How To Sell Cars on Facebook: Automotive Social Media In Action

Jun 20, 2011 by Drew Brinckerhoff

As internet marketers, we spend a lot of time helping clients with their social media. We say things like, “Talk to your audience, engage your fans, and get involved with your community.” These are basic best practice principles that we try to promote as best we can.

What can you expect from these sorts of principles? Well, you can expect positive client interaction, increased trust, and positive “word of mouth” branding.

I recently came across a great example from one of our clients. So let’s walk through the scenario below and break-down what went well and what it means to your brand:

The Entire Facebook Conversation

The Conversation: Part 1

A customer enquires about a particular product they were researching online. The vendor responds in a friendly manner attempting to move the conversation to a more personal channel. The phone number is now advertised as a part of this conversation.

The Conversation: Part 2

The customer clarifies that the suggested channel was ineffective and outside of their current options. They would prefer to resolve on Social Media where they are readily available for contact.

The vendor submits that there is not a certified version of the requested model, but advertises a link to certified models in-stock. Now, note that the vendor has openly admitted a miscommunication and taken responsibility by apologizing.

They have also included a link to certified cars. Now anyone who sees this interaction and has had a similar issue can use this as a walkthrough.

The Conversation: Part 3

The customer specifies the model they are looking for along with the criteria they require to finalize a purchase. The customer has established a desire to work with this specific vendor but has also shown that they are willing to continue their research elsewhere to find their desired model.

Recognizing this, the vendor has assured the customer that they will put forth their best effort to do further research to find the requested model. A representative of the vendor will contact the customer with findings.

What Went Well With The Dealer’s Facebook Strategy?

- Kept Conversation Open -  By providing honest responses and solutions. 

- Increased Consumer Trust - When addressing the situation on a public forum.

- Kept Customer Focused on Brand - By going above and beyond the requirements of the vendor, the brand looks great.

- Took Responsibility - For a miscommunication without saying “my bad” shows that the vendor recognizes a mistake in the funnel. Beyond this the vendor makes an attempt to realign the customer in the funnel, where the breakdown occurred.

- Offered to Correct Issue - By offering to find the requested model for the customer, outside of their store.

What does this do for my brand?

- Exposure - Other Customers who see this will get to experience your online customer service second hand.

- Clarity - There is no question as to how the situation was handled. All cards on the table.

- Guidance - Customers struggling with similar searches will be able to utilize a phone number or URL to assist their search.

- Helpfulness - The extra effort to assist the customer asserts a level of confidence with those who will see this conversation going forwards.

- Word of Mouth - The customer is likely to share this positive experience to their friends in person and on social media.