How to Use Live Video Chat
By Lindsay Baker, Social Media Strategist As the Social Media Strategist here at RV Trader, I manage our Trader Interactive family of brands which all together across our social media platforms spans just over 670,000 followers. My career started in a Honda Dealership before evolving into managing the social media of 15 rooftops spanning 8 different OEMs before my time here at RV Trader. As the resident “expert millennial” in the office I’m excited to get to speak with you today about using video on social media.
I know we’ve all been told the importance of advertising your business on social media – and with 52% of online brand discovery happening in public social feeds it’s more important than ever. But now it’s not enough to just be on social media. Did you know that Internet users spent an average of 6 hours and 48 minutes a week watching videos online in 2019. And with 85% of internet users in the United States consuming video content on social – now is the time to step up your game. Video marketing is going to help you captivate your audience, engage your buyers, and increase your sales through social media.
Hear me out – I’m sure there are some of you asking yourselves “why do I need this” or “My inventory is online, isn’t that enough?” or even “If someone really wants to buy this truck they’ll walk through the door and do it” – but that is not the case anymore. Your customers are doing the majority of their research online and now the users who are visiting your website are just as valuable as the people walking on to your lot. The average automotive consumer is only visiting 2.3 dealerships before making a purchase while performing at least 61% of their purchase research online prior to ever picking up the phone to call or submitting a lead to your dealership. Social Media allows you the opportunity to not only educate your buyers and highlight your inventory – but it also helps you to humanize your dealership in a whole new light and connect with your future customers.
While there is not a blanket solution for all sales departments – and social media is never a one-size-fits-all marketing tactic – we can say without a doubt that you should be sharing on your Facebook Page. Facebook is going to be the bread and butter of sharing content that your community engages with. And the news feed algorithm is built to favor video content over link shares and images so you’ll notice an increase in views from the start. Some examples of the kinds of videos that you should be creating for Facebook are: videos showing off the features in a new model, behind the scenes videos that show what customers can expect in the service department or finance office, or even a fun team building activity or potluck with the staff. Use this as a forum to announce your new incentives and specials and if you have customers willing to get on camera – customer testimonials sharing their great experience in your dealership or the unit they bought at use is always popular. Remember – this is where your current and future customers are interacting with you. Make them feel like a part of the family!
The other platform that should be on your list of priorities is YouTube. This is where you’ll really want to get technical with a product specialist. The upper hand that YouTube has over every other platform is that it’s owned by Google. So not only is it used like a search engine – but when people google things like “Toy Hauler vs. Class A” – videos from YouTube that match the results show up there as well. So this is where you want to focus on videos like walk-a-rounds, product reviews, new feature highlights, and comparison videos between makes and models. I’ve also seen great success from service videos on YouTube highlighting how to get to the service department and what to expect when you get there. Details like this may seem small to those of us who have worked in the industry, but make all the difference to a potential new patron! The key trick with YouTube is to be very detailed with your titles, descriptions, and tags. You should be optimizing these video uploads with the same care and dedication that our search team here at Commercial Truck Trader uses with your listings – it’s that important!
There are other platforms like Instagram and TikTok that are very focused on video content but it’s important to ask yourself – does my team have the bandwidth and resources to create content and keep up with creating these new profiles? If the answer is no – that’s totally fine. Table the strategy for now and reevaluate in 6 months. If you said yes – go for it! You never know who will find you through hashtags and these are two platforms that allow for a lot of discovery through relevant and trending hashtags. There are plenty of great free resources to use in your hashtag research – my top three are Hashtagify, Keyhole, & RiteTag.
Let’s get technical: Here’s a checklist you can use to make sure you’re creating high quality videos with everyday resources:
● Check your smart phone . No need for fancy cameras here but you do want to make sure you’re using a newer phone that you know shoots in HD quality. I personally have used an iPhone 10 for years and it’s never let me down!
● Stay steady . If you’re going to be walking around the lot showing off inventory this may sound unorthodox but a selfie stick does wonders for walkaround videos. Or if you’d like to level up there are plenty of budget smartphone stabilizers that would be worth the purchase on Amazon or other digital resellers. In many cases this is your customer’s first impression of you – make it count!
● Take a minute to listen to your surroundings before you hit record – is it windy outside? Are you in a busy showroom? You want to have as little background noise as possible to keep your words clear and easy to hear!
● Practice does in fact make perfect – it’s okay to practice beforehand! Don’t feel like you’ve only got one take to make it perfect. Try not to use filler words like “um” or “like” – If you are stumbling on your selling points start over and make your delivery more smooth. If you play these videos back and you would buy from you – that’s the goal. With enough practice in front of the camera, the confidence will come naturally and you will be successful.
● And finally – don’t let all of this hard work go to waste. Watch your views, engagement, and the messages you receive to your pages. If you use Google Analytics to monitor your site traffic, the best way to see how these videos drive return is by tagging the URLs you share in your posts with tracking codes. Google offers a free URL Campaign builder to help you structure and track these different efforts.
I know we have gone over a lot but the most important tip I have for you is to remember that social media is all about actually being social . Consumers want that one on one interaction. If you’re just posting inventory and sales specials without listening to your followers and buyers – that’s not being social at all. Don’t forget that Facebook is just as much a customer service tool as it is a sales resource! And if you’re treating your customers right and keeping them entertained – they will keep coming back for more!
Connect With Us Today
We’re here to help ensure the success of you and your dealership. If you have any questions or concerns about how to incorporate chat on your marketplace listings, please reach out to marketing@commercialtrucktrader.com or call (877) 920-5442 to contact our teams.
Sources:
10 Video Marketing Statistics That You Need to Know in 2020 [Infographic]
https://www.dialogtech.com/blog/18-automotive-marketing-stats/
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/the-importance-of-video-marketing-infographic/523823/
https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-statistics-for-social-media-managers/#general
About RV Trader
RV Trader is the industry-leading marketplace for buying and selling new and used RVs, including Class A, B, and C vehicles as well as campers and trailers, with more than 2.5 million unique monthly visitors. Listing inventory through RV Trader helps dealers increase their visibility, generate customer connections, drive sales and maximize profits. RV Trader is a division of Trader Interactive and belongs to the well-known “Trader” family of linked brands. For more information, visit www.RVTrader.com .
