Organization: James Wood Motors; www.jameswood.com Business Need: Build more relationships with prospects that prefer to shop virtually.

Background: James Woods Motors consists of several car dealerships with numerous brands located in Denton and Decatur, Texas, close to the Dallas area.

Social Media Solution: Develop a Twitter campaign to be used as an information resource for potential customers.

Business Result: Sold cars as a direct result from twitter interactions and grew online reputation by customers sharing positive reviews on Yelp.

In early 2009, the management at James Wood Motors hypothesized that using one or several social media vehicles might aid them in connecting with potential customers and helping them to make car purchasing decisions.

They decided to provide a wealth of information through Twitter at - Twitter.com/JamesWoodMotors.

“We communicate different things with Twitter, from up to the minute new vehicle arrivals to community involvement projects, inside views of operations, behind the scenes, even interaction with moms test driving our vehicles, “says Amanda Williams, Director of Internet Marketing/Sales.

Additionally, social media allows James Wood Motors to bridge the gap that exists between their geographic location and their customer base that works and resides all over the Dallas-Fort Worth-Denton area.  “We use Twitter to communicate with our customers who use it as a way to maintain distance while shopping for vehicles. Not everyone is comfortable shopping for vehicles, we know that. In today's times, people are more at ease, keeping their distance and using a site like Twitter. We send pictures, exchange info via direct message, video, etc. The customers obtain the info they need.”

By sharing information about their dealership and relevant product information via Twitter, James Wood Motors caught the attention of Mr. Colin Burns, a marketing professional looking to purchase a new car.  Burns was so moved after pleasantly interacting with James Wood Motors throughout the buying process, he felt compelled to submit a Yelp® review praising the experience he had at the dealership, with their staff and with the car:

“Amanda from @jameswoodsmotors was a HUGE help. It was nice to have someone quickly respond to my questions on Twitter with pictures, information about the car, if they worked with my bank, etc...I was able to do all my homework on the back end to figure out that I was getting a good deal and left the entire process 100% comfortable with the car I had picked and the price I was paying.  If I could do it all over again I'd do it the same way -shop on Twitter, see it in real life, make the purchase.”

James Wood Motors continues to use traditional methods of advertising such as billboards, radio and television.  Social Media has offered a less expensive and surprisingly effective addition to the marketing mix. Owner James Wood has also noted, “Our business has always been about building relationships and if social media can speed that up for us, then it is definitely a smart business decision.”