Three pitfalls that car companies must avoid when operating in private domains

Private domain traffic has become a "battlefield" for every brand and every industry. Different industries have different goals, and the private domain operation models adopted are also different.

1. Direction Pitfalls

1. What is private domain?

Private domain traffic can achieve repeated and low-cost reach of users, and is divided into absolute private domain, secondary private domain, and semi-private domain. The private domain is divided into narrow private domain and broad private domain.

① Absolute private domain refers to a traffic platform that is absolutely controllable by the brand owner, such as the official website and APP, which are completely independently developed, with data privacy and self-determined operating rules.

② The secondary private domain also includes the commonly used WeChat public accounts, mini-programs, enterprise WeChat, etc., which conduct secondary development of functions on the platform provided by a third party. Data can also be connected and the operating rules are restricted.

③Semi-private domain refers to "renting" a counter to operate customers (usually merchants) on a third-party platform, such as Weibo, Douyin, Kuaishou, Xiaohongshu, etc.

When car companies operate in the private domain, they must first clearly define what the above scopes are.

2. What is the goal of private domain operations?

Car companies’ private domain operations ≠ Internet operations

Although the concepts and practices originated from the Internet, the operating methods are quite different. "Success and failure are both due to Xiao He", a group of Internet "bigwigs" blindly promote the Internet model in the automotive industry, which is no less than the blind promotion of "Western democracy" in our socialist country in the past.

Practitioners must pay attention to this.

Why is that? Most leaders have not thought clearly about their goal, which is "what do you want from the private domain operations of car companies?"

Do you want "user retention, fission and recommendation" or "public domain traffic connection and conversion"?

The answer is obvious. They cannot handle and convert billions of traffic every year, but they are still trying desperately to find new ways to attract new users and split the market. They think this is "innovation"! In fact, it is like begging with a "golden bowl", which is a waste of resources and a missed opportunity.

AARRR, everything is important,

Private domain operators of automobile companies must clearly distinguish between priority and primary and secondary.

3. Car companies must have their own operation model

There are many operating models on the market, including the "AARRR" model, the "RARRA" model, the "AIDAS" model, the "AIPL" model, the "O-5A-GROW" model... Each model has its own background, applicable industry and specific usage scenarios.

Some goals are “repeat purchase”, some are “attracting new customers”, and some are “retention and activity”; based on the first principles, what is our goal for car companies’ private domain operations?

With this clear goal, there must be a unique operating model for private domain operations of automobile companies. You can refer to the "Hexagram" for private domain operations and the "Private Domain Traffic Operation Growth Model" (attached separately).

Different industries have different goals, and car companies should create their own unique private domain operation model.

2. Method pitfalls

1. Content first

Is this called content operation? Content operation refers to the full-link operation with content as the core, involving content distribution, production and consumption.

The strategic value of content operation: High-quality and constantly updated content plays an important role in product retention, activity and subsequent monetization. The core goal of content operation is the logic of content monetization. For example, Zhihu and Duoduo APP, customers will not come to the private platforms of car companies to view the content.

The core goal of car companies' private domain operations is "sales volume", and the content should focus on content services in the customer's car-buying process, rather than the current numerous "people and life" themes. When operating in the private domain, car companies should not build themselves into content platforms, but should focus on car content and services.

2. Activities first

For most car companies, private domain operations = number of activities + content articles + basic operations.

Car companies have numerous private domain operations and event operations.

Event operations, weekly interactions, activities at every appointment, graphics, texts and short videos are popular, H5 quantity is the core assessment, and the number of clicks, likes and other major indicators of success… The money has been spent, the popularity has increased, but the incremental effect has not come.

Therefore, private domain operations cannot just be about doing activities for the sake of doing activities. Instead, they must target specific groups of people, different pain points and needs, formulate targeted activities, promote customer growth and transition, and achieve marketing goals.

Private domain operations of automobile companies, (activities + content) ≠ private domain operations.

3. Private domain integration

Private domain operations require building a “stage” to “perform the show”. Operation is the "show" and the "stage" is an integrated customer operation platform, including integrated management and operation of C-end touchpoints such as official website, APP, official WeChat, mini program, e-commerce and membership club. The C-end is connected, operations are unified, and it is the basic identifier for private domain operations.

The integration of data management is the growth engine of private domain operations. One ID is a technology-driven platform based on CDP on a data lake, or the construction of a data application center library for private domain operations.

Integration of private domain operations, "no data, no intelligence; no intelligence, no private domain."

3. Management pitfalls

1. Organizational pitfalls

"All changes begin with organizational change." When the organization changes, resource allocation changes. When “rights, responsibilities and interests” change, goals, effects and efficiency will change accordingly. Private domain operations require a matching new organizational structure to support private domain operations’ business objectives, operational content, and required resources.

At least a composite team consisting of user operations, technology development, data analysis, and resource integration is needed.

Car companies are operating in private domains, does your organizational structure match it?

2. Talent pit

"Everything is done by people, and talent is the core competitiveness." No matter which organization or which era, what is most lacking is talent. It’s not that the original people are necessarily incompetent, but the organization has been upgraded, the model has been upgraded, but the talent capability model has not been upgraded accordingly, and the capabilities cannot meet the needs of the organization. Isn’t that “unworthy of the position”? The ending is predictable. The solution is to sort out business goals and job responsibilities in accordance with the new positioning, build a "competency model" for the new organization, and reorganize and deploy personnel according to the new "competency model." Some use social recruitment, some transfer, some training and other methods to build new teams.

Car companies operate in private domains, and new teams will have new competitiveness!

3. Thinking pitfalls

"All organizational changes come from changes in thinking. Leave professional matters to professionals." The background for the establishment of modern scientific management is "division of labor". In this era of information explosion, fragmented learning is everywhere; half of the Analects can rule the world, but half-knowledge of a profession cannot rule the country.

Don't use your hobby to challenge other people's ability to make a living. Believe in professionalism, make use of professionalism, observe more successful cases in the pan-industry, and think more about vertical practical applications. The pitfalls of thinking are: first, being arrogant and looking down on the world; second, being stubborn and self-defeating; third, being proud of one's talent and looking down on others. Respect nature, respect essence, and respect professionalism.

Private domain operation of automobile companies is an application-based pioneering innovation!

4. Starting from the “new”

Marketing has been changing, but marketing has also remained the same. The unchanging essence of marketing is “human heart and human nature”, while the media, platform, method, expression and rhetoric of customer interaction are changing. “Don’t be afraid of the clouds blocking your view, see the essence and you will see the future.”

The essence of private domain operations for car companies is that they need to complete their own transformation. Automakers are required to truly complete the transformation from promotion to marketing, from focusing on sales funnels to focusing on the user life cycle value; from our need to make profits to a win-win situation for customers and enterprises, and even a win-win ecological transformation for customers, enterprises, and ecological partners.

The private domain operation of automobile companies is not only a business innovation of a project, but also an innovation of the business model of automobile companies!

V. Summary

1. Direction Pitfalls

To understand: Private domain operations must first be clear about the definition and scope of the private domain, second, be clear about the goals of private domain operations, and third, design a unique operational growth model for car companies.

2. Method pitfalls

To understand: First, we must realize that (activities + content) ≠ private domain operations; hierarchical and classified refined operations are the fundamentals; second, we must master the integrated growth engine of private domain operations.

3. Management pitfalls

Understand: First, we must recognize that organizational change is the foundation; second, we must overcome the talent pit; third, we must have a clear understanding, learn from others, integrate and refine, so that we can become unique.

4. Start over

Private domain operation is not only business innovation, but also enterprise-level business model innovation, which can reveal the essence and foresee the future.

Author: Aaron Huisheng

Source: Aaron Huisheng