@koningwoning – Definitely. It’s the lack of research and information that is making the social media boom an opportunity for fakes and scammers.

@Annie – great point! I can see it soon becoming simply “Media”. It would make more sense since radio, television, and print are all heading online anyway and going Web 2.0.

What’s most amazing to me is, regardless of the numbers, the vast majority of companies large and small still ignore SM, calling it a fad, a waste of time, silly. It’s THAT that I almost find more fascinating than the success of companies that DO get it.

“We know we need to be in it Larry, now give us a road map for getting it done.”

I posted a commented on another post by someone claiming to hate Chris Brogan and talking about the “Experts” in social media (the post was a grandstand and doesn’t deserve a link here that is why I am not mentioning the name of the post or liking to it). The comment was basically that there are no “Experts” in social media, just a lot of opinions right now.

“I think the only bad thing you can do in social media is to not get involved right now, jump in with both feet and engage in the conversation. In the end it is going on with or without you”

That’s how I started this road map for these dealers on social media. Three other step I gave these dealers coming from what I have learned from you and others as well as through my own experience at Motortrendsonline.com

1. First Listen – set up a listening post through Google Reader and Technorati. It’s hard to engage customers about what they are talking about unless you listen first.
Setup a Gmail account (if you don’t already have one)
Go to http://www.google.com/reader this is your listening post

Go to http://www.technorati.com type your name, your companies name in quotes in the search bar when the search results come up right click the RSS feed button copy the link location
Go back to http://www.google.com/reader click the blue plus (+) button and past the link in Google reader. Do this for your name, your dealerships name, your OEM, models ect. and start with listening to the conversation first.

2. Setup a Facebook account and a fan page, Unblock Facebook access for you employees have them join your face book as friends and join your fan page. One of the first lessons I learned in Auto Sales in 1984 was to compile a friends and family list and work with them to get sales and referrals, My god here is a way to do that at the speed of light. Stop blocking your people from doing this from work, relationships are their work.

3. When you do engage in the conversation do so to help, not to sell but genuinely help the customer get what they want.
Be authentic – say what you mean and do what you say
Be Genuine – you have want to do what you say you’re going to do…you might have to do it.
Be Helpful – sometimes being helpful means going out of your way to do something nice for someone FOR FREE.

JD I know you can add to this list so lets do so and take our own advice above. As Chris said in a blog post on competition “The best way to compete today…help” that is sound advice for anyone today competing in business of any kind.

Larry Bruce (@pcmguy)

http://www.drivingsales.com/blogs/paschconsulting/2009/11/20/the-social-media-king-had-no-clothes