Facebook Ads For Car Dealerships

Nick Gorton and Yago Paramo will be at NADA from Wednesday to Monday (I’ll be attending the AWA awards on Thursday). Call us or text us if you are going to be there.

Last month we introduced Dynamic PPC for New and Used inventory but what is most important, integrated with your DealerLab websites back end.

Dynamic ads allow you to target any DMA because the ads are not based on key words so you don’t use any competitor names or brands, the ads are based on inventory specific searches in Google and a matching based on IP address.

Today we show you a screen shoot of the system with the “per unit” activity report.

A few of the key features of the system:

1) Monthly budget managed in Google’s back end like a PPC campaign.
2) Reporting available on your Google account and in your DealerLab website.
3) Total budget cap per vehicle available to avoid high profile cars burning the budget.
4) Separate campaigns and budget for new and used.
5) Customized target areas for new and used.
6) Ability not to push cars with no photos (Available late Q1 2014).

We have been working hard on a system that creates unique Google ads for the specific used cars that you have in stock.

Here’s how it works.

1) Someone searches for a car in Google
2) If the search is a match for the Year, Make, Model car you have in stock an ad matching their search is shown
3) The searcher clicks on the ad and goes directly to the VDP

The reporting data comes directly from your Google Adwords account. You have full transparency into cost per click, total spend per car, even conversions from your PPC ads.

This is the most targeted, cost effective, transparent way to get your cars in front of searchers. The best part is that all of the data is in your existing DealerLab.com dashboard. One log-in to see every click, conversion and dollar spent.

To Your Success,

Nick Gorton
General Manager
Integrated PPC
Questions? 206.484.2895 Call or text

A few weeks ago we announced a new CraigsList reporting back-end and today we announce again a new system.

We will have by late Q1 a full reporting integration with Auto Classified Solutions and your website by DealerLab.

Our goal is to have one point of entry with all your digital assets integrated.

For more information go to autoclassifiedsolutions.com or email Dustin for user name and password to your account.

A few weeks ago we announced a new CraigsList reporting back-end and today we announce again a new system.

We will have by late Q1 a full reporting integration with Auto Classified Solutions and your website by DealerLab.

Our goal is to have one point of entry with all your digital assets integrated.

For more information go to autoclassifiedsolutions.com or email Dustin for user name and password to your account.

DealerLab websites back end Google analytics integration has been updated to also include referral sources indicating the source/medium.

Our goal is to offer as much information about your digital presence as possible in one place to lower the time you spend managing systems and access.

For more detail information about SEO/SEM please contact:

Kevin Drongowski
Senior Account Manager
Integrated PPC
Questions? 425-780-2774 Call or text

DealerLab websites back end Google analytics integration has been updated to also include referral sources indicating the source/medium.

Our goal is to offer as much information about your digital presence as possible in one place to lower the time you spend managing systems and access.

For more detail information about SEO/SEM please contact:

Kevin Drongowski
Senior Account Manager
Integrated PPC
Questions? 425-780-2774 Call or text

What Universal Analytics offers to developers is the ability to collect data from multiple devices and platforms.

Old Google Analytics would only report website traffic, with Universal Analytics you can track actions in mobile apps, game consoles, and information kiosks. For the automotive industry, the extra device tracking is not a huge perk. However, when an account has Universal Analytics enabled, you can see details about which search engine was used arriving on the site, user behavior details like session timeouts, referral exclusions, and search term exclusions.

Referral exclusions can be useful for providing more accurate data about user behavior. For example, if your site has a sister site at a different domain, and users could bounce back and forth between the 2, you would want to exclude each of the urls so that this behavior is reported as the same session instead of referral traffic.

Excluded search terms allow you to mark organic search traffic from specific terms as direct traffic instead. If you would prefer that when people search for your company name to get to your website, they are considered direct traffic instead of organic search traffic, you could add the company name as an excluded search term.

All behaviors from these exclusions are still recorded, but the user’s intention and process becomes more clear.

Hopefully, this clears up some of the changes in Universal Analytics.

For more detail information about SEO/SEM please contact:

Kevin Drongowski
Senior Account Manager
Integrated PPC
Questions? 425-780-2774 Call or text

You can see Kevin’s SEO/SEM entries @PGI Facebook

NOTE: Universal Analitys is being integrated with DealerLab Websites as we speak and it will be available Q1 2014 on your DealerLab back end.

What Universal Analytics offers to developers is the ability to collect data from multiple devices and platforms.

Old Google Analytics would only report website traffic, with Universal Analytics you can track actions in mobile apps, game consoles, and information kiosks. For the automotive industry, the extra device tracking is not a huge perk. However, when an account has Universal Analytics enabled, you can see details about which search engine was used arriving on the site, user behavior details like session timeouts, referral exclusions, and search term exclusions.

Referral exclusions can be useful for providing more accurate data about user behavior. For example, if your site has a sister site at a different domain, and users could bounce back and forth between the 2, you would want to exclude each of the urls so that this behavior is reported as the same session instead of referral traffic.

Excluded search terms allow you to mark organic search traffic from specific terms as direct traffic instead. If you would prefer that when people search for your company name to get to your website, they are considered direct traffic instead of organic search traffic, you could add the company name as an excluded search term.

All behaviors from these exclusions are still recorded, but the user’s intention and process becomes more clear.

Hopefully, this clears up some of the changes in Universal Analytics.

For more detail information about SEO/SEM please contact:

Kevin Drongowski
Senior Account Manager
Integrated PPC
Questions? 425-780-2774 Call or text

You can see Kevin’s SEO/SEM entries @PGI Facebook

NOTE: Universal Analitys is being integrated with DealerLab Websites as we speak and it will be available Q1 2014 on your DealerLab back end.

We announced this month a new DealerLab + Google integration with PPC campaigns reporting straight in the back end of the websites and here is a screenshot of how the system looks.

On a regular account you will have all the campaigns listed as you scroll down (not just the one that shows on the screenshot) including regular PPC and re-targeting campaigns. Dynamic PPC (next post) will also be included as a campaign with the additional “per unit” detail.

For more information about this integration contact:

Nick Gorton
General Manager
Integrated PPC
Questions? 206.484.2895 Call or text

We announced this month a new DealerLab + Google integration with PPC campaigns reporting straight in the back end of the websites and here is a screenshot of how the system looks.

On a regular account you will have all the campaigns listed as you scroll down (not just the one that shows on the screenshot) including regular PPC and re-targeting campaigns. Dynamic PPC (next post) will also be included as a campaign with the additional “per unit” detail.

For more information about this integration contact:

Nick Gorton
General Manager
Integrated PPC
Questions? 206.484.2895 Call or text

Case Studies:

In this study, I’m going to show information for dealers on the daily posting method and the monthly posting method.

DAILY POSTING METHOD

The daily method, is posting a set number of vehicles every single day. This can be any number, though I think at least 5 per day would be best at minimum. Best when paired with an initial upload so that the dealer’s inventory is immediately available and then augmented every day.

PROS:
– Inventory Up Every Day
– Some inventory always at or near the top of the search
– No drop-off (expiration) day for entire inventory.

CONS:
– It can be cost prohibitive
– If not paired with initial upload, it can take a week or more to get a dealer’s entire inventory posted.

MONTHLY POSTING METHOD

The monthly method is setup so that all the cars post at the beginning of the month (or when the dealer signs up) and as new inventory arrives in the dealers feed, that inventory is posted to CL.

PROS:
– Easier to manage Cost.
– Inventory up immediately without build-up budget

CONS:
– Majority of inventory could drop off and be off of CL until reposted.
– Could go days or more in between fresh postings.

MONTHLY POSTING METHOD ——————————————

Independent dealer metro area
– 54 Vehicles Posted 12/21 – 1/20
– Monthly Posting Method
– 8 Calls
– 0 Emails
– $33.75 per lead

An easily identifiable pattern is that leads occur, when fresh inventory is posted. Today, we posted 4 vehicles. We got 2 new calls.
The last time leads were received for this dealer was Jan 8th & 9th, not coincidently we also posted vehicles on both of those days.
These guys are a prime candidate for a daily posting total.

Hyundai dealer metro area-
160 Vehicles Posted 12/21 – 1/20
– Monthly Posting Method
– 16 Calls
– 0 Emails
– $50 per lead

The last time a lead was received was Jan 11th, a day fin which we posted fresh inventory. Prior to that they received leads on Jan 8, Jan7, Jan 6, Jan 2 & Jan 1. All of those dates are either the same day or day after we post fresh inventory.
This is another example of a dealer that could benefit from daily posting.

Ford dealer metro area
– 174 Vehicles Posted 12/21 – 1/20
– Monthly Posting Method
– 94 Calls
– 2 Emails
– $8.28 per lead

This is a good example of a dealer that gets fantastic results on the monthly option. A quick look at their chart in the dealer interface points to the reasoning. They have fresh inventory posted on 16 out of the last 30 days (almost every other day). So while they aren’t on the daily posting method, they are getting fresh inventory on CL very frequently.

DAILY POSTING METHOD ——————————————

Franchised dealer metro area
– 210 Vehicles Posted 12/21 – 1/20
– Daily Posting Method
– 33 Calls
– 8 Emails
– $25.61 per lead

This is the 2nd dealer we put on the daily posting method. From 12/21 – 1/12 they received 24 leads while being on the monthly posting method. Since switching to the daily method (8 days ago) on 1/13 they have received 17 leads. So, prior to switching, they were averaging a lead or less a day. Now they’re averaging just over two leads per day.

Chevy dealer outside metro area
– 81 Vehicles Posted 12/21 – 1/20
– Daily Posting Method
– 10 Calls
– 0 Emails
– $40.50 per lead

This is another dealer we recently put on the daily posting method as a trial. Of their 10 leads, 7 have come since switching to the daily method. While their lead total isn’t good, it was far worse prior to being put on the daily method.

Independent in metro area
– 420 Vehicles Posted 12/21 – 1/20
– Daily Posting Method
– 93 Calls
– 2 Emails
– $21.32 per lead

This dealer has been on the daily method for the entirety of the last 30 days. They consistently get leads. There has only been 7 of the past 30 days in which they did not get a single lead.

– Dustin Moore Development
Operations Manager , ACS
T: 425.379.0483 x115 | F: 425.357.0796
[email protected] | autoclassifiedsolutions.com

Case Studies:

In this study, I’m going to show information for dealers on the daily posting method and the monthly posting method.

DAILY POSTING METHOD

The daily method, is posting a set number of vehicles every single day. This can be any number, though I think at least 5 per day would be best at minimum. Best when paired with an initial upload so that the dealer’s inventory is immediately available and then augmented every day.

PROS:
– Inventory Up Every Day
– Some inventory always at or near the top of the search
– No drop-off (expiration) day for entire inventory.

CONS:
– It can be cost prohibitive
– If not paired with initial upload, it can take a week or more to get a dealer’s entire inventory posted.

MONTHLY POSTING METHOD

The monthly method is setup so that all the cars post at the beginning of the month (or when the dealer signs up) and as new inventory arrives in the dealers feed, that inventory is posted to CL.

PROS:
– Easier to manage Cost.
– Inventory up immediately without build-up budget

CONS:
– Majority of inventory could drop off and be off of CL until reposted.
– Could go days or more in between fresh postings.

MONTHLY POSTING METHOD ——————————————

Independent dealer metro area
– 54 Vehicles Posted 12/21 – 1/20
– Monthly Posting Method
– 8 Calls
– 0 Emails
– $33.75 per lead

An easily identifiable pattern is that leads occur, when fresh inventory is posted. Today, we posted 4 vehicles. We got 2 new calls.
The last time leads were received for this dealer was Jan 8th & 9th, not coincidently we also posted vehicles on both of those days.
These guys are a prime candidate for a daily posting total.

Hyundai dealer metro area-
160 Vehicles Posted 12/21 – 1/20
– Monthly Posting Method
– 16 Calls
– 0 Emails
– $50 per lead

The last time a lead was received was Jan 11th, a day fin which we posted fresh inventory. Prior to that they received leads on Jan 8, Jan7, Jan 6, Jan 2 & Jan 1. All of those dates are either the same day or day after we post fresh inventory.
This is another example of a dealer that could benefit from daily posting.

Ford dealer metro area
– 174 Vehicles Posted 12/21 – 1/20
– Monthly Posting Method
– 94 Calls
– 2 Emails
– $8.28 per lead

This is a good example of a dealer that gets fantastic results on the monthly option. A quick look at their chart in the dealer interface points to the reasoning. They have fresh inventory posted on 16 out of the last 30 days (almost every other day). So while they aren’t on the daily posting method, they are getting fresh inventory on CL very frequently.

DAILY POSTING METHOD ——————————————

Franchised dealer metro area
– 210 Vehicles Posted 12/21 – 1/20
– Daily Posting Method
– 33 Calls
– 8 Emails
– $25.61 per lead

This is the 2nd dealer we put on the daily posting method. From 12/21 – 1/12 they received 24 leads while being on the monthly posting method. Since switching to the daily method (8 days ago) on 1/13 they have received 17 leads. So, prior to switching, they were averaging a lead or less a day. Now they’re averaging just over two leads per day.

Chevy dealer outside metro area
– 81 Vehicles Posted 12/21 – 1/20
– Daily Posting Method
– 10 Calls
– 0 Emails
– $40.50 per lead

This is another dealer we recently put on the daily posting method as a trial. Of their 10 leads, 7 have come since switching to the daily method. While their lead total isn’t good, it was far worse prior to being put on the daily method.

Independent in metro area
– 420 Vehicles Posted 12/21 – 1/20
– Daily Posting Method
– 93 Calls
– 2 Emails
– $21.32 per lead

This dealer has been on the daily method for the entirety of the last 30 days. They consistently get leads. There has only been 7 of the past 30 days in which they did not get a single lead.

– Dustin Moore Development
Operations Manager , ACS
T: 425.379.0483 x115 | F: 425.357.0796
[email protected] | autoclassifiedsolutions.com