The art of automotive reputation management is the ability to make sure that your dealership looks great for potential customers. It keeps you relevant, front, and center through online reviews. It entails monitoring, managing, and improving metrics and the public perception of your store.

Statistics indicate that 82% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. You need to put a focus on reviews, including Google reviews, Facebook reviews, and more. Businesses with a high rating on Google reviews are five times more likely to be considered reputable by consumers.

Managing Your Dealership’s Reputation

Some best practices for effective reputation management include:

• Audit Your Current Reputation
  • This can start as easily as using Google to search your name and/or your dealership’s name.
  • Look at reviews on relevant platforms (e.g., Google Reviews, Facebook).
  • Understand what the current sentiment is.
    
    
• Establish a Strong Online Presence
  • If you do not already have business pages, create profiles on relevant social media platforms.
  • Use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to ensure positive content appears first.
    
    
• Create Quality Content
  • Regularly publish relevant, high-quality content. Keep your website updated.
  • Consider adding a blog, or guest posting on reputable platforms.
  • Engage with followers by sharing and commenting on relevant content.
    
    
• Monitor Any Mentions
  • Use tools like Google Alerts to monitor mentions of your name or dealership.
  • Pay attention to the reviews, comments, and feedback. Answer accordingly.
    
    
• Engage and Respond
  • Always respond to online reviews, whether it’s positive or negative.
  • Handle any criticism professionally and constructively.
  • Always show your appreciation for feedback.
  • Appreciate and reward your staff for 5-star reviews.
    
    
• Encourage Reviews and Testimonials
  • Happy customers are always your best advocates.
  • Ask satisfied customers to leave positive reviews. Make it easy for them to do so.
  • Display testimonials on your website.
    
    
• Address Any Negative Content
  • Correct factual inaccuracies promptly and politely.
  • If a negative review is due to a genuine mistake on your part, acknowledge the error, apologize, and indicate steps you're taking to rectify it and prevent the same from occurring in the future.
  • Consider a proactive public relations campaign if your dealership is facing widespread negative reviews.
    
    
• Be Consistent
  • Your messaging and responses should be consistent across all platforms.
  • Maintain a consistent posting schedule and engagement level.
  • Have an appointee in your dealership oversee the reputation management functions.
    
    
• Stay Updated
  • Reputation management is dynamic; always stay informed regarding the latest trends and platforms.
  • Continuously evaluate your strategy and adapt accordingly.
    
    
• Prepare for Crises
  • Have a crisis management plan in place. Determine in advance who will speak on behalf of your organization and how you will communicate with the public and stakeholders.
  • If a reputation crisis hits, act quickly and transparently, acknowledging any wrongdoing and outlining your action plan.
  • Be aware that there are AI bots that are available to deliver a slew of negative reviews about your dealership. Handle this by posting repeatedly that a bot is active, and reviews should be disregarded until it is mitigated by e.g., Google, Facebook, etc.
    
    
• Empower Employees
  • Your employees are the ambassadors of your dealership brand.
  • Train them in the importance of maintaining a positive brand image for your dealership and how they can contribute.
    
    
• Continuously Learn and Adapt
  • Reputation management is not a one-time, set it and forget it task. Stay updated with new tools, platforms, and strategies.
  • Learn from mistakes and be prepared to adjust your approach as needed.

Don’t Let Your Dealership Reputation Fall Behind

For our dealers, we start with an audit of their current reputation, to set a baseline and to advise on room for improvement along with a strategy to tackle it. We also do a competitive analysis to see how they compare to their competitors. We provide an app solution that allows for a seamless transition to take a photo, post to your business page, and text a link to your customers to give them an easy, simplistic way to post a positive review. Further, we suggest a reward system for sales representatives that get a 5-star review.

Building and maintaining a positive reputation takes time and consistent effort. However, the benefits of a good reputation, such as increased trust, more business opportunities, and better relationships with customers, are well worth the effort.

Contact Lou Nitti with your dealership questions at lnitti@ezvds.com or on LinkedIn.