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5 Social Media Tactics to Build Dealer Loyalty

5 Social Media Tactics to Build Dealer Loyalty

Effective social media tactics demand more than just selfies and news articles.

For the B2B relationship, it can be a powerful tool. Specifically, social media can be utilized to improve dealer loyalty and help your brand better connect with its customers.

So we’ve put together five social media tactics that can help you do just that.

As you read through, it’s important to keep in mind that these ideas are general guidelines. Each market has unique considerations that may make some tactics more relevant than others.  But you can build upon each one of these to make them relevant to your market.

1. Ask a question.

Asking questions on social media is helpful in several ways — it’s a great way to gather insight from your dealers and customers, and it also shows them that you value their opinion. And we know people love to share their opinions and offer advice. Ultimately, this encourages engagement, which is what social media is all about.

What should you ask? Anything that engages your followers or provides you with helpful information.

For example, Blendtec, a high-speed blender manufacturer, took to social media to ask their followers to vote on the color of one of their new blender models. The response was overwhelming, and hundreds of dealers, customers and buyers voted. This was a fun way to not only engage their audience, but to find out valuable information about what the consumers really wanted.

2. Resolve problems.

Have you ever looked at a company’s social media feed and noticed negative comments? With social media, customers and dealers alike can go and air their grievances for all to see.

And that’s ok.

Don’t let this turn you off from social media.

When managed properly, addressing an issue or solving a problem can actually work in your favor, turning a negative experience into a positive one.

Let’s say a dealer turns to social media to complain about too many of your products arriving with broken parts. You immediately apologize and let him know a replacement is on the way. Then, you take it a step further and reevaluate your packaging, only to discover inadequate packing materials are causing the damage. You follow up with the dealer to thank him for bringing the issue to your attention and reassure him that you’ve beefed up your packaging to prevent damage in the future.

The problem is solved, and the dealer’s faith is restored.

The key to minimizing negative space is to respond quickly and publicly. When people make or see a complaint, they expect a response from the company. Take the details offline if you need to, but respond quickly. Keep your responses professional and do your best to solve the issue as soon as possible.

3. Share a secret.

People love to see what goes on behind the scenes. This is where video content can be especially useful.

Post a quick video of your assembly line at work, or a tour of your facility. A video showing a complex process, product demonstrations or how to utilize a certain feature can be invaluable. This type of video provides knowledge that in turn helps your dealers learn and sell your product.

A photo of your customer support team and a caption about how much they love to help their customers can also help build loyalty. Dealers want to know you support their customers, too. Providing your social media audience with an inside look at operations behind the scenes can also reinforce their belief in you and your processes.

4. Reward them.

Your rewards don’t have to be monetary. They don’t even need to be tangible. Most companies on social media appreciate any opportunity to be recognized. A shout-out on social media can help solidify a dealer relationship and build loyalty in your brand.

One of the “rewards” dealers appreciate the most is access. Reward them with the opportunity to test a product, or give them a special offer.

5. Keep your objectives in sight.

Finally, make sure your social media activity aligns with your objectives. You’re trying to increase the dealer’s loyalty with the ultimate goal of creating more dealers who are brand heroes. Create a social media strategy and plan of action that aligns with your objectives, and then make sure each post brings you closer to your goal.

Whatever media platform you use — whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn or one of the many others — these social media tactics can help you build loyalty among your dealers and provide better insight into your customers’ needs.