Stop using those old and tired methods for marketing your motorcycle dealership. If you aren’t using social media, then you are missing out on a huge opportunity to connect with your current and potential customers. Motorcycle social media focuses on creating an image, a lifestyle.
Develop your brand and create a community that your customers can feel a part of. This means you need to do more than just randomly post every once in a while.
Instead, you need to have a strategic plan and posting calendar. This way, you can optimize your social media so that you can make it work for you.
1. Use Platform Friendly Motorcycles Social Media Images
Did you know that your message is 70% more effective when you use an image than words alone? People respond better and pay more attention to images and video than text.
It isn’t enough to just post any old picture, though. Your audience has become discerning over the years and will ignore images that are dark, washed out, blurry, or misaligned. They also are starting to know the difference between stock and original art.
Now you could go out and hire a professional photographer. But this isn’t totally necessary. You just need someone who can take a well-framed and properly lit photo.
Once you have the images you want to use, you need to prepare them for posting. Each social media platform has its own dimensions for images. You need to follow these if you want your posts to look right.
If a professional photographer isn’t an option, and you can’t create your own shots, there is a third option. You can use free use images from sources like Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay. Or you could pay for images through a service like Adobe Stock.
2. Encourage Customers to Share Their Bike Buying Journey
This tactic lends well to the motorcycle business. Encourage your customers to share when they stop by. Have them check in when they check out the bikes.
Share with your followers the excitement when someone buys a new bike. This is a big deal to them, so why not encourage that excitement?
If you have some customers that have bought multiple bikes, share their story! This is a great way to acknowledge and thank your loyal customers while also encouraging others to come in and buy.
3. Curate and Share User Generated Content
Using user-created content has many benefits for your shop. First, it means less content that you need to create. This takes some of the workload off of you.
Second, it’s an easy way to engage with and acknowledge your customers and followers. Social media isn’t about shouting into the void. You need to interact with others. Posting their content helps you do that.
People get excited when companies share their posts. Some enjoy the acknowledgment; others want the exposure. Either way, they become more loyal to you when they see you value them.
4. Monitor Conversation About Your Business and Bikes
Social media a goldmine of information. You can “listen in” on what your customers are saying. There is an art to it, but if you can filter through the noise, there is some valuable data you can derive from social media.
Monitor what your competitors are doing. You can learn from their mistakes and offer a helping hand when they drop the ball with a dissatisfied customer.
Monitor mentions of your own business. This will let you immediately respond to comments whether they are good or bad. Active monitoring enables you to reward loyal advocates, salvage a sticky situation, generate new leads, and track general feeling and sentiment.
5. Make it Easy to Buy Motorcycle Products on Social
Obviously, no one is buying a motorcycle through Facebook or Instagram. But that doesn’t mean you can’t sell other items. Social driven retail sales are growing faster than other online channels. This is mainly because it makes it easy to impulse buy with just a click of the button.
For the buyer, the process is secure and seamless. It reduces what would normally be a multi-step process into a single tap of a button. It also allows you to sell even when your shop is closed, or people can’t make it in.
Facebook Buy Button
You could turn your Facebook page into a mini-store. You could showcase new items or your best selling products. Then promote special sales and promotions.
All you need to do is set up a “buy now” button.
Pinterest Buyable Pins
Pinterest has buyable pins that allow people to buy items in their favorite pins right from the app. All you need to do is create “aspirational and actionable” pins. Then connect that pin to items you sell.
With the nature of Pinterest and how pins are repinned and shared, you may find that you have new customers outside of your geographical retail area.
Instagram Shoppable Posts
Instagram has followed suit with shoppable posts. You post an Instagram post and then tag products in the image that are for sale. Then your followers just need to tap the shopping bag to see product details.
What Could You Sell?
Now you’re probably wondering, what would you sell. You could sell motorcycles, but it seems like a far stretch to expect people to buy a motorcycle through social media.
You could sell accessories or clothing. Here are some ideas to help you get started:
- Helmets
- Light kits
- Jackets
- Gloves
- Sunglasses
- T-shirts
- Rain suits
- Leather bags
- Boots
- Storage cover
6. Post Topical, Seasonal, and Motorcycle Event-Related Content
You should already have a seasonal calendar for your marketing efforts. This is the calendar you follow for having sales and incentives. You can use this calendar as a part of your social media planning. Promote your in-store specials on your social media accounts.
Most businesses stop at this point. This is a mistake. Don’t do this.
You also need to post seasonal content that isn’t promotional. Your audience will tune you out if everything you post is salesy and promotional. You come off as disingenuous.
There is also the mistake of not posting for all seasons. For instance, you need to post seasonally for the national holidays. But you also need to post seasonally for the industry. Acknowledge motorcycle events in the area.
Make Your Motorcycle Social Media Effective
If you aren’t using social media, then you are falling behind. You should be using social media to develop your brand and strengthen your relationship with your current customers.
If all of this sounds like a lot of work, you are right, it is. Why not focus on your strengths and let someone else focus on optimizing your social media? This enables you to focus on your business knowing that your social media is in good hands
Contact me today, and let’s create a social media gameplan for your motorcycle dealership.
