Automotive Inventory Ads or AIA will be what most users switch to once the changes are adapted. AIA functions like current free business listings do but come with the added benefit of targeting users most likely to convert or make a sale. The new AIA will show inventory ads to relevant shoppers based on recent website, app, or marketplace visits and user interactions. Furthermore, these ads will be easier to set up and maintain, more effective across different devices, and deliver more ads to interested users.

In addition to the changes coming to third party providers, Facebook also announced that they will be shifting their resources from largely supporting vehicle distribution to expanding features for shipped goods and onsite checkouts via the platform. While these features haven’t been detailed out yet, we are looking forward to learning more about what the social giant has in store for us. 

What’s Staying the Same:
While it feels like a lot is changing, there are a few things you can count on to remain the same in the coming season. The Vehicles tab for example, associated with catalogs, will remain unchanged and functional on your Facebook’s business page. User’s can easily visit your page and click the tab to see available product offerings just as they do now. Additionally, users who manually post to Marketplace will not experience any service changes and may continue to post without any additional charges added on. 

What Comes Next: 
The next few months will be crucial for any dealers wanting to stay ahead of the game. Connect with your provider to ensure they are aware of the change and have a plan for what is to come in the next few months. This change presents a huge opportunity for dealers leveraging the next generation of Marketplace tools to position themselves ahead of competition on the platform. Make sure your provider has a plan to provide AIA specific tools that benefit you and prevent disruptions to your dealership’s marketing efforts. Start preparing the necessary tools to maintain effective marketing on the platform this upcoming September.

Additional Resources: 
https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1510143265745613?id=378777162599537

In 2019, 79 percent of U.S. Americans had a social media profile and that number has only continued to grow since. As a result, everyone from politicians to teenagers use the most popular social media sites daily. Search practically any business on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and you will find a page where the business can interact with its audience in real-time. Staying connected to family, friends, businesses, and our personal interests is what social media is all about.

The expansiveness of the online platforms have created an entirely new standard for communication, and with the plethora of updates, posts, and tweets how do you stand out amongst the crowd? Fortunately, following these five steps will help you increase your social media engagement and reach your target audience.

Step 1: Share Valuable Content
First and foremost, you need content. Even if it’s not yours, share it. You want your social media page to be an authority by providing valuable information, that includes specific business and industry-related info. Whether it be a post from a major news source or one of your dedicated followers, this content is the lifeblood of your social media.
Updating content allows users to see that you are active and attempting to engage with them, which can lead to more positive impressions of your business. Just remember that this content should be about what your audience finds interesting, helpful, or newsworthy. The more engaged users, the more likely they are to stay on your page and view your products.

Step 2: Use Video and Photos
Using visuals and having quality content go hand-in-hand on social media. By nature, we tend to be drawn to visuals more than plain text. Not only is it more aesthetically pleasing, but it’s also proven to receive higher engagement online. According to a content preferences survey, “91% of consumers now prefer interactive and visual content over traditional, text-based or static media”. Visuals work well on practically any social media platform and help the reader to remember content better. Platforms such as: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter are ideal for posting visual content like photos or videos.

Consider investing some time into creating educational and informative videos to show your expertise and authority in your industry. These can be displayed across websites and social platforms to increase engagement among followers. Remember you don’t always have to use a video, as they can be time consuming to produce by yourself. Consider opting for quality images or even short clips to share on the regular. Without visual aids a follower may scroll through their entire newsfeed and not give any notice to your stand alone text.

Step 3: Facebook Ads and Boosts
To begin, Facebook ads are not free, but they do resemble the typical “pay-per-click” campaign, which makes them well worth it. Pay-per-click means you only pay for the ads that actually worked i.e., by getting someone to click on them. When it comes to budgeting, Facebook allows you to specify your budget and manage all spending from the platform. Facebook ads can be successful and a more budget friendly option for smaller businesses.

If you choose to “boost” a post, that post will show up as “sponsored” in the newsfeed, unlike traditional ads that appear in the sidebar. If you “boost” a post, ensure it is concise and engaging to pull interested users in for a click.

Facebook also allows you to choose an audience based on the age, location, or time of day you want to reach them. These specifications and many more enable businesses to reach interested buyers in no time. With Facebook’s 1.69 billion active users a day in 2019, advertising and boosting on the platform can be crucial to your businesses exposure.

Step 4: Use Tags
If you have partnered with a company or you and that company have a relationship in some way, tag it. The tag likely will be seen by their followers and can encourage them to click on your organization. Recognition is always a good thing and using tags will often get your business more of it. Tagging important or relatable content will also allow a larger user base to see and interact with your posts. Many businesses use custom tags to follow giveaways, important events, or even social movements. Use tags across all social media platforms for the greatest impact.

Step 5: Post in Groups
Online platforms that have “Groups” give you the opportunity to engage with people interested in what you have to offer. Facebook has a multitude of local and national “For Sale” groups that you can advertise on free of charge. These communities are receptive to content that strikes their interests. In addition, many users receive notifications of new group postings, so remember to participate frequently and stick to the subject matter. Frequent participation is always a good practice and applies to any social media groups that you may join.

If you incorporate these 5 easy steps to your social media routine, you’ll begin seeing an increase in your media engagement. The truth of the matter is, you will get out what you put into it. Be engaging, create strong content, and use advertising and tags to reach the audience you want.

1. Five Compliance Process and Procedures Manuals must be printed, bound, executed by a Compliance Officer and be on display – the five manuals are Red Flags; Disposal; OFAC; Safeguard; and, USA Patriot Act.
   
2. A recurring training program for all management and everyone who deals with private, personally identifiable information;
   
3. A trained Compliance Officer who is familiar with the rules, the policy and procedure manuals and who will sign the manuals and ensure best compliance efforts.
   

• The Patriot Act requires that you verify the identity of the person that you are dealing with – at the time of delivery you should do the following – have the customer leave their driver's license and, if possible, their social security card (warn them in advance) on the table or in the unit being delivered before you present the documents for signing – verify and copy those and return them with the documents for signing
  
• Ensure that you have Red Flag checks turned on in your Credit Bureau returns
  
• Use soft credit pulls with Red Flag checks turned on for your cash buyers
  
• Slow down – even more – anyone in a rush today should be slowed and investigated fully – confirm that there are no Red Flags, verify identity
  
• While documents may be trickier to physically handle, the rules on Disposal and Safeguard have not changed – use gloves to handle the documents for 72 hours and to handle shredding for 72 hours – and shred and file these exactly the way they should be