If your dealership is new to social media and you’re not sure where to start, Facebook is an excellent option— it’s where tech-savvy millennials go to determine where to buy their next car. It has an easy-to-use interface that will allow you to post photos, announce sales and ongoing events, and collect customer reviews regarding recent experiences at your dealership.

Ready to get started? Follow these step-by-step directions to set up your very own dealership facebook page.

Getting Started

Where to begin? It’s incredibly easy to set up a Facebook page for your dealership.

First, you need to have a Facebook account. At www.facebook.com, create one by entering your e-mail address and choosing a password.

After you’re finished, you can either choose the “Create Page” option from the pull-down menu behind the arrow at the top of the page or visit the Facebook business page website. Choose “Local Business or Place.” The first steps completed!

Facebook will now ask you to enter the information for your dealership. This will include choosing a business category, entering a description, and putting in your dealership’s website address. Then verify that yes, your dealership is a real business and yes, you are an authorized representative of it.

Next comes pictures and you’ll need two: one for your profile picture (the small, square photo that will show up next to all of your posts and comments) and one for your cover photo, the large image across the top of your page that makes it look more interesting. Choose professional-quality photos that do a good job of conveying your brand.

Finally, Facebook will have you check for any duplicate pages for your business, as well as ask you to define your target demographic for posts according to area, age, gender, language, and interests. Once you’ve filled all of that out, you’re officially in business. Don’t forget to add finishing touches like putting in your business hours.

What to Post?

Social media is a platform that lets you tell the story of your brand. Sure, you’re a Chevy dealership, but what makes XYZ Chevy – your dealership – different and better to ABC Chevy down the street? You’ll be able to set a tone via your Facebook posts that tell potential customers who you are.

As for what to post: what would you really like customers to know? Use your Facebook page to let them know when you’re having a special sale. Tell them that if they mention the post when they come in for an oil change, they’ll receive an additional percentage off. Announce dealership events or tell everyone about the awesome car care clinic you’ll be holding two weeks from now.

Facebook is also the perfect place to bring the human element into your marketing. People like to buy from people. Publish posts that feature images of your mechanics or sales staff hard at work. Make your posts fun and involve your staff. The Facebook smartphone app has a built-in feature that will let you snap and share photos in a jiffy.

Another part of the people puzzle is your customers. Post pictures of people posing next to their brand-new cars. They’ll visit your page and share it with all of their friends and family, which is word-of-mouth…well, to make it more computer-appropriate…word-of-MOUSE…advertising.

We’ve even taken it a step further by creating a PDF download including 7 creative content ideas for auto dealers.