Younger consumers aren’t just using social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus in order to socialize and interact with friends and co-workers. Social media sites are actually influencing their purchase decision when it comes to buying a car. Let’s take a look at how buyers are using social media when auto shopping.

Younger Buyers Read Business Reviews
Younger buyers tend to read reviews from sites such as Yelp and Google Places when deciding which dealership to visit. Reviews are generally posted by other consumers and quite in depth with details in regards to the location, service and overall experience. Dealers who don’t respond to negative reviews tend to be perceived as less favorable than those who take the time out to address concerns. Yelp allows business owners to claim their account and post a public explanation in response to a negative review.
Bloggers Hold Power
Auto manufacturers have realized that influential bloggers can garner quite a bit of traffic and publicity. Many consumers will Google cars that they are interested in and browse popular car blogs before making a final decision. Some companies are courting bloggers by offering them to test out their cars. The owner of popular blog CarThrottle has been flown to Spain and given the opportunity to test drive the Toyota GT86. Ford Motor also realized the power of bloggers during the launch of the Ford Fiesta a few years ago. The company offered select bloggers the ability to test drive the Fiesta for a period of time and write about it on their blogs; the result was tons of press and buzz.

Dealers Need A Google Plus Page
Google Plus is relatively new and many dealerships may not have a Google Plus page set up yet for their business. Google is integrating Google Plus with Local Places which means that it is crucial for dealers to set up a page with pertinent business information. A local dealer such as Galpin Honda may only need just one Google Plus page whereas a larger one such as Carmax may want a page dedicated for each of its branch offices.

Consumers Reviews Are Important
Consumers are also doing more in-depth reviews when it comes to the particular vehicle models they are interested in purchasing. Sites like Edmunds allow potential buyers to find out detailed technical information about a vehicle such as its horsepower, torque and trim levels.

Social media is a huge part of our daily lives and will continue to influence the purchase decisions of many buyers. Auto companies who want to stay ahead of the curve may want to establish a presence on all of the media channels and reach out to influencers with a large following.

Written by Jacqueline Starz  – Shoppers looking for used cars in Los Angeles are using social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook in order to find the dealership of their choice. Many are also reading popular blogs and consumer review sites in order to conduct research before deciding which car to buy.