In this episode, my guest is Miranda Pyette, founder of Purpose Automotive and one of the sharpest minds in the game when it comes to dealership social strategy.
She’s been in the trenches. From hustling newspaper ads to helping dealers make the massive leap from print to digital. Now, she’s leading a powerhouse team of women helping dealerships across Canada crush it on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and more.
In this episode, we unpack:
- How dealers can stop getting crushed by “vanity metrics” and start crafting a social presence that actually drives results.
- Why every platform isn’t created equal (and how to tailor your strategy without burning out your team).
- What big brands are doing right—and how you can localize it to win in your own market.
- The exact moment when social becomes more than “clicking post” and turns into real brand-building.
If you're a dealership leader wondering, “Where do we even start with social?” or “How do I get my team on board without overwhelming them?”—this episode is your blueprint.
So whether you’re deep into your content game or still stuck in 2012 with a drone video and a dusty Facebook page—hit play.
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This Episode's Sponsor
FlexDealer Need Better Quality Leads? FLX helps car dealers generate better quality leads through localized organic search and highly-targeted digital ads that convert. Not only that, they work tirelessly to ensure car dealers integrate marketing and operations for a robust and functional growth strategy.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
MC (00:00):
This episode is brought to you by FlexDealer.
What's up, auto industry?
Welcome to this episode of theDealer Playbook Podcast.
Sitting down with my palMiranda Payette, she is the
(00:22):
founder of Purpose Automotive.
Miranda, thanks so much forjoining me on the podcast.
Miranda (00:27):
Thanks for having me.
MC (00:28):
Okay, I gotta know, just for those listening, what was your
journey into the auto industry.
Miranda (00:34):
Wow, I feel like it's been forever 25 years.
Wow, started out, you know,pretty, pretty young.
Yeah, started out in thenewspaper industry selling.
They gave me two categoriesactually car dealers and call
girls so think about that.
And I sold newspaper ads tothem.
So I would pick up the phone,make 100 phone calls a day and
(00:58):
hustle the phones and sell adsto them.
And finally I I realized thatyou know the automotive space in
the newspaper.
They were driving nice cars,they were dressing well and they
were having a lot of fun.
So I needed to figure out a wayto get up there and work there.
So worked there and started,got the worst territory possible
(01:18):
.
But the one thing I realized isif I worked hard with the
dealers and understood theirbusiness, then I think I could
have a fruitful career, andrelationship was obviously a big
part of our industry, as itstill is today.
So spent six great years in thenewspaper, got recruited to
auto traders, spent 11 greatyears there, ran a dealer group
(01:39):
marketing team after that andthen started my business when I
had my first child.
MC (01:44):
How many people do you think got into the auto industry from
print I think, I mean two ofthem are right here, yeah.
Yeah, people are shocked whenthey find out I started in
publishing phone books.
Yeah, like back in the day whenit was like you had a big book
of clip art and you wouldphotocopy that page and run it
through a wax machine and youknow, little car silhouettes and
(02:07):
these sorts of things Isn'tthat interesting.
Then you get.
I mean, tell me one thing, 11years at the big, the big name
in Canada.
What's one of the most valuablethings you took away from that
experience?
Miranda (02:22):
When you know, our team was pretty special there and
actually through that time wewere transitioning dealers from
traditional media to digital.
So we would walk into thedealerships and say, for $99 a
month you can roll your carsover to this thing called the
internet.
But I think, working for alarge corporation when I was
there we were bought and soldthree times so worked with a
(02:44):
number of different owners andthe media is was strong and
still is strong today.
So I firmly believed andbelieve in the media today.
Autotraderca and for me it wasbeing exposed to all types of
dealers, whether it was a singlerooftop an a big dealer group.
But everyone gave you the timebecause you worked for auto
(03:07):
trader and we had a special teambecause we were educating these
dealers and changing theirbusiness from traditional media
to digital media.
So we were along for the ridewith them and we've taken them
into this digital age when I wasworking there.
So it was pretty special to beable to do that and change a
dealer's business.
MC (03:26):
I've got to pick your brain on this, because you're one of
the few in the industry todaythat experienced the transition
from, call it traditional todigital.
In your opinion, have thingsactually moved as fast as we say
they have, or are you stillfinding that there are things
that existed in that transitionphase that are still as valuable
(03:49):
today?
Miranda (03:49):
Yeah, that's a really good question.
I mean, I say to dealers allthe time we're not reinventing
the wheel, we're doing the samething we did in print 25 years
ago.
We're just changing it todigital.
So it's the same message.
It's the same, like you know,culture of that store.
Dealers are trying to reallybring out the culture of their
store and what sets them apart,and I think the biggest thing is
(04:12):
we're not.
We're in the same business andI think it's taken a long time
to get dealers there, butthere's a lot of dealers that
are super educated on digitaland really progressive and
willing to try new things, andthat's pretty special with our
industry, because theseentrepreneurs and dealers are
creative.
They made through tough timesin the industry.
They made it through good times, they made it through global
(04:33):
financial crises and pandemics.
So the one thing that youprobably noticed, too, is we
have creative people that wework with and they always find a
way.
MC (04:42):
Yeah, isn't that interesting .
I hadn't thought of it thisdeeply until listening to you
speak about this.
You know it's not like just amom and pop shop that went
through a digital transformation.
It's the mom and pop shop whowent through a transformation
while also navigating politicallegislation that's pushing from
this angle, and market conditionchanges that are pushing it,
(05:04):
not like a walmart coming in andtaking over a small town's main
street.
It is that, plus all of thepolitical and economic pressures
that go along with it, on aglobal stage.
I want to.
I want to speak globallybecause I mean, you are.
You are a foremost expert whenit comes to social and social
strategy and I know you're a bigproponent for that.
(05:25):
2025 is the year we can finallynot ignore social media.
You have to look at it from aglobal perspective.
What's your take on the autoindustry as a whole in having to
look at the playing field froma global perspective?
Miranda (05:41):
Yeah, I mean there's.
On average, a dealer uses 14vendors a month and that's a lot
.
MC (05:48):
Yeah.
Miranda (05:49):
So, and they have all these profit centers in the
dealerships.
And I always say to dealers youget one plate spinning and this
one slows down and you moveover there, and then that one
that you had spinning you knowhas to go again, right yeah, and
you move over there and thenthat one that you had spinning
you know has to go again.
MC (06:04):
Right yeah.
Miranda (06:05):
So, when it comes to social media and 2025, I believe
we're at this tipping point.
Dealers can no longer ignore it.
Yeah, they need to be there andit's it's begging the question
of how do I be great at it?
Because there's still dealersthat aren't active on social.
(06:26):
They have a social account, butthey're not doing anything,
they're not creating content.
They don't know what to do.
There's other dealers that aresuper progressive and know
exactly what's coming for socialand make it part of their team.
There's dealers that areactually writing it into their
employment agreements that theirteam must take part of social
and it's part of their jobresponsibility.
(06:47):
So I feel like dealers are allat different levels when it
comes to social media, but Ifind this is the year that we're
going to see strategy as itcontinues to be refined
performance.
I think we're going to see itcome to a place where dealers
are all going to be there.
It's just a matter of how goodare they going to be at it?
MC (07:08):
Do you think we're moving into a phase?
See, I'm going to ask a selfish, my vain ambition question.
I mean, we were chattingpre-show about the importance of
I mean, there's vanity metrics,and boy do they make you feel
good when you see them, metrics,and boy do they make you feel
good when you see them.
But from your vantage point, asyou look across your portfolio
of clients and the industry atlarge, what should a dealer be
(07:32):
focused on if maybe they're justdoing a reset or they're
beginning again?
What mistakes should they avoidand what should they really be
focused on to make their socialpresence great?
Miranda (07:44):
Yeah, I mean, I think dealers get focused on those
vanity metrics and followers andI think that's an important
piece of it.
But I think, taking yourdealership social and really
understanding what is ourstrategy, sure, we ask dealers
all the time what are your threegoals with social?
And they don't know the answerto that Sell more cars.
MC (08:05):
Sell more cars, get more traffic.
Miranda (08:07):
And we're in this place with social that you can't just
take that audience and reallyunderstand what's going to set
them apart instead of just doingcontent to do content.
(08:30):
And it's important that thestrategy changes every month.
It's important we see and breakdown the analytics and the data
but also really understand whatthat story is for that
dealership, social.
What is their story?
And you know, I think the otherbig thing is followers matter,
but are those people actuallygoing to buy cars from you?
(08:53):
If they're located in anothercountry, you're never going to
see them as a customer.
And you're laughing becauseit's one of those things like
we're getting 100,000 views, but85,000 of those views are never
going to buy a car from you.
So we need the right audience,we need the right people.
MC (09:09):
Yes, it's like a mix of signals to me.
Miranda (09:11):
Yeah.
MC (09:12):
It's like okay, well, we see the social media influencers
who are selling against theviews that they get.
Then and I think that's maybeI'm wrong here, but I'd love
your thoughts that's where thesignal gets mixed, because
they're now measuring against adifferent definition of success
and trying to make that squarepeg fit into the round hole, or
(09:33):
however the saying goes in thecontext of a dealership.
And then, when it doesn't workor they only got 300 views on a
video or whatever they, oh well,it's too heavy of a lift, we're
just not going to do it.
Miranda (09:45):
I think one of the biggest challenges and where our
team fits in really well with astore is we need to teach the
dealership staff how to dosocial, and you know this from
being in the industry.
We always add another, addanother thing to the staff or
the dealership without reallyhaving a plan for it.
Right?
(10:05):
So teaching you know.
We're at this crossroads wherethe older generation, the
salespeople that know how tosell a lot of cars, don't want
to touch social, right?
Younger people, the 20 yearolds coming in that have never
sold a car or don't know how to,but are really good at social.
So we need to bring all of thestaff together and figure out
(10:28):
what the cast of charactersstory is for that store, because
we all know there's thesewonderful personalities in our
dealerships and it's getting toknow them.
But it's also teaching them howto do social.
And that's where you know wegot to.
We got to take these trends butbreak it down for the staff to
say this is how you shoot it,this is, this is how, these are
(10:52):
the images we need, or the videothat we need, and we'll make it
look good, right?
So I think that's part of theeducation and I always compare
it to Google reviews five yearsago, when dealers used to say
you know, we'll give you gascards and we'll give you $100 if
you get Google reviews to thedealership staff.
And the dealership staff woulddo it for 30 days and then it
would fall off.
We want to make social part oftheir every day, teach them how
(11:14):
to do it and get them to evolve.
And what we see with some ofthe stores it's amazing the team
camaraderie that comes togetherwhen they start to shoot social
together and tell their story.
It's actually amazing, and Ican think of so many stores
where the older guy on the teamnever thought he would do social
and now he's like the cast ofcharacters.
MC (11:35):
How come I'm dressed up like an elf on the shelf.
Miranda (11:37):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we had a guy.
He was on vacation last weekend.
He was on the beach, oldergentleman, he was on the beach
shooting social, saying to theteam hey, I'm still selling cars
while I'm down here, so it'sone of those, because he
understood it.
MC (11:54):
It made sense to him.
Miranda (11:55):
It was a connection for him yeah no-transcript.
MC (12:14):
First of all, DPB gang, you know I love you, Okay.
First of all, DPB gang, youknow I love you, Okay.
But with the amount of time,Miranda, that we spend on visual
identity, thinking it's brand,how come we still end up with
the car silhouette logo Afterall that time?
Could we just end up withsomething else and can we just
(12:35):
put to bed once and for all thatbrand isn't just visual
identity, Right, and what I'mhearing you say is here we have
a sales professional, older, whowe typically write off and say
they never want to do it, whonow understood the depth of the
brand and how he contributed toit and its message.
(12:56):
And I think isn't that such apowerful activator and how we
can use social media to yourpoint?
This visual I have as I'mlistening to you speak is social
media, is the equivalent oftaking a power cord and dropping
it on the floor in front of theoutlet, but what you're talking
about is no.
I need to teach you that thepower happens when you connect
(13:19):
it into the wall.
Miranda (13:20):
Definitely.
MC (13:21):
Right, it's connected to a bigger thing than just clicking
post, right.
Miranda (13:26):
For sure, and I think I think that's where we saw a lot
of dealerships, you know,having the receptionist or
whatever just post to just post,to post Right, and I always say
to my team don't just post topost.
The content needs to bemeaningful on a daily basis.
We're scrolling through aStatue of Liberty worth of
(13:46):
content on a daily basis.
So what's going to make someonestop and watch a car dealership
?
And that hook in the firstcouple seconds is the.
It's the part where we need toget people to stop, and there's
big brands creating some reallygreat content out there.
So we're also competing againstthat, and if every dealership
(14:07):
is doing the same content, howdo you stand out?
You can't.
MC (14:15):
Hey, does your marketing agency suck?
Listen, before we hop back intothis episode.
I know you know me as the hostof the dealer playbook, but did
you also know that I'm the CEOof FlexDealer, an agency that's
helping dealers capture betterquality leads from local SEO and
hyper-targeted ads that convert?
So if you want to sell morecars and finally have a partner
that's in it with you, thatdoesn't suck visit flexdealercom
(14:38):
.
Let's hop back into thisepisode.
Is there something to learnfrom those big brands Like how
do we?
What would you say to thedealer who hears a statement
like that and goes well, seethat, that's what I was looking.
You know our human nature.
It's like oh, I found the thingthat validates why we shouldn't
put effort into it.
(14:59):
That's not what you're saying,though.
You're saying there's much tolearn in how you localize this
and make it relevant in yourlocal market.
Miranda (15:09):
Yeah, I mean we take a lot of inspiration from big
brands, for sure, because theydo it right and they invest in
the right dollars and the righttime and the strategy and the
money.
But also it needs to make sensefor that dealer and their
primary market area.
So if they're in a small town,we want to be dialed in for the
local events and what'shappening, so those people that
see the content resonate with it.
(15:31):
It's not going to make sense.
You know, one of the dealerssaid to me I don't want
mountains in Ontario in mybackground of a car driving down
the street with mountains inthe background, because it
doesn't make sense.
And he's right.
So we need to make sure thecontent resonates in that area
where that dealership's located,but also with the people
consuming the content and whatthey want to see more of.
(15:53):
And that's where the data andanalytics I mean I know we talk
about data all the time when itcomes to automotive, but the
data will show you what'sworking and what isn't.
And, on top of that, I'm a bigproponent of AI and utilizing
that for social and gettingdifferent ideas.
I mean it does the thinking forus.
So I think there's acombination of a number of
(16:15):
things through inspiration,whether it's on TikTok, linkedin
, youtube, instagram, facebook,using AI as a part of things
through inspiration whether it'son TikTok, linkedin, youtube,
instagram, facebook, using AI asa part of it and then seeing
what's working out there foryour audience and what's working
for that dealer audience.
MC (16:28):
Okay, you need to talk to me about TikTok.
Maybe you need to talk me off aledge here a little bit with
TikTok First of all, does itwork?
Work?
That's the first ledge we needto tackle, sorella are you a
tiktoker?
well, no, are you a scroller?
No, I'm more of a youtubeshorts guy.
(16:49):
Okay, um, but I did post avideo to tiktok, uh, of me and
my son where I kind of played alittle prank on him in a
doctor's office and that thingshot to the moon, which is why I
talk about the vanity metricsearly on.
Right, oh, this is fantastic.
And then the back end of it.
I was like how does this servemy business at all?
(17:11):
Um, but I know that ourindustry can latch on to a buzz
andck certainly has come throughwith a craze, but you are the.
You are the person that I wouldtrust the response from on this
.
When it comes to brand andpositioning, do I need to be
everywhere?
Can I just pick a platform andgo deep on it?
(17:32):
What's your take?
Miranda (17:34):
So every platform is going to have a different
audience for sure so everyplatform is going to have a
different audience, for sure.
I want the dealer to get greatat content and strategy before
they go on to any of theplatforms.
They need to have goals, theyneed to have a plan, they need
to buy in in order to get theirstaff to buy in Stocky images
(17:57):
and video doesn't perform.
MC (17:57):
I love this one where it's like they're pointing at the
clouds and it's like a digitallandscape and you're like what
does this picture represent?
Miranda (18:04):
People perform, people perform and personalities
perform Interesting, and that'swhat we want to see.
But as far as the differentplatforms, I love TikTok.
Right, I'm a big, tell me morewhy?
What different platforms I loveTikTok.
MC (18:20):
Right, I'm a big like.
Tell me more, why, why, what isit I love?
Miranda (18:22):
the content.
MC (18:23):
Okay.
Miranda (18:23):
And I think part of it too is on Instagram and Facebook
.
A lot of the content that I getserved is people that I know
Got it Friends, family,neighborhood people when TikTok.
It's nobody that I know, it'scelebrities.
It's celebrities, it's cars,it's dealerships, it's OEMs.
So when I scroll that it's news, when I scroll that content,
(18:46):
it's pure satisfaction of thecontent that I'm consuming
compared to that other piece offriends and family type of thing
.
MC (18:54):
Sure.
Miranda (18:56):
So I believe TikTok is like meta in 2016 oh, okay, okay
I think the dealers and we seethis with dealerships the
dealers that have kind of said Ineed to dip my toe in, and
that's all you have to do tostart is dip your toe in right
and they're going deeper anddeeper month by month and making
(19:16):
it part of their marketing mixand it's working.
It's working.
They're creating funnels,they're creating lookalike
audiences, they're creatingcustom audiences and the great
thing about it is it's a veryunsaturated market, so not every
dealer is on it yet, and notonly that, but when you get good
at it, you'll see the contentgetting better and better every
(19:37):
month and it'll performdifferently each month.
So I'm a big believer indealers and their opportunity
with TikTok.
I think you have to have adifferent strategy with TikTok
than you do with Instagram andFacebook or LinkedIn or.
YouTube.
So I think you have to look atevery platform and say what's
our goal, where are we going togo, where are we going to start
(19:57):
and where are we going to putcontent that makes sense and
performs?
MC (20:01):
And I love this because you know what I'm hearing and tell
me if I'm picking up what you'reputting down here.
It's like get pick your spotwith the strategy, get it
working and then we can worryabout these other plat like.
It's a very tiered kind ofphase lined approach, which I
think is is powerful, but itanswers the question I was going
(20:22):
to ask you Is it, can it be assimple as taking what I post
there and posting it there, andposting it there and posting it,
or are they all going to giveme something different?
Do I need to tailor my response?
Miranda (20:34):
I mean, ideally you would tailor for sure, but I
think one of the challengesdealers face is getting the
content done first off.
So we always start with babysteps with dealers.
We want them to get into aroutine of content.
But I think the biggest thingis is we don't just want to put
content on TikTok.
To put content on TikTok itneeds to make sense.
And it goes back to that wholething around strategy right?
(20:56):
So I'd rather have a dealerpost twice a week than post
seven days a week if it's notthe right content.
So that's the same with anyplatform.
It needs to be thoughtful, itneeds to make sense.
It needs to make sense, itneeds to have.
It can't just be posting toposting, type of thing this.
MC (21:12):
This settles for me an almost decade-long internal
debate about.
You know when the gary v's ofthe world came out and it was
like no, you, you gotta post 17times a day.
And it's like who has thebandwidth to post 17 times a day
?
For starters?
Oh cool, you have 50 people onyour team to then experimenting
(21:37):
for myself and realizing for meit's LinkedIn.
Yeah, one thoughtful post witha good hook, a good meat and
potato will travel for weekssometimes, versus some of the
people that are like no, I gotto post five, six, seven, eight
times a day.
I don't want to make that soundwhether that's right or wrong.
What I'm hearing you say is yougot to pick the strategy that
(21:59):
works for you and what outcomeyou're looking for and you don't
want your staff to getexhausted when it comes to
social media.
Miranda (22:06):
Their bread and butter is selling cars and that's where
they make their money.
And let's not forget this.
I always say to dealers at theend of the day, we're in the
inventory game and we're here tosell cars.
So I think the biggest thing isis how do we get dealership
staff involved, but not takeaway from what they do on a
daily basis?
And that's the key.
It's finding that cadence ofwhat that right, that right
(22:30):
cadence is for dealership style.
MC (22:32):
It's going to look different for every dealership.
Miranda (22:33):
Yeah.
MC (22:34):
That's the beautiful thing about this.
Yes, it's the inventory game,but the nuance is in the the
context of an individualdealership.
Who do you have?
What's the story that, like you, you said earlier the unique
proposition of your, of yourbrand?
What are you trying toaccomplish?
Who can you employ and deployto do this strategy?
(22:59):
Every dealership is going tohave a different thing, and
that's why, if I'm picking it uphere, that's why it can't be
cookie cutter.
Miranda (23:07):
Yeah.
MC (23:12):
We need someone such as yourself, who can come in and
say, ah, let's put somethingthat's much more personalized
and it's one piece of content.
Miranda (23:16):
I think that's what's sometimes forgotten is, once
that piece of content's out,it's gone and we're on to the
next one, right?
Remember, five years ago,dealers were all into these
drone videos of getting, becauseeveryone was getting a drone
right and they were you knowthey were spending because
everyone was getting a droneright, and they were.
You know they were spending allthis money on a drone video
that got.
It was one piece of content.
MC (23:36):
And it was like great.
Now I know you have 13 airconditioners on your roof.
Miranda (23:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, or yeah, I mean it's so I
think it's taking that contentand going back to the
conversation mindful content,but it's no different.
I mean you and I started innewspaper.
It was like being mindful aboutthe ad that you were putting in
the newspaper because you werespending a lot of money.
MC (23:57):
One shot, one kill.
And it's the same thing 25years later, as we wind down,
tell me a little bit more aboutyour company, purpose Automotive
.
Miranda (24:10):
How can those listening or watching get in touch with
you and learn more about yourcompany.
Yeah, thank you for having us.
I have 22 women on the team.
We're an all-female team and werun social media, so Instagram,
facebook, linkedin, youtube,tiktok across the country.
We create content for dealersand work closely with dealers.
We are an extension of theirteam.
Our team really understands thedealer's business, what they're
(24:32):
selling, but also gets to knoweach and every member of the
staff really really well and webecome an extension of their
team.
So we love what we do.
I feel so fortunate to work inthe industry that we have, and
have had, such a long run, butpeople can contact me on
LinkedIn had such a long run,but people can contact me on
LinkedIn, miranda Payette orpurposeautomotiveca.
(24:53):
And, of course, we're on allthe social platforms.
But, yeah, it's been a greatride and we look forward to
continuing to grow and workreally closely with dealers.
You know one of our powerful.
We just changed our name a yearago and one of the things
around Purpose Automotive is wealways put purpose before
product and it's important forus to understand that dealership
(25:19):
because each individualdealership is different, even if
they're the same brand.
The people that work there.
The culture of the store wherethey're located is super
important to us, so it'simportant that we really
understand the dealer's businessand change it.
MC (25:33):
I'm breaking my own fundamental rule here, which is
usually this is where I go.
Thanks for joining me, but Ihave to give more oxygen to
something you just said.
Obviously, you know, the dealerplaybook is part of the more
than cars media network which isautomotive state of the union.
We're huge advocates andsupporters of the Women in Color
Automotive Network.
(25:53):
Of course the Women inAutomotive Network.
You brought up that you are anall women organization.
I know why I think that's cooland what that contrasts against
the auto industry.
But I want to give you sometime here to just tell me your
purpose in that and what thatmeans to you.
Miranda (26:12):
Yeah, I mean we always hire the best person for the job
.
So we, you know, that's alwayswhen we post a job, that's
always what we're looking for.
It doesn't mean that we justsay we're going to hire a female
, sure, but I've wanted to walkthe walk, because I came into
the industry when there was nota lot of females working in the
industry.
Because I came into theindustry when there was not a
lot of females working in theindustry, I proved myself and I
(26:37):
felt that there should be morewomen employed in this industry
because it's such a greatindustry.
I'm part of the board at theAutomotive Business School at
Georgian College and I know oneof the challenges they face is
women going to the automotiveprogram.
So social media is a great job,whether it's for a male or
female, but we tend to get a lotof women applying for our roles
, and the fact that we're 100%virtual always is a great thing
(26:58):
for young people too, becausethey all want a lot of them want
to work virtually.
But I believe that more womenshould be exposed to this
industry because it's a greatindustry and when you work hard
and you're good at what you do,you'll just launch into success.
So that's what the culture ofour team is.
We have a great culture as faras collaboration, being the best
(27:20):
in the industry, being expertsin social media, and that's what
we want to continue, and wewant to expose as many women as
we can to it.
MC (27:26):
I love it.
Miranda Payette.
Thanks so much for joining meon the Dealer Playbook Podcast.
Hey, thanks for listening tothe dealer playbook podcast.
If you enjoyed tuning in,please subscribe, share and hit
that like button.
You can also join us and thedpb community on social media.
Check back next week for a newdealer playbook episode.
Thanks so much for joining.
This episode is brought to you by FlexDealer.
What's up, auto industry?
Welcome to this episode of theDealer Playbook Podcast.
Sitting down with my palMiranda Payette, she is the
(00:22):
founder of Purpose Automotive.
Miranda, thanks so much forjoining me on the podcast.
Miranda (00:27):
Thanks for having me.
MC (00:28):
Okay, I gotta know, just for those listening, what was your
journey into the auto industry.
Miranda (00:34):
Wow, I feel like it's been forever 25 years.
Wow, started out, you know,pretty, pretty young.
Yeah, started out in thenewspaper industry selling.
They gave me two categoriesactually car dealers and call
girls so think about that.
And I sold newspaper ads tothem.
So I would pick up the phone,make 100 phone calls a day and
(00:58):
hustle the phones and sell adsto them.
And finally I I realized thatyou know the automotive space in
the newspaper.
They were driving nice cars,they were dressing well and they
were having a lot of fun.
So I needed to figure out a wayto get up there and work there.
So worked there and started,got the worst territory possible
(01:18):
.
But the one thing I realized isif I worked hard with the
dealers and understood theirbusiness, then I think I could
have a fruitful career, andrelationship was obviously a big
part of our industry, as itstill is today.
So spent six great years in thenewspaper, got recruited to
auto traders, spent 11 greatyears there, ran a dealer group
(01:39):
marketing team after that andthen started my business when I
had my first child.
MC (01:44):
How many people do you think got into the auto industry from
print I think, I mean two ofthem are right here, yeah.
Yeah, people are shocked whenthey find out I started in
publishing phone books.
Yeah, like back in the day whenit was like you had a big book
of clip art and you wouldphotocopy that page and run it
through a wax machine and youknow, little car silhouettes and
(02:07):
these sorts of things Isn'tthat interesting.
Then you get.
I mean, tell me one thing, 11years at the big, the big name
in Canada.
What's one of the most valuablethings you took away from that
experience?
Miranda (02:22):
When you know, our team was pretty special there and
actually through that time wewere transitioning dealers from
traditional media to digital.
So we would walk into thedealerships and say, for $99 a
month you can roll your carsover to this thing called the
internet.
But I think, working for alarge corporation when I was
there we were bought and soldthree times so worked with a
(02:44):
number of different owners andthe media is was strong and
still is strong today.
So I firmly believed andbelieve in the media today.
Autotraderca and for me it wasbeing exposed to all types of
dealers, whether it was a singlerooftop an a big dealer group.
But everyone gave you the timebecause you worked for auto
(03:07):
trader and we had a special teambecause we were educating these
dealers and changing theirbusiness from traditional media
to digital media.
So we were along for the ridewith them and we've taken them
into this digital age when I wasworking there.
So it was pretty special to beable to do that and change a
dealer's business.
MC (03:26):
I've got to pick your brain on this, because you're one of
the few in the industry todaythat experienced the transition
from, call it traditional todigital.
In your opinion, have thingsactually moved as fast as we say
they have, or are you stillfinding that there are things
that existed in that transitionphase that are still as valuable
(03:49):
today?
Miranda (03:49):
Yeah, that's a really good question.
I mean, I say to dealers allthe time we're not reinventing
the wheel, we're doing the samething we did in print 25 years
ago.
We're just changing it todigital.
So it's the same message.
It's the same, like you know,culture of that store.
Dealers are trying to reallybring out the culture of their
store and what sets them apart,and I think the biggest thing is
(04:12):
we're not.
We're in the same business andI think it's taken a long time
to get dealers there, butthere's a lot of dealers that
are super educated on digitaland really progressive and
willing to try new things, andthat's pretty special with our
industry, because theseentrepreneurs and dealers are
creative.
They made through tough timesin the industry.
They made it through good times, they made it through global
(04:33):
financial crises and pandemics.
So the one thing that youprobably noticed, too, is we
have creative people that wework with and they always find a
way.
MC (04:42):
Yeah, isn't that interesting .
I hadn't thought of it thisdeeply until listening to you
speak about this.
You know it's not like just amom and pop shop that went
through a digital transformation.
It's the mom and pop shop whowent through a transformation
while also navigating politicallegislation that's pushing from
this angle, and market conditionchanges that are pushing it,
(05:04):
not like a walmart coming in andtaking over a small town's main
street.
It is that, plus all of thepolitical and economic pressures
that go along with it, on aglobal stage.
I want to.
I want to speak globallybecause I mean, you are.
You are a foremost expert whenit comes to social and social
strategy and I know you're a bigproponent for that.
(05:25):
2025 is the year we can finallynot ignore social media.
You have to look at it from aglobal perspective.
What's your take on the autoindustry as a whole in having to
look at the playing field froma global perspective?
Miranda (05:41):
Yeah, I mean there's.
On average, a dealer uses 14vendors a month and that's a lot
.
MC (05:48):
Yeah.
Miranda (05:49):
So, and they have all these profit centers in the
dealerships.
And I always say to dealers youget one plate spinning and this
one slows down and you moveover there, and then that one
that you had spinning you knowhas to go again, right yeah, and
you move over there and thenthat one that you had spinning
you know has to go again.
MC (06:04):
Right yeah.
Miranda (06:05):
So, when it comes to social media and 2025, I believe
we're at this tipping point.
Dealers can no longer ignore it.
Yeah, they need to be there andit's it's begging the question
of how do I be great at it?
Because there's still dealersthat aren't active on social.
(06:26):
They have a social account, butthey're not doing anything,
they're not creating content.
They don't know what to do.
There's other dealers that aresuper progressive and know
exactly what's coming for socialand make it part of their team.
There's dealers that areactually writing it into their
employment agreements that theirteam must take part of social
and it's part of their jobresponsibility.
(06:47):
So I feel like dealers are allat different levels when it
comes to social media, but Ifind this is the year that we're
going to see strategy as itcontinues to be refined
performance.
I think we're going to see itcome to a place where dealers
are all going to be there.
It's just a matter of how goodare they going to be at it?
MC (07:08):
Do you think we're moving into a phase?
See, I'm going to ask a selfish, my vain ambition question.
I mean, we were chattingpre-show about the importance of
I mean, there's vanity metrics,and boy do they make you feel
good when you see them, metrics,and boy do they make you feel
good when you see them.
But from your vantage point, asyou look across your portfolio
of clients and the industry atlarge, what should a dealer be
(07:32):
focused on if maybe they're justdoing a reset or they're
beginning again?
What mistakes should they avoidand what should they really be
focused on to make their socialpresence great?
Miranda (07:44):
Yeah, I mean, I think dealers get focused on those
vanity metrics and followers andI think that's an important
piece of it.
But I think, taking yourdealership social and really
understanding what is ourstrategy, sure, we ask dealers
all the time what are your threegoals with social?
And they don't know the answerto that Sell more cars.
MC (08:05):
Sell more cars, get more traffic.
Miranda (08:07):
And we're in this place with social that you can't just
take that audience and reallyunderstand what's going to set
them apart instead of just doingcontent to do content.
(08:30):
And it's important that thestrategy changes every month.
It's important we see and breakdown the analytics and the data
but also really understand whatthat story is for that
dealership, social.
What is their story?
And you know, I think the otherbig thing is followers matter,
but are those people actuallygoing to buy cars from you?
(08:53):
If they're located in anothercountry, you're never going to
see them as a customer.
And you're laughing becauseit's one of those things like
we're getting 100,000 views, but85,000 of those views are never
going to buy a car from you.
So we need the right audience,we need the right people.
MC (09:09):
Yes, it's like a mix of signals to me.
Miranda (09:11):
Yeah.
MC (09:12):
It's like okay, well, we see the social media influencers
who are selling against theviews that they get.
Then and I think that's maybeI'm wrong here, but I'd love
your thoughts that's where thesignal gets mixed, because
they're now measuring against adifferent definition of success
and trying to make that squarepeg fit into the round hole, or
(09:33):
however the saying goes in thecontext of a dealership.
And then, when it doesn't workor they only got 300 views on a
video or whatever they, oh well,it's too heavy of a lift, we're
just not going to do it.
Miranda (09:45):
I think one of the biggest challenges and where our
team fits in really well with astore is we need to teach the
dealership staff how to dosocial, and you know this from
being in the industry.
We always add another, addanother thing to the staff or
the dealership without reallyhaving a plan for it.
Right?
(10:05):
So teaching you know.
We're at this crossroads wherethe older generation, the
salespeople that know how tosell a lot of cars, don't want
to touch social, right?
Younger people, the 20 yearolds coming in that have never
sold a car or don't know how to,but are really good at social.
So we need to bring all of thestaff together and figure out
(10:28):
what the cast of charactersstory is for that store, because
we all know there's thesewonderful personalities in our
dealerships and it's getting toknow them.
But it's also teaching them howto do social.
And that's where you know wegot to.
We got to take these trends butbreak it down for the staff to
say this is how you shoot it,this is, this is how, these are
(10:52):
the images we need, or the videothat we need, and we'll make it
look good, right?
So I think that's part of theeducation and I always compare
it to Google reviews five yearsago, when dealers used to say
you know, we'll give you gascards and we'll give you $100 if
you get Google reviews to thedealership staff.
And the dealership staff woulddo it for 30 days and then it
would fall off.
We want to make social part oftheir every day, teach them how
(11:14):
to do it and get them to evolve.
And what we see with some ofthe stores it's amazing the team
camaraderie that comes togetherwhen they start to shoot social
together and tell their story.
It's actually amazing, and Ican think of so many stores
where the older guy on the teamnever thought he would do social
and now he's like the cast ofcharacters.
MC (11:35):
How come I'm dressed up like an elf on the shelf.
Miranda (11:37):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we had a guy.
He was on vacation last weekend.
He was on the beach, oldergentleman, he was on the beach
shooting social, saying to theteam hey, I'm still selling cars
while I'm down here, so it'sone of those, because he
understood it.
MC (11:54):
It made sense to him.
Miranda (11:55):
It was a connection for him yeah no-transcript.
MC (12:14):
First of all, DPB gang, you know I love you, Okay.
First of all, DPB gang, youknow I love you, Okay.
But with the amount of time,Miranda, that we spend on visual
identity, thinking it's brand,how come we still end up with
the car silhouette logo Afterall that time?
Could we just end up withsomething else and can we just
(12:35):
put to bed once and for all thatbrand isn't just visual
identity, Right, and what I'mhearing you say is here we have
a sales professional, older, whowe typically write off and say
they never want to do it, whonow understood the depth of the
brand and how he contributed toit and its message.
(12:56):
And I think isn't that such apowerful activator and how we
can use social media to yourpoint?
This visual I have as I'mlistening to you speak is social
media, is the equivalent oftaking a power cord and dropping
it on the floor in front of theoutlet, but what you're talking
about is no.
I need to teach you that thepower happens when you connect
(13:19):
it into the wall.
Miranda (13:20):
Definitely.
MC (13:21):
Right, it's connected to a bigger thing than just clicking
post, right.
Miranda (13:26):
For sure, and I think I think that's where we saw a lot
of dealerships, you know,having the receptionist or
whatever just post to just post,to post Right, and I always say
to my team don't just post topost.
The content needs to bemeaningful on a daily basis.
We're scrolling through aStatue of Liberty worth of
(13:46):
content on a daily basis.
So what's going to make someonestop and watch a car dealership
?
And that hook in the firstcouple seconds is the.
It's the part where we need toget people to stop, and there's
big brands creating some reallygreat content out there.
So we're also competing againstthat, and if every dealership
(14:07):
is doing the same content, howdo you stand out?
You can't.
MC (14:15):
Hey, does your marketing agency suck?
Listen, before we hop back intothis episode.
I know you know me as the hostof the dealer playbook, but did
you also know that I'm the CEOof FlexDealer, an agency that's
helping dealers capture betterquality leads from local SEO and
hyper-targeted ads that convert?
So if you want to sell morecars and finally have a partner
that's in it with you, thatdoesn't suck visit flexdealercom
(14:38):
.
Let's hop back into thisepisode.
Is there something to learnfrom those big brands Like how
do we?
What would you say to thedealer who hears a statement
like that and goes well, seethat, that's what I was looking.
You know our human nature.
It's like oh, I found the thingthat validates why we shouldn't
put effort into it.
(14:59):
That's not what you're saying,though.
You're saying there's much tolearn in how you localize this
and make it relevant in yourlocal market.
Miranda (15:09):
Yeah, I mean we take a lot of inspiration from big
brands, for sure, because theydo it right and they invest in
the right dollars and the righttime and the strategy and the
money.
But also it needs to make sensefor that dealer and their
primary market area.
So if they're in a small town,we want to be dialed in for the
local events and what'shappening, so those people that
see the content resonate with it.
(15:31):
It's not going to make sense.
You know, one of the dealerssaid to me I don't want
mountains in Ontario in mybackground of a car driving down
the street with mountains inthe background, because it
doesn't make sense.
And he's right.
So we need to make sure thecontent resonates in that area
where that dealership's located,but also with the people
consuming the content and whatthey want to see more of.
(15:53):
And that's where the data andanalytics I mean I know we talk
about data all the time when itcomes to automotive, but the
data will show you what'sworking and what isn't.
And, on top of that, I'm a bigproponent of AI and utilizing
that for social and gettingdifferent ideas.
I mean it does the thinking forus.
So I think there's acombination of a number of
(16:15):
things through inspiration,whether it's on TikTok, linkedin
, youtube, instagram, facebook,using AI as a part of things
through inspiration whether it'son TikTok, linkedin, youtube,
instagram, facebook, using AI asa part of it and then seeing
what's working out there foryour audience and what's working
for that dealer audience.
MC (16:28):
Okay, you need to talk to me about TikTok.
Maybe you need to talk me off aledge here a little bit with
TikTok First of all, does itwork?
Work?
That's the first ledge we needto tackle, sorella are you a
tiktoker?
well, no, are you a scroller?
No, I'm more of a youtubeshorts guy.
(16:49):
Okay, um, but I did post avideo to tiktok, uh, of me and
my son where I kind of played alittle prank on him in a
doctor's office and that thingshot to the moon, which is why I
talk about the vanity metricsearly on.
Right, oh, this is fantastic.
And then the back end of it.
I was like how does this servemy business at all?
(17:11):
Um, but I know that ourindustry can latch on to a buzz
andck certainly has come throughwith a craze, but you are the.
You are the person that I wouldtrust the response from on this
.
When it comes to brand andpositioning, do I need to be
everywhere?
Can I just pick a platform andgo deep on it?
(17:32):
What's your take?
Miranda (17:34):
So every platform is going to have a different
audience for sure so everyplatform is going to have a
different audience, for sure.
I want the dealer to get greatat content and strategy before
they go on to any of theplatforms.
They need to have goals, theyneed to have a plan, they need
to buy in in order to get theirstaff to buy in Stocky images
(17:57):
and video doesn't perform.
MC (17:57):
I love this one where it's like they're pointing at the
clouds and it's like a digitallandscape and you're like what
does this picture represent?
Miranda (18:04):
People perform, people perform and personalities
perform Interesting, and that'swhat we want to see.
But as far as the differentplatforms, I love TikTok.
Right, I'm a big, tell me morewhy?
What different platforms I loveTikTok.
MC (18:20):
Right, I'm a big like.
Tell me more, why, why, what isit I love?
Miranda (18:22):
the content.
MC (18:23):
Okay.
Miranda (18:23):
And I think part of it too is on Instagram and Facebook
.
A lot of the content that I getserved is people that I know
Got it Friends, family,neighborhood people when TikTok.
It's nobody that I know, it'scelebrities.
It's celebrities, it's cars,it's dealerships, it's OEMs.
So when I scroll that it's news, when I scroll that content,
(18:46):
it's pure satisfaction of thecontent that I'm consuming
compared to that other piece offriends and family type of thing
.
MC (18:54):
Sure.
Miranda (18:56):
So I believe TikTok is like meta in 2016 oh, okay, okay
I think the dealers and we seethis with dealerships the
dealers that have kind of said Ineed to dip my toe in, and
that's all you have to do tostart is dip your toe in right
and they're going deeper anddeeper month by month and making
(19:16):
it part of their marketing mixand it's working.
It's working.
They're creating funnels,they're creating lookalike
audiences, they're creatingcustom audiences and the great
thing about it is it's a veryunsaturated market, so not every
dealer is on it yet, and notonly that, but when you get good
at it, you'll see the contentgetting better and better every
(19:37):
month and it'll performdifferently each month.
So I'm a big believer indealers and their opportunity
with TikTok.
I think you have to have adifferent strategy with TikTok
than you do with Instagram andFacebook or LinkedIn or.
YouTube.
So I think you have to look atevery platform and say what's
our goal, where are we going togo, where are we going to start
(19:57):
and where are we going to putcontent that makes sense and
performs?
MC (20:01):
And I love this because you know what I'm hearing and tell
me if I'm picking up what you'reputting down here.
It's like get pick your spotwith the strategy, get it
working and then we can worryabout these other plat like.
It's a very tiered kind ofphase lined approach, which I
think is is powerful, but itanswers the question I was going
(20:22):
to ask you Is it, can it be assimple as taking what I post
there and posting it there, andposting it there and posting it,
or are they all going to giveme something different?
Do I need to tailor my response?
Miranda (20:34):
I mean, ideally you would tailor for sure, but I
think one of the challengesdealers face is getting the
content done first off.
So we always start with babysteps with dealers.
We want them to get into aroutine of content.
But I think the biggest thingis is we don't just want to put
content on TikTok.
To put content on TikTok itneeds to make sense.
And it goes back to that wholething around strategy right?
(20:56):
So I'd rather have a dealerpost twice a week than post
seven days a week if it's notthe right content.
So that's the same with anyplatform.
It needs to be thoughtful, itneeds to make sense.
It needs to make sense, itneeds to have.
It can't just be posting toposting, type of thing this.
MC (21:12):
This settles for me an almost decade-long internal
debate about.
You know when the gary v's ofthe world came out and it was
like no, you, you gotta post 17times a day.
And it's like who has thebandwidth to post 17 times a day
?
For starters?
Oh cool, you have 50 people onyour team to then experimenting
(21:37):
for myself and realizing for meit's LinkedIn.
Yeah, one thoughtful post witha good hook, a good meat and
potato will travel for weekssometimes, versus some of the
people that are like no, I gotto post five, six, seven, eight
times a day.
I don't want to make that soundwhether that's right or wrong.
What I'm hearing you say is yougot to pick the strategy that
(21:59):
works for you and what outcomeyou're looking for and you don't
want your staff to getexhausted when it comes to
social media.
Miranda (22:06):
Their bread and butter is selling cars and that's where
they make their money.
And let's not forget this.
I always say to dealers at theend of the day, we're in the
inventory game and we're here tosell cars.
So I think the biggest thing isis how do we get dealership
staff involved, but not takeaway from what they do on a
daily basis?
And that's the key.
It's finding that cadence ofwhat that right, that right
(22:30):
cadence is for dealership style.
MC (22:32):
It's going to look different for every dealership.
Miranda (22:33):
Yeah.
MC (22:34):
That's the beautiful thing about this.
Yes, it's the inventory game,but the nuance is in the the
context of an individualdealership.
Who do you have?
What's the story that, like you, you said earlier the unique
proposition of your, of yourbrand?
What are you trying toaccomplish?
Who can you employ and deployto do this strategy?
(22:59):
Every dealership is going tohave a different thing, and
that's why, if I'm picking it uphere, that's why it can't be
cookie cutter.
Miranda (23:07):
Yeah.
MC (23:12):
We need someone such as yourself, who can come in and
say, ah, let's put somethingthat's much more personalized
and it's one piece of content.
Miranda (23:16):
I think that's what's sometimes forgotten is, once
that piece of content's out,it's gone and we're on to the
next one, right?
Remember, five years ago,dealers were all into these
drone videos of getting, becauseeveryone was getting a drone
right and they were you knowthey were spending because
everyone was getting a droneright, and they were.
You know they were spending allthis money on a drone video
that got.
It was one piece of content.
MC (23:36):
And it was like great.
Now I know you have 13 airconditioners on your roof.
Miranda (23:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, or yeah, I mean it's so I
think it's taking that contentand going back to the
conversation mindful content,but it's no different.
I mean you and I started innewspaper.
It was like being mindful aboutthe ad that you were putting in
the newspaper because you werespending a lot of money.
MC (23:57):
One shot, one kill.
And it's the same thing 25years later, as we wind down,
tell me a little bit more aboutyour company, purpose Automotive
.
Miranda (24:10):
How can those listening or watching get in touch with
you and learn more about yourcompany.
Yeah, thank you for having us.
I have 22 women on the team.
We're an all-female team and werun social media, so Instagram,
facebook, linkedin, youtube,tiktok across the country.
We create content for dealersand work closely with dealers.
We are an extension of theirteam.
Our team really understands thedealer's business, what they're
(24:32):
selling, but also gets to knoweach and every member of the
staff really really well and webecome an extension of their
team.
So we love what we do.
I feel so fortunate to work inthe industry that we have, and
have had, such a long run, butpeople can contact me on
LinkedIn had such a long run,but people can contact me on
LinkedIn, miranda Payette orpurposeautomotiveca.
(24:53):
And, of course, we're on allthe social platforms.
But, yeah, it's been a greatride and we look forward to
continuing to grow and workreally closely with dealers.
You know one of our powerful.
We just changed our name a yearago and one of the things
around Purpose Automotive is wealways put purpose before
product and it's important forus to understand that dealership
(25:19):
because each individualdealership is different, even if
they're the same brand.
The people that work there.
The culture of the store wherethey're located is super
important to us, so it'simportant that we really
understand the dealer's businessand change it.
MC (25:33):
I'm breaking my own fundamental rule here, which is
usually this is where I go.
Thanks for joining me, but Ihave to give more oxygen to
something you just said.
Obviously, you know, the dealerplaybook is part of the more
than cars media network which isautomotive state of the union.
We're huge advocates andsupporters of the Women in Color
Automotive Network.
(25:53):
Of course the Women inAutomotive Network.
You brought up that you are anall women organization.
I know why I think that's cooland what that contrasts against
the auto industry.
But I want to give you sometime here to just tell me your
purpose in that and what thatmeans to you.
Miranda (26:12):
Yeah, I mean we always hire the best person for the job
.
So we, you know, that's alwayswhen we post a job, that's
always what we're looking for.
It doesn't mean that we justsay we're going to hire a female
, sure, but I've wanted to walkthe walk, because I came into
the industry when there was nota lot of females working in the
industry.
Because I came into theindustry when there was not a
lot of females working in theindustry, I proved myself and I
(26:37):
felt that there should be morewomen employed in this industry
because it's such a greatindustry.
I'm part of the board at theAutomotive Business School at
Georgian College and I know oneof the challenges they face is
women going to the automotiveprogram.
So social media is a great job,whether it's for a male or
female, but we tend to get a lotof women applying for our roles
, and the fact that we're 100%virtual always is a great thing
(26:58):
for young people too, becausethey all want a lot of them want
to work virtually.
But I believe that more womenshould be exposed to this
industry because it's a greatindustry and when you work hard
and you're good at what you do,you'll just launch into success.
So that's what the culture ofour team is.
We have a great culture as faras collaboration, being the best
(27:20):
in the industry, being expertsin social media, and that's what
we want to continue, and wewant to expose as many women as
we can to it.
MC (27:26):
I love it.
Miranda Payette.
Thanks so much for joining meon the Dealer Playbook Podcast.
Hey, thanks for listening tothe dealer playbook podcast.
If you enjoyed tuning in,please subscribe, share and hit
that like button.
You can also join us and thedpb community on social media.
Check back next week for a newdealer playbook episode.
Thanks so much for joining.
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