilities to identify and communicate opportunities that lead to more sales and higher gross…

RUN! THE SEO SKY IS FALLING! ROLL UP THE SIDEWALKS! SEO'S FIND A NEW PROFESSION! DOOM! GLOOM! BLAH!

If you've been following the digital marketing blogosphere for the last week, by now you've probably concluded that SEO is dead because within 3 months there will be no more keyword data in Google Analytics. Right? Its the end of SEO. No more measuring. No more…

I am posting this blog on behalf of Praveen Tamvada, Director of Marketing

Auto/Mate Dealership Systems 

Last weekend was my son’s birthday party, and I had the brilliant idea of providing him and his friends with water…

When I was asked last year to develop a social media marketing service, the first question they asked was whether I already had software in mind or if it needed to be built. I told them that the software had already been developed and it was free. This didn’t go over well at first; they’d always used premium social media…

An acquaintance of mine shared an experience with me that got me thinking. He traveled frequently and was a member of a particular hotel chain’s loyalty program. One particular stay at one of the chain’s locations was, in his opinion, beneath the quality that he had come to expect from the chain. There were multiple issues with the room – some involving cleanliness and even…

www.VinSolutions.com

Sean Stapleton:

Leverage Data Integration in a Big Way

The use of “big data” (massive amount of complex customer information available to companies today) will become an even stronger advantage for the automotive industry. From the…

Now that the focus in many industries is on data and behavioral marketing, marketing departments are increasingly better able to pinpoint areas in which they can improve. With the right data, not only can you determine your product’s demographic but now you can discover when and why your customers make that ultimate decision to purchase. That being said, just because you discover what’s wrong, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should share that nugget of wisdom with your consumer.…

http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com



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There is no question these days that your dealer site is one of the most valuable resources in your digital marketing toolbox. From your site, you have the ability to reach your largest traffic source and cater your message from page to page to meet the needs of individuals, groups and communities…

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…

To all Dealer Principals or General Managers reading this post, "Are you tired of having a dozen+ stand alone reports to review each month?  Are you challenged to know how to leverage vendor reports to make business decisions?"

How many reports are generated each month by dealership vendor partners? My quick list of potential monthly reports…