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In the first two posts of our three-part series, we discussed best practices around SEO and PPC Advertising.  In today's final installment, we'll take a look at email marketing and social media.

It’s that time again. We’ve started thinking about our resolutions for the upcoming year and the challenge is about to  begin. Maybe they’re personal, or perhaps professional.  Regardless of your role in the company it is important to always set career related goals. To start the year off with some fun and perhaps a little help, the Insignia team pooled some ideas on a list of 2013 New Year’s Resolutions for dealerships. I know what you're thinking-people are not very good at keeping their New Year’s resolutions. Four in five Americans fail to attain their New Year’s resolution, with a third giving up before the end of January. Well we just didn’t offer resolutions. We also left some tips on how to keep them obtainable.

Perhaps no single innovation has affected American culture more than the fast food concept. Not only are fast food restaurants present in every state, and virtually every city in the country, (both large and small), the fast food model of quick and convenient has become ingrained in the American psyche.

In my last post, I discussed the benefits of SEO. Today, I want to take a closer look at Pay-Per-Click, (PPC) advertising. The key lesson here is that PPC advertising can be profitable…but it’s not simple.  Here are some tips that will help simply the process.

There are two ways to scale your online auto accessories business: reaching new customers, and retaining old ones. Find the sweet spot between these strategies, and you'll create a positive feedback loop that puts you on a continuous path toward success. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at SEO.

Recently I was talking with the owner of a dealer group about personalizaation. We talked about his team's desire to sell vehicle personalization across his 17 dealerships.  I talk with so many dealership owners that simply have a tough time motivating their team to sell BEYOND the vehicle. Many--maybe too many--accept this as “the way it is.”

This particular dealer principal's comment was simple: “We all like cars, and we all like the toys and accessories that go on cars. That’s why it’s such a fun business. If you can’t close your people on that, maybe you’re in the wrong business.”

Chances are, you've never made it inside the GM Heritage Center. It's not open to the public. This video gives us a sneak peek into some of the historic, ground breaking, and latest technology enabled vehicles you can find inside. The center serves as a showcase for the GM product line.  As stated by the GM Center, “It celebrates the past, present and path to the future of GM.” The video discusses everything from the first Cadillac in 1903, to how the 409 inspired the Beach Boys. The GM Heritage Center's website has lots of information including original promotional videos. An Insignia favorite features a very unique Chevrolet hood accessory!

Dealership sales people are some of the most creative people with the best relationship building skills. They convince people they just met to part with thousands of their hard earned dollars in exchange for transportation. A vehicle is the second most expensive thing most people will buy. Why do some dealers trust that their sales staff can sell a person a car, but don't believe they can show their customer the benefit of personalization to fit their lifestyle?

When Carl Moyer of Karl Chevrolet decided to take on the tire store across the street, he and his team planned for success. But, they could have never predicted they would have made GM history by being the first dealership to sell $ 1 million dollars worth of tires in one year. Their success continued in the following years as they increased their tire sales from $1 million in 2009 to $3 million in 2011.  Not only does Karl Chevrolet present their customers with tire options, but they also offer tire and wheel accessories.  The dealership displays about 50 ready-to-sell accessorized vehicles and uses Insignia’s accessories system for selling accessories. 

Selling automotive parts and accessories on Facebook is a lot easier than you may think.

There are several tools and resources that can allow you to transform your company's Facebook page into an online selling machine. Here are a couple of resources that you’ll want to consider.