Transitioning to Inbound Marketing | Get Everyone On Board
By now you know that inbound marketing is the Way of the Future. You’re convinced you need to get on board with it, completely and soon. But what about the rest of the people at your dealership? Even if you’ve been using inbound marketing for some time now, it’s possible not everyone is equally thrilled with the switch. After all, it’s a pretty big change.
How can you bring everyone into the fold?
Your “corporate culture” is a defining factor. Of course you want to sell more trucks, equipment, parts, service – whatever you do at your dealership. But, really, marketing is about helping customers and potential customers find what they need, whether that’s information, advice or a badly-needed laugh. By befriending them and showing them you have what they want, you’ll develop the kind of relationship that leads to sales.
Everyone associated with your dealership has some kind of contact with buyers, before or after the fact. That’s why it’s so important that everyone is part of your inbound marketing effort.
Do they understand what inbound marketing is all about?
Show ‘em the data. There are plenty of statistics available – online, of course – so show why the switch to inbound makes the most marketing sense. Proving your point will give your people greater confidence in the change. For that matter, as you move forward, it’s important to regularly inform your entire staff about how your marketing is doing. Your online analytics will demonstrate that in detail. You can measure results, so show ‘em the money.
There’s a role for everyone.
Each of your people has a different type of interaction with customers or prospects, so they’re all valuable resources when it comes to inbound marketing. Ask for input on content topic ideas — customer anecdotes that would make good stories to share, tips from their department at your dealership. Encourage them to write blog articles, contribute postings on your various social media platforms, and so on.
Create incentives, if you need to. Or just to make it more fun.
Businesses that flourish make sure everyone “knows their place” – how and why their role contributes to your growth and a healthy bottom line. And employees who know they’re making a difference are more motivated.
There are more benefits, for you and them.
By including your people in producing content and connecting their names with their contributions, you’re building their personal brand as well as your dealership’s. You’re building their authority as an expert in their field, and that reflects brilliantly on your business.
People have always preferred to do business with people they know, so you’re giving your audience a boost in the comfort department, and that can have very lucrative results.
And there’s more. You’re also giving your staff a wonderful opportunity for personal development they probably couldn’t get in some other way. Most people love their job more when they feel like they’re part of the company’s success, even if you’re pushing them a bit to venture beyond the usual. That aids retention.
Celebrate results.
Whether someone is madly writing blog articles or shyly passing along a customer comment that’s topic-worthy, it’s all important. So recognize participation as well as conversions.
Radical change – and switching to inbound marketing can seem radical to some of your folks – takes come getting used to. It’s an entirely new way of thinking. So be patient and think of it as an opportunity to mentor your people. You’re helping them stretch and grow personally along with your dealership as you reposition yourselves to capture new opportunities to make friends, influence people, increase sales and strengthen customer loyalty.
