Now that dealers are getting into blogging one of the top 3 questions that I get from dealers is what content should I put on my site. Although this is really a personal preference here are a few ideas. Maybe one will work for you or at least spark an idea that fits you and your dealership. two things that I would recommend is no matter what content theme that you decide on that you use a conversational tone and stick with your topic. It will take at least six months before you start to see any significant increase in traffic or reader loyalty
1. Vehicle maintenance information: This may seem too obvious of a choice but let’s face it, most of your customers would like to have more information on how and why to take care of their vehicle. From how often should you really change the oil to why to how often should the tires be rotated. I think that it would even be interesting to know your take on products like Armor All or carpet cleaning solutions for keeping the cosmetics looking as new as possible.
2. Local car clubs and rally events: Put a calendar on your blog or site about the local car events your clientele might be interested in. There are car clubs in just about every city, whether they are 4×4 clubs or sports car clubs, find what is going on and talk about it.
3. Local Sports: Your content doesn’t have to be about cars. If you have kids in sports or are just into the local sports teams you can start writing about it. This can be about your kids soccer team, the local high school or college or whatever you are into. People like to know other perspectives especially if you have the inside scoop.
4. Politics: There are a lot of things that you can blog about on your automotive blog, DON’T DO POLITICS! Especially in today’s political climate you don’t want to create an environment of conflict on your site. Yeah, that was a more of what not to put on your site but I felt it was worth saying.
5. Local Charities: Your dealership has probably been giving generously to a local charity or charities for years. Instead of telling your clients that you give, tell them about the great things the charity does. Then on occasion mix in that their great work is why the dealership decided on this particular organization to sponsor.
6. Talk about the past and the future of automobiles: Let’s face it the automotive industry is a very interesting topic. The history of the automobile in of itself would be a never ending source of content. Then there is what is happening in the automotive industry today and what the manufacture(s) that you represent has on the horizon.
7. Your own experiences with automobiles: You probably have stories of your own from when you where a kid and the cars that your family owned or maybe the car you took to a high school dance. If you have been in the automotive industry for some time and like to tell stories about cars this could be a great one for you.
8. Kids: Mommy blogs are big on the internet and for good reason. People like to talk about their kids; what they eat, how they sleep, what car seat to use, at what age should they use the potty… you get the point. Even if you don’t have kids there are ways that you could incorporate content about kids onto your site. How about finding Mommy or even Daddy bloggers in your area and have them guest post on your site. Maybe you could give them a car to drive and review in and around your city.
9. Food: Are you a barbecue specialists or just like to cook? Share your favorite recipes and wine parings with your readers. Maybe you like to eat out a lot and can share your experiences at local and far away restaurants with your readers.
10. Combination: If you are doing a blog and want it to be about you or the daily life at your dealership you can mix it up and use all of the above (except #4 of course). Let people know that you are real people that have ties to the community while also adding good content about the cars you sell and service.
One last thing to keep in mind is that your blog doesn’t need to be written by just one person. You can delegate to other people within the dealership to help add different perspectives and more consistent content.