TORONTO -

Social media is a social construct, a relationship, which happens to take place in a public digital space.

Many car dealers have begun to look to social media as a cost-effective way to get their messages in front of people who have already done business with them, or who might consider doing business with them.

If you haven’t gone down the social path yet but want to start, or intend to step up your efforts in this area, ask yourself: why do we want to connect with our customers in the first place? Well, obviously it’s because we want them to remember us and tell their friends about us and come back every chance they can to do business with us.

I urge you to take a step back for a minute and think about why people use social media in the first place, and what they do with it. The social media site with the most monthly visitors is Facebook, which late last year reported having over 1 billion monthly users.

The creator of Facebook is paraphrased as saying he started the site to help people share information with other people they care about.  Studies have shown that most people engage in social media activities with people with are like them, or who are of interest to them.

For these reasons, social media advertising is fundamentally different than any other kind of advertising, because unlike traditional advertising media, social media is a dialogue: Dialogue implies listening — and talking — ideally about something or some things that are of mutual personal interest.

When we ask our customers to “like us on Facebook!” or “follow us on Twitter!” for the sole purpose of keeping them interested in our business, the motivator is not mutual interest but broadcasting. When compared to the posts of relatives or friends, business promoting posts can look like that kid who stands on the side of the road in the clown costume with a sign that screams “Medium pepperoni only $4.99!”

People’s social media profiles are the most public expression of their private lives. How many of us would post advertisements in our customers’ bedrooms, in their kids’ lunch boxes or on top of their washing machines? 

People use social media to share things about their lives, their families, with people they care about and who care about them. They share ideas, stories, ask for advice and help;they are honest and expect honesty in return. Social media is a social construct for social gain. Not a business platform.

Once you are sure that you really want to be involved with your customers’ lives on that level, use good social media etiquette. If I want someone to follow me on Twitter for example, I find them, follow them, and social media manners generally dictate that if they know me and like me, they will follow back.

Here’s a novel idea: if you really want to invest for the long-term relationship of earned repeat business through social interaction, like your customers. Be their friend. Find them on social media sites, and politely ask if you can follow them.

And then (this is where the real magic happens, the tipping point on the delicate edge of disbelief that a company can be personal, and show interest in its customers best interests)listen to them. Don’t ask them to review you, respond to your posts or polls, or to rush in to save 25 percent off four-wheel alignment this Tuesday.

Listen to them, and maybe, when you can, post a relevant response. Don’t worry about picking the most popular site or media, but find a site that makes sense for you or your dealership’s communication style: I personally rarely log in to Facebook, but have hundreds of connections on LinkedIn, most of whom are people I actually have met and spoken to. 

I will leave you with one last question, and your answer to this should shape your expectations for your dealership’s social media efforts: Would you accept a customer’s friend request on one of your personal social media profiles?

If your customers’ agree to connect with you online, be gracious and respect the nature of their personal networks. Like them, listen to them, and recognize that your business — and you — are privileged to be involved in their personal spaces and life.

Cathie Clark is the principle at Automotive Insider Consulting.