Spencer Carruthers of Kenwood Tire is one of our heroes in the tire industry – a tire dealer who truly gets social media and is using it to his advantage.
Spencer doesn’t use print, TV or radio media, which would have been unheard of just a few years ago. He relies on social media and adwords and social to get the word out in West Bridgewater, Mass., and to put a “human face” on his business.
“People buy from people they like,” he says, sounding awfully familiar to Tire Industry Hall of Famer John Gamauf.
Spencer shares photos of his unique building, an old school house, on his shop’s Facebook page (facebook.com/kenwoodtire). He posts photos of employees and of his big cactus outside his building. He answers automotive questions from consumers via Twitter and blogs about tires. All of this organic SEO is placing Kenwood Tire near the top of search engine rankings locally.
Spencer says social media levels the playing field against the mass retailers and even larger independent dealers. He devotes five to six hours each week posting content and engaging with folks online. Spencer works smart, using tools such as Hootsuite to manage his Twitter account and distribute content efficiently.
What Spencer “gets” is that the business world has been fundamentally changed by social media. Consumers are reading reviews on Facebook and Yelp, not marketing materials. They are sharing their views with like-minded consumers across the globe in a matter of seconds.
McKinsey & Associates estimates that 75% of the economy is now driven by recommendations.
Keep up the good work, Spencer! Please let me hear your stories about using social media in the tire industry.
Christine Taylor is vice president of social media marketing for JTMarCom,a Nashville-based marketing agency that helps companies with online reputation management and integration of social media into their traditional marketing programs. With a combined 35 years of experience in the tire industry, the agency places a special emphasis on working with tire and automotive aftermarket companies. Follow Christine on Facebook and Twitter (@chrisgtaylor). She can also be reached at 615-714-5469.
