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Creative ways to bring F&I into social media conversations

June 13, 2018

Car buyers today want to know more about F&I products before they enter the dealership so they can make more informed decisions. Find out some simple ways to integrate F&I products into your social media discussions.

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If your dealership is posting regularly to social media, you’ve found a great way to connect with customers. But take a look at your content—are you leaving one of your most profitable opportunities out of the conversation? Talking about your vehicle protection products on social media takes some creative thought but can go a long way in helping customers understand them, which is proven to increase sales. Here are some ideas to get you started . . .

  1. Have your F&I team encourage customers to follow you on Facebook or Twitter. At the very least, when employees follow-up with customers via e-mail, they should include social icons within the e-mail and direct customers to any F&I content.

  2. Connect products to big events in the news (“newsjacking”) or in popular culture. For example, if hailstorms are all over the news, talk about dent protection.

  3. Push out a post-purchase survey that keeps customers thinking about F&I products, using questions about driving habits, vehicle usage, expected length of ownership and unexpected repair bills.

  4. Push out poll questions to followers that could spark a conversation on F&I products, such as “how long do you typically keep a new car?”

  5. Announce new F&I products in creative ways, such as a video of your F&I manager explaining how the product works and who would find it beneficial, then put it on your YouTube page and push out through other digital communications.

  6. Use storytelling (one of the best types of content for social media) to help build customer relationships and trust. Share stories about your dealership’s support for local charities or other topics that take the focus off “selling.”

  7. Ask loyal customers to tell their product stories when they have a positive experience—roadside assistance service has the possibility of some intriguing stories.

  8. Have your employees encourage happy customers to leave positive reviews, but don’t be tempted to push too hard or incentivize. Authenticity is critical. Always leave a thankful response for positive comments and respond immediately to negative ones.

 

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The information in this publication was compiled from sources believed to be reliable for informational purposes only. All representations and sample policies and procedures herein should serve as guidelines, which you can use to create your own policies and procedures. We trust that you will customize and adapt these samples to reflect your own operations and believe that these samples may serve as a helpful platform for this endeavor. Any and all information contained herein is not intended to constitute advice (particularly not legal advice). Accordingly, persons requiring advice should consult independent advisors when developing programs and policies including social medial marketing programs. We do not guarantee the accuracy of this information or any results and further assume no liability in connection with this publication and sample policies and procedures, including any information, methods or suggestions contained herein. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any of this information, whether to reflect new information, future developments, events or circumstances or otherwise. Moreover, Zurich reminds you that this cannot be assumed to contain every acceptable procedure or that additional procedures might not be appropriate under the circumstances. The subject matter of this publication is not tied to any specific insurance or F&I product nor will adopting these policies and procedures ensure coverage under any insurance policy.

Related Industries

Automotive