The end of the year is a hectic time for everyone - from the holidays to planning for the New Year. GSM has been busy, but we still find time to give back and have some fun along the way!

Take a look at our recent year-end events: 

Manufacturers and dealer groups spend millions of dollars to drive search results for their brands and their regions. However, all too often, dealerships are bidding on the same terms- competing with their OEMs for visibility. For most dealerships, it’s hard to come close to competing with OEM ad dollars.

 Every year, The Houston Chronicle recognizes 150 of Houston's Top Workplaces. This year, GSM was chosen as one of Houston's top 150 workplaces out of 2,297 applicants. Companies are ranked based on criteria such as culture, family atmosphere, potential for advancement, flexibility, benefits and pay, leadership, teamwork, fun, values, and ethics. 

Successful marketing doesn’t stop at getting customers to a dealership’s doorstep. It encompasses the entire customer experience, including how a dealership treats its customers and its employees. It’s important to understand that a dealership’s employees are part of its brand – without them, the business fails.

At GSM, we love our sports teams - collegiate and professional. It's common to see associates supporting their favorite teams through festive jackets, shirts, hats, and office decor. To bring some of the rivalry and fun to the office, we celebrate College Colors Day and Jersey Day (we made this one up!).

As it turns out, you can teach an old dog new tricks. Advanced printing, targeting, and automated marketing technologies have revolutionized the capabilities of old-fashioned marketing channels like direct mail. With these modern enhancements, traditional channels are now more effective than ever at driving conversions in a digitally saturated market.

Before you send off your next direct mail campaign, consider the following tips below. This checklist includes big-picture strategies that you can use in all of your direct mail campaigns to maximize your success.

How to energize vehicle sales with direct mail -
We get it; working in sales is not easy. It requires a lot of patience, positivity, repetition, and extensive knowledge of what you're selling. Luckily, you can include direct mail as a member of your sales team. With direct mail's help, you can energize vehicle sales or trade-ins and grow market share. But, before digging into more complex strategies, we need to cover the basics. 

Let’s talk about your inventory and a few small, yet effective, changes that can help move units. You may have some of the previous year’s models left in your new inventory, as well as some old age units you need to get off your lot. Below are suggestions that you can tailor to your dealership, your market, or to highlight the vehicles your customers are looking for now.

Better Together - Content and SEO go together like peanut butter and jelly. Sure, they can exist independently of each other, but their value working together is greater than their separate efforts. Combining content and SEO into one cohesive approach builds a strong foundation for driving quality conversions for the long haul.