"Viral for the Right Reasons" - What Dealers Can Learn from Lange & Fetter’s Social Media Strategy | Noella Salter, Marketing Manager at Lange & Fetter Ford
The Dealer Playbook
"Viral for the Right Reasons" - What Dealers Can Learn from Lange & Fetter’s Social Media Strategy | Noella Salter, Marketing Manager at Lange & Fetter Ford
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There's such a stigma behind the dealership world, but I think we've been able to use social media to also kind of beat that stigma in a way by showing the ins and outs of the dealership. You've built a brand online by focusing on community storytelling. But what does that look like in application? Because I think there's so many dealerships out there that like the idea, or maybe even have good ideas, but they're just like maybe too fearful of what if we don't get any engagement?
It doesn't land. How do I keep going? What does that look like for you? I mean, I think you have to not be afraid to just do it. Like a lot of the stuff that we were doing and have done it doesn't stick. And so like you, you just try a bunch of things to see what works. And then what works, you continue to do both things. Knowing like what you just said earlier, not everything's going to stick. How do you navigate that? How do you maneuver through that and keep going?
One of the things that I enjoy most about producing the dealer playbook is hearing from you, the messages that I get of people who are getting so much value out of the podcast, applying it to their day to day workflows and finding a thriving career rate here in the retail auto industry. It means the world to me. And you know, one of the ways that we make doing this possible is through my agency flex dealer. And of course in the spirit of providing value. I think this is a perfect time to head over to triple w dot flex dealer.com.
To show even further support for you, my beloved DPB gang. Right now, if you go to my website flex dealer.com, you can get a full free PDF of my number one best selling book. Don't wait, dominate.
And the reason I think it's so special is that a lot of the topics that are discussed in this book are even more relevant today than ever with this surgeon popularized AI and people wondering, well, what can I do next? How can I have a competitive advantage?
Well, that's all here in this book. And so I'd love to be able to offer you a free copy of this. If you go to flex dealer.com, it would mean the world to me, because that is how we continue to produce this show for you.
The creative force behind Lang and Federer for its viral social media presence. As marketing manager, she transformed small town car dealership. And by the way, I've been to this small town. It is in fact a small town. She's transformed the small town car dealership stories into national attention through authentic community driven content. Her focus is not just on clicks, but also more importantly, I would argue connection.
She shows what happens when a car dealership stops posting for likes and starts engaging for loyalty. You definitely have to check out their social media pages. They're hilarious. No, well, hi. Welcome to the show. Hello. Thank you for having me.
Why have we waited in all the years that we've known each other? Right, yeah.
I guess that's really a question for me. Why have I waited so long to have the Noella Salter on the show? Well, I don't know. Yeah, that's a good question.
I guess we're just building up a bunch of our stuff. We're just building your stuff. See, but this is what I love about you. You just you put your head down. You get the work done. Right.
And somehow in the craziness of the car business, you manage to keep a sense of humor and that shines out in your social. We're going to talk all about your social profiles.
First, I want to know because I've asked you this offline probably several times. How did you get into the car business?
Oh, well, I mean, I went to school for public relations, basically media communications. And my husband is out in the military and is a very big military community out here. So we're posted here currently.
And so I was looking for a new job and hoping for something in my field of work. And it just so happened that Lang and Federer was looking for a new social media manager.
And I applied and here I am. And it's worked beautifully.
Yeah, yeah, it's been quite the adventure and the learning experience and the way that I've been able to grow with this group of people has been amazing.
Yeah, it's been fun to watch.
You guys have one of the few dealership social presences that I watched just for fun.
Thank you. Right. Yeah, I love that. Yeah. And I want to talk to you about it. Yeah. That's what we're here to do.
Okay, so you you've built one of the most recognizable, I would say because you've had national coverage. I've seen was a like lab Bible or it's like one of those outlets that's actually picked up some of your stuff.
Yeah, we were on bar stroll sports. That's what it is. I should have known that because I only eat pizza if Dave Portinoi says I should.
You've built a brand online by focusing on community storytelling. Bring me into like how does that? How did that begin? How do you?
How do you set that up at a dealership where it's like, hey, we want to try this thing. We have no clue what's going to come from it.
Especially, you know, with your PR background, I think maybe that's a that's a trench that you have to be willing to go through.
But what does that look like in application? Cause I think there's so many dealerships out there that like the idea or maybe even have good ideas.
But they're just like maybe too fearful of what if we don't get any engagement? What if it doesn't land? How do I keep going? What does that look like for you?
I mean, I think you have to not be afraid to just do it. Like a lot of the stuff that we were doing and have done it doesn't stick.
And so like you you just try a bunch of things to see what works and then what works you continue to do those things.
But I think a lot of it also had to do with I started in February of 2020. And we all know what happened in March of 2020, COVID happened.
So I think we were really lucky that we had almost the chance to kind of like rebrand ourselves a little bit because nobody was coming into the store anymore.
But the only way that we were really able to reach our clientele was through social media. And so we had to figure out new ways that we are going to.
I guess build our brand online because yes, like they did have a social media presence before I got here and it was pretty good, but it wasn't to the extent that it is now obviously.
So I think like for us especially we we focus mainly on our people for social media.
Like you can go online and you can search up which vehicle you want to buy and you can get all the information just from the website of like Ford or Toyota or wherever.
Like you can get all the information for the vehicle that you want to buy from there, but what makes a dealership stand out is the people that work there and the experience that somebody is going to get when they come to the dealership.
And so that's kind of what I strive to do with our social media is kind of giving those people who are searching online and looking to buy more of a reason to come and buy that vehicle from us.
If that makes sense. Yeah, it's it's like what it does is in my opinion is it moves you out of the realm of like, oh, we're just another best buy or another Apple store where you can get this product, but you're coming here for an experience and you're coming here because you're you're feeling you are getting connected to something that's much deeper than just a product.
Exactly. Yeah, yeah, and I mean like that there's such a stick member behind the dealership world where people think that everybody's just out to scam you and they're just going to take your money and and they're everybody's trying to hide all these hidden fees and things inside of that.
But, but I think like we've been able to use social media to also kind of beat that stigma in a way by showing the ins and outs of the dealership. Yes, we do like the fun stuff, but then we're also, you know, posting the behind the scenes of things and like you'll you'll never see us putting any hidden fees or anything in any of our deals.
Because that's just not what we stand for and I think that also like that alone, like the way that Lang and Fetter and Aaron Lang, especially that he runs this business to I think is a huge part in why I am able to do the things that I do online to because I have such the creative freedom and the ability to like take this and create it my own because Aaron has the full faith in.
And I am going to take it and run with it so.
He's such a trusting man. Yes.
You know, and by the way, for those that are wondering why I make such a statement, I know Aaron, I would consider him a good friend of mine.
And he might be one of the best people I know in this entire industry. Yeah.
And I mean that sincerely, but I've experienced that trusting nature like he really I see that he derives joy not just from you deriving joy.
Yeah.
But from you feeling the autonomy to go and do and take charge of the lane that you're in.
Yeah.
Right.
Yeah.
But obviously we're human and sometimes we make mistakes and and some mistakes are bigger, some mistakes are smaller.
With you doing storytelling about your people knowing like what you just said earlier, not everything's going to stick.
Yeah.
How do you how do you navigate the misfires and even want to keep going like like here's an example, right.
And this has nothing to do with social.
Like, you know, I've been paying closer attention on my health.
And with every pound that I lose, I get closer and closer to like a new pair of pants smaller size.
Then I go just out of curiosity and try on that smaller pair of pants.
Yeah.
And instantly get discouraged because I'm not there yet.
Yes.
And that's kind of like social media, especially when you hear people saying like, I didn't stick.
That's, you know what?
I'm defeated.
Or we got heat full comments or somebody that did want to perpetuate the negative stigma about card.
Oh, you're just doing this for likes because you just don't care.
How do you navigate that?
How do you maneuver through that and keep going?
I mean, like I absolutely understand the part of getting discouraged.
Are you just like a mess when you get home?
Like, yeah.
Just throwing things around.
Like, can you imagine?
No, luckily not.
Like, I am able to.
That's a lie.
I was going to say I am able to compartmentalize my life, but it's not, it's not true.
Yeah.
Any time I'm on social media, if there's something that I see that I think could be applicable to the dealership world,
I am thinking about how we can do that ourselves.
So, it's hard.
Like, I definitely have, I go through phases where I'm like feeling super creative,
feeling really, you know, uplifted about the work that we're doing.
And it usually is when, when a video goes viral or whatever,
that that's like, then you're like chasing that high.
Right.
So,
I think just having the understanding that
going viral is not the end all be all.
Just because you go viral once,
half the people majority of the people probably that see those videos
are not going to be the people who are coming into the dealership to buy a vehicle from us.
Because they're from the state or like all the way across the world.
And so, I think the thing that helps keep me grounded is
even though not all of our stuff is going viral,
we are still reaching the community around us and still building that relationship
with those people so that when those people are ready to purchase a vehicle,
they're coming into the dealership to see us.
And so, I think even though some of our videos won't get millions of views,
it's still being seen by the people who matter the most, if that makes sense.
Yeah.
Well, you know, it reminds me of the concept of you are assuming the center of the audience.
You know, I think about it in podcasting terms.
I get asked all the time, like, how do you do it?
How do you make money?
How do you, you know, all these sorts of things?
I want to be Joe Rogan.
A lot.
I hear that a lot.
That's like, dude, you're never going to be Joe Rogan.
No.
Joe Rogan was a celebrity for 30 years or stand up comic for 30 years.
Had hit TV shows before he started the podcast.
And that's why every episode gets a million, two million views.
However, for me,
this podcast has been a game changer because to your point,
it is a validator of the position that I've chosen to take,
because nobody can dispute it.
Yeah.
They can't dispute 12 years.
They can't dispute consistency.
They can't dispute reliability, the trust factor, the relationship.
And that's kind of, I don't know if this tracks,
but that's kind of how I'm seeing it in terms of this.
Yeah, you're right.
Yeah.
Is somebody from Sri Lanka going to come to Lang and Fedor Ford and buy a car?
No.
But the people that are paying attention in your community
see the consistency and the activity and the human nature.
Yes.
You know, the behind the scenes, like you said,
and that validates your position of assuming the center of your market.
Yeah.
100%.
And like the biggest thing too is that,
like people now they come in here and they're like,
oh, I want to work with Chase because I know he has this kind of personality
from seeing it online.
And that's the person that I want to see.
Yeah.
And so I think without the consistency and without keeping on posting,
whether it performs well or not,
you're never going to build up that kind of a reputation
where then your sales staff have these fan bases almost.
So I think to answer your question,
I mean, yes, it's really easy to get discouraged and see what other people are doing
and how other people are going viral.
But like you say, not everybody is going to be Joe Rogan and not everybody.
Not every video is going to perform and get millions and millions of views.
But if you are consistently showing up and showing the people that work at the dealership
and making it a fun environment and making it almost like showing people
and making people excited to want to come to you,
then I think that's all you can ask for.
I think it's so huge.
And we're going to talk about this in a bit.
Actually, for those of you that are watching or listening,
you're going to want to watch this because it's going to be so much fun.
If you're listening, you're just going to have to take our word for it.
But we're actually going to break down.
We're going to watch and get a live reaction.
And Nuella is going to break down some of their posts in a minute.
We're going to watch them.
But staying on this for a second,
because I think this is super interesting.
And I think it's super valuable that people hear from someone who's doing it and doing it well.
That hey, like, I'm not immune to this.
You're going to feel it because I feel it.
And the reason I feel it is actually one of my most beautiful features in that I still feel.
There are too many people that don't feel anything anymore.
And there are no fun to be around at a dinner party.
Can you think of some of the, maybe the early, I use the word mistake,
but I hate that word actually.
What are some of the maybe the early lessons you learned that have helped you sharpen what you do today?
I think the biggest thing when I first came in here, like this was definitely my first.
I would say big girl job.
Because it was doing something that I actually went to school for.
And so you're not a statistic then.
You actually work in the field.
You went to school.
Okay.
I do.
Yes.
Now to think that I would be in this area of life, probably not, but.
So I think basically when I first came in here.
Yeah.
With it being my first time as a social media manager and all of that stuff, I realistically didn't have a clue what I was doing.
And so like people at the dealership previously they were raving about how well the previous social media manager had done.
And like they were said to see him go and all of that stuff.
And so then in my brain, I'm thinking, okay, I need to do what that guy was doing because clearly it's what they're looking for.
This is this is the route that I need to be taking.
And so I would go back on to the old social media posts.
And I would try to basically mimic and copy exactly how that person was doing their social media.
And I think that that was my first mistake as a social media manager and as a marketing manager because everybody has their own way of doing things.
And I think once I, like my posts were not performing the way that his were and all of that stuff.
And so then I was getting very discouraged about it. And so then and COVID happened and all of these things and our staff started to get changed up.
We got a few new staff on board and social media because of COVID was becoming bigger and bigger. And so we were needing to kind of take a different avenue. And so it gave me a little bit more of a new space to be to be myself almost rather than trying to imitate somebody who was in this position before me.
I was able to then do things that I would do and take it as no well, rather than the previous social media manager.
And I noticed that things started to perform better and they started people started to interact with us more because like before you could probably tell that I didn't have a clue of what I was speaking about.
Or really have like the passion behind it either, but now doing that I was doing things as noella.
There was more of the passion and the genuine and the authenticity behind it that people were then drawn towards.
And so I think not everybody is as fortunate as me to be able to to have a space where they can be or they have the freedom to feed their genuine stuff on the social media platform that they're they're managing but I think trying to do it.
Trying to make the social media page as somebody who wasn't me that was that just wasn't working.
I mean this is so think about this controversial opinion of the day I get one I'm going to use it on this statement.
Somebody in this industry based on what you just said somebody in this industry today is getting fired from their job.
Because they were the replacement to the person everyone thought was doing it the right way.
Yeah.
And didn't arrive or have the room to arrive at what you just said, which is that I had to do it as me.
They were they were continually trying to catch up to this like, oh, they did such a good job.
You need to do what they were doing that they found no joy in the work that they were doing, which means no confidence, no creativity.
Somebody in this industry today is getting fired from their job because they were being compared against the metrics or the output or execution style of their predecessor and holy crap what a disservice that is.
I mean, I hope that if you're the person that feels this way that you get this episode in front of your leadership team because that is that is something that we need to really underscore.
And I'm so glad that you're at an organization that that created space for that.
Me too.
Because like one degree different and nobody would we wouldn't even know each other.
Nope.
Exactly.
Which scares me because you bring so much happiness to my life.
Thank you.
Okay, so what I want to do, you know, we've talked about some mistakes and learning and all those sorts of things.
We've talked about how your work and your output on social media has garnered attention.
We've got Arnold who helps us produce the show, waiting for this very moment right now.
What I want to do, I thought would be fun is to actually watch together.
Some of your posts.
So we'll watch the first one.
Good.
I want to get a reaction from you and I want to have you kind of like break down how you came up with the idea and how you you, you know, brought it together.
Arnold bring up the first one.
By the way, if you're listening, we're watching stuff.
You should be watching too.
Spotify, YouTube, our website, the dealer playbook.com.
You could be watching what we're about to watch.
And if you're not watching it here with us, you got to go check out Ling and Fed or Ford's Instagram, TikTok, Facebook.
It's, it's a lot of fun.
All right, Arnold bring up the first one for us, pal.
Did you have any clue that it runs?
I got a little bit.
No, I love this.
Oh, f*** that hurt.
Oh, f*** that hurt.
Oh, f*** that hurt.
Oh, f*** that hurt.
Okay.
What's going on?
Oh, Jesus.
Okay.
Oh, we're rough.
I don't know if I'm ready for this.
No, well, is this you driving?
No, this is somebody else driving.
Yeah.
Guys, what we're watching right now is Russ who I, is either general manager, general sales manager.
Yeah.
General manager.
General manager.
Who's a character in and of himself.
First gear.
Oh, my God.
And in a father, we were teaching.
That was your first time.
A staff member to drive us to pick shift.
Yeah.
All right.
All right, go ahead and get it.
Okay.
Don't work for any of these.
No, I need some.
It's our.
These are quite fun videos to be a part of.
Okay.
So how did this all come together?
It was a conversation one day where Russ is like,
I don't know how to drive a stick or like, what are you feeding off of that gets to this point?
Yeah.
Well, I mean, like working at a card dealership.
I guess it's just kind of like a.
Maybe like a.
I don't know what the word is.
I'm gonna write a passage or something.
I'm not really sure.
Like it's just understood that you should probably know how to drive standard.
I guess.
But the amount of people at this dealership that don't know how is kind of.
Kind of wild, but I mean, to be honest, like automatic vehicles, like they are.
It's a majority of vehicles.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Luckily for me, though, when I first started to drive, started to learn how to drive, it was on standard.
So I am not one of those people who don't know how to drive it.
Yeah.
Me too.
Nothing like learning to drive on a stick.
So I think.
Like just this year, amount of people who didn't know how to drive it.
Russ just was like fed up with it one day.
And we.
We've been working with.
Billy, who owns 62 media.
And he comes in like weekly to come and film some videos for us and capture some content.
And so it was one of the days that he was here.
And we had an as is standard vehicle.
And Russ was like, all right, it's time.
We're going to go out.
And we're going to take you guys.
And we're going to learn how to drive standard.
So this started.
I would say probably two or three years ago that we started doing these things.
And it started with Jonesy.
Yeah.
And Jonesy has been.
Like he's part of the reason why Langenfeder is so well-known on social media is because he was one of our first.
He's such a nice to dress up like the elf on the shelf.
Yeah.
Yeah.
He was one of our like first main characters on our social media.
And him and Russell like butt heads all the time.
And so it was it was the two of them.
And luckily I got to sit in the back seat.
And we we got some content from that.
And it just was.
It was a wild time.
He also, I don't know why, but usually we'll take us so that we have to go up a hill.
And then like get off the hill.
There's a stop sign right at the top of the hill.
Yeah.
Like just putting everybody to the test here.
And Russell, he.
He likes to say that he doesn't like the attention.
Yeah.
Uh-huh.
But he does.
And so we did one of these.
Like the first one we did.
And we posted it on our social media.
And Russ has been a part of the Trenton community for his entire life.
And so he's got a.
He's got a good amount of people online who know who he is.
So it just like blew up because of his fan base.
And so.
Yeah, it basically just kind of hit the right market of people.
And now we have people.
Like Russ says he can't go into the grocery store anymore without getting recognized
because of these videos.
And so it's just like a series that we do now.
Hey, does your marketing agency suck?
Listen, before we hop back into this episode,
I know you know me as the host of the dealer playbook.
But did you also know that I'm the CEO of FlexDealer?
An agency that's helping dealers capture better quality leads from local SEO
and hyper targeted ads that convert.
So if you want to sell more cars and finally have a partner that's in it with you
that doesn't suck, visit FlexDealer.com.
Let's hop back into this episode.
Okay, so there's a couple of things you said I need to underscore.
I think are so important.
The fact that he's been in the community for so long.
Like, you know, people because often.
I think it's important to know that this wouldn't necessarily work
for anyone that wants to just duplicate it because.
You know, because there's an authentic and community driven thing here, right?
Like you said, he grew up in the community.
I can't replace the fact that Russ grew up in Trenton, Ontario.
And that he there's just over a lifetime, right?
People that have gotten to know him.
So there's something number one, people that care.
Now, I do think that this strategy of what we're saying here will work can be duplicated.
But the reason this video in particular in this way and this style at this time works.
So, so you brought up audience.
Yep.
There's the community piece which just to me reinforces the audience.
Yep.
And the the side kind of like pop culture is not the right term.
But this almost like ongoing conversation over the last 30 years of like.
What do you mean you can't drive a stick?
Right.
Yeah, it scratches all of these like psychological triggers, right?
Do you do you get an idea before because like I know you said earlier, sometimes you I don't know what's going to stick or not.
But like do you kind of get a sense now like a rumbly in the tumbling that you know, oh yeah, like this is going to this is going to smash.
Yes and no tick talk is so like.
Like it is just changing all the time of a teenager.
Yeah, something that I'm like, yeah, this is going to work so well it gets like a thousand views.
And then something that we like film in 30 seconds and has taken zero effort or time or thought behind it is the thing that goes viral.
So like for tick talk itself, but I think for us like I've learned who our audience is on Instagram and Facebook.
And so like them anytime I can I can post a video of us anytime on Facebook and I know it's going to do well.
So it doesn't matter what he's talking about what's going on. It's the same with chase.
I can post a video of chase on there and it will perform very well because the followers that we've built up in the community that we built up those are the things that people like to see.
Got it.
And so that's good.
I was going to ask you about that.
Is it platform specific and it kind of sounds like yet totally is.
Yes, 100% like there are things that I will post on tick talk that will only stay on tip talk or things that I will post to Instagram that I won't necessarily push to Facebook because like the followers ship on each platform is different.
And I think I think that that also is something that people get confused with is that they think that they're just talking to the same person.
All of their social media platforms, but that is definitely not the case.
You are hitting different demographics of people over each platform that I think you need to hone in on in order to see what works and what what or what doesn't so.
This is interesting because yeah.
I don't know how you feel about this.
So here's my my only reference point.
I had, I'll call it my viral video recently where I brought my 16 year old to the doctor.
Yep.
Because he had kept, he had some sort of stomach issue like he would just get nausea like sick.
I don't know.
And I'm like, okay.
So we take him to the doctor.
I decide while we're waiting for the doctor to show up because he's super worried like this.
You, you know, human brain.
I don't know.
And I'm like, I'm a dad.
I got to leverage this.
So I turn on my camera.
He's sitting up on the on the table.
And he looks super worried.
And I just said.
What happens next is actually my favorite part of this whole thing.
He's like, what?
And I'm like, you see that that thing on the wall.
Yeah.
When, when the doctor comes back, she's going to make you drop your pants and bend over.
And she's going to shine that light up your butthole.
And you, you just see the suspense building.
And then, and he's like, you're lying.
And I'm like, what I lie, we're in a doctor's office.
And then, and he's worried, dude, he's worried.
Yeah.
And then I said, and then they're going to have you open your mouth to see if we can see the light on the wall.
And he's just worried.
And I'm like, they call it the light at the end of the tunnel exam.
And it blew up on TikTok.
Like, we're talking, no, well, like, just didn't surprise you.
But we're talking 24 hours, 400, 500,000 views.
Yep.
The people commenting are like, good job, dad.
Great.
What's my point?
Where am I going with this?
They were all kind of like parents.
Yeah.
They were like, good dad.
And that's hilarious.
And oh, my gosh, I'm going to do this next time I take,
which I would have assumed would be the carryover audience to Facebook.
Right.
And it went nowhere on Facebook.
No.
And even Instagram kind of went nowhere on Instagram.
And I'm like, well, wait, that seems like a reversal.
And it got me thinking, I'm curious, you're, you're take here.
These people all kind of exist on those platforms.
But maybe what they want on each of the platforms is different.
Yeah.
Does that absolutely.
Yes.
Yeah.
I mean, like, there are definitely, like, do you follow all of the same people on all of your social media?
No.
Or do you follow certain, like on TikTok?
Do you follow certain people that you wouldn't necessarily go and look up on Instagram?
I mean, I follow Noella on all platforms.
Right.
Thank you.
Then it's sporadic.
Actually, and to that point, you know what's interesting is,
I don't even know if I really follow anyone on any platform in particular.
I'm not, I'm not like, oh my gosh, what's the next time doing the rock Johnson's going to post?
Yep.
I just get it.
Yeah, that is the thing is like,
I guess, like engagement level with things is, is down compared to what it used to be.
Because people are just consuming this stuff now.
Is YouTube even a thing?
Yes.
We do.
Is it just mostly shorts?
Pretty much.
I do.
I don't spend a whole lot of time on YouTube.
There are people who do like,
and I think those are like the early adapters that have.
Like we're all going on.
I'm like,
I just have a disproportionate amount of time on YouTube.
But like, what does that say about me?
But I mean, like, like pretty much anything that I post on TikTok,
I will push that to YouTube.
Because like they,
I either hear that people are on YouTube shorts or they're on TikTok.
Yeah.
So usually it's or or Instagram reals.
Right.
So because I would say even for this show,
I mean, gosh, when we first started a hundred years ago,
I'm like the Johnny Carson of automotive podcasts.
I mean, our long forms were getting 200, 300,000 views.
Now, I would say all of its shorts,
all of our views and any new subs we get, it's all from shorts.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It is like any long form content doesn't perform as well
anymore for us, either.
We used to be able to make like 10 minute.
We had, I don't know if you remember the car crew is,
was our 10 minute video that we would have every,
almost every Friday, I think.
And we would post.
It's like like an office style video that we would post about the dealership.
We're hilarious, by the way.
Thank you.
But what do I know?
I'm a YouTube watcher.
They stopped doing as well because people stop.
People are no longer consuming that amount of content.
Like they'll sit there on the there and scroll for hours on end.
Yeah.
But it needs to be fresh stuff every 30 seconds.
Basically.
It's interesting because even I noticed,
I don't know if you've noticed this or not,
but I've noticed sitcoms on television now.
Yeah.
Like Ala Brooklyn 99 or life in pieces.
Like some of these ones that.
It's like every scene could be its own self-contained episode.
And they are quick and witty and get to the punchline fast.
And I wonder if this is just an indication to your point about,
like it's it's short form content that even long form.
Hold on hold on brains processing things in real time guys.
Like every year, maybe maybe your long form content to your point needs
to be a series of short form payoffs.
Right.
That are all just sewn together into a piece of long form content.
Yeah.
And I mean, like that's kind of how we would base our.
Our car crew stuff is that it would be able to be split into segments that
we could then go on to YouTube or TikTok or wherever and then post it as a short.
And then have the long form content of all of that smushed together basically.
Okay.
Yep.
That makes sense.
Yeah.
It's easier to slice up and then put out a short form.
Yeah.
Oh my gosh.
Um, this is going to be our longest episode ever because I have so many more questions
and we still haven't gotten to the second video.
Why don't we do that Arnold?
Q us up.
Let's get.
Let's get the second video up.
By the way, if you're not watching these.
Right.
What are you doing?
Do it.
Do it.
All right.
Well, load us up Arnold.
Pick a key.
Bees.
All right.
All right.
What'd you get?
2018 Volkswagen Beetle do.
She didn't look happy about that.
Yo, Bri, what'd you get?
The 2022 Jeep Compass Trailhawk.
She smiled at least at the end of hers.
Yep.
Yo, Noel, what'd you get?
I got a 2023 Lincoln Nautilus Reserve.
I'm very happy about that.
That one was a nice vehicle.
Okay.
That's a simple concept if I may say.
Yes.
Why did that one hit?
I think.
Like, like the snippet of keeping it fresh every like three
seconds, almost of a new thing.
That is kind of what started us with these pick a keys.
I think it was a 800% club meeting that they had had.
And maybe they had talked about this briefly.
This.
This is going back.
We've been doing these for a long time.
A long time.
So.
But every single time I don't.
I honestly, I don't even understand how to explain it because
every time they get like.
I don't know over 20,000 views at least.
Like that's probably that's on the really low side.
But they usually get up into the millions.
Yeah.
Is it like a.
Is it almost like.
Because it is quick, like you said, it's quick and snappy.
And then do you think it's like the pay the curiosity and the pay off to the curiosity is like instant.
Yeah.
Because people are seeing.
I think I think the hook is what draws them in is seeing that we're picking out a key.
And then they want to know what it is that we have picked a key for.
And so.
Like people.
I think the curiosity is definitely what keeps people around.
For these videos.
And this is like this is product placement that OEMs pay zillions of dollars for on that Flix.
That you're just doing for free.
Yep.
Yeah.
And it's and it's a great way to just like showcase what you have on the lot.
Yeah.
Although I do.
I will say I think some people think that we are giving away a free vehicle.
But.
That is not the case.
And a lot of people will say which one they think that was the best.
But every now and then we get a comment that is like, please let me enter into this.
This roll up the rim to win that laying in butter.
To be fair though, we did do a pick a key with our car for cancer mustary.
And that one you could win.
So.
That was awesome too.
I know see that's that's the clever kind of full loop of all of this is then you tie something that people are familiar with into an actual.
Community focused.
Give away and people show up.
Yep.
They want to support it.
Yep.
Okay.
Arnold video number three.
Have I mentioned if you're just listening, what are you doing?
Yeah.
They're going to get some people I'm going to get comments people who I shut up.
Hey, I'm here to get my tires.
Tworked.
Tworked.
You mean.
Hold on.
I got to watch this one again.
You're going to have to replay it.
Hey, I'm here to get my tires.
Tworked.
Tworked.
You mean.
Twork.
Oh my gosh.
What's going on?
Well, it was at the service counter and she says confused.
I'm here to get my tires.
Tworked.
And the service managers like.
Tworked.
And then the the I don't know how in the heck what I really want to know is how did you get.
Technicians to torque on camera.
This staff that I work with are amazing.
Like that's I genuinely.
I don't know if I would be able to go and do this anywhere else because of just the sheer.
This the people here.
Culture.
Yeah, yeah.
100%.
Like everybody is.
I mean, I, I do know which people to ask when I want to do a video.
There are definitely some people who will say absolutely not all the time.
So I know my go to's.
But.
Like this one surprised me.
Are, are it took me a couple days of convincing.
Don't get me wrong.
But our master technician.
Is the one that actually like he's normally one of the ones to say absolutely not.
But he's the one who pulled the team together and.
Wow, dude.
And said.
If I do a version story.
You have to do this.
I love this.
Yeah.
Guys, you have to watch these videos.
You can, you can find them online and federfords.
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok.
YouTube shorts.
They're everywhere.
They, they make me laugh.
They break the norm.
They are a pattern interrupt.
Yeah.
Because, you know, while everyone was doing the drop it like it's hot video,
what I love about this is like you didn't do that.
But you sort of did.
But in a way different way, you know.
Right.
Right.
Which I love being different.
You can't, you can't stand up and lay down at the same time.
And so you're, you're like, we're going to stand up.
And the only way to do that is to stand out.
And I, I just love it.
Okay.
I think we've got one more.
I want to watch this one.
Hey.
Have I mentioned if you're just.
What are you doing?
We have to do it, dude.
Oh, man.
Oh, dude.
You feel your blood boiling.
This one fills me with all sports rage.
Okay.
So for those that are listening, wondering what in the heck that's down this.
This is.
Okay.
So we have the first character who he, they're walking towards the car together.
But then he stops to start looking for the keys all over his bodies in his jacket.
Everyone else has made it to the car.
And they start that clicking you were hearing was.
Then ferociously pulling on the door handle.
Yep.
The reason it fills me with rage.
And I want to talk about this.
Is because this is what my kids do.
And it instantly triggers.
Like baby boomer energy in me.
To be like, you're going to break the car.
You're going to like break the actuator in the door.
Something like that invoking some sort of an emotion.
That's going to be part of the play.
What's your thoughts on that?
Absolutely.
I think they also, like the other reason why this one.
So this is actually just a copy of the original one that we had done.
We had done this one.
I'd say you're in a half ago or so.
And it has like 15 million views on.
Wow.
Or 17 or 17 or 17.
Anyways, on on TikTok.
But.
I think like there's zero speaking.
Like no, no talking whatsoever.
But I think the biggest thing is that it is relatable in every language.
So.
Right.
Whether you're from here.
Whether you're from Europe.
Whether you're from wherever.
Yeah, it's like a universal language.
Yes.
The amount of people that we were getting commenting on.
Like how relatable this was to their life or like you said,
your kids do this.
They, it's yeah, it happens everywhere.
And I think that that's probably why this did so well is because.
It's something that.
Like it's not far fetched for you to feel that emotion because it happens to you on the regular.
It's a connection point.
And here's how I would even illustrate it further.
You connected it to me because I'm like, oh my gosh, my kids do this.
But I promise you when your child does this for the first time,
it will connect you back to this episode where I'm like, wait till you feel the rage.
You will remember recording this podcast.
You'd be like, oh my gosh.
I've never felt so connected to a podcast before my life.
You're going to be like, it'll happen for sure.
I work in the business.
This is where you're going to pull this out.
You're going to be like, I work in the business kid.
You're going to break my car.
Yeah.
I'm an expert in this business.
You were a worker.
Okay, I'm going to ask you this because you know,
like you said, 15 million views.
You've had millions and millions and millions of millions.
You've been picked up and featured on, you know, national outlets.
For the work that you guys are doing.
How do you.
Bridal maybe is the right word I'll use.
The competitive nature against yourself now.
Like, oh my gosh.
Featured by barstool sports.
That's huge.
Yeah.
How do I combat that now to know that like,
like, do I shoot for that every time or you know what I mean?
Like, how do I, how do you bridle that?
I mean, I think to expect to go viral on every single TikTok is.
Unrealistic.
Unless you are like a famous person.
And even for them, like some of their videos don't perform as best as their other videos do, you know.
And so for me,
it always just comes back to.
Selling the people that work here.
So if I am creating content that is including those people and portraying those people in a fun manner.
Then I am doing the job that I am hired to do.
And if if people are still coming in here and we are meeting our targets and people are recognizing us out on the street.
You know, then, then my job.
Then I am succeeding at what I am hired to do.
Yeah.
Yeah.
There's so many things I feel like I need to have you back to talk about the other side of this.
I mean, we briefly touched on culture.
Yeah.
And I think it's worth putting a pin in this statement as we wind down, which is the other side effect, which is, yeah, the community is getting to know you, but.
But I would also venture to say.
I'm going out on, I'm making an assumption here, but I just think this is the case.
No, Ella, that you have created and are perpetuating and amplifying a reason for people to look forward to coming to work.
Yeah.
And when people look forward to being a part of something and coming to work and wondering what kind of fun energy you're bringing, they actually serve the guest or the customer that much more.
The customer then feels it.
They are more likely, like you said, about Jones, you can't go out or Russ can't go out with people recognizing them and wanting to be around them.
I'm like, just think of, we often want to quantify everything we've talked about down to dollars and moving metal.
But there's a real tangible impact on families and ambassadorship and loyalty that stems from the very, this very thing, this becomes the epicenter of that thing.
And yeah, it's either just social media, or it is just something that perpetuates and amplifies the culture.
Which I think is huge. Congratulations. It's so fun to watch watch you guys work. I'm excited that we get to be your partner.
As we wind this down, how can those listening or watching.
Yes, you better listen or watching connect with you.
So you can find us on all of our social media platforms. We're on tiktok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook.
And we are laying better forward. And it's as easy as that.
Ork it. Are you starting on Ork it?
No, never.
That probably didn't exist.
You were probably still in elementary school and that one.
Nice.
Nice.
Oh my goodness.
Noah Salter, thanks so much for joining me on the dealer playbook podcast.
Thanks for having me.
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Check back next week for a new dealer playbook episode. Thanks so much for joining.
About this episode
Noella Salter, Marketing Manager at Lange & Fetter Ford, shares insights on leveraging social media to reshape dealership perceptions and build community connections. Discussing her journey from public relations to automotive marketing, she emphasizes the importance of authenticity and experimentation in content creation. The conversation highlights how engaging storytelling and humor can break down industry stigmas, foster loyalty, and drive customer engagement. Salter's unique approach has garnered national attention, demonstrating the power of genuine community-driven content in the automotive sector.
Original notes
If you’ve ever wondered how a small-town Ford store ends up going mega-viral, builds a loyal community, and turns everyday dealership life into must-watch content… this episode is for you.
Today I’m joined by the brilliant, hilarious, and wildly creative Noella Salter, the marketing manager behind Lang & Fetter Ford’s social media presence that the entire industry can’t stop talking about. She’s turned a rural Canadian dealership into a personality-driven brand that people actually want to follow.
In this episode, we get into:
- How Noella went from PR grad to dealership storyteller
- The moment she realized she had to stop copying her predecessor and start creating as herself
- Why the people inside your dealership matter more than any vehicle walkaround
- What to do when your content flops, trolls show up, or you feel creatively tapped out
- The power of consistency, authenticity, and letting your team shine
- Why viral moments don’t matter nearly as much as you think, and how she stays grounded anyway
- Live reactions as we watch some of Lang & Fetter Ford’s most viral posts together
If you’re in automotive marketing (or honestly, any business where trust and community matter), this conversation is a blueprint for turning small beginnings into big impact. Noella proves that you don’t need a massive budget, a big city, or sponsorship deals, you just need people who are willing to show up, be themselves, and have a little fun.
This episode will make you laugh, rethink your approach to social, and maybe even give you the nudge to try that idea you’ve been sitting on.
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Michael Cirillo
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