Dave DiMeo, co-founder and COO of RoboRetail, discusses the landscape of modern digital marketing. His presentation will take place on Monday at iFLEX as part of the education sessions hosted by the Automotive Oil Change Association.
Can you tell us a bit about Robo Retail and your role with the company?
I am one of the cofounders of Robo Retail, a digital marketing agency, that believes marketing should generate positive cash flow back to the business. We understand the automotive service sector, and more importantly, we understand how your customers are looking for places to have their vehicles serviced. From start to finish, we will plan, create, and continuously improve your campaigns to maximize the return on your marketing dollars.
When working with small business clients, what is the biggest misconception about modern digital marketing strategies?
It is unfortunate, but there are a lot of misconceptions about digital marketing. I would say that the most common misconception is that there is a "one-size fits all" approach to marketing. Modern marketing is sophisticated and continues to evolve every day. With so many options to choose from, it can be overwhelming to decide which direction to take. Therefore, people tend to stick with what they know, and they end up missing out on great opportunities as a result.
How has digital marketing evolved in the last 10 years?
Digital marketing has become extremely personalized. Perhaps even more importantly, through artificial intelligence, search has evolved. Customers no longer struggle to find information; they can simply ask a question and expect to get the right answer. So, a successful marketing campaign would use ads that are targeted to answer queries like “oil change near me”, “car battery replacement”, or, “How often should I rotate my tires?”
What else will you be covering during your education session at iFLEX?
In my session, I will break down a few of the newer digital marketing options that are available, as well as identify common marketing pitfalls that can result in poor results and worse, wasted money. I will also demonstrate how to properly measure and calculate the return on ad spend so that business owners can get the most out of their marketing dollars by optimizing for the channels that generate the best results.
