JAZEL AUTO BLOG

The Ultimate List of Dealership Online Marketing Resources

By Jazel Auto Marketing

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When it comes to online marketing for dealerships, there’s really never enough information. We’re always looking for the next great source of data, tips, news and insights, and we figured that ambitious and knowledge-seeking dealers might like the same information we do. So we made our list of resources public. If you have some place you go for all your info that’s not on the list, let us know! And keep checking back. We love to update. Enjoy!

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Blogs

Podcasts

Youtube Channels

Conferences

 

Dealership Online Marketing Blogs

We love blogs. There’s always something new to read. Fascinating research and data, a new approach to digital marketing, a brilliant advertising strategy, a better lesson about SEO or PPC. We read it all, because in this industry, knowledge is power. And because we love sharing that knowledge, here’s a list of some of the best blogs out there.

 

Think With Google

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-gb/topics/automotive.html

Want insights based on extensive data analysis by one of the biggest data-giants in the world? Think With Google is a blog you have to be reading. These insights are helping dealers build their businesses to weather the challenges of the future with data-driven information. Let’s be honest, if Google is telling you something, the best thing to do is to listen. Read. This. Blog.

 

Dealer Authority

http://dealerauthority.com/category/general/

The Dealer Authority blog focuses on one of our favorite (and one of the most important) rules of dealership marketing: content should appeal to customers. The blog is full of posts about reaching customers better, humanizing your marketing and dealership, and adding personality to all things dealership-marketing.

 

The Dealer Geek

http://thedealergeek.com/

The Dealer Geek blog is a wonderful resource for a wide variety of dealership marketing topics. The blog is what author Ryan Thompson calls “my personal journey in the car biz,” but with focuses on sales and marketing, technology, and social media, Thompson’s blog is a resource for dealers of all kinds.

 

Mudd

http://mudd.com/blog/

Got questions about SEO, SEM, and PPC? Then the Mudd Advertising blog is your best friend. The weekly blog posts are short, sweet, and directly to the point. One of the best aspects of the Mudd blog is the huge backlog of posts. If you get on a reading roll, this blog can keep you busy all day.

 

Full Throttle

http://www.wearefullthrottle.com/blog/

The Full Throttle Blog is a great blog that covers all the aspects of dealership marketing, from email marketing to search to writing great content. With a ton of how-to articles and descriptions of strategy, this is a great blog for someone who wants actionable insights to really help them take the advantage.

 

9 Clouds

https://9clouds.com/blog/

We have to be honest, 9 Clouds is one of our favorite blogs. They consistently produce great content, and a ton of it. If you’re really looking to beef up your all around digital marketing knowledge, particularly email marketing, content creation, SEO, and social media, the 9 Clouds blog is a perfect place to begin.

 

Click Here

http://www.clickherepublishing.com/about/blog/

Offering only monthly posts might seem a bit sparse, but Click Here makes up for it with in-depth blog posts that don’t just reiterate the same old boring information. If you’re looking for a bit of a fresh perspective on social media, technology, and digital strategy, Click Here can offer up a useful resource. A word of caution, as you go through the backlog, expect a large number of press-release style posts that can mostly be ignored.

 

Relevate Auto

http://www.relevateauto.com/blog/

Relevate Auto’s blog is a phenomenal source of well-written, in depth dealership marketing news and digital marketing strategy. Relevate blog posts are fully developed, packed with statistics, graphics, and useful examples. Better yet, they post new content weekly, so you’re never without something new or interesting to read.

 

Hedges and Company

https://hedgescompany.com/blog/

Hedges and Company might look a little old fashioned, but the content they generate weekly is anything but. With news, strategy, and tactics that span all departments of a dealership, this blog puts out content all along the front lines of dealership digital marketing. Hedges and Company is particularly useful if you love data. They put out frequent posts reporting and analyzing on data from the automotive world.

 

Kruse Control

https://www.krusecontrolinc.com/kruse-control-blog-automotive-social-media/

Social media been getting you down? Kruse Control has a truly awesome social media marketing blog. If you’re looking to really ramp up your social media game, this is the blog for you. Weekly posts break down the basics and the intricacies of social media marketing, dealership reputation management, and other super helpful tips for the dealer looking for an edge.

 

 

Dealership and Auto Industry Podcasts

You can’t make more time, but you can use your time better. It’s a saying that we’ve always tried to live by, and honestly, podcasts are a big help with that. Adding these podcasts to your listening life will help you generate exciting new ideas, fix problems you didn’t know you had (or didn’t know were fixable), keep up to date on automotive news, and take your dealership to the next level.

 

The MarketPunch Podcast

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/marketpunch-podcast-podcast-for-automotive-digital/id735870886?mt=2

You really can’t go wrong with this professional and polished podcast. Jason Stum discusses different dealership digital marketing tactics in each of his episodes. Guest interviews, tips, tactics, and fantastic actionable insights in every episode make this a must-listen for every dealer who wants to stand out and sell more.

 

The Dealer Playbook

http://thedealerplaybook.com/episodes/

The Dealer Playbook is one of the best podcasts out there for auto dealers. Each week, host Michael Cirillo has a guest on the show to fully explore dealership sales, marketing, and motivation. Scattered among these full-length episodes are minisodes, where Cirillo discusses quick tips and tricks on various topics. This podcast is extremely well-produced and professional.

 

The Funnel

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/funnel-sales-marketing-podcast/id617469647?mt=2

The Funnel is more of a sales-oriented podcast, but it still extremely valuable for marketing, particularly inbound marketing, as well as sales-marketing alignment. The podcast does do some self-promotion, but in general the content is solid. This podcast is absolutely worth adding to your listening list.

 

Traffic Builders

http://www.trafficbuildersusa.com/automotive-marketing-resources/podcasts.php

The Traffic Builders podcast discusses a much-neglected area of dealership marketing – the service department. So far there are only four episodes, but it’s worth it to get some information on digital marketing for the service side of the dealership.

 

The Motorcar Marketing Podcast

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/motorcar-marketing-podcast/id884346994?mt=2

Motorcar Marketing is dedicated to helping dealers sell more and maximize their advertising ROI in all channels. It doesn’t seem like they have released any episodes since 2015, but their small backlog still delivers actionable tips and valuable information for anyone interested in digital dealership marketing.

 

Car Dealer Marketing Youtube Channels

Sometimes, it’s best to learn by watching, and reading or listening just won’t cut it. So we’ve posted some of our favorite Youtube channels for solid dealership digital marketing advice and instruction. These are perfect if you want to maximize your down time in a way that’s both entertaining and informative.

 

Flex Dealer

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr5n6d1TQrTqrIW3A1lOnsw

This Youtube channel has a great variety of videos for every topic in dealership digital marketing. There is some fluff that doesn’t matter much and you can probably skip, but there are some gold nuggets as well. If you prefer videos to podcasts or blogs, check out this channel.

 

The Dealer Playbook

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcEyv4hFxYuU_S8mB3cYx3w

Yes, Cirillo has a Youtube channel as well as a podcast, and yes, it’s just as good. With sub-channels like “Automotive Digital Markeitng” and “Automotive Personal Branding,” you can be sure that no matter what your interest is, there’s a video that you’d love. If there’s one channel you HAVE to check out, it’s this one.

 

Digital Dealer

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT3-Pv_VbyQXbyIfD0gn0SQ

Didn’t get a chance to go to the Digital Dealer conference? Make up for that by watching the speakers on this Youtube channel. Every digital marketing topic you could dream of it discussed at one point or another, and you can be sure that you’re getting information from experts in each subject.

 

iFrog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6JGJzlyYwICZee2Uqp35AQ

An early warning, many of the videos iFrog posts are self-promotional. That being said, there are a few here and there that provide valuable information on dealership digital marketing for the average dealer. iFrog does a good job, particularly when it comes to social media. All you have to do is sort through a little bit.

 

Joe Webb

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr78YteNggMUZQB70QQHnXQ

Joe Webb produces tons of funny “car guy” videos that highlight and poke fun at various aspects of the car business. These videos aren’t all jokes however, there are a ton of videos with great information, predictions, analysis, and strategy. There is also a tremendous backlog of great videos to check out. We couldn’t recommend this channel more.

 

Sean V. Bradley

https://www.youtube.com/user/SeanVBradleyTV

The passionate and intense Sean V. Bradley is the founder and president of Dealer Synergy, and has his own Youtube channel packed with videos. ‘Make Money Mondays’ video seek to inspire and motivate salespeople with tips, tricks, and stories. There are also the ‘Bradley on Demand’ videos, which cover internet sales topics across the industry.

 

 

Auto Industry Conferences

 

NADA

http://show.nada.org/

NADA is the auto industry conference of the year. Get ready for vendors, speakers, exhibitions, workshops and more, and topics spanning the entirety of the automotive industry. If you only go to one conference – it should be NADA.

 

NIADA

https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ehome/niada2017/471100/

This is the biggest event of the year for independent dealers. Like NADA, it spans the whole gambit of auto industry topics. This is absolutely one to mark down on the calendar, particularly for independent dealers across the U.S.

 

J.D Power Automotive Roundtable

https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ehome/238089

This two day symposium features speakers from both within the auto industry, and outsiders who have knowledge to share with dealers. Only in its 12 year, but with over 90 speakers and 1400 attendees, the J.D Power Automotive Roundtable is quickly becoming one of the more important events to attend in the year.

 

Driving Sales Executive Summit

http://www.drivingsales.com/dses/

This is one of the premier events of the year for dealerships. Intended to help dealers strategize for their next sales year, Driving Sales brings together the most progressive minds in the auto industry to share knowledge and inspire dealers. Driving Sales also presents awards at the conference, including the coveted Innovation Cup. Don’t miss this one.

 

Digital Dealer

http://www.digitaldealer.com/conference/

The Digital Dealer conference focuses on maximizing profits in a digital world, but this is by no means the only topic of discussion. The conference has dozens of educational sessions that are taught by industry influencers and experts, as well as an exhibit hall to explore the latest in dealership technology.

 

SMX

http://marketinglandevents.com/smx/west/

OR

http://marketinglandevents.com/smx/east/

If you don’t go to Digital Dealer, you should go to SMX. SMX is all about Search Marketing. One of the most important aspects of digital marketing and getting new customers in the door. There are solo speakers, panels, roundtables, and clinics to get all the best and most up to date information in the industry. Even better, there are events in both New York and California, so you don’t have to travel too far.

 

Digital Marketing Strategies Conference

http://digitalmarketingstrategies.org/

This conference, as its name implies, is all about digital marketing. A much smaller event than other conferences, the event focuses on executive-level workshops. The idea is to have an immersive experience surrounded by a dedicated group of likeminded and ambitious dealers. If the massive crowds and hurried interactions of NADA isn’t really your thing, this is a great event to check out.