DEARBORN, Mich. — FordDirect, a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and its franchise dealers, announced today the launch of its new social media and reputation management service for Ford and Lincoln Dealers.

Powered by Digital Air Strike, the service is designed to provide dealers with the proper guidance, tools and resources to enable them to effectively manage their online reputation and social media presence across 20 social media and review sites.

FordDirect currently provides syndicated Facebook content at no charge to about 900 Ford and Lincoln dealerships through a partnership with the Ford Motor Co. digital team. FordDirect posts to dealership Facebook pages, on average, three to five times per week, focusing on vehicle and technology articles, photos and videos.

"Facebook is a great way for dealerships to interact with new and current customers alike and share information about Ford and Lincoln products," said Valerie Fuller, COO of FordDirect. "However, dealerships often struggle to come up with ongoing posts and create engaging content that is socially relevant. FordDirect saw an opportunity to serve as trusted advisors for our dealers and solve this issue for them through our free content syndication service."

Alexi Venneri, co-founder , CMO and COO- of social media with Digital Air Strike, added,  "We're looking forward to working with Ford and Lincoln dealers to help them maximize their social media presence and become more responsive on the review sites."

For more information, visit www.forddirect.com/dealercenter.