iMR
N
DS
EL
I
FOR
BLE
GI
FU
MA
TC HIN G
create a
winning Digital
Marketing
Strategy
Be a Power Player
iMR
N
DS
EL
I
FOR
BLE
GI
FU
MA
TC HIN G
EVERY ALL-STAR KNOWS THE VALUE OF A
STRONG TEAM. LEARN HOW NORTH STAR
CHEVROLET OWNER RON DAKAN TEAMED WITH
COBALT TO TRANSFORM HIS DEALERSHIP’S
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY.
North Star Chevrolet owner Ron Dakan gets it.
What started as a post-college interim job selling cars at a local Pontiac
GMC dealership in 1980 eventually lead to him purchasing his first
dealership in 1999.
Ron Dakan, Owner
North Star Chevrolet
2
iMR
N
DS
EL
I
FOR
BLE
GI
FU
MA
TC HIN G
During that time, Dakan has seen the evolution of automotive
retailing, from cassette decks as premium add-ons to Bluetooth
connectivity being standard equipment. It’s a vastly different
landscape.
“The products are significantly better, the dealers are significantly
better. The whole process is completely different from what it used
to be. And there’s a lot more competition out there, that’s why.”
As the owner of multiple dealerships in the Pittsburgh Metro area,
Dakan knows how to run a dealership. But, he also knows there is
more to being a successful business than knowing how to sell.
By offering a wide selection of vehicles and delivering top-notch
customer service, Dakan established North Star as a premier
dealership within the region. With the dealership processes in place,
the next step was to ensure that consumers were aware of the great
things going on at his dealership.
He wanted to find an advertising partner, that could take his
business to the next level and he knew “Free Hot Dog Saturday” and
radio ads during drive time weren’t going to cut it.
He wanted to get North Star where the consumers were – Online.
So he began to look for a partner who knew digital marketing like
he knew cars...
3
iMR
N
DS
EL
I
FOR
BLE
GI
FU
MA
TC HIN G
Why digital? Because the data said so.
Having adhered to the traditional advertising mix of print, TV
and radio for years, Dakan started to notice a shift in consumer
engagement. “We track everything. The number of phone calls that
we were getting from traditional advertising like the newspaper just
kept dropping month after month. And our online responses, like
phone calls generated from the website, just kept growing.”
So in 2008 Dakan took the plunge.
“It was just reading the data. You have to go digital.”
At first, he would try new vendors and digital marketing companies
then re-evaluate their performance on a quarterly basis.
He found that every time he re-evaluated his marketing ROI, digital
kept increasing in importance and value. “Everybody, even the
70-somethings that come into our showroom have been online. At
the bottom of the funnel it used to be newspaper. And it was for
years. The bottom of the funnel is online now.
Data is everything. Cobalt is the only provider whose data matches
the depth of Google Analytics. We’ve tried other vendors and
that’s not always the case. If you can’t prove that it’s working or not
working, then we’re not interested.”
Analytics allow you as a business owner to track your investment
4
iMR
N
DS
EL
I
FOR
BLE
GI
FU
MA
TC HIN G
and make educated decisions with your marketing budget. Teaming
with an advertising partner that you have confidence in is key.
“Every product we have with Cobalt, we have tried with someone
else. And Cobalt has been effective.”
Being an auto industry veteran, Dakan knew the value of layering
marketing strategies. Much the same way he had layered his offline
strategies with print, TV and radio, Dakan wanted to bring that
strategy online.
“Layering strategies is big time, they all work. If you have one piece
you are only hitting part of the market. We want to hit everyone.
Everybody’s online. So that’s where we want to be.”
Dakan chose to consolidate with Cobalt, to ensure a streamlined
message was delivered to his consumers.
“Having it all in one place is a huge advantage. By having it all in
one place we aren’t competing against ourselves.”
5
iMR
N
DS
EL
I
FOR
BLE
GI
FU
MA
TC HIN G
You can’t sell cars to people who
can’t find you
Dakan’s dealership is just outside of the city of Pittsburgh proper,
yet well within the metro area. With 95% of car shoppers using
digital channels to research their next vehicle*, Dakan understood
that it was as important for his dealership to be found easily online.
95%
of car shoppers use
digital Channels to
research their next
vehicle.
*Source: Millward Brown Digital/Google Vehicle Shopper
Path to Purchase Study, September 2013
6
iMR
N
DS
EL
I
FOR
BLE
GI
FU
MA
TC HIN G
Search Engine Optimization (SEO), was vital.
SEO is an often slighted component of digital marketing. Riddled
with technical jargon and less fun than a YouTube video, SEO is a
must have in your digital marketing toolbox.
But you don’t have to go it alone.
Dakan knew who and where North Star was. But translating that
into a format that ensures relevance on Search Engines like Google,
Yahoo! & Bing was a mystery.
So in 2011, Dakan called-in an expert.
Power
SEO
7
iMR
N
DS
EL
I
FOR
BLE
GI
FU
MA
TC HIN G
In choosing PowerSEO from Cobalt, Dakan partnered with a
dedicated SEO Specialist who helped to define a targeted strategy
to ensure that consumers in his market could find his dealership
easily online. In the two years since deploying a comprehensive SEO
strategy, North Star Chevrolet has seen a dramatic 81%* increase in
organic traffic.
81%
Increase In
Organic Traffic
*Cobalt Analytics
“Before Cobalt, we weren’t coming up where we wanted for certain
search terms that we felt were important. It was a lot of effort
between Cobalt and us, because there were some things on our side
that needed to be rectified. And over a period of time, they (Cobalt)
got it fixed and we got it fixed and we’re where we need to be with
organic search and that’s a good thing.
We would have never gotten it done without the assistance of Cobalt.”
8
iMR
N
DS
EL
I
FOR
BLE
GI
FU
MA
TC HIN G
Reputation Matters
Having dialed in an effective SEO strategy, Dakan knew he needed
to do more. Viewing digital marketing as a puzzle, he was on the
hunt to find the next piece to help complete the overall strategy.
As the old saying goes: You only get one chance to make a first
impression.
The same rings true online.
But you have only a few precious seconds to capture customer
interest.
With many of the major search engines displaying customer reviews
within search results, crafting an effective reputation management
strategy is more important than ever.
Reputation management is a newer entry to the digital marketing
landscape. As such, it is rather misunderstood, but just as essential
as any product in the digital marketing toolbox.
In 2013, Dakan again chose to call in an expert and opted for Power
Reputation Management from Cobalt.
9
iMR
N
DS
EL
I
FOR
BLE
GI
FU
MA
TC HIN G
In doing so, he gained access to a dedicated Reputation
Management Specialist who monitored the surveys being
submitted to the dealership and offered insights and ideas on
everything from in-store process improvements to input on how to
respond to a less than desirable review.
“The interaction with my Reputation Management Specialist is the
key to responding to reviews in a thoughtful, strategic manner. We
had almost no rating with Google before we enrolled in Rep Man.”
And one year later, “it’s steadily increased, and we are now at 3.9
stars.”
Reputation Management extends offline by offering insights into
the inner workings of your dealership.
“The best thing about Rep Man is that it monitors every aspect of
CSI and keeps everyone focused on Customer Service, which is a
priority for our dealership. Sometimes those surveys, without extra
focus, may get looked at, but not acted on. With the extra focus
from Cobalt, nothing slips through the cracks.”
“It allows me as the Dealer Principal to focus on selling cars
because I know that my dealership’s reputation is being managed
effectively.”
10
iMR
N
DS
EL
I
FOR
BLE
GI
FU
MA
TC HIN G
You’ve got my attention, now what?
Many dealerships spend a lot of time and money getting their name
in front of consumers, only to overlook their web site.
Getting a consumer to click on a link or display ad is only half
the battle.
It’s not an understatement to say that your website is your virtual
showroom.
Dakan understood the importance of a quality website that would
deliver the North Star Experience that he had so painstakingly crafted
in the real world.
The first step was getting the right people in place. Dakan knew he
wanted more than “someone to answer internet leads”. He invested in
a full-time specialist to manage the digital strategy at his dealership
to partner with his ProCare Account Advocate and the rest of the
Cobalt team.
11
iMR
N
DS
EL
I
FOR
BLE
GI
FU
MA
TC HIN G
“The Cobalt Specialists are really good. They have been really
effective. Our specialist here in the store has a great relationship with
them.”
With a digital team in place, the next step was to find a product that
could deliver a top-notch web site experience.
Dakan didn’t have to look far to find a solution.
In choosing PowerSite from Cobalt, Dakan made sure that his web
site had the necessary tools to stand out from the competition.
Using PromoBuilder, part of the PowerSite suite, Dakan made sure
that he got promotions and incentives in front of shoppers to spur
interest and increase engagement.
“Cobalt has made it so that we can customize messages with
payments and leases and all of that kind of stuff that really wasn’t
available a couple of years ago.”
12
iMR
N
DS
EL
I
FOR
BLE
GI
FU
MA
TC HIN G
84% of car shoppers say they plan on watching videos as they
research their next purchase*, so it’s important to bring that tool to
your website. With PowerSite, Dakan was able to offer a video test
drive for every new vehicle in inventory.
84%
of car shoppers say
they plan on watching
videos as they research
their next purchase
*Source: Millward Brown Digital/Google Vehicle Shopper
Path to Purchase Study, September 2013
13
iMR
N
DS
EL
I
FOR
BLE
GI
FU
MA
TC HIN G
Trust the Experts
After partnering with Cobalt for 6 years, Dakan has learned a thing
or two about digital.
Here are some take-aways on how to become a Power Player
yourself:
Data Drives
SmartDecisions
Dakan didn’t just jump into digital on a hope and a prayer. He
leveraged the data to educate himself and verify the effectiveness
of his digital strategy.
Don’t overlook the value of data and analytics. You should check
in on your digital performance monthly and do a comprehensive
review quarterly with your digital strategy team. If something isn’t
working, determine why. If something is working, figure out how to
make it further align with your dealership goals.
14
iMR
N
DS
EL
I
FOR
BLE
GI
FU
MA
TC HIN G
Sometimes having all
of your eggs in one
basket is a good thing.
By unifying his digital strategy with one provider, Dakan ensured
that his message was aligned across all tiers of the buying process.
In teaming with Cobalt and leveraging products like PowerSEO,
Power Reputation Management and PowerSite, you can deliver a
unified message that compliments, not competes, to ensure that
the most effective use of your digital marketing budget.
You don’t have to go it alone.
After nearly 35 years in the auto industry, Dakan has confidence
in his ability to run a successful dealership. And after partnering
with Cobalt for 6 years, he has confidence in Cobalt’s ability to
implement a successful digital marketing strategy that aligns with
his dealership goals.
It’s important to remember that digital marketing isn’t a “set it
15
iMR
N
DS
EL
I
FOR
BLE
GI
FU
MA
TC HIN G
and forget it” endeavor. The key to a successful digital marketing
strategy is YOU.
Cobalt has the tools to execute, but your input ensures that all
parties are marching to the same drum.
Cobalt provides you the visibility necessary to review the
performance of your digital marketing strategy and the expertise to
offer insights on how to move that strategy forward.
By learning from North Star’s experience, you too can take your
dealership’s digital marketing strategy to the next level and become
a power player!
For more information, visit:
http://gmpackageguide.com/dealer-add-ons/
16