The ActivEngage Social Media Team is excited to provide a new service for the auto dealer on the go: the Weekly Blog Roundup! Every day, we monitor the latest trends in inbound marketing, as well as blogs about the auto industry. We’ll save you the trouble of scouring the web on your own by sharing the top 10 most outstanding automotive stories and opinions of the week right here!  The week of January 23rd, 2012, heralds optimism and continued growth for the rest of the year. The blogs and articles below represent some of the finest indications of a recovering economy, as well as some great marketing tips, upcoming events – and a few laughs as well:

10.)  Joe Webb – “How To Catch An Internet Shopper”

Joe Webb’s Dateline parody video is laced with a dose of his patented discontent, as he boldly vents at online car shoppers who try to negotiate price even after agreeing to the sale. Watching the shopper’s discomfort as Webb grills him with all the gravity of To Catch A Predator is hilarious. Take a look and see for yourself!

9.)  5 Google+ Tricks to Dominate Search Results

Unsurprisingly, Google seems to provide sites with benefits for integrating their late-blooming social media platform – like gaining ground in search results when you add the “+1” button. The close connection between Google Search and Google+ means that “businesses can’t afford not to create and maintain a Google+ page.” Thanks to HubSpot for sharing these great tips for taking advantage of this relationship!

8.)  SOPA’s Relevance to Auto Dealers

As the Stop Online Piracy Act loses support, and congressional support for the bill wanes, we at ActivEngage are proud of our efforts to inform and educate the automotive community about the current issue of intellectual property rights. Along with DrivingSales.com, who publicly addressed this issue, we humbly submit our ActivEngage blog on SOPA as one of the week’s most relevant posts.

7.)  Anthony Monteiro – “Flip It! Why Spend More on Marketing Than Service?”

The conventional approach to auto sales encourages spending on advertising over improving service – preferring new sales over retaining existing ones. Anthony Monteiro (with coaching from Ralph Paglia) claims that it is much easier to grow your service business than your sales market – and most importantly, that sales can convert from a growing RO count. So, if you’re just butting heads with your competitors, try flipping the equation - allocate some of your advertising budget to better meet the needs of your service customers.

6.)  Eric Miltsch – “3 Things You Can Learn From Pinterest”

Social media experts predict the explosive rise of pictorial site Pinterest, on which users create highly viral “boards” filled with themed pictures and content. Auction Direct’s Eric Miltsch offers a few great tips for auto dealers that are always looking for the leading edge in marketing. Take a look, and familiarize yourself with a social network that we’re going to be hearing a lot about this year.

5.)  Ali Amirrezvani – “Google Changes Algorithm; Affects Top-Heavy Ad Pages”

It’s been a while since Google released a big algorithm update, but the fresh Google search actually penalizes sites that have too many advertisements near the top of the page. Ali Amirrezvani shared the information on Kain’s Idea Exchange earlier this week, and cautioned auto dealers to comply with the new search rules. Thanks for the heads up, Ali.

4.)  Glen Garvin – “Dealer Branded Consumer Mobile Apps: Necessity or Nuisance?

As the number of mobile app users passes 4.5 billion, the best dealerships are developing their own mobile applications. Dominion Dealer Solutions’ Glen Garvin writes a great blog about some of the traits that make a successful app, and when and why auto dealers will want to implement them.

3.)  2012 NADA/ATD Convention is Almost Here!

For the first time ever, both NADA and ATD conventions are being held in conjunction from February 3rd – 6th. With keynote speakers like Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne and Former United States President George W. Bush along with developmental workshops with representatives from Google, cars.com and ActivEngage’s own Todd Smith, the 2012 NADA Convention looks extremely promising. Auto dealers – register now!

2.)  NADA Predicts a Sharp Increase in New Car Sales

Paul Taylor, chief economist of the National Automobile Dealers Association, has forecast sales of almost 14 million new cars and trucks. Due to the fading recession and the increasing age of vehicles on the road, consumers are ready to unleash a burst of “pent-up demand” in the automotive marketplace. We hope that this news sounds as good to you as it does to us.

1.)  Improving Automaker Health Stimulating Economy

In Tuesday’s State of the Union address, President Obama mentioned dramatic growth in automotive manufacturing jobs. This Wall Street Journal article offers proof that companies like GM, Ford, Honda, and BMW are gaining strength and offering huge economic boosts to the heart of the nation. Of course, this is good news for everyone – as the average consumer’s financial outlook improves, so does his buying power! As a result, 2012 will be a great year for auto dealers (see #2).

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Did we miss anything important? Like what you see? Leave us a comment below! Or if you really can’t wait for your automotive fix, follow @activengage on Twitter for daily updates on auto industry news!