The idea of utilizing lifestyle content to grow a business may seem irrelevant to sales. In the past, it has been ingrained in the minds of many businessmen and women to push products, advertise sales, and deals on social media. Without breaking up your sales content, the overselling can lead to a decrease in your bottom line, making your dealership less money. When users don’t interact with your page, social media giants like Facebook will hide your content from its users because your page looks uninteresting!
Using lifestyle content, whether you create it digitally or curate it at your dealership, will engage social media users, giving you free exposure. Even if they aren’t ready to make a purchase now, they will remember you when they are ready because social media will keep your page showing up in the news feed.
What Is Lifestyle Content?
Before we go into the details of how lifestyle content is beneficial, it is important we define the phrase.
Lifestyle content tells a story with images or ideas related to real, everyday actions and scenarios. It is not selling you on a product, it is selling you on a lifestyle, or type of living.
Traditional sales-based content will revolve around features and function, as well as information on the items or services you sell. Lifestyle content is used to build a positive association in the minds of your prospective customers. It allow them relate to you, your staff, and your business on a personal level. Many dealers discount the power of lifestyle posts, but that is a major mistake in today’s retail and sales markets. Another major downfall to not entertaining your social audience with relevant and positive posts is the fallout from social media platforms. If users are not interacting with your posts, your page will look uninteresting to your followers, and they will remove your content from the users News Feed.
Real Content Earns Exposure…and Sales
Your leads want to know they are more than just another sale. No one wants to feel like another number, not even consumers. Consumers seek information that will benefit them. You can be the one to provide that information. However, you first must gain their trust. Once trust is earned, you can make the sale more easily.
Traditional sales-based posts showcase your products and services, newly stocked items, discounts, and more. Due to the flood of sales content consumers are exposed to daily, there is only so much sales-type content you can push before people start to lose interest. Additionally, at some point, growth on social media will become stagnant. Your followers will lose interest in seeing the same repetitive sales posts. They may even unfollow you because of the frequency of these posts. This is where real life content comes into play.
What Lifestyle Content Do I Use?
Lifestyle content can be utilized across multiple digital mediums. It can be used in social media, blogging, and website content and branding. Pictures, videos, reviews, and shared information are all successful forms of lifestyle content. Using these to be more relatable to your target customer helps consumers put themselves in the shoes of your customers. Branding is also an important practice. It is aimed at improving customer relationships by making your dealership memorable and recognizable through your content. Check out some additional social media best practices here!
Leads and customers feeling as if they know the “real” people behind your business builds trust. With proper branding and use of lifestyle content, your business will represent a positive experience to consumers. This makes them more likely to buy from you…not the other guy.
Organic Social Media Posts DO Matter
A simple and free way to introduce lifestyle content into your social media marketing strategy is to create it yourself! Take pictures of happy clients post purchase or ask for pictures from your buyers using the product purchased from your dealership in their everyday life. Content of your staff performing their job in your dealership also makes great lifestyle content. Consumers want to know their purchase process will be simple, easy, and enjoyable…not dread the experience.
Post these pictures and videos on your social media pages in between your usual sales and information posts to break up your content. People following your social pages will be less likely to click the “unfollow” button if they see content, they find relevant. Since not every follower is looking to buy your product right now, lifestyle content is the perfect way to stay relevant with everyone!
Lifestyle content keeps followers engaged without feeling like they’re constantly being sold something. In addition, if you don’t share organically on your social media pages, you will likely be removed from your followers news feed. Even if you pay for social media ads, your exposure will still be limited. When users are not interacting with your posts daily, the computers crawling social media will think your followers are not interested in your content. This is how your business gets removed from the viewers news feed.
Dealership Blogging
Creating a blog for your business is a beneficial way to start creating your own lifestyle content. By creating content yourself, you control the image of your dealership. This gives you a way to connect with your audience and give them useful information that will benefit them in their current or future ownership of your product. Your audience will see your dealership as a trusted source for information and education, building trust in what you say.
By not constantly selling your products to your audience, you are selling them on your reliability. Showing your future customers you’re a real person who understands their wants and needs goes a lot further in making the sale than a discount or sale price. Most consumers that feel respected and understood are more likely to choose your dealership for their next purchase or service needs.
Branded Website Content
Lifestyle content shouldn’t be use sporadically. Showing consistency and dedication to the way consumers see your dealership brand is key to being believable. Using lifestyle-type branded content on your website shows dedication to your consumers view of your dealership.
Previous buyers want to know you are the same now as when they first purchased from you years ago. New buyers want to know you are the same now as when the person who referred them purchased from you. Show website visitors your dealerships number one priority is buyer satisfaction year after year using your branded lifestyle content.
Tap into Buyer Emotions with Real Content
As a dealer, you are fully aware of all the awesome and fun benefits to owning your product. You see happy customers enjoying their new purchase day in and day out. Your potential customers don’t, so it’s your job to show them. Sell your future buyers on real life benefits of RV or recreational vehicle ownership, not just your current discount or featured unit. Show consumers that you understand their needs and are the trusted dealer to provide them with exactly what they want and need through lifestyle content. With even the major manufacturers getting in on the lifestyle and blog content, you may want to pay attention to them, too! Read more about how Thor Industries does lifestyle content.
No matter your dealership size, using real-life content is a tried and true way to get you on an upward path! If you are still curious and want to learn more, reach out to one of our social media experts today and learn even more about how you can use social media to grow your brand and your bottom line!
