Do you want to learn some instantly actionable, smart social media lessons for small business?
In this post, I share some super simple strategies that a car dealer in Portland is using to drive engagement and traffic on social media.
You can use these strategies in your business too!
Image by Shutterstock
Last year, I received a thank you for following a Twitter account on Twitter. Â I get many of these every day but this one really stuck out and caught my attention.
The reply was from one of the team members at a Lexus Dealership in Portland, Oregon, USA.
This was the reply from Nicole at Kuni Lexus of Portland:
@SociallySorted #ThankYou #FF #FollowFriday #KuniShoutout pic.twitter.com/DDrbdoQOSS
— KuniLexusofPortland (@lexusofportland) October 16, 2015
AÂ personalised video message on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram is pretty rare. Which is why I wanted to write this post.
I noticed Nicole and her message amongst a sea of tweets because it really stood out as a great example of engagement.
So with that, let's jump into the 3 Social Media Lessons for Small Business from this Lexus Dealership – things they are doing very well that you can implement in your own business.
5Â Smart Social Media Lessons for Small Business from Kuni Lexus of Portland
1 Â Be Human and Be Yourself
The last thing I expected from a car dealer was a personalised video message that was authentic, friendly and warm.
Wouldn't you like to buy a car from Nicole? Â And yes she may not be the actual car salesperson, Â but she sure does give a great first impression of their team.
And of course I went surfing on their Twitter feed after receiving this to see that it was not only Nicole that did the shout outs – other team members did too!
Which brings me to No 2:
2 Â Develop a Culture of Being Social
Lexus of Portland obviously has a culture of being social in that they involve their entire team. Don't wait to “do” social. Involve your team from the outset.
It takes just a few minutes to grab a smartphone, film a short video and upload it. Â A team that knows they can ALL do this, is a team that actually does it.
Here's another thankyou from one of the team members to a follower, Brian.  They even comment about Brian's article on Forbes about Content Marketing!
@SmallBizBrian #ThankYou #FF #FollowFriday #KuniShoutout pic.twitter.com/KQZQMPn1j2
— KuniLexusofPortland (@lexusofportland) October 9, 2015
Even the General Manager takes the time out of his busy day to send a personal tweet to a local restaurant he loves!
@SinjuRestaurant #ThankYou #FF #FollowFriday #KuniShoutout pic.twitter.com/slMbIl6FXI
— KuniLexusofPortland (@lexusofportland) October 23, 2015
Check out more of these at their hashtag #KuniShoutOut. Â Yes, they have their own Shout Out Hashtag. That's a commitment to being social!
Get to know your team and what their strengths are – if someone loves video then encourage them to make short videos – either thank you's like this one or perhaps short training or tip videos, or even answering customer questions.
Maybe someone on your team is an Instagram ninja – encourage them to post on the Instagram account. Be creative with the talents you have!
3 Â Don't Just Tweet about Your Cars
If you look a little closer you will see that Lexus of Portland's Twitter account is about more than just cars.
Yes… there are cars, lots of Sexy Lexus-y cars. You can see them all right here.
But there are also loads of posts about life in Portland and in Oregon. Â From food festivals to ways to relax and revive… to activities in the local area, this account is not just about cars.
It's about THE CUSTOMER.  Whether it's a recipe they might like
11 Stuffed #AvocadoRecipes That Are Basically Boatloads of Happiness via @greatist https://t.co/QMgJuI9eWZ pic.twitter.com/nvO1pwaVsR
— KuniLexusofPortland (@lexusofportland) July 4, 2016
Or a little travelling in Oregon State:
8 Classic #Northwest #Backpacking Trips via @PoMoMagazine #Oregon #Washington #hiking https://t.co/aoLJFZG2Ck pic.twitter.com/Pf5nHI46Fc
— KuniLexusofPortland (@lexusofportland) July 3, 2016
Lexus of Portland hasn't just established themselves as a source of great cars. They are establishing themselves as a source for Portland and the State of Oregon.
And a team that is dedicated to learning and implementing content marketing in their business.
Take note of these tips for small business social media success – and apply them to your own business.
What can you post about that helps your ideal customer in some way (remember, it doesn't always have to be about your product or service).
4  Showcase Your Team
Another thing that you will notice is that their team features heavily on the Twitter feed too – whether it's an employee BBQ or some other “behind the scenes” activity:
We are loving this beautiful weather at our employee BBQ! #WeLoveOurEmployees #Portland #O… https://t.co/ppcWUccUsl pic.twitter.com/y7sQiHLWFC
— KuniLexusofPortland (@lexusofportland) July 1, 2016
Or introducing a car salesperson:
David Marshall is one of our amazing Sales Consultants and we love having him on our team.… https://t.co/kfySBc4xrH pic.twitter.com/gcAB4gUqlz
— KuniLexusofPortland (@lexusofportland) July 3, 2016
Wouldn't you rather buy from a company that you feel you “know”? Â Kuni Lexus of Portland does this well!
5  Cross Promote with Class
There's one thing that drives me BONKERS on Twitter – Auto Direct Messages, and even worse, the idea of someone sending an Auto DM to me, and then telling me in the next breath that I should come and follow them over on Facebook or LinkedIn. Â I just met them!
I love that these guys don't do that. The initial video message was sent as a tweet, and was obviously not automated, but instead very personalised.
The personal touch was what made it so special.
Then the conversation continued like this:
Note how they said they pride themselves on being socially relevant? Â Boom!
… and then… and only then after some engagement happened, did they let me know they were on Instagram too!
Nice move:
Pick the right time to cross-promote your social media platforms
And if you check out their Instagram account you will notice that, again, it is not all about cars.
Their profile states that they post about community events, outdoor events and employee highlights!
A car dealer on Instagram? You Betcha!
6 Â Start Blogging…
If you know my blog by now you will know I am a HUGE fan of blogging to grow your business.  In fact, it's one of my biggest social media lessons for small business:  post consistently on your website on a blog.
So I tentatively looked up their website hoping there would be a blog, but suspecting there wouldn't be – I don't see many small businesses do this at all, let alone a car dealership… but guess what?
There's a Blog! Â You can check it out here.
They post about their cars, road trips, local designers and even Portland Beer!
A small business blog will drive traffic to your site
A small business blog not only helps your ideal audience to know more about your products and services (yes, they blog about cars too) but can establish you as an expert authority in your local area.
And Google loves helpful, easy to read, useful content. Â In fact, small businesses with blogs generate 126% more leads!
The team at Kuni Lexus of Portland have struck a good balance between car related content and content that will come up in search about the Portland region in terms of lifestyle, tourism and luxury. Â This is content marketing done well… all great social media lessons for small business.
And don't forget – they are not just doing this for traffic – they have a genuine desire to help!
Image by Shutterstock
Over to You
Do you know of a small business that has embraced social media for positive results, just like Kuni Lexus of Portland? Â
I'd love to hear who they are – what social media lessons from small business can you share? Comment below!
Donna Moritz
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