What is Online Reputation Marketing and Why is it Important for Car Dealers?

In automotive retail, it is critical to understand what your consumers are saying about your auto dealership. Irrespective of the size of your business, you need to manage your online reviews, customer feedback, social media conversations, and all of your user-generated online content. 

It is a known fact that more than 90% of prospects are influenced by online customer reviews. Up to 50% of them would even reconsider purchase decisions after reading a negative review. That's why Reputation Marketing is important for car dealerships.

What is Reputation Marketing?

Reputation marketing is a comprehensive process of managing consumer perception about your car dealership. In this process, the positive qualities of your brand are highlighted and promoted in a way that influence prospects and customers.

Reputation marketing leverages technology, tools, best practices, and marketing efforts such as social media marketing, review management, reputation management, search engine optimization, and more.

Why is Reputation Marketing Important?

Online customer reviews are a huge opportunity to promote, market, and convert your audiences into customers.

With an effective reputation marketing plan in place, reviews can build considerable competitive advantage for your dealership, drive sales, and shape a strong dealer brand. 

5 Steps to Effective Reputation Marketing

Here are 5 things to do, to streamline your reputation marketing process.

1. Optimize Your Online Presence

Even before you start working on a reputation marketing plan, your dealership is likely to have an online presence on social media platforms, review websites, etc. The first thing to do is to optimize this and update your online information across the board.

2. Monitor and Manage Your Online Reputation

Every time someone post a review, you need to pay attention and respond to it. Acknowledge positive reviews, and address issues proactively when confronted with negative reviews.

Setup Google Alerts and always keep an eye on popular review destinations like Google, Yelp, etc. 

3. Prevent Negative Online Reviews & Feedback from Staying Negative

Indeed, there is no way to stop someone from posting negative reviews and feedback. What you can do is intervene proactively and make sure that every negative review and feedback ends on a positive note. For example, suggest an issue resolution plan and if the reviewer agrees, then share your email id to take it forward privately.

The speedy resolution of a negative review could turn out to be as powerful as a positive review in influencing prospects.

4. Empower Brand Promoters

Your happy customers can be your best brand promoters through word-of-mouth. Empower and encourage them to share positive experiences with your car dealership online.

This is an easy way of creating powerful social proof.

5. Share Positive Reviews

Every time you receive positive reviews, share them widely across the web and social media. Include these reviews in your email marketing and newsletters.

If you have questions about reputation marketing and how Buyerater can help you with it, Contact Us.