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Are Auto Suppliers Wasting Time & Effort on Facebook?

Facebook may be the most powerful social media platform around, with nearly 1.5 billion monthly active viewers. Perhaps that’s why 84 percent of the top 25 North American OEM automotive suppliers have Facebook pages.

The question is: Are they leveraging that presence effectively to boost awareness and engagement for their brands … or are they wasting their time?

Our recent Social Media and Automotive Supplier Habits 2.0 ™ (SMaASH 2.0 ™) study of the top 25 North American automotive OEM suppliers shows several areas of opportunity for suppliers to approach Facebook (and other top social media platforms) more effectively.

Facebook’s broad reach, its impact on search and its proven ability to drive viewers to a company website can offer companies huge engagement potential … if used correctly.

Our research shows most OEM automotive suppliers have some room for improvement, as:

– On average, auto suppliers post only four times per week, in spite of the fact that their average following is almost 60,000 people;
– Most – 97 percent – auto suppliers’ Facebook posts are NOT of the type that carries the most
credibility – third-party media coverage; and
– Despite Facebook’s environment that fosters the building of more personal relationships, most auto supplier posts don’t encourage followers to get personal by actively engaging or expressing themselves.

More than one-third of Americans get news through Facebook. And the average American user spends 40 minutes per day on Facebook – twice as much time as on Twitter and four times as much time as on LinkedIn. Ultimately, people do business with other people, not just companies.

Here are some simple ways you can make that unmatched engagement time work for you:

• Surveys and polls – Do a quick one-question survey – can be about a business-related issue or topic … or about a sports playoff game, predicting the World Series or World Cup winner, etc. Mix it up to cover a wide variety of interests and topics.
• Profiles – Profile one of your customer-facing people each month; or profile a key customer contact each month. Have your followers nominate people for these profiles.
• ‘Caption This’– Run a funny cartoon that your audience can identify with and have them write the caption. Recognize the winner or if possible, send a small prize – a logo’ed item.
• Choose A or B – Show your followers two designs, two colors, or two options for a logo or packaging, and have them choose the one they prefer and explain why.

• Thank a Reporter – Post a link to a positive news article that features your company (and thank the reporter). This builds goodwill with the reporter and the publication, while adding third-party credibility and extending the reach of that good news.

For more information on our SMaASH 2.0 study findings, email us at bianchipr@bianchipr.com, visit http://bit.ly/1R8a0hY or call us at 248-269-1122.