Ultimate Guide to Creating and Using a Facebook Page for Car Dealers in 2023

This article discusses how to create and optimise your car dealership's Facebook page, create effective Facebook posts, engage with customers through comments and messages, and more. By following the tips outlined in this article, you will be able to get the most out of your Facebook page for your car dealership!

What is a Facebook Page for Your Car Dealership?

A Facebook page for a car dealership is a specific type of Facebook business page that allows the dealership to promote its inventory, services, and special offers to a broad audience. By regularly posting updates, photos, and videos, creating events, and sharing information about promotions and sales, the dealerships that we work with drive sales and build strong relationships with their local customers.

One of the key features of a Facebook page for a car dealership is the ability to create and run Facebook ads. These ads can be targeted to specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviours, allowing car dealers to reach potential customers who are most likely to be interested in purchasing a vehicle.

Another useful feature for car dealerships is the ability to embed a "Contact Us" button on the page, which allows interested customers to easily get in touch with the dealership via phone or email.

Before we continue, who has written the article "The Ultimate Guide to Creating and Using a Facebook Page for Car Dealers"?

I am Gary Lewis Cheetham, an automotive marketing specialist with over 10 years of experience in the industry.

Born and raised in Oldham, Greater Manchester, UK, I am the founder of GL Digital Automotive Marketing, a company I started in 2020 to help independent dealers in the UK and US realize their full potential through effective digital marketing strategies.

Having spent my teenage years working at my family's dealership after school, I have a strong foundation in the car trade and a passion for the industry.

My expertise in marketing and my focus on using Facebook pages for car dealership marketing has helped me to develop effective strategies for reaching and engaging potential customers, driving sales, and building a strong online presence for car dealerships.

How to Create and Optimise an Effective Facebook Page for your Car Dealership

We take the following steps to set up a Facebook business page for car dealerships:

• Set up a Facebook Business Page

• Optimise the profile and cover photo

• Verify your ownership

• Create and share valuable content

• Monitor and respond to comments, messages, and reviews
  We will use one of our client's Facebook pages to illustrate How to Create an Effective Facebook Page for your Car Dealership in the following example.

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Why create Facebook Business Page for a Car Dealership

Setting up a Facebook page for your dealership is free, and it allows you to build a presence for your dealership alongside your AutoTrader and eBay profiles. You can also eventually take advantage of Facebook advertising.

Importantly, Facebook pages help to build NAP (name, address, phone) citations, which helps to improve the dealership's local SEO. This means that when someone searches for car dealerships in the area, your dealership will be more likely to appear at the top of the search results.

How Set up a Facebook Business Page for a car dealership

Before you start, you need to have a personal Facebook profile and be logged in. Don't worry, your customers won't be able to see your personal profile once you create a page, that will all be hidden.

To create a Car Dealership Page when logged in to Facebook:

On the left-hand side of your screen, From the Pages section, click Create new Page.

Add your Car Dealership name and select "Car Dealership" as the category.

Write a bio your Car Dealership's bio (see below for examples) and click Create.

Add all information, such as contact, location and hours, and click Next. Don't leave any info out.

Click Done.

Example bios for your car dealership Facebook Page

Here are some example bios you can use. We always ask our dealers to emphasise their local aspects, include a phone number, and include that they buy and sell cars in their bio.

1. "Welcome to [Dealership Name], your one-stop-shop for all your motoring needs in [City Name]. We've been in the car game for [x] years, buying and selling the best used motors at a fair price. Give us a bell on [phone number] or pop in for a brew and a chat about your next set of wheels."
2. "Get yourself a car that'll turn heads with [Dealership Name]. We've been providing [City Name] with top-notch motors for [x] years, buying and selling at a price that won't leave you feeling miffed. Give us a ring on [phone number] or come for a gander."
3. "Get a great deal on your next car at [Dealership Name]! Our dealership in [City Name] specializes in buying and selling top-quality vehicles at competitive prices, for cash or finance. Give us a call at [phone number] or visit us today to find the car of your dreams!

Tips on adding profile and cover photos for your car dealership

First and foremost, we recommend that you don't use your dealership's logo as your profile picture. Instead, choose a high-quality photo of the front of your dealership with the logo visible on the sign. This will give potential customers a sense of what your dealership looks like and make it easy for them to find you if they're in the area.

When it comes to your cover photo, you have a little more flexibility. This is a great opportunity to showcase some of the cars you have in stock or to highlight a special promotion you're running. Just make sure the photo is high-quality and visually appealing. You can also consider including a call-to-action in the cover photo such as "Visit us Today" or "Book your Test Drive Now"

Additionally, it's a good idea to keep your profile and cover photos consistent with your dealership's branding, so that they match your website, business cards, and other marketing materials. This will help to create a cohesive and professional image for your dealership.

Why verify your car dealership page on Facebook?

Verified pages come with a badge attached showing the Ltd company who manage the page. This builds trust with customers and makes it less likely Facebook will ban you in the future.

If you run your dealership through a limited company, you should follow the steps below to verify your car dealership page.

Here's how to verify your Car Dealership page on Facebook Marketplace:

Log in to your Facebook account and switch to your business page by clicking on your profile picture in the top right corner.

Click on "Settings" in the left-hand panel.

Under "New Pages Experience," click on "Page Transparency."

In the Page Transparency interface, select a verified organization to manage the page (if you have one) or click on "Create a new verified organization" to set up a new verified business.

Follow the steps to create a new verified organization, and upload verification information such as your business license, proof of address, and personal identification (such as a driver's license).

After completing the verification process, your page will usually be verified within 72 hours.
Note: You can read more about how to verify your page on Facebook by visiting their help centre here.

How to use Facebook Posts Effectively to Engage with Customers

We recommend the dealers we work with only post about the following:

• Showing behind the scenes look at the dealership and team members

• Showcase of new or featured vehicles in your inventory

• Highlighting special deals or promotions
  Don't post industry news, don't wash out your feed with customer reviews or testimonials, and try not to post about car maintenance tips. Post about your dealership, and your staff only.

Managing Customer Interactions Through Comments and Messages

You will get snarky comments and people who think they're comedians on your Facebook posts. It's inevitable. It's important to be responsive to comments and messages, even if they are negative.

Bad reviews or comments can actually be an opportunity to showcase your dealership's customer service and problem-solving skills. Responding in a professional, empathetic and timely manner can help to diffuse a negative situation and potentially turn a dissatisfied customer into a loyal one.

You can even have a bit of a laugh and post a jokey response to snarky comments or reviews. Usually, other Facebook commenters will jump on the bandwagon and help you out, as long as you're not being too out of order.

When responding to genuine negative comments or reviews, it's important to acknowledge the customer's concerns and apologize for any inconvenience they may have experienced. Offer to take the conversation offline, either by phone or email, and work to find a resolution. It's also important to respond in a timely manner, so that customers don't feel ignored.

An example is a dealership that we've worked with who were having trouble managing negative comments and reviews on their Facebook page. We helped them develop a plan for responding to negative feedback, which included training their staff on how to handle difficult situations and providing them with a set of pre-written responses that were appropriate for different types of complaints.

We also helped them create a process for monitoring and responding to comments and reviews in a timely manner, which helped to improve their online reputation and increase customer satisfaction.

Conclusion to the article "The Ultimate Guide to Creating and Using a Facebook Page for Car Dealers in 2023"

By following the steps outlined in this article, you should have everything you need to create an effective Facebook page that will help your dealership stand out from the competition. Additionally, by developing a plan for managing negative comments or reviews on Facebook posts as well as training staff members on how to handle difficult situations effectively, you can ensure that your online reputation remains intact while providing excellent customer service.

With these tips in mind, there's no reason why your Facebook page shouldn't become one of your most valuable marketing tools!

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