social media | Special Finance Group

It is no secret that social media technology has advanced quicker than most people’s social skills and common sense. The popular website Failbook is full of people who didn’t take a minute to think before posting on Facebook, and now they find themselves out of a job. Today, an online rant or a stupid Facebook post can get someone fired, but employers, including car dealerships, need to be clear on the laws of employee social media use or they could end up in trouble themselves.

According to a recent article by Michael Gifford over on WardsAuto, several states have laws on the books that offer some protection for employees on social media. For example, it is against the law in California, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, and New Jersey for employers to require employees to disclose their Facebook account and login password. Employers can view an employee’s Facebook profile if it is openly available to the public, but if the employee has adjusted their privacy settings to hide this information, an employer cannot require an employee to show their Facebook page.

In Gifford’s article, he brings up a real-life example that shows these laws do allow for shades of grey. A hospital employee was suspended for posting disparaging comments on their Facebook page regarding a patient and the paramedics treating the patient. The hospital was taken to court, but ultimately the hospital was not found at fault because the hospital had not sought out the employee’s Facebook page. Another employee who had access to the Facebook profile saw the comment and brought it to the hospital’s attention.

Do you know what to do if an employee makes inappropriate comments online? If not, we recommend reading up on the Stored Communications Act and any other applicable state laws regarding employee social media rights. Keep in mind that many states have passed new laws addressing this issue, so if you have a potential problem with an employee, get all the facts first and don’t make any rash decisions. Dealerships can also avoid problems by establishing social media guidelines for employees and making sure that employees understand them.

Want more tips and solutions for your dealership? Connect with Special Finance Group online through Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and go to http:///www.specialfinancegroup.com to learn how Special Finance Group can give you the Complete Special Finance Solution.

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Social media is essential for every business these days, including car dealerships, and some dealerships make the mistake of underestimating the amount of work that goes into an effective social media campaign. They put up a Facebook page, set up a Twitter account, and call it good.

The problem is, social media might look easy (though it is far from easy), and gauging the translation of Facebook Likes to sales is tough.

A recent article by Jacqueline Zenn on Mashable.com laid out the top nine measurements of social media health. Think of it as someone going to the doctor’s office and having the doctor take your height, weight, temperature, and blood pressure.

The nine vital signs for your car dealership’s social media health include:

Share of Voice
Definition: How many times the dealership is mentioned vs. how much their competition is mentioned through social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Brand Volume
Definition: How many times the dealership is mentioned over a day, a week, a month, etc. through social media outlets
Engagement
Definition: How many times consumers engage with your dealership. Example – Posting a positive review on Google Local, tweeting a question about your services, etc.
Interaction Per Post
Definition: How many likes, comments, retweets, etc. are received for a Facebook update, a Twitter post, a blog post, etc.
Sentiment Analysis
Definition: The ratio of positive mentions and engagements with your dealership to the negative mentions and engagements with your dealership. Overall, whether people tend to have a positive or negative impression of your dealership based on online engagement.
Social CTR (Click-Through Rate)
Definition: How many times people see your ads, blogs, posts, etc. and how many times they will click on that ad, blog, post, etc.
Key Influencer Mentions
Definition: Key influencers are social media users who have a loyal following, and if your dealership is mentioned by a key influencer in auto news, car buying, etc., it establishes credibility for the dealership.
Platform Reach
Definition: Social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Local, etc.) that your dealership has set up accounts and frequently engages (following other users, giving feedback, etc.)
Mobile Mentions
Definition: The number of times that people engage with your dealership via their mobile devices. Ways to encourage mobile social media engagement are setting up deals with Four Square or offering other discounts for smart phone users.

When all of these vital signs are strong, the social media campaign will translate into new customers and sales. Now, here is where dealerships will run into problems running their own social media campaign. Do they know how to measure the click-through rate? Do they know what kinds of posts work for Facebook vs. Twitter? Do they have time to keep up with all of their social media outlets and extend their platform reach?

This is exactly why Special Finance Group is the perfect partner for your car dealership. Our SEO/IRM team will take care of all of your social media marketing needs and turn those likes and followers into sales for you. To learn more about Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution, click here, and make sure to like Special Finance Group on Facebook and follow Special Finance Group on Twitter.

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