The digital landscape of retail automotive is dramatically changing at a rapid pace. While car dealers often wear many hats, dealerships need more digital experts to help generate success in this new frontier of the industry. Recently Glenn Pasch, CEO of PCG Digital, recently wrote an article for CBT about the need for a digital marketing manager in dealership operations.
Pasch began the conversation by discussing the motivation behind writing his article. After talking with a large number of clients and car dealers, Pasch learned there are many large expenses associated with digital resources. General managers or general marketing managers are not equipped properly to handle the complexities of digital marketing. In the long run, car dealers that hire a digital marketing manager will save more money on advertising and marketing than if they were to handle it on their own.
Many car dealers don’t consider hiring a digital marketing manager because they rely solely on an advertising agency to handle that element of the business. Pasch warns car dealers of the dangers of leaving such a large responsibility with companies that service many other clients. While agencies might do a good spot check to ensure everything is running properly, car dealers miss out on numerous opportunities that the agency overlooks because they are pressed for time.
Pasch then talks about the competitive landscape of social media. In previous years, car dealers could get by with posting on Facebook every now and then. This strategy no longer works, as social media platforms have expanded to include Twitter, Instagram, and even Tik Tok. Car dealers have to have a strong presence on social channels to stay in front of customers every day. Pasch says that many car dealers have started utilizing Facebook Live and Tik Tok to create organic videos that resonate well with their audience.
Pasch concludes the conversation by discussing whether or not a digital marketing manager could work fully remote. He says that the manager could operate outside the walls of the dealership, however they would still need to come into the office on a regular basis to get an understanding of the specific market.
