Think like a Casino Owner to Get Your Facebook Posts Seen

We are seeing again and again that auto dealers who take social media seriously see their bottom lines grow.

That’s nice. But what does such social media mastery look like in practice?

Here’s the latest such story I’ve come across:

A dealer shared a promotion on their Facebook page in which they were giving away a free 42″ LCD TV with the purchase of any used vehicle over $10,000. The first comment to that post was a guy asking if they had any used trucks for between $10,000 and $12,000. The dealer’s social media staffer responded right away, sharing listings of some of the trucks that fit that range.

(That alone made a positive impression on me, and I wasn’t even their customer!)

So the man replied back said he would come in the next day to test drive a Chevy Silverado the dealer had in stock, and by the end of the day the customer was leaving with the truck, his new TV, and the dealership had locked in a sale that might have otherwise never materialized into signed contracts. (Not to mention making the social media manager look like a techno-stud to their boss.)

This is one of those marketing stories that gives you the warm and fuzzies, and that social media managers cannot tire to quote. But what good does it do for your dealership if your posts are never seen by your customers in the first place.

The solution?

Play the Odds

Casinos don’t care if you have a big night at the blackjack table every now and then. They know that the odds are in their favour. So if they have a big enough crowd of gamblers, and those gamblers play enough hands, then the casino will make money.

The same long-term thinking is needed when you use Facebook for marketing. Give yourself the best possible odds, and keep at it long enough so that eventually the numbers will be in your favour, and you’ll start generating leads over months of impressions and interactions.

Sure, not every one of your Facebook posts is going to be a lead machine. And not every person who walks into your dealership will buy something. (If otherwise, please correct us in the comments section below.)

Savvy Facebook marketing relies on playing the odds.

And What Are the Updated Odds?

Data company trackmaven.com has analyzed 1.5 million Facebook posts from 6,000 brand pages to determine which factors contribute to higher visibility on Facebook.

Here are some of their key findings, ensuring you the most eyeballs on your posts when properly leveraged:

• Always Use Images – People are 37% more likely to engage with your posts when your posts include pictures, compared to text-only ads.
• After Hours – Posts put up after the standard 9-5 business hours receive 11% more interaction. Time your next post just before that expected bump in traffic.
• Sunday – Fewer people are posting on the weekends, but Sunday posts are interaction gold; posts on Sundays get 25% more likes, shares, and comments than midweek or early weekend posts.
• What was that? – Posts that ask a question get 23% more engagement on average. Can you guess why?
• TGIT – The most popular day to post is Thursday, and the most popular time is 12:00 P.M; so either this is prime time for traffic, or your post will get burried under friends’ cat photos and engagement announcements. Test it for yourself.
  

Check out Trackmaven’s infographic below for more stats on what can take your Facebook posts to the top.

Connect with Strathcom on Facebook

Want to see some of these tips in action? Then connect with Strathcom Media on Facebook. We’re also just a few clicks of your keyboard away from answering all of your social media marketing questions.