FEBRUARY 2010

The
Social Influence
of the
Auto Industry

A report on auto dealers’ social media presence

on Facebook and Twitter in the United States.

Disclaimer: This data is not to be used as a primary tool in permitting or citing decisions, but rather as a reference
source. The data collected during this study is subject to change. The accumulated data, projections and forecasts
presented in this study were in no way affected or influenced by GOSO.

A web and social media suite for auto dealers.

For more information please visit: www.goso.com | (877) 311-GOSO (4676)

© 2010 GOSO, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
FEBRUARY 2010
The Social Influence of the Auto Industry
A report on auto dealers’ social media presence on Facebook and Twitter in the United States.
Automotive Dealers Must
Embrace Social Media
Total Dealers on
Facebook & Twitter
25%
65%
No. of
Dealerships
Dealers on Facebook
Dealers on Twitter
Dealers Nationwide
For more information please visit: www.goso.com | (877) 311-GOSO (4676)
A web and social media suite for auto dealers.
Automotive Dealers were late adopters to the internet world and
today it would be unlikely to find any dealership without a website.
It’s natural for businesses to not embrace technologies they don’t
understand, but the potential of social media has not come close to
reaching its tipping point.
Today, consumers have “We believe that every
continued to maintain the
10%
upper hand because of the
industry, be it retail, real
infinite amount of online estate, automotive, etc.,
tools available for vehicle has the ability to focus
and dealership research. on forming personal
This creates a challenging
environment for dealerships.
connections with the end
user. This helps build
Other industries have trust, loyalty and respect
5,115
flourished using social
with the customer.”
media. Aaron Magness of
2,195 Aaron Magness, Zappos.com
Zappos.com exclusively told Director of Brand Marketing & Business
20,010 us for this study that it is about
“build(ing) trust, loyalty and respect with the customer,” which led to
an acquisition last year by Amazon for $1.1 billion. Gary Vanynerchuck
of WineLibrary.com used social media to build his business to $60
million on his own terms. Dell reported over $6.5 million in 2009 just
from Twitter alone. If this is not convincing enough, then what is?
Dealers need to ask themselves if they are willing to embrace this
technology or watch their competitors pass them by.
© 2010 GOSO, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
FEBRUARY 2010

The Social Influence of the Auto Industry

A report on auto dealers’ social media presence on Facebook and Twitter in the United States. A web and social media suite for auto dealers.

Social Media Automotive

Dealership Evolution
Over the year, marketing has evolved and many automotive dealers Top 5
have reacted accordingly, some faster than others. Social Media Dealer Pages
is here and it’s here to stay.
1. Chrysler 403
DEMOGRAPHIC

2. Buick 355
GEOGRAPHIC

3. Chevrolet 267
PSYCHOGRAPHIC
4. Mazda 265
BEHAVIORAL
5. Jeep 264
SOCIALGRAPHIC
This information was not provided to GOSO by Facebook.

The goal of this study was to determine how many dealerships in

the United States were actively pursuing social media initiatives
and which brands have been most successful in their pursuits. Top 5
Dealer Pages
We decided to limit the study to the two most popular social media
channels: Facebook, a social network, and Twitter, a micro-blogging 1. Toyota 211
platform. The information was gathered by compiling meta data
which was publicly available on the web; no information was 2. Chevrolet 181
provided to us by Facebook or Twitter.
3. Honda 153
From these numbers, the brands were ranked from highest to
lowest using the number of Facebook Fan Pages and Twitter
4. Nissan 149
accounts per brand.

5. Ford 138

This information was not provided to GOSO by Twitter.

For more information please visit: www.goso.com | (877) 311-GOSO (4676)

© 2010 GOSO, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
FEBRUARY 2010

The Social Influence of the Auto Industry

A report on auto dealers’ social media presence on Facebook and Twitter in the United States. A web and social media suite for auto dealers.

Dealer Tally Sheet

The research found a number of automotive dealers are exploring
Brands
Facebook and Twitter. In total, 5,115 dealerships have a Facebook
Fan Page, while only 2,195 dealers have a Twitter account. Acura 97 56
Audi 61 50
BMW 66 82
To put these numbers into perspective, it is important to remember
Buick 355 72
that there were 20,010 automotive dealerships in the United States
Cadillac 142 31
in the 2009 NADA published report. That suggests that 25.56% of
Chevrolet 267 181
all dealerships in the United States have a Facebook Fan Page and Chrysler 403 77
10.97% of dealerships have a Twitter account. Dodge 178 74
Ford 124 138
GM 57 56
Honda 155 153
Hummer 48 20
Hyundai 237 88
Infiniti 67 31
Isuzu 16 5
Jaguar 51 16
Jeep 264 65
Kia 211 54

Mercedes-Benz of Austin is one dealership that successfully uses social Lexus 102 27
media. Their large following on Facebook & Twitter is a testament to Lincoln 27 37
their conscious effort to reach out to their customers through social
networking channels. This high level of engagement with their customers Mazda 265 87
has positioned this dealership to be a source of information & community Mercedes-Benz 135 39
to Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts in the Austin area. With over 5000 fans,
Mercury 55 44
Mercedes-Benz of Austin effectively navigates the social media landscape.
Mini 31 26
Mitsubishi 120 24
Nissan 226 149
Pontiac 197 39
Porsche 71 26
Saab 54 8
Saturn 70 19
Scion 228 53
Subaru 201 51
Suzuki 63 21
Toyota 250 211
@Alicia_at_Honda
Alicia Jones is the Supervisor, Corporate Communications at American
Volkswagen 141 49
Honda Motor Co. She is the social media guru for the Honda brand. She Volvo 80 36
is known around the auto world by her Twitter name, @Alicia_at_Honda.
Alicia maintains a loyal group of 6,500 followers on her Twitter account.
Alicia is well on her way to becoming one of the most influential OEM
evangelists on social media. Her influence is a great example of the reach
and power that social media harnesses.

For more information please visit: www.goso.com | (877) 311-GOSO (4676)

© 2010 GOSO, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
FEBRUARY 2010

The Social Influence of the Auto Industry

A report on auto dealers’ social media presence on Facebook and Twitter in the United States. A web and social media suite for auto dealers.

In Conclusion
As we move further into the future, social media and its marketing
possibilities will become more imperative across various industries.
Social media is and will continue to be absolutely critical and must be
integrated into automotive dealership sales, marketing and fixed
operation strategies.

In preparation, both dealers and brands need to come to the realization

that this new form of communication can either positively impact the
bottom line or have the adverse effect if ignored.

While some dealerships may be skeptics and shutter at the word ‘social
media,’ they must realize that over 25% of all dealerships in the United
States have already made the first step into the social media world.

Don’t be left behind and start actively interacting with your customers
to build their trust, which will carry your business for years to come and
increase your overall sales.

For more information please visit: www.goso.com | (877) 311-GOSO (4676)

© 2010 GOSO, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
FEBRUARY 2010

The Social Influence of the Auto Industry

A report on auto dealers’ social media presence on Facebook and Twitter in the United States. A web and social media suite for auto dealers.

About GOSO
GOSO is a social media and marketing suite designed specifically

for automotive dealers. GOSO is a solution that not only connects to

every social network from one place, but also integrates seamlessly

with inventory, pulling data from trusted sources to generate dynamic

content that can be used to broadcast across the web, reaching out to

millions of potential customers. GOSO has exhibited at both Digital

Dealer and NADA and has been honored as “Best in Class” from the

Interactive Media Awards. GOSO will appear on Motor Week as a

company that is quickly becoming an authoritative figure in social media,

especially in the automotive industry. GOSO is a subsidiary of the

interactive agency BOALT, based in Washington, D.C.

For more information please visit: www.goso.com | (877) 311-GOSO (4676)

© 2010 GOSO, LLC. All Rights Reserved.