Networking is a critical aspect of business.  From dealer 20 groups, business after hours and the morning coffee shop huddle found at every java house in America.  So it amazed me when I read an …

Automotive digital marketing, online best practices, search engine optimization, search engine marketing, micro sites, landing pages, CRM, ILM, SEO, PPC, websites, process, conversion ratios, email templates, social media, social networking, dealer ratings, click to call, online chat, online classifieds, twitter, linkedin, plaxo, leads, online merchandising, pop ups, pop unders, text advertising, banner advertising, online directories, blogging, squidoo, consumer generated content, have you got lost yet?

As an Internet Sales Manager my job is to market the dealership online, however most of my readers know that I also gear a lot of my marketing materials online to brand myself in addition to the dealership.

I use other online marketing properties to capture search engine traffic for competing dealer searches, competing/brand city searches and of course local/competing brand searches and generally gear these properties to pre sell people on doing business with me in my current position as an Internet Sales Manger.

Some amazing things have transpired over the last few days that have been absolutely amazing. I am sure any dealership near a military installation that has troops deployed overseas receives their fair share of leads from soldiers deployed over seas, I receive them daily.

The apathy and BS displayed by vendors in the automotive industry is absolutely amazing if not comical. The problem is that dealers do not know the difference in good and bad unless it is quantified in a spreadsheet or P & L. Some of the things that are accepted and deemed to be cutting edge in the industry are still way behind the times in the grand scheme of things in Internet marketing.

My budget for the next 30 days is only $3000.00 and here is how I am spending it: Secondary Finance Leads – $1050.

Chance are if you have seen more than one lead from online lead generation you have seen an email address @yahoo.com. If you are not familiar with using instant messenger keep watching this post as I will provide an Idiot’s Guide to using instant messenger soon to create opportunities.

Our calls to action have to be straight forward, you need to give the customer a reason to provide a number, make an appointment, give a deposit and buy the car. Getting the customer to make an appointment – In every contact with a customer I attempt to close on an appointment for a test drive or trade appraisal.