Facebook Integration Overview & Setup

	NOTE: Facebook no longer supports direct, bulk uploading of vehicle inventory to Facebook Marketplace. For options on advertising your inventory on Facebook Marketplace please see our Autosweet solution.

DealerCenter connects with Facebook and gives you access to several great features:

• DC Chat: provides a way for you to respond to and easily manage incoming customer chats from your Facebook Business page directly in DealerCenter.
• Facebook Marketplace integration: makes it seamless to post inventory ads to Facebook marketplace.
• Facebook Business Page Post integration: lets you easily create page posts for your vehicles on your Facebook Business Page – and includes features like custom post templates and automatic posting.
• Business Page Inventory Tab: lets you add a dedicated Inventory section – called a page tab – to your Facebook business page and display your inventory directly to this tab. Facebook requires that your page have 2000 'likes' to add a page tab.

 

IN THIS ARTICLE:

1. How to View Your Vehicle Posting in DealerCenter
2. Facebook Marketplace Tips
3. How to Stand Out with DealerCenter

 

Best Practices for Facebook Marketplace

Once you’re all set up with Facebook Marketplace, check out some best practices to maximize your integration to its full potential!

 

1. How to View Your Vehicle Posting in DealerCenter

There are a couple ways to check if your vehicles have posted to Facebook Marketplace inside of DealerCenter.

1. From your DealerCenter homepage, go to Marketing --> Posting History. Click on the dropdown field for Export Name, select “Facebook Marketplace,” and click “Filter.”
2. From the Inventory section, click on Inventory Reports and choose to open a vehicle detail page. Go to Online Marketing --> Settings and look for Facebook. If it has been posted, there will be a green checkmark next to the word “Marketplace” on the Facebook export line.

 

	NOTE: Searching in Facebook Marketplace for your vehicles will not necessarily display your posted vehicles. Individual search results are based on a variety of factors. Facebook states: "Keyword and geo search is not supported and will not result in an exhaustive list of the dealer's vehicles"

 

 

2. Facebook Marketplace Tips

Facebook Marketplace has some guidelines for posting your vehicles. You can also see these tips inside DealerCenter when you click on the Manage Facebook link in Settings --> Inventory --> Online Marketing.

• Marketplace only supports used and certified pre-owned vehicles from dealerships. All vehicle mileage must be over 500 miles.
• Upload your full inventory of pre-owned vehicles across all price points to maximize your dealership’s presence on Marketplace.
• Provide as many high-quality photos as possible. Posts with at least 15-20 photos tend to perform the best. (Note: Must provide 2 images at minimum.) Resolution should be at 960x720 or better.
• Be sure to provide the complete vehicle description, including notation of any damages. The more information a buyer has up front, the more qualified the lead will be when the customer contacts you. It’s recommended that you keep your description neat and between 100 - 150 words. Always include the dealership phone number in the vehicle description.
• Responding quickly to messages means users are more likely to visit your store. Prompt responses can answer customer questions and ultimately limit drop-off.

For more information on working with Facebook Marketplace, visit the Facebook Business Help Center for Marketplace.

 

3. How to Stand Out with DealerCenter

With more than 20 million people in the U.S. clicking on used vehicle listings every month, according to Facebook, there is an opportunity to gain a lot of business through Facebook Marketplace. Here are some ways DealerCenter can help you stand out among other dealers:

1. Use Photo Overlays
   • Photo overlays help potential customers see your cars more prominently by displaying your dealership’s basic information in an eye-catching way.
   • DealerCenter has free, customizable photo overlays available. To set up a default overlay, go to Settings --> Inventory --> Online Marketing --> Photo Management. You can customize colors, text, and even upload your logo to one of our 10 templates. Additionally, we have a space to upload your own template. For a full walk through, please see the article Using Photo Overlay Templates.
2. Write a Great Vehicle Description
   • A great vehicle description not only includes the necessary information for your buyer to make a decision but it allows you to showcase your dealership’s personality.
   • You can write and store vehicle descriptions in DealerCenter by going to the Online Marketing tab on the vehicle detail page of your vehicle. Under the photo uploader, there is a section where you can type in or select options to input for your vehicle descriptions.
3. Use the DealerCenter Mobile App
   • The DealerCenter mobile app allows you to add vehicles through the VIN scan feature and take and upload photos to DealerCenter. So, as you’re responding to incoming leads through Facebook Messenger on your smartphone, you can continue building your pipeline by adding and updating to your inventory in the palm of your hand! For more information on the mobile app, visit Using VIN Scanner to Add a Vehicle.

 

Don't Have Facebook Marketplace? Want to Learn More?

Visit our Facebook Marketplace information page here and get a live demo!