Social networks matter to dealers because they matter to customers said Erica Siestsma, of Digital Air Strike. But some fundamental mistakes are being made by retailers. And it is worth correcting them.

Currently 74% (up from 69% last year) of car buyers are using Facebook and 75% of service customers are using Facebook.

In a recent study carried out by Siestsma (pictured) and her team, the evidence proves that Facebook ads are working.

Some 51% of car buyers (up from 46% in 2014) and 40% of service customers say that have seen an ad for a local car dealer on Facebook in the US.

Whilst 66% of car buyers have clicked on Facebook ad on a mobile device (53% of service customers).

> Where dealers are making mistakes on social media: general points

1. Not having a social media policy

Social media is public and can be detrimental. Set up rules of engagement that employees must sign up to.

2. Social redirects on website

Kill the links – you drive people to your page, do not give them opportunities to leave.

3. Only one person handles social

All departments should participate and everyone encouraged to personally engage.

> Social advertising

4. Ad fatigue

Need to change the ads every month. Keep them live and relevant.

5. Not targeting ad audience

Get qualified engagement by targeting owners and existing customers with Facebook’s robust ad targeting options.

6. Failure to properly track ads

Understand how specific campaigns are performing by using site specific pixels and use Google analytics properly.

7. Not doing Facebook ads

Learn about social advertising and start using them now. They reach twice as many customers and have a 5.5 times greater efficiency of conversion.

> Reputations

8. Only responding to the bad

If you are responding to any respond to all. Responding to every third positive comment is just as bad as responding to none!

9. I’ll pay you to take it down

Be proactive and handle the upset customer properly.

10. Five star rating

If it is too good to be true it probably is.

> Social networks

11. Inappropriate or old content

If it doesn’t help don’t post it. If it’s old update it.

12. Failing to proof read content

It only takes a minute. Proof it. Google it.

13. Auto-sharing content

If it’s going on Twitter, create content for Twitter etc.

14. Fuzzy or wrong sized imagery

Don’t reuse imagery. Just because you like a picture, it does not mean you should use it again.

15. Broken apps

If you have apps connected to Facebook, check them. Do they work?

16. Group pages

There is no way for a group page on Facebook to have multiple locations associated with it. You cannot afford to not to have individual Facebook pages for each location.

17. Rogue pages

Check all sites for rogue/duplicate pages. Do whatever you can to take them down.

18. Updating from mobile device

Limit access to social sites, don’t let employees or agencies use tools to link their accounts with your business accounts.

19. Failure to respond

Don’t waste leads and opportunities to show you care. Lack of response is worse than no site at all.

Key learning points

• Embrace social media

• Keep it relevant and up to date

• Ensure everyone in the dealership embraces it, it is not just the IT managers job to update posts and information.

> BDO attended the latest National Automobile Dealers' Association in the US and brought back insight on a number of topics, including the above.