The Social Influence of the Auto Industry

A web and social media suite for auto dealers.

Disclaimer: This data is not to be used as a primary tool in permitting or citing decisions, but rather as a reference

source. The data collected during this study is subject to change. The accumulated data, projections and forecasts

presented in this study were in no way affected or influenced by GOSO.

FEBRUARY 2010

TheSocial Influence

of theAuto Industry

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A report on auto dealers social media presence

on Facebook and Twitter in the United States.

Total Dealers onFacebook & Twitter

Dealers on Facebook 5,115

Dealers on Twitter 2,195

Dealers Nationwide 20,010

No. ofDealerships


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The Social Influence of the Auto IndustryA report on auto dealers social media presence on Facebook and Twitter in the United States.

Automotive Dealers MustEmbrace Social Media

Automotive Dealers were late adopters to the internet world and

today it would be unlikely to find any dealership without a website.

It’s natural for businesses to not embrace technologies they don’t

understand, but the potential of social media hasnít come close to

reaching its tipping point.

Today, consumers have

continued to maintain the

upper hand because of the

infinite amount of online

tools available for vehicle

and dealership research.

This creates a challenging

environment for dealerships.

Other industries have

flourished using social

media. Aaron Magness of

Zappos.com exclusively told

us for this study that it is about

“build(ing) trust, loyalty and respect with the customer,” which led to

an acquisition last year by Amazon for $1.1 billion. Gary Vanynerchuck

of WineLibrary.com used social media to build his business to $60

million on his own terms. Dell reported over $6.5 million in 2009 just

from Twitter alone. If this is not convincing enough, then what is?

Dealers need to ask themselves if they are willing to embrace this

technology or watch their competitors pass them by.

“We believe that everyindustry, be it retail, realestate, automotive, etc,has the ability to focuson forming personalconnections with the enduser. This helps buildtrust, loyalty and respectwith the customer.”

Aaron Magness, Zappos.comDirector of Brand Marketing & Business

73%

19%

8%



Social Media AutomotiveDealership EvolutionOver the year, marketing has adapted and automotive dealers

have reacted accordingly, some faster than others. Social Media

is here and it’s here to stay.

The goal of the this study was to determine how many dealerships

in the United States were actively pursuing social media initiatives

and which brands have been most successful in their pursuits.

We decided to limit the study to the two most popular social media

channels: Facebook, a social network, and Twitter, a micro-blogging

platform. The information was gathered by compiling meta data

which was publicly available on the web; no information was

provided to us by Facebook or Twitter.

From these numbers the brands were ranked from highest to

lowest using the number of Facebook Fan Pages and Twitter

accounts per brand.

DEMOGRAPHIC

GEOGRAPHIC

PSYCHOGRAPHIC

BEHAVIORAL

SOCIALGRAPHICThis information was not provided to GOSO by Facebook.

Chrysler 403

Buick 355

Chevrolet 267

Mazda 265

Jeep 264

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Top 5Dealer Pages

Toyota 211

Chevrolet 181

Honda 153

Nissan 149

Ford 138

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

This information was not provided to GOSO by Twitter.

Top 5Dealer Pages




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Dealer Tally SheetThe research found a number of automotive dealers are exploring

Facebook and Twitter. In total, 5,115 dealerships have a Facebook

Fan Page, while only 2,195 dealers have a Twitter account.

To put those numbers into perspective it is important to remember

that there were 20,010 automotive dealerships in the United States

in the 2009 NADA published report. That suggests that 25.56% of

all dealerships in the United States have a Facebook Fan Page and

10.97% of dealerships have a Twitter account.

Acura 97 56

Audi 61 50

BMW 66 82

Buick 355 72

Cadillac 142 31

Chevrolet 267 181

Chrysler 403 77

Dodge 178 74

Ford 124 138

GM 57 56

Honda 155 153

Hummer 48 20

Hyundai 237 88

Infiniti 67 31

Isuzu 16 5

Jaguar 51 16

Jeep 264 65

Kia 211 54

Lexus 102 27

Lincoln 27 37

Mazda 265 87

Mercedes-Benz 135 39

Mercury 55 44

Mini 31 26

Mitsubishi 120 24

Nissan 226 149

Pontiac 197 39

Porsche 71 26

Saab 54 8

Saturn 70 19

Scion 228 53

Subaru 201 51

Suzuki 63 21

Toyota 250 211

Volkswagen 141 49

Volvo 80 36

Brands

Mercedes-Benz of Austin is one dealership that successfully uses social

media. Their large following on Facebook & Twitter is a testament to

their conscious effort to reach out to their customers through social

networking channels. This high level of engagement with their customers

has positioned this dealership to be a source of information & community

to Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts in the Austin area. With over 5000 fans,

Mercedes-Benz of Austin effectively navigates the social media landscape.

@Alicia_at_Honda

Alicia Jones is the Supervisor, Corporate Communications at American

Honda Motor Co. She is the social media guru for the Honda brand. She

is known around the auto world by her Twitter name, @Alicia_at_Honda.

Alicia maintains a loyal group of 6,500 followers on her Twitter account.

Alicia is well on her way to becoming one of the most influential OEM

evangelists on social media. Her influence is a great example of the reach

and power that social media harnesses.




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In ConclusionAs we move further into the future, social media and its marketing

possibilities will become more imperative across various industries.

Social media is and will continue to be absolutely critical and must be

integrated into automotive dealership sales, marketing and fixed

operation strategies.

In preparation, both dealers and brands need to come to the realization

that this new form of communication can either positively impact the

bottom line or have the adverse effect if ignored.

While some dealerships may be skeptics and shutter at the word ‘social

media,’ they must realize that over 25% of all dealerships in the United

States have already made the first step into the social media world.

Donít be left behind and start actively interacting with your customers

to build their trust, which will carry your business for years to come and

increase your overall sales.




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About GOSOGOSO is a social media and marketing suite designed specifically

for automotive dealers. GOSO is a solution that not only connects to

every social network from one place, but also integrates seamlessly

with inventory, pulling data from trusted sources to generate dynamic

content that can be used to broadcast across the web, reaching out to

millions of potential customers. GOSO has exhibited at both Digital

Dealer and NADA and has been honored the “Best in Class” from the

Interactive Media Awards. GOSO has exhibited at both Digital Dealer

and NADA and has been honored as “Best in Class” from the Interactive

Media Awards. GOSO will appear on Motor Week as a company that

is quickly becoming an authoritative figure in social media, especially

in the automotive industry. GOSO is a subsidiary of the interactive

agency BOALT, based in Washington, D.C.




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The Social Influence of the Auto Industry

Automotive

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