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Mercedes-Benz Retailers
Social Media Editorial Calendar
October 2011
Introduction 3
1 Editorial topics 4
2 Post ideas 6
3 How-to guide 10
4 Mercedes-Benz Retail best practice 14
5 Your MPC contact 18

Contents
2 Mercedes-Benz Digitalization Retail Marketing | Social Media Editorial Calendar October 2011
Welcome to the October issue of our Social Media Editorial Calendar. Now in its third edition, this short publication
provides monthly editorial content, ideas and tips for Mercedes-Benz Retailers who strive to use their Facebook page to
engage fans in a professional way.
In this issue
The Editorial Calendar highlights exciting upcoming topics on other Mercedes-Benz social media channels. These can
suggest ideas for your own Facebook updates. But remember: rather than re-posting topics word-for-word, choose
those most relevant for your audience and adapt them to fit your dealership.
Youll also find five optional Post Ideas. Several are time-sensitive ideas focused on Halloween, celebrated on 31
October in many countries around the world. Additional ideas include using video to add a personal touch your
dealerships Facebook page and ways to engage fans with a variety of useful car-related tips.
This issues How-To tutorial focuses on photos. Well review how to create photo albums on Facebook, another great
way to personalize your dealerships page
Then, well present this months Best of Retail Facebook page and highlight its winning strategies.
We hope you will find this new issue helpful and wish you the best of luck as you continue to optimise your social marketing
strategies.
Martin Friedrich
BC/MI
Digitalization Retail Marketing
Introduction
3 Mercedes-Benz Digitalization Retail Marketing | Social Media Editorial Calendar October 2011
1 Editorial topics October
When sharing any of these topics, make sure to include a personal connection to your dealership or
region. This is the only way to ensure you will engage your fans.
Due to the periodic nature of this editorial calendar, individual stories are subject to change. If a
particular feature is not available during the time frame listed, please pick another topic that is relevant
to your audience.
4 Mercedes-Benz Digitalization Retail Marketing | Social Media Editorial Calendar October 2011 | Editorial topics
Facebook global page | http://www.facebook.com/MercedesBenz
IAA, Pictures of highlights (B-Class, SLS Roadster), Press information pictures [calendar week 37]
MB Reporter IAA [calendar week 37]
MB Reporter casting [calendar week 37]
Celebration of 4 million users on Facebook [calendar week 37]
Making-of artwork for 4 million users on Facebook [calendar week 37]
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York [calendar week 37]
Call to action: Vote for your favourite model of an era, Final photo album: your favourites of all eras
[calendar week 38, 39]
Award for B-Class F-Cell [calendar week 40]
Reminder, vote for Mercedes-Benz Guest Reporter. Final result, Mercedes-Bent Guest Reporter
[calendar week 40]
New Mercedes-Benz Calendar 2012, Sales Release [calendar week 41]
Mercedes-Benz Guest Reporter visits Mercedes-Benz in Palo Alto [calendar week 41]
Driving event B-Class [calendar week 42]
125! years of the automobile, vote for your favorite of this era [calendar week 42]
The launch of the new B-Class was reported in many channels. Please use these as a resource for your own report on the
B Class. Also, as of 1 October 2011, there is a new Mercedes-Benz fan page for the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
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MB.tv | http://www.mercedes-benz.tv
E-Class Lifecycle - TV commercial Staying Alive [calendar week 37]
The Meaning of the Star [calendar week 38]
IAA Press conference [calendar week 37]
Concept A-Class Video [calendar week 38, 39]
M-Class Development Film. [calendar week 38, 39]
Classic Center Mercedes-Benz USA. [calendar week 40, 41]
B-Class Connectivity. [calendar week 40, 41]
Mercedes-Benz Golf on Facebook | http://www.facebook.com/MercedesBenzGolf
Mercedes-Benz Trophy World Final Stuttgart [calendar week 39]
Mixed Tape | http://mixed-tape.com/
New Mixed Tape Compilation [calendar week 45]
Mercedes-Benz Digitalization Retail Marketing | Social Media Editorial Calendar October 2011 | Editorial topics
mb! | http://mb.mercedes-benz.com/en
Review of show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York by Derek Lam [calendar week 37]
Interior Concept A-Class. Interview with the Mercedes-Benz Interior Designer Jan Kaul.
[calendar week 39]
Road trip through Alaska series, part I. J.G. and Sean want to make it all the way from Fairbanks,
Alaska to Los Angeles in a 1976 240 Diesel. On the road they encounter bad streets, bears and ice.
[calendar week 39]
Road trip through Alaska series, part II [calendar week 40]
Road trip through Alaska series, part III [calendar week 41]
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The following are suggested editorial ideas for posts to your Facebook page. To help you plan your posts, we have divided
them into three categories: time-sensitive posts (related to a specific action or event), one-time posts that can be published
anytime, and recurring topics that you can post regularly.
These examples are only suggestions. To ensure that your fans find them relevant, please edit them to fit the situation and
adapt them to your dealerships needs.
2.1 Time-sensitive, event-specific posts
The ideas below include informal photo contests, in which winners are simply congratulated but not
awarded a prize. Please note that Facebook strictly forbids any contest or game of chance involving prizes
on its pages. Never use Facebook to offer any prizes or incentives for participation.
Since Halloween is coming up, were sharing some ideas for holiday-specific Facebook posts and ways to invite your fans
to participate. These examples are Halloween-themed, but you can also adapt them and use them again for other holidays.
Halloween Dealership Event
You can use two powerful Facebook tools, Events and Photos, to promote any special Halloween programs
you may have planned. For example, if your dealership is throwing a Halloween party or a costume day, you
can set up an Event (as shown in our September issue) to spread the word. Its easy to invite all your fans
in one click and they, in turn, can easily invite their friends. Afterwards, you can share snapshots of the
festivities, the decorations and the attendees using a photo album (see the How-to section in this issue).
2 Post ideas
Ideas for event-specific, one-time, and recurring posts
Mercedes-Benz Digitalization Retail Marketing | Social Media Editorial Calendar October 2011 | Post ideas
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Your Fans in Halloween Fever
Surely some of your fans will be throwing Halloween parties of their own. You can invite your fan community
to post photos on your Wall of themselves in costume next to their Mercedes Benz, on the way to the party.
Or announce a pumpkin photo contest featuring your fans Mercedes Benz. Other fans can share their
opinion of the photos by commenting and liking, while you as the Retailer serves as moderator. Who knows,
maybe a fan will carve the Mercedes Benz star into his or her pumpkin! The pumpkin (or costume) that gets
the most likes can be re-posted on your Wall.
Decorating cars for Halloween
Of course, the automobile can also join in the Halloween festivities by getting decked out with typical
Halloween accessories. You can encourage your fans to decorate their Mercedes-Benz, perhaps by hanging
little ghosts from the rear view mirror, placing a few rubber spiders on the dashboard or buckling a big
pumpkin into the passengers seat! With this idea, as well, you can ask fans to share photos (as above).
When using any of these ideas for photo contests, remember, as mentioned above, you should not
offer prizes for any contests via Facebook. Also, dont forget to screen your Wall regularly to remove
inappropriate photos. There is also an alternative approach which allows you to reward participants
without violating Facebook rules and to pre-screen photos. Ask your customers to send you the
pictures via e-mail. You can then post the screened photos on your Wall yourself and use email to offer
the participants a small prize or a ticket for an award drawing.
Mercedes-Benz Digitalization Retail Marketing | Social Media Editorial Calendar October 2011 | Post ideas
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2.2 Ideas for one-time posts
My favourite Mercedes-Benz
Why not give your dealerships Facebook page a more personal touch with clips of your employees
introducing their favourite Mercedes-Benz? You can regularly post videos of different staff members with
their favourite model.
Each staff member can choose from any available model of Mercedes-Benz. You can film them sitting in
the car or doing a walk-around, showing exactly why this particular model is their favourite and pointing out
aspects of the motor, the interior, special features, rims, etc. The video shouldnt be like a sales pitch, but
rather, it should convey the employees own passion for automobiles and Mercedes-Benz, so that it feels
authentic and personal.
Some staff might like to share their own car, rather than a floor model, underscoring their emotional
connection to their vehicle and reminding your fans that a car is much more than just a product.
You dont necessarily need Hollywood directors skills or a professional video camera to make these videos.
Most compact digital cameras today can make very good videos. However, please pay attention to the
following points:
Is the video truly sharp?
What about lighting is your subject well-lit and the images not too dark?
Does the video contain any distracting elements, e.g. prominently placed competitor
products?
Would you say that the video represents you? Does it embody the Mercedes-Benz brand
Is the length appropriate? Facebook videos should not be shorter than 30 seconds or
longer than 3 minutes.
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My favourite driving companion
How about asking fans to post a photo of their favourite and most loyal driving companion with their
favourite Mercedes-Benz? Anything goes, from a significant other in the passengers seat or children in the
backseat, to a best friend or a dog posing by the car. Even a stuffed animal or a favourite bumper sticker is
fair game. Here, too, all your fans can interact by commenting or liking their favourite photos. As the Retailer,
you can then gather all the photos in a photo album that remains available for browsing.
2.3 Ideas for recurring measures
Do it yourself
Mercedes-Benz customers value professional expertise and would likely appreciate occasional tips from the automobile
specialists at your dealership on how to keep a Mercedes-Benz in optimal condition. For example:
Did you know?
With a series of fun facts, you can give your fans a behind-the-scenes look at your dealership. Focus on information thats
entertaining, makes your fans go ahhhh or just makes your dealership seem more personal. The idea is to show your
dealership from a different perspective.
Only post facts that dont have possible negative implications, lest you harm your dealerships image.
For example, revealing the huge amount of motor oil your dealership uses each month could make you
appear environmentally irresponsible or wasteful. Only positive facts should be posted.
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3 How-to guide
How to create a photo album
3.1 What is the Facebook Photo App?
The Facebook Photo App is a great way to show your fans pictures of new models, events or news from your dealership.
Its also one of the best ways to get your fans attention since a picture or photo album is very eye-catching in a users
news feed. It can also be viewed more quickly than, say, a video or a long text.
The Photo App also allows users to participate actively by liking pictures, commenting on them or even tagging themselves
in a picture. All of these interactions will also have a viral effect, as the photos will then appear on users feeds and be seen
by their friends.
In order to make the most of your photo content on Facebook, youll need to know how to correctly upload a photo album,
how to name it, how to choose the best pictures and a few other details. So heres a quick introduction to the Facebook
Photo App.
Click on the appropriate icon (Photo) above your text entry field and choose the desired publishing option.
If you plan to share between one and three images, simply upload them individually (Upload a Photo). If you have a
webcam, you can use the Take a photo option to take an impromptu photo. The Create an Album option is for entire
series of photos e.g. different views of a new model or pictures of your latest event and well explain it in detail below.
Before we do, we want to remind you to only upload photos for which you have all the necessary rights and permissions.
Even when using photos that were produced in-house at your dealership, you must resolve all copyright
and privacy questions before publishing them on your Facebook page or elsewhere. Remember:
If clients, visitors, employees or passersby or their cars are recognizable in your photos, their
right to privacy comes first. Always get their permission before publishing photos.
If a client, fan, staff or other person took the photograph, he or she also holds the copyright. Again,
secure permission before you publish the photo!
Mercedes-Benz Digitalization Retail Marketing | Social Media Editorial Calendar October 2011 | How-to guide
11 Mercedes-Benz Digitalization Retail Marketing | Social Media Editorial Calendar October 2011 | How-to guide
3.2 Photo albums the perfect solution for entire series
Lets start with the basics: click on Photos above your text entry field, followed by Create an Album.
Now, choose Select photos and highlight the pictures you would like to include. Click on Open to confirm your selection.
There is no need to wait for the upload to finish Facebook allows you to enter basic album information while the upload
is still underway. Enter an album title and description and confirm your entries with a click on Create Album.
Descriptions can be incredibly helpful. Beyond obvious facts on the individual images, consider adding related background
information.
The shift key on your computer is a great time-saver hold it down to highlight a series of consecutive
images. If your choices are nonconsecutive, press Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) during the selection
process.
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Sometimes, every single detail counts. If your subject warrants high-resolution images, activate the
respective Quality option. Due to the resulting and increased data volumes, your upload might take a little
bit longer. However, in most cases, Facebooks standard image resolution is more than adequate.
Before publication, please double-check your album contents to weed out accidental uploads, add descriptions or edit
photo information. Although any of this could be done at a later stage, you should at least select an album cover by
ticking the respective circle below your chosen title picture.
A final click on Save Changes followed by Publish Now will publish your new album on the page Wall and in the News
Feed of your Facebook fans. Still tinkering with contents and description? If you give this last stage a miss (by selecting
Skip), your album will be visible on your page, but will not be announced on any news feeds. Congratulations your new
album is now online and can be found by clicking on Photos.
In the album overview, use drag-and-drop to rearrange the order of your images.
Mercedes-Benz Digitalization Retail Marketing | Social Media Editorial Calendar October 2011 | How-to guide
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3.3 How to manage photos on Facebook
How to choose the best pictures
Unless you are uploading press pictures, pictures taken by yourself or by staff (for example, of events at your dealership)
dont need to be of professional quality. Still, carefully edit your selection and only upload the best images. Discard any
pictures that are blurry or poorly lit. Also, consider the content: avoid boring your fans with redundant or irrelevant photos.
Before uploading pictures showing individual people, consider their right to privacy and get their permission. Overall, your
goal is to pique your fans interest in the event or model youre showing so focus on the most entertaining photos.
How to name your photos
When naming your photo album, choose a descriptive and accurate title that tells fans what to expect. For example, rather
than October 2011 Event, choose Mercedes-Benz Dealership Halloween Party. Also, make sure that the picture that
represents the album in the thumbnail preview represents the albums content. If the pictures themselves arent self-
explanatory, make sure to add a description line and maybe include a link to further information.
How to publish a photo album
As mentioned above, after youve uploaded a photo album and edited all the photos, youll have the option of immediately
publishing the album to your pages Wall. Heres the pros and cons of using this option. It automatically creates a post
on your Wall showing the albums title, the first bit of the albums description, and the albums first three pictures. Since it
features three thumbnails instead of one, such a post is great for attracting in your fans news feeds. The downside is that
you arent given a chance to customize the post with a personal message.
If youd prefer to write a more detailed introduction to the album, choose not to publish the album yet. The album will be
visible on the Photos section of your page, but will not be automatically posted to your Wall. You can later post the album
to your Wall yourself (see below). This post will only have one thumbnail preview, but will allow you to add a customized
message to your fans to view the album.
How to share a photo album
To share photos or photo albums that have already been posted on Facebook, such as photos from your MPC or Mercedes-
Benz global, its not necessary to upload the pictures again. The same applies to a photo album youve already uploaded
yourself.
Its easy to share these photo albums with your friends. After youve logged into your Retailer Facebook account, navigate
to relevant page (e.g. Mercedes-Benz global), and click Photos in the menu on the left-hand side. Click on the album and
scroll down. Below the first batch of photos, youll see Like and Share. Clicking on share will open a pop-up. Choose to
share On Your Wall using the drop-down menu, add your own comment to your fans, and click Share Album. Thats it!
14 Mercedes-Benz Digitalization Retail Marketing | Social Media Editorial Calendar October 2011 | Mercedes-Benz Retail best practice
Mercedes-Benz Oakville
http://www.facebook.com/mboakville
And now its time to present our selection for Octobers best retailer Facebook page: Mercedes-Benz of Oakville in Ontario,
Canada. This retailers excellent Facebook efforts are a great example to follow, and not only because they have one of the
most popular Mercedes-Benz retail pages, with over 2000 fans.
4 Mercedes-Benz Retail best practice
Octobers best-in-class Facebook page
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It is clear that this Retailer regularly invests time and thought into giving its Facebook page a personal note. The
dealerships motto is clearly our people set us apart. They emphasize the importance of their employees on pages such as
Service and Ask the Expert page, which introduce each staff member with a photo and describes their areas of expertise
so that customers with questions can contact the appropriate person. The General Managers warm Welcome Message,
complete with his photo and signature, also greets each Facebook visitor.
Visitors can even watch videos messages from each employee, filmed in-house, which underscores the Retailers efforts to
present their dealership in a personal way.
Mercedes-Benz Digitalization Retail Marketing | Social Media Editorial Calendar October 2011 | Mercedes-Benz Retail best practice
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The team in Oakville is clearly doing a lot of things right. If we had to find something that could be improved, we might
suggest more interaction with fans. As we all know, fans are curious and enjoy discussing and asking questions. Facebook
offers many tools and options for encouraging fans to contribute to the dialogue on a Retailer page, but Oakvilles recent
posts havent really taken advantage of this.
Also, this Facebook page is often used merely as a landing page. Fans trying to access content or contact a staff member
are directed away from Facebook to the dealerships website. For example, the Ask an Expert page is wonderful, but
when users click on a button, they are taken to the dealerships own website. It can be more beneficial to keep fans on
your Facebook page. Because Facebook is more interactive, as mentioned above, visitors spend more time on it and their
activity is also broadcast to friends via their status updates. The more and longer visits you have, the better your Facebook
sites visibility becomes.The Oakville dealership could take advantage of these Facebook benefits by placing more content
and functionality directly on the Facebook page.
Mercedes-Benz Digitalization Retail Marketing | Social Media Editorial Calendar October 2011 | Mercedes-Benz Retail best practice
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Finally, one more thing that would make this great page even better - and highlight the retailers brand affiliation would be
to update the profile picture and other graphic elements to follow Mercedes-Benz official corporate identity guidelines, as
specified in the Social Media Guidelines handbook and summarized below:
Reminder: Comply with Mercedes-Benz brand guidelines on your Facebook Page
Please ensure that all graphics you add to your Facebook page follow Mercedes-Benz brand guidelines.
Visually, the most important part of your Facebook page is the profile picture, so getting your profile picture
right is an excellent first step.
Facebook logos need to comply with the following specifications:
Image resolution: up to 180 x 540 pixels, 72 dpi
Supported file formats: JPG, BMP, PNG, GIF (non-animated)
Maximum file size: 4 MB
Restrictions: no celebrities, nudity, artistic depictions or copyrighted material.
Please use the standard brand logo as the basis for your profile picture. It can be downloaded from Comin
Retail/Comin. If youd like to personalize your picture, you may add a representative picture of your location
(for Mercedes-Benz dealers) or your companys logo (for authorised Mercedes-Benz diagnostic and service
centres) below the official Mercedes-Benz logo, as shown in the examples below:
Standard logo Dealership profile picture Service centre profile picture
High-quality images will make your page look more professional. So, if you add a picture of
your location, please ensure that the brand name is clearly visible.
We hope that this constructive criticism, as well as the many great examples of what Mercedes-Benz Oakville is doing right,
will inspire you as you improve and update your Facebook pages. Congratulations, Oakville, on your excellent work!
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5 Your MPC contact
Please insert your own countrys MPC contact here:
Contact for MPCs
Daimler AG
Martin Friedrich
Mercedes-Benz Cars
Brand Communications
International Retail Marketing Communications (RMC)
Digitalization Retail Marketing
BC/MI, HPC: 0733
70546 Stuttgart
Phone: +49 / (0)711 / 17 - 97222
Fax: +49 / (0)711 / 17 - 98260
E-Mail: martin.friedrich@daimler.com
Mercedes-Benz Digitalization Retail Marketing | Social Media Editorial Calendar October 2011 | Your MPC Contact | neulandherzer