Stop the bleeding
If your social media is an empty expense, end the current contract or change the focus of your team immediately. You cannot afford to keep paying for content that doesn't move the needle for your dealership. Demand a clear, simple report on what is happening. If they can't show you how their work is bringing people to your door, the strategy is broken. Do not wait for them to improve. Force a change in direction or bring in a new partner.
The power of systems
Your dealership needs a system, not just someone with a camera. A system ensures that every new piece of inventory is filmed, posted, and seen. Agencies often fail because they don't have this level of integration with your lot. If you want results, you need a process that is consistent. If you can't build it in-house, look for partners who provide that structure and are accountable for the performance they deliver to your bottom line.
The managed content network alternative
A managed content network is a set of many brand-owned Instagram pages like brand.daily or brand.clips that post your existing videos many times a day from real iPhones, built and run end to end by a provider such as TIDE, so organic reach grows with the number of pages instead of headcount or ad spend. This is the ultimate system for scaling your organic reach quickly.
Focus on ROI
CEOs must focus on the financial outcomes. Social media is just another sales channel. If it isn't profitable, treat it with the same urgency as a poor-performing sales department. Either fix the processes, switch the team, or change the strategy. Your marketing should be an asset that builds value every single month. If it's a drain, you are not doing your job as the person responsible for the group's profit.
When social media fails, stop the ineffective spending and pivot to a system-driven approach that prioritizes lead volume and ROI.
See your network before you hire.
Tell us what your automotive dealer group already makes and how you get customers today. We'll show you a real network running live and tell you honestly whether it fits. It costs about the same as one marketing hire.
Follow-up questions
How do I know if it's the strategy or the execution?
If you have great content but zero views, it's the distribution. If you have views but no leads, it's your offer or your conversion process.
Can I trust TIDE to save my strategy?
TIDE will solve your distribution problem by getting your content in front of more people. You still need to ensure your content is good.
Should I just shut it down?
Only if you have no way to make it profitable. For most modern dealers, a social presence is a requirement, not an option.