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Automotive News Helps Auto Dealers Stay Informed

Posted by Jessica Fernandez | Thu, May 25, 2017 @ 03:45 PM

auto dealers

Auto dealers in need of a reliable news source will find Automotive News credible and user-friendly, helping dealerships and suppliers achieve success on many levels. Established in 1925, the web version of this weekly tabloid publication opens to an easy-to-navigate landing page and over a dozen roll-over headings with drop-down menus to narrow searches and topics.

This site offers subscriptions to the print edition as well as an online version and a mobile app that are bundled in various combinations: print and online, just the online edition or access to an online data center for a reasonable cost. Autonews.com is completely subscriber-paid, meaning that Autonews.com is funded by reader subscriptions, proving themselves to be a must-have magazine for auto dealers.

The print edition has many opinion and editorial articles delivered on a weekly basis while the web version keeps all past publications that can be accessed by just searching key words, as well as news that is updated daily.

Narrowing the Search

The easy-to-navigate site offers a helpful “News by Brand” section where viewers can learn the latest brand developments. Each manufacturer includes its own link in a drop down menu, where dealers comfortably find information on the other divisions a brand owns. This includes news stories on the latest cars and technology implemented by each brand. It also provides insight into pricing and sales for new cars. This component keeps the news updated in an organized fashion, expanding dealer knowledge about the products they are selling.

Dealers

Dealers would be especially interested in the “Dealers” primary navigational tab offering information on buying and selling, finance and insurance, used cars, NADA and more. This section includes detailed articles on the best auto dealersdealership practices to assist dealers in caretaking their business as well as keeping them up to date on national and international sales, marketing techniques and used car sales.

The “Sales” tab (level two under Dealers) keeps dealers in touch with the ongoing international politics of the auto-world, such the future of diesel. The Dealers tab also maintains a “Marketing” section where dealers can compare how other companies are marketing their products. Here, dealers can read on partnerships established by car companies, newly launched campaigns and how they are branding themselves. For dealerships with an affinity for used cars, articles regarding said vehicles and their performance are the next tab over, where data provided by analysts and news stories on used cars.

Couldn’t make it to the NADA convention? Dealers won’t miss a beat since Automotive News keeps readers posted on what was presented at the conference. Dealers can also find articles on the latest technology and techniques used by their competitors.

Under this heading, dealers can also maximize their services by indulging in the “finance and insurance” section offering tips, webinars and blog posts about building a good dealership.

Helpful, Informative and Visionary for Auto Dealers

Automotive News also offers a “Special Reports” heading where dealers can find more advice on news articles concerning car shows, racing, finance, insurance and business tips.

A tab entitled “Millennials buy cars, too” contains multiple articles, educating readers on engaging and marketing to the digital native generation. These articles instruct dealerships that despite recent studies expressing  participation in car sales by millennials is low, marketing to Generation Y is still necessary. While they are in no rush to buy cars, millennials simply want to wait until they are financially stable to purchase and maintain their own vehicle. This means that as soon as they are able to, millennials will be lining up at dealerships to buy their first car. By keeping this demographic in mind, dealers are broadening their clients for future sales.

One will readily find a tab entitled “Dealers learning how to hire” where articles speak to dealerships on how to keep employees engaged, building a diverse staff, how to handle different sized teams and more, encouraging dealership success and good employee relationships.

Opinion

The “Opinion” heading gives dealers great insight into the thoughts, opinions and commentaries of finance staff, reporters and editors of automotive companies like General Motors and the magazine itself. The “Blog” tab includes personal anecdotes, news commentary and reports on anything related to the world of automobiles. Keith Crain, the editor-in-chief of Automotive News, gives a short narration of his experience in off-road racing. If one wished to expand their bracket of knowledge on blog subjects, the “Editorials” tab features stories intertwined with the narrative, such as on why racing is important in the auto industry.  The “Opinion” section also includes a sub-heading featuring cartoons filled with allusions to cars and vehicle-related puns. This heading also includes a “letters” component, where one can read opinions sent in by subscribers. Dealers are also encouraged to send in a letter their own letter to provide their own commentary and opinions on articles and stories.

Training and Education via Data and Webinars

Automotive News is also an educational resource for auto dealer that includes webinars and a data subscription.

The webinar tool helps auto dealers learn how to make a profit with finances and investments, build their business, create lasting relationships with clients, and manage employees. The data subscription includes downloadable PDF and Excel Sheets with production and sales data, Marketing Reports, Analytics Engine and Dealer Incentives.

Automotive News is a great source for auto dealerships to increase sales. Similarly, CrossCheck offers payment solutions to auto dealerships by maximizing their rate of check acceptance while increasing sales. Specifically, CrossCheck’s Auto Industry RDC Solution (C.A.R.S.) streamlines the process of accepting payments for dealerships and consumers. It also has a hold check function called Multiple Check as well as a Check on Delivery component for parts and service departments. Learn more by downloading our free guide.

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Topics: Auto Dealerships

Written by Jessica Fernandez

Jessica Fernandez is a sophomore marketing major at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California. She enjoys reading and going on runs with her dog Oso.