But how can you as a car dealer become more popular and profit from owning your own media… and what are the multitude of benefits by doing so?
First, let us explain the term media.
“The concept of mass media is complicated in some internet media as now *individuals have a means of potential exposure on a scale comparable to what was previously restricted to select group of mass media producers. These internet media can include television, personal web pages, pod casts and blogs.” (Source. Wikipedia.org).
To give you a hint, let’s have a look at one of the early media tycoon's… Lord Beaverbrook.
Over time, he turned the dull newspaper into a attractive, witty journal, filled with many dramatic photo layouts and in 1918, he founded the Sunday Express.
By 1934, daily circulation reached 1,708,000, generating huge profits for Aitken whose wealth was already such that he never took a salary.
Following World War II, the Daily Express became the largest selling newspaper in the world, by far, with a circulation of 3,706,000.
How To be THE Preferred Car Dealer of Choice
Let me deconstruct my first above underlining.*individuals have a means of potential exposure on a scale comparable to what was previously restricted to select group of mass media producers.
Cost, circulation and distribution warded off others who understood that owning your own media has many, many advantages.
Now, the flood gates are open for all to dominate, persuade, influence, educate and be THE preferred dealership of those who are drawn into to your slick media.
Owning media is and can be the difference between being a "hero" or "zero".
Or maybe you are quite happy running with your daily numbers, but wouldn’t you like to dominate your geographical area?
Let me show you how…
….First, decide which media you want to control.
This is where those who understand the media’s power often fail. For example…you may have decided you want to be the preferred choice of Baby Boomers (55 plus).
There are national magazines, and there will also be local media that targets this profitable market segment.
It may be a web site, or an association, or a political party, or a complementary business such as a hair dressers. You can either buy the media for its readership or start your own. I often get asked which is the best media to use.
My response…” there is no good or bad media.”
You have to decide and test which works best for you and your dealership. A major flaw is being reliant on only one.
One is a Dangerous Number
It is advisable to have a stable of successful media all working at the same time and never relying on just one.The smart Car Dealer will have many diverse and stable media’s to draw from.
And the same goes for income.
Diversity = Stability. And The Number 1 Is A Dangerous Number. Anyway, start with one media and see what your return on investment will be.
If I were a car dealer in today's economy, which media would I chose?
Start with your skill set first. If you are a reasonable writer then assemble articles/ press releases to be published in the local media. This technique alone will position you as the ‘Celebrity Dealer.’
If you are comfortable being in front of a camera or speaking…then it has to be Internet video such as You Tube or Pod casts.
Since the mid half of this century, TV has been the mass media of choice for a most every North American.
You can use the Internet as the spring board to larger TV networks.
Or who do you think a person is going to go to when they search on Google and find a car delaer who has his own TV Show?
It does not matter how professional you think you are or how well your TV show is put together.
What matters most is this: “In day-to-day commerce, television is not so much interested in the business of communications as in the business of delivering audiences to advertisers. People are the merchandise, not the shows. The shows are merely the bait.”
Have a great, profitable week!
