On episode twelve of the Think Bigger Podcast, I’m being joined by Brook Barker, Jessica Feliciano and Alyssa Goebbert – three of the amazingly talented people who work with us right here at Launch Digital Marketing.

 

Listen to Episode 012

If you tuned into our last episode of the show, then you know that we started breaking down Google’s Dealer Playbook one play at a time. The first play was all about making sure you’re offering your web visitors a speedy site experience. The next play is ensuring that you have what you need to effectively measure and  analyze that traffic.

I was lucky enough to spend some quality time chatting with a few people from our own Analytics and Paid Search teams to break down the nuances of Google’s recommendations. Get ready for this one folks, because we’re about to get really geeky with Adwords and Analytics.

Enjoy The Show!

Never miss an episode. Subscribe via iTunes | Google Play | Android | RSS

 

Big Thinkers of the Week: Brook Barker, Jessica Feliciano & Alyssa Goebbert

Brook, Jessica & Alyssa are leaders on their respective teams and were more than generous with their knowledge and expertise as it relates to Google’s Dealer Playbook.

Here are just a few topics we’ll cover during the show:

* How to setup Adwords and Analytics so they “talk” to each other.

* Our thoughts on Google’s recommendations for tracking & conversions.

* The right and wrong way to track VDPs.

* The importance of Account Views in GA, and how to set them up.

* How to properly use Annotations in GA.

* Importing your GA Goals into Adwords.

* It’s not magic, it’s Dynamic Number Insertion (and it’s awesome!)

* Plus a handful of other actionable tips that you can use TODAY!

Be sure to listen to the entire episode so you don’t miss out on any of the helpful info that Brook, Jessica & Alyssa share!

 

Thinking Bigger About Google Analytics

 

 

During the episode, we covered a couple of Google Analytics related features that required some visual instructions. The team was nice enough to put these step-by-step instructions together for you!

How to Add Annotations in Google Analytics & When to Use Them

Adding annotations is easy and can make a huge difference to understanding why your numbers are doing what they’re doing. You should make annotations about EVERYTHING, but here are some examples of where you should annotate:

* When the site went live

* When you change Call to Actions

* When the site goes through a SSL/HTTPS transition

* When you add, modify and/or test goals

* When marketing budgets change

* Natural catastrophes that cause the store to close (Hurricane Maria or Hurricane Irma)

* Traditional marketing campaigns

You can add them by clicking “Annotations” in the View level. Once you’re there, add your notes, modify the date if necessary and press submit.

One thing to note, Google will automatically select “Shared” under “Visibility,” but you do have the option to make the annotation private.

On episode eleven of the Think Bigger Podcast, I’m being joined by Shawn “Kid Flash” Hubbard, Aaron “Sonic” Olin and Tom “Quicksilver” Krush. Together they make up the Pagespeed Team at Dealer Inspire and they’ll be joining me on the show to talk about what Pagespeed really is and why it matters for your users and your dealership.

 

Listen to Episode 011

Starting with this very episode of the Think Bigger Podcast, we’ll be dedicating the next eight episodes to breaking-down Google’s Dealer Playbook. For those who may not know, Google introduced this playbook at Digital Dealer 23 and its main goal is to inform car dealers how they can most effectively use Google’s products to drive their business forward.

As we take this journey, we’ll be showing you how YOU can upgrade your paid search strategies, video and display advertising, measurement and attribution models and so much more. But before we can talk about any of that we have to start by addressing the foundation to it all – your dealership’s website.

You see, if your website isn’t prepared to handle the traffic that your marketing and advertising generates, then you aren’t spending those dollars effectively. In their playbook, Google identifies pagespeed as a core fundamental to understand and that’s where we’re going to start.

The goal of this episode is to breakdown what Google’s Pagespeed Insight tool measures, the info it gives you and what youcan do to help improve your website’s pagespeed today.

 

Enjoy The Show!

Never miss an episode. Subscribe via iTunes | Google Play | Android | RSS

 

Introducing Think Bigger: LIVE!

Because we’re taking an ongoing look at Google’s Dealer Playbook, we wanted to do something special to help bring that information to light. So in addition to covering the playbook on this podcast, we’re also launching a new mini-series titled Think Bigger: LIVE!

Starting on Wednesday, September 20th, we’ll be going live on Facebook every other week or so to discuss the playbook in detail. The live session is a shorter, more condensed version of the companion podcast episode. We know not everyone has a lot of time during the day, so we’re keeping the live sessions to about 20-30 minutes in length. This also gives us the benefit of sharing some more visual materials to go along with what we’re talking about.

Then, if you catch the live stream and want to dig deeper, you can tune in to the podcast for better understanding of the subject matter.

Make sure you like the Facebook Page for Launch Digital Marketing today so you can get notified of all the upcoming Think Bigger: Live sessions!

 

Big Thinkers of the Week: Shawn Hubbard, Tom Krush & Aaron Olin

Shawn, Tom and Aaron, aka The Page Speedsters, are a subset of the DI Features Team. The team’s goal is to improve the frontend speed of the Dealer Inspire platform by addressing many types of performance issues (both internal and external).

Here are just a few topics we’ll cover during the show:

On episode ten of the Think Bigger Podcast, I’m being joined by Ryan Gerardi and Chris K. Leslie. On today’s show, Ryan, Chris and I are going to shine the light on some automotive digital marketing related resources that you may not be aware of.

 

Listen to Episode 010

With almost 25 years of automotive industry experience between them, I was honored to spend some quality time with Ryan and Chris to talk about some of the biggest challenges automotive digital marketers face today. In order to meet these challenges head on, one needs to utilize all the resources that are available to them.

Enjoy The Show!

Never miss an episode. Subscribe via iTunes | Google Play | Android | RSS

 

Big Tip of the Week: Feed Your Mind with Feedly 

When I was interviewing Ryan and Chris we talked a little bit about Feedly, an app that helps you compile news feeds from a variety of online sources. While Chris and I actively use Feedly, Ryan had never heard of it which made me think it would make for an excellent tip of the week!

Once you have Feedly setup, you’ll always be on top of the latest automotive and digital marketing trends. Here’s a taste of what you can do with Feedly:

* Add the RSS feeds of all of your favorite industry blogs and websites.

* Monitor mentions of your brand by plugging in Google Alerts.

* Crunch through more content in less time by organizing your sources into easy-to-read feeds.

* See new videos from the YouTube channels you follow – in the same place you read the rest of your news.

* Easily share your favorite new content to Facebook & Twitter.

Plus, the best part about Feedly is that it’s free! I’ve been a free user for over three years now, and Feedly is the first thing I fire up each and every morning. Give it a try yourself today!

 

Big Thinkers of the Week: Ryan Gerardi & Chris K. Leslie

Ryan lives in Naperville, IL where his children live and where he owns and operates his own business, AutoConversion.

He got started in automotive retail back in 2001 at a then little-known software company near Philadelphia called HomeNet where he worked with thousands of dealers over the years with online vehicle merchandising.

From 2007 to 2015 Ryan provided Digital Marketing services for dealers through his company AutoConversion, and today Ryan concentrates on Automotive B2B Sales and marketing strategies through a unique strategic alliance with DealerRefresh – one of the most frequented online communities in the automotive retail business.

Chris lives in Las Vegas and is the Digital Marketing Director for the Heinrich Auto Group.

He has been in the car business for over 10 years and is a regular contributor to the automotive community on sites like DrivingSales, DealerRefresh and the MarketPunch Mastermind Group.

In addition to being a family man and fitness nerd he’s found another new passion in podcasting launching two new shows in the past year. No Parking a show about ideas and In The Mix a show about Automotive, Tech and marketing.

On this episode of the Think Bigger Podcast, here are just a few of the things that Ryan & Chris will be chatting with Jason...

On episode nine of the Think Bigger Podcast, I’m being joined by Crystal Cestari, author of The Best Kind of Magic. On today’s show, Crystal and I are going to chat about the in’s and out’s of writing and publishing a book. If you’ve ever thought you might want to write your own book one day, this is the episode for you!

 

Listen to Episode 009

For those who don’t know, Crystal not only is a published author, but she’s also a Content Team Lead right here at Launch Digital Marketing. While in the office, Crystal leads a team that helps develop, implement and optimize content strategies for our clients as a part of our overall SEO services.

I’m so impressed by Crystal because I know just how busy she is with her career and family. Yet somehow she still managed to find time in the wee hours of the morning and on weekends to work on writing her book. Crystal has such a wonderful story to share – as well as practical advice for those aspiring authors out there – you don’t want to miss this episode.

Enjoy The Show!

Never miss an episode. Subscribe via iTunes | Google Play | Android | RSS

 

Big Thinker of the Week: Crystal Cestari

I’ve always been a firm believer that everyone has at least one book in them. Whether it’s a business book, a how-to guide, or a work of fiction – we all have a story to tell. As an aspiring author myself, I was absolutely pumped-up to be able to spend some time with Crystal and learn more about her own creative process and how she got her book published.

Here are just a few of the things that Crystal and I chat about during our interview:

* When Crystal decided she wanted to be a published author.

* How the story of The Best Kind of Magic came to life.

* How much of Crystal’s first draft made it into the published book.

* How Crystal managed to have a full time career, be a mom AND write a book all at the same time.

* Why you should set aside dedicated writing time daily if you want to write a book.

* The surprising way Crystal actually wrote her book (#Spolier it wasn’t on a computer).

* Tips for finding a literary agent.

* How Crystal reacted when she found out Disney-Hyperion would be publishing her book.

There’s so much more to this conversation and Crystal is a natural story teller. I certainly recommend you listen to the full interview so you don’t miss out on any of the tips and insights that Crystal freely shares.

If you enjoyed the interview with Crystal, be sure to give her a follow on Instagram & Twitter.

 

The Best Kind of Magic by Crystal Cestari

Amber Sand is not a witch. The Sand family Wicca gene somehow leapfrogged over her. But she did get one highly specific magical talent: she can see true love. As a matchmaker, Amber’s pretty far down the sorcery food chain (even birthday party magicians rank higher),

Episode eight of the Think Bigger Podcast is dedicated to the memory of AJ Maida. On this episode of the show I’m being joined by Joe Webb, President of DealerKnows Consulting and we’ll be talking about the importance of doing good for others and how it can enrich your own life.

 

Listen to Episode 008

Joe’s held just about every role inside the dealership from Internet Sales, BDC and Marketing to Sales Management, Finance and Closer Extraordinaire! Then back in 2008, Joe heard the calling to help other car dealers find their way in the ever changing automotive retail world, and founded DealerKnows Consulting.

With Joe’s experience and expertise, you’d think that we’d be talking about BDC processes, or how to create engaging videos – but we’re actually here to talk about one important thing that supersedes processes and tactics: being a genuinely good person.

Enjoy The Show!

Never miss an episode. Subscribe via iTunes | Google Play | Android | RSS

 

Big Thinker of the Week: Joe Webb

If you ever watched the show My Name Is Earl, then you know that the lead character, Earl, started living his life by the simple mantra, “do good things and good things happen”. I think that’s a great way to sum up this episode. Being able to look outward from ourselves and find ways to be genuinely helpful to others not only enriches the lives of others, but the positive effect it has on your own well being is undeniable.

During my interview with Joe, we’ll talk about:

* Why exuding kindness is essential to personal and professional growth.

* Why Joe feels the element of care isn’t something that’s promoted strongly enough in our industry (and how to fix it).

* Judging people on metrics vs. how they make others feel.

* How Joe’s drive to do good deeds impacted his entrepreneurial spirit.

* The importance of Kindness, Generosity, Respect and Care in business and in life.

* How the way you communicate with your customers plays a role in how much you enjoy what you do.

* How the simple act of doing something nice for someone else can lift your spirits.

* Towards the end of our interview, I tell Joe how much I enjoyed one of his recent videos, Know Your Inventory. You can check it out here.

This really is just a small sample of the conversation that Joe and I had. If you haven’t already begun to listen to the episode, fire it up right now. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

 

Big Tip of the Week: Donate Life America

Normally for our Tip of the Week segment, I bring on a teammate from Launch Digital Marketing or Dealer Inspire to share an actionable tip with the listening audience. But keeping with the theme of this show, I wanted to talk about something different, and something that can make a difference.

AJ was a supporter of many charitable organizations, including

On episode seven of the Think Bigger Podcast, I’m being joined by Mark McCarthy, Creative Director at right here at Launch Digital Marketing. Today we’ll be talking about why video makes everything better, and show you how you can implement a video strategy to help tell the story of your dealership.

 

Listen to Episode 007

When it comes to public perception, most people seem to think that all dealerships are the same – and to a certain extent, I can’t argue with that. Usually it takes a person having an actual interaction inside of your dealership that makes them think otherwise. But you don’t have to wait until someone physically enters your dealership to begin making an impact.  With a dedicated video strategy, you can tell your unique story and create positive sentiment for your brand long before a person steps foot in your showroom or service drive. Listen to the interview with Mark to discover how you can get started.

Enjoy The Show!

Never miss an episode. Subscribe via iTunes | Google Play | Android | RSS

 

Big Tip of the Week: Video Tips & Tricks

For today’s Tip of the Week, I’m being joined by Katlin Kreterfield, Senior Video Editor & VFX Artist right here at Launch Digital Marketing. Listen to the show to get Katlin’s video tips including:

* Why you don’t necessarily need fancy equipment.

* How to properly setup your phone to capture quality video.

* Your a tripod is your phone’s best friend.

* Tips for capturing crisp, clear audio.

* Landscape vs. Portrait – how should you hold your phone when shooting video.

During the segment, Katlin and I also talk about a couple of accessories that would help outfit your phone for optimal video performance if you have a few dollars to spare.

This handy Microphone Adapter will let you plug a wired or wireless microphone directly into your iPhone or Android device giving you the ability to capture quality audio while you shoot your video.

If you do plan on using a tripod in your video shoots, check out these handy smartphone tripod mounts. This is an inexpensive way to make sure you’re capturing smooth and steady video.

And finally, if you’re interested in editing your video right from your phone there are plenty of options including Apple’s own iMovie App or if you’re an Android user Cyberlink PowerDirector Video Editor will get the job done.

 

Big Thinker of the Week: Mark McCarthy

If you’ve ever seen any of the video content that we produce at Launch Digital Marketing and Dealer Inspire, then you’ve seen the creativity of Mark McCarthy and our uber-talented production crew first hand. It was awesome being able to sit down with Mark and discuss what you as a car dealer can do to jumpstart your video marketing strategy today.

On episode six of the Think Bigger Podcast, I’m being joined by Mike “The Car Guy” Correra, Internet Sales Director at Riverside Chevrolet, where we’re talking about what it takes to be socially savvy in the dealership.

 

Listen to Episode 006

If my memory is right, Mike was one of the first #carpeeps I followed on Twitter back around 2011. Right from the start, I could tell from his tweets and the way he engaged with people that Mike was (and is) a genuine dude who clearly understood how to use social media. After being connected on social media for 5 years, I finally had the chance to meet Mike in person at NADA just over a year ago. And guess what? He’s an even better (and taller) dude in real life!

Needless to say I was thrilled when Mike agreed to come on the podcast to talk about how he uses social media for both his personal brand and his dealership.

Enjoy The Show!

Never miss an episode. Subscribe via iTunes | Google Play | Android | RSS

 

Big Tip of the Week: Facebook Lead Ads for Car Dealers

For our tip of the week I’m being joined by Taylor Berg, one of our Account Managers right here at Launch Digital Marketing. Since we’re talking social media on this episode, Taylor dropped by to share some serious knowledge on Facebook Lead Ads, including:

* What Facebook Lead Ads are and how they work.

* The types of ads that are generating leads for car dealerships today.

* The benefits of Facebook Lead Ads vs Facebook ads that redirect to a landing page on your website.

* The one flaw: Customer lead information has to be manually retrieved from Facebook. There is no direct CRM integration…

* How we at Launch were able to Think Bigger and build a totally FREE tool that fixes the flaw, and ensures the information captured does indeed get sent right to your CRM!

In short, Facebook Lead Ads are the best new way to connect with your customers, and make their car shopping journey that much easier.

 

Big Thinker of the Week: Mike Correra

Mike’s been in the car biz since 1987. He witnessed the Internet come online, and admittedly was slow to adapt to the ways of the connected world at first. But as technology kept evolving, Mike evolved with it and in 2006 he discovered how this thing we now call social media could positively impact both his personal brand and the dealership.

Listen to the interview for some great takeaways on how you too can upgrade your automotive digital marketing game and become more socially savvy yourself!

* The Thrilling Origin Story of Mike theCarGuy!

* Why you can’t just do social, you have to be social!

* Do 3rd parties have a place for an organic social media strategy?

* How your dealership’s social media can connect a community

* Mike’s secrets for taking beautiful Instagram pics.

* Does Social Media sell cars? #SpoilerAltert you’re darn right it does!

* Don’t forget that social media is supposed to be FUN, not feel like extra work.

If you enjoyed listening to Mike talk about social media, be sure to follow him on Instagram,

On episode five of the Think Bigger Podcast I’m being joined by Daniel Kim, Founder and CEO of Orbee, and we’re talking about the state of bot traffic and inefficient digital advertising in the automotive industry and what car dealers can do about it.

 

Listen to Episode 005

I never met a marketing manager who wasn’t concerned with the quantity of traffic that was being driven to their dealership’s website – and rightfully so. However one area that is sometimes overlooked, is the quality of that web traffic, and how it impacts our KPI’s and goals.

Listen to this episode to discover how you can inspect your website’s traffic to make sure it’s of the best quality.

Enjoy The Show!

Never miss an episode. Subscribe via iTunes | Google Play | Android | RSS

 

Big Tip of the Week: Adding Filters to Google Analytics

For our  tip of the week I’m being joined by Brook Barker, Senior Analyst right here at Launch Digital Marketing.

To stick with the theme of prioritizing quality traffic, Brook is going to show you how you can set up various filters in Google Analytics to keep out some of lower quality traffic that you don’t want count in GA.

Follow the step-by-step instructions below to get started.

Setup a Predefined IP Filter in Google Analytics

Follow these steps to create IP filters to exclude traffic from your internal networks (wired & wireless) as well as the networks of your automotive digital marketing partners who regularly visit your website.

* Login to your Google Analytics account.

* Go to the Admin section of GA.

* Under the View section, choose the appropriate view (remember to not place filters in your Raw/All Website Data views).

* Select Filters –> Create New Filter

* Select the Red +Add Filter Button

* Fill in the Following Fields:

* Filter Name : IP Filter

* Filter Type : Predefined

* Select Filter Type : Exclude

* Select Source/Destination : traffic from the IP address

* Select Expression : that are equal to

* Add IP Address to the field

* Click Save

PRO TIP: Don’t know how to find your internal network’s IP address? Simply go to a device that’s connected to the desired wired or wireless network, open a web browser and search Google with the phrase What’s my IP. 

Setup a Custom Filter to Block Bot Traffic in Google Analytics

* Follow steps 1-5 above

* Fill in the following fields:

* Filter Name: (descriptive name of traffic you are trying to block)

* Filter Type: Custom

* Select the Exclude Radio Button

* Filter Field: Campaign Source

* Filter Pattern: (name/source of bot traffic you want to exclude: i.e. GAignore)

* Click Save

That’s all there is to it folks. If you haven’t already set up these filters in your Google Analytics, I highly recommend you do so today!

 

Big Thinker of the Week: Daniel Kim

Daniel Kim is the founder of Orbee, the automotive industry’s first and only independent digital marketing analytics company helping dealerships eliminate waste and optimize spend in their digital marketing campaign. Daniel holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and worked with Cox Automotive as a Bain & Company consultant to hel...

Welcome episode four of the Think Bigger Podcast where it’s our goal to help car dealers upgrade their automotive digital marketing game. Today I’m being joined by Brent Wees, Director of First Impressions at NextUp, and we’ll be talking about whether you as a car dealer should market specifically to millennials.

 

Listen to Episode 004

I first caught Brent’s presentation, Marketing to Millennials is for Suckers at the 2016 DrivingSales Executive Summit and was quite impressed with his message. So when I found out Brent would be visiting us here in the Launch Digital Marketing offices to give the same talk to our team, I invited him to be on the podcast to talk about marketing to millennials in depth.

During the interview, I mixed in some of Brent’s live presentation along with further discussion to help car dealers understand what they can do when faced with the prospect of making age-based marketing decisions.

Enjoy The Show!

Never miss an episode. Subscribe via iTunes | Google Play | Android | RSS

 

Big Tip of the Week: Introducing Snapcodes for Website URLs

For today’s tip of the week, I’m being joined by Katie Garrity, Social Media Manager right here at Launch Digital Marketing.

Katie is dropping by to let you know about the new Snapcodes for URLs feature that Snapchat recently rolled out (without much fanfare), and how you in the dealership can use the new functionality today!

If you use Snapchat, you already know that they implemented Snapcodes for profiles about a year ago. But now with this new feature, Snapchat is letting you generate Snapcodes for website URLs too! This is Snapchat’s first effort at creating a link based experience with the app, and we’re already thinking of some cool ways you can use this new feature at your dealership.

Ready to make some Snapcodes to use on your point of sale material or even for the vehicles in your showroom? Here’s how you can make it happen!

* Open your Snapchat app, and tap the settings gear on your profile screen.

* Tap the Snapcodes item from the settings menu.

* Tap the Create Snapcode menu item.

* Enter the URL you want your Snapcode to link to.

* Tap the ghost to add an image to your Snapcode (optional, but recommended).

* Save the Snapcode to your camera roll.

 

 

Pro-Tip: Once your Snapcode is saved, go to https://scan.snapchat.com/ and you can download a hi-res, print ready version of your Snapcode. You can also use the link above to generate Snapcodes using your computer’s web browser if you don’t feel like using the actual Snapchat app.

 

Big Thinker of the Week: Brent Wees

Based off his premise that Marketing to Millennials is for Suckers, Brent and I sat down to talk through his thought process on the matter and why you need to understand the myths surrounding the so-called uniqueness of millennials.

Listen to the episode to discover:

* How the uniqueness of youth has been a source of consternation for hundreds of years.

* Are Millennials really that different from the Gen-X or Boomer generations?

* Is the idea that Millennials need to be marketed to differently just a crisis-based ...

Hey everyone, I’m excited to be back again with another episode of the Think Bigger Podcast. Coming off an excellent second episode of the show, I’m thrilled to have a guest lined up for this episode who is currently working in the dealership today. And the best part, he’s going to share with you an award winning idea that you’ll be able to use at your dealership.

How awesome is that?!

 

Listen to Episode 003

On Episode 003 of the Think Bigger Podcast, I’m being joined by the Marketing Director for Henderson Chevrolet and Fairway Chevrolet, Chris K. Leslie. Chris and I will talk about his award winning idea for automating his dealership’s email marketing by utilizing his web platform’s RSS feeds, form submissions and a MailChimp account.

Listen to the show or check out the show notes below to discover how you can do the same thing Chris did, today.

Enjoy The Show!

Never miss an episode. Subscribe via iTunes | Google Play | Android | RSS

 

Big Tip of the Week: Check the Health of Your Local SEO

For the tip of the week, I’m being joined by LDM Regional Sales Executive, Eileen Day, who shows you how you can check the health of  your dealership’s Local SEO by using a simple and free tool called Moz Local.

If you listened to Episode 2 of the Think Bigger Podcast, then you undoubtedly heard guest Danny Dover talk about how Local SEO is more important than ever today. To piggyback on that conversation, here’s what Eileen suggests for you to do so you can get a look at your own local presence online.

* Point your web browser to Moz Local.

* Click or Tap on the Check Listing menu item.

* Start typing in your Dealership’s name, you’ll see suggestions appear as you type.

* Finish typing the name and hit enter, or simply select the correct suggestion.

* Now you’ll see the Listing Report for your dealership and Moz Local will give you a % score for your dealership.

 

 

Ok, so that was the easy part, but what does this score represent?

Well the higher the number the better, and the percentage represents how accurate and complete your dealership’s local information is across the online directory ecosystem.

Why is this important, you ask?

Having a consistent presence across these multiple directory websites is important because it helps establish with Google that you are who you say you are. The more consistent your information, the stronger you’ll appear in the eyes of Google.

So if you look at your Listing Report from Moz Local and you have a score lower than 75% and have multiple incomplete, inconsistent and/or duplicate listings, then there’s definitely some work that needs to be done. But don’t worry, because at least now you know how you look online from a local perspective and have a great place to start to correcting some of the issues that are preventing you from putting your best local foot forward.

It’s important to note that while Moz Local is a good place to get started, it doesn’t give you all the tools you need to implement a comprehensive Local SEO strategy. If you need a hand figuring out what’s going on with your Local SEO, remember that