Effective social media strategy contributes to Matthews Auto Group's growth

Rob Matthews’ approach and commitment to social media is as serious as you might expect from a company that has raised sales by more than 200 percent over the last decade.

“It’s very important to us and we’ve done well with Facebook and have a very big presence,” Matthews, president of Matthews Auto Group, told Mega Dealer News. “We’ve actually done well leveraging employees through Facebook. You get much more impact with everyone helping spread the word.”

The numbers seem to bear that out, as over the last decade sales at the Vestal, New York-headquartered dealership have swelled from roughly $60 million per year to somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 million.

For the last 42 years, Matthews has been around to oversee the process and make sure the second-generation, family-owned dealership continues to carry out the level of service and meet the scale of dedication that’s always been its mission.

“Matthews Auto Group treats the needs of each individual customer with paramount concern,” the company proudly boasts on its website. “We know that you have high expectations, and as a car dealer we enjoy the challenge of meeting and exceeding those standards each and every time.”

The company has about 300 employees and six dealerships in three different markets.

For the last decade, social media has been a big part of operations, with the company having over 10,000 fans on its Facebook page and a testimonial page on its website where customers can share their Matthews Auto Group experiences.  

“A lot of people are more interested in an individual than a company,” Matthews said, explaining how management arrived at using every employees' Facebook footprint as part of their overall appearance on the platform.

The dealership’s “One Price” approach also has been instrumental in its growth process.

“At Matthews Auto, we give you our best price on every vehicle, every day,” the company adds on its website. “You get our bottom-line Matthews One Price, without having to haggle or play any of the games that traditional dealers play. Matthews Auto has increased our sales by close to 40 percent since the introduction of Our Price, and we believe this pricing approach has been key to our growth.”