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The long, fruitful partnership between Digital Air Strike and General Motors over the past ten years means GM dealers have benefited the most with the best solutions in the market. As the longest-running partner in General Motors’ Reputation Management Standards for Excellence (SFE) Program, dealers have the needed technology to get more positive reviews and star ratings from customers to rise above their competitors.
Digital Air Strike has worked with General Motors for nine years as a certified Reputation Management partner in the Standards for Excellence program. Digital Air Strike is also a certified Chat and Lead Response partner for GM dealers. Certification in the SFE program means GM has chosen and encourages its dealerships to work with top vendor partners with proven track records. Dealer partners like Digital Air Strike demonstrate value to auto dealerships and consumers.
Digital Air Strike was the first turnkey partner approved over ten years ago for iMR (in-market retail) funds for Online Reputation Management and Social Media Marketing Solutions. The iMR funds are part of General Motors’ co-op program, where the dealerships are reimbursed for a portion of eligible local advertising and digital marketing costs from approved vendors.
New Tech Offerings
Digital Air Strike’s consumer text messages and Amazon streaming ads are the newest approved digital marketing strategies available for GM dealers in the co-op program.
Only one in five emails is ever opened, but 95% of text messages are read within three minutes. That’s why Tom Peacock Cadillac in Houston, Texas, wanted to use text messages as a quick way to reach customers interested in buying a vehicle. The GM dealership chose Digital Air Strike’s Response Path Power Text as a safe, fast way to communicate important updates to customers’ mobile devices during Covid-19.
“We were looking for a more immediate way to reach our customers and got great responses from Digital Air Strike’s Response Path Power Text,” said the general manager of Tom Peacock Cadillac.
Dealers are always looking for new ways to reach consumers and advertise their available inventory. About 30% of U.S. consumers planned to cut the cord in 2021, and close to 90% of younger viewers from 18-24 years old watch streaming TV and movie programming. Instead of TV, billboards, and radio, dealers are now turning to Amazon streaming ads to sell more cars, find new trade-ins, and receive increased ad impressions over traditional advertising.
While consumers watch their favorite movies, TV shows, and live sports, streaming video ads can’t be skipped. Since the ads have a 97% completion rate, this means dealers can be sure their ads are being watched. The streaming ads also use Amazon’s first-party data, world-class audience insights, and CRM data to reach targeted viewers.
Solving Challenges
Recruiting and inventory challenges are two of the most significant issues facing auto dealers stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic. Digital Air Strike’s solutions help dealers solve these challenges.
More people want to work remotely. Millions of people have quit their jobs in what is being called the Great Resignation. These are reasons staffing and recruiting are a problem not only for dealerships but for U.S. businesses in general.
Over 4 million people quit their jobs in September alone. Many are seeking flexible job schedules to spend more time with their families. Others are starting new businesses.
Recruitment has become more digital with the fierce competition for open positions. Digital Air Strike has many new ways to fill open positions faster. New features include posting jobs on the dealer’s Google Business Profile to show up on the first page of Google for searching job seekers. Social recruiting on sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook is also a must to take advantage of the popularity of social media.
Dealers use social ads to promote competitive positions by advertising open positions to active job seekers on social media. Digital Air Strike helps dealers get creative with geotargeting to reach candidates based on demographics, interests, and online behaviors.
Using an AI chatbot on a dealer’s website is a great way to reach visitors who may also be looking for a job. By featuring open positions prominently and interactively in the website chat, dealers link to available employment and explain the great benefits.
Protecting and promoting a dealer’s reputation is also vital in recruiting. More than 70% of job seekers read reviews about companies, and 33% of candidates have rejected an offer due to bad reviews. Monitor and manage sites like Glassdoor to ensure your online reputation reflects your dealership. Respond to all reviews and use your responses to good and bad reviews as an opportunity to showcase your dealership benefits.
Record low inventory due to a worldwide semiconductor shortage and high consumer demand has led auto dealers to look for new ways to market their inventory. Over 4 million consumers want to buy a car but can’t find the specific vehicle they’re seeking because of low inventory, said Tyson Jominy, the vice president of data and analytics for J.D. Power.
Digital Air Strike helps GM dealers get the needed trade-ins and highlight vehicles to active car shoppers. New features include showcasing available inventory to car buyers actively shopping on Facebook and Instagram. Digital Air Strike’s AI-powered Facebook Messenger assistant automatically engages and responds to interested shoppers with inventory options, lease and finance payments, and pricing.
Digital Air Strike also enables dealers to leverage Google to highlight available inventory to active car shoppers on the dealer’s Google Business Profile. People searching for the dealership name can see availability, pricing, and critical information about cars for sale directly on Google.
Showcasing vehicle inventory on YouTube, the second largest search engine, is another way to drive interest in your cars. Digital Air Strike’s technology automatically creates a video for every vehicle in the dealer’s inventory and posts it to their YouTube channel. The inventory makes, model, year, and description are optimized for search results across YouTube, Google, and the internet.
Digital Air Strike’s eBay and Craigslist inventory solutions enable dealerships to showcase and sell their vehicles through the platforms. Dealers benefit from an expanded online presence on eBay, and Craigslist is a prime spot for in-market consumers looking for cars.
BestRide.com is Digital Air Strike’s newest offering after acquiring the site in 2021. Only Digital Air Strike dealers get the exclusive opportunity to display their vehicles on the site through a Virtual Showroom. High-quality leads are sent right to the dealer. BestRide.com also incorporates AI chatbots and lead response technology to engage fast with consumers and provide similar vehicle options.
Core Technology Solutions
Digital Air Strike has been known for its online reputation management solutions and technology for dealerships since the company began in 2010. Combining award-winning surveys and review technology with online reputation management allows auto dealers to look better online. Dealers are conquering their competition with higher star ratings, more positive reviews, and better engagement on social media.
Digital Air Strike provides a team of online reputation management experts who actively monitor, improve, and manage GM dealers’ online presence. The team professionally responds to online reviews and alerts the dealer when new reviews are posted.
Dimmitt Chevrolet uses Digital Air Strike to increase its positive online reviews and social media engagement and comply with GM SFE. Nightly customer surveys published on the dealership’s iMR website display the customer survey feedback and the dealership’s response. Digital Air Strike’s Review Surge allows customers to publicly share their positive survey results on several review sites. Dimmitt Chevrolet now has an average 4.8-star rating and over 1,000 new reviews.
“Since we have partnered with Digital Air Strike, we have seen an increase in positive reviews across many online review sites, including Facebook,” said the general manager of Dimmitt Chevrolet. “Digital Air Strike is always monitoring social and review sites for potential concerns. The faster any issues are resolved, the more likely the customer will return to us in the future.”
Dealers like O’Neil Buick GMC use Digital Air Strike’s award-winning search and social media marketing to increase brand awareness and connect to more online leads. The General Motors dealership uses Digital Air Strike’s team of social media experts to gain over 100 new Facebook followers, engage in over 150 Facebook conversations, and receive almost 75,000 new social interactions on social posts.
Digital Air Strike’s AI-powered Response Path does the heavy lifting for the dealer, allowing them to sell more vehicles and focus on the lower-funnel consumers. AI chat messaging allows GM dealers to answer customer questions, schedule appointments, and keep the dealership open 24/7. When customers are helped right away, they don’t seek out competitors.
Response Path also allows dealers and consumers to receive and send text messages with AI handling responses. GM dealers can send quick, custom price quotes with multiple vehicles to all leads captured through Response Path. Each quote includes a custom microsite with alternative vehicle recommendations.
Digital Air Strike’s patented AI lead response software Response Logix automatically responds to all leads within minutes, 24 hours a day. The technology emails a Smart Quote with multiple new and used vehicle options. Dealers see an increase in cars sold as the technology responds better and faster to online leads.
Shoppers are encouraged to value their trade-in with Kelley Blue Book, schedule a test drive, and get financing information online. The lead response software also follows up on leads automatically for up to 180 days, so no lead is left behind.
Besides the innovative technology, Digital Air Strike also offers unique benefits to clients. These perks include exclusive access to House of Blues’ Foundation Rooms across the country. Clients also receive incredible networking opportunities with the world’s top entrepreneurs.
Over 7,700 businesses work with Digital Air Strike to increase consumer response and conversions by leveraging AI-powered digital technology to generate measurable ROI. Request a 10-minute demo today for more information on digital marketing strategies.
