If you are one of those people that is buying list of email “subscribers”, stop doing it! Buyingemail lists will damage your sender score and thus limit the amount of people who see your email in the first place! There is a better way to gain more email subscribers than buying them - find out how!

A company's sender score, which is tracked by Return Path, rates the reputation of every outgoing mail server IP address on a scale of 0-100. A company's sender score is determined by an algorithm that takes into account the ratio of undeliverable emails and spam reports for a company's sends.


So how can you gain more email subscribers?
 

• Make sure to provide the option to subscribe to your email updates in every channel possible (email, website, social media updates, etc). You will also want to be clear about what they will be receiving and how often in your request to subscribe. If the customer clearly understands what they are subscribing to, they will be more likely to subscribe.

• Write a blog rich with content that your buyers will be interested in! Blogs, social media, and organic search are the least expensive marketing channels and, according to HubSpot's 2012 State of Inbound Marketing Report, inbound leads have a 13% higher close rate than traditional outbound leads (advertising, events, direct mail, etc). You don’t have to post a daily blog, but at least try once a month to start.

Remember though, once a customer subscribes to your blog, they expect the same quality of information to be delivered to their inbox. So, don’t switch to a heavy sales pitch as soon as you have their email addresses. Stay consistent.

• Provide clear benefits for subscribers: Make sure people who subscribe to your emails have an edge over those who don't. Offer them an email only discount or give them a sneak peek of future vehicle models.

Dealer Takeaway:
An email should provide value to a subscriber, not bombarded them with marketing messages. Your emails should be customer focused - not dealership focused.

*Blog originally posted on www.activengage.com/blog

If you are one of those people that is buying list of email “subscribers”, stop doing it! Buyingemail lists will damage your sender score and thus limit the amount of people who see your email in the first place! There is a better way to gain more email subscribers than buying them - find out how!

A company's sender score, which is tracked by Return Path, rates the reputation of every outgoing mail server IP address on a scale of 0-100. A company's sender score is determined by an algorithm that takes into account the ratio of undeliverable emails and spam reports for a company's sends.


So how can you gain more email subscribers?
 

• Make sure to provide the option to subscribe to your email updates in every channel possible (email, website, social media updates, etc). You will also want to be clear about what they will be receiving and how often in your request to subscribe. If the customer clearly understands what they are subscribing to, they will be more likely to subscribe.

• Write a blog rich with content that your buyers will be interested in! Blogs, social media, and organic search are the least expensive marketing channels and, according to HubSpot's 2012 State of Inbound Marketing Report, inbound leads have a 13% higher close rate than traditional outbound leads (advertising, events, direct mail, etc). You don’t have to post a daily blog, but at least try once a month to start.

Remember though, once a customer subscribes to your blog, they expect the same quality of information to be delivered to their inbox. So, don’t switch to a heavy sales pitch as soon as you have their email addresses. Stay consistent.

• Provide clear benefits for subscribers: Make sure people who subscribe to your emails have an edge over those who don't. Offer them an email only discount or give them a sneak peek of future vehicle models.

Dealer Takeaway:
An email should provide value to a subscriber, not bombarded them with marketing messages. Your emails should be customer focused - not dealership focused.

*Blog originally posted on www.activengage.com/blog

Are you incorporating social media into your customer service strategy? If you’re not doing so yet, your customers are already doing it for you. “Customers are turning to social media for customer service, whether you want them to or not,” cautions NM Incite’s 2012 State of Social Customer Service Report. Dubbed “social care,” this trend is escalating rapidly. 

What did this report reveal?

• Nearly half (47 percent) of all consumers surveyed by NM Incite have used social care.

• Although rates are highest among 18- to 24-year-olds, social care is pervading even the oldest generations, with some 30 percent of those over age 65 having used it.

• One-third of customers would prefer to engage with customer service representatives via social media rather than by talking on the phone.

• Of those who tap into social care, just 37 percent say their issue was resolved quickly. And 10 percent say they never get a response from companies at all.

Now, let’s take a look at some best practices for your dealership when implementing customer service on social media channels:
 

• Presence: be there for the customers when they need you.

• Discussion: provoke interactions and build relationships.

• Responsiveness: don’t make people wait for each answer.

• Honesty: acknowledge your mistakes, show you deserve to be trusted.

One negative comment about your dealership on social media wipes out the effect of previous positive comments. Make sure your social care is meeting you dealership’s customer service level standards. 
 

Are you incorporating social media into your customer service strategy? If you’re not doing so yet, your customers are already doing it for you. “Customers are turning to social media for customer service, whether you want them to or not,” cautions NM Incite’s 2012 State of Social Customer Service Report. Dubbed “social care,” this trend is escalating rapidly. 

What did this report reveal?

• Nearly half (47 percent) of all consumers surveyed by NM Incite have used social care.

• Although rates are highest among 18- to 24-year-olds, social care is pervading even the oldest generations, with some 30 percent of those over age 65 having used it.

• One-third of customers would prefer to engage with customer service representatives via social media rather than by talking on the phone.

• Of those who tap into social care, just 37 percent say their issue was resolved quickly. And 10 percent say they never get a response from companies at all.

Now, let’s take a look at some best practices for your dealership when implementing customer service on social media channels:
 

• Presence: be there for the customers when they need you.

• Discussion: provoke interactions and build relationships.

• Responsiveness: don’t make people wait for each answer.

• Honesty: acknowledge your mistakes, show you deserve to be trusted.

One negative comment about your dealership on social media wipes out the effect of previous positive comments. Make sure your social care is meeting you dealership’s customer service level standards. 
 

In his new book, To Sell is Human, bestselling author Daniel Pink argues that selling has changed more in the last ten years than it did over the previous 100. Think about it, whether we’re trying to push a product to someone or just trying to convince someone of our point of view, we’re always in selling mode. 
 

Why We’re All in Sales

Pink identifies three crucial elements of macro socioeconomic trends driving the changes in sales and selling. He calls them “the 3 E’s”:

1. Entrepreneurship. The enormous rise of small entrepreneurs in the economy means more of us are in sales. The research firm IDC estimates that 30 percent of American workers now work on their own. Some analysts project that independent entrepreneurs could become the majority of the workforce by 2020.

2. Elasticity. Workers can no longer rely on doing one task at work. The new breadth of skills demanded by companies means that more people are engaging in both selling and non-sales selling. As elasticity of skills becomes more common, the ability to move others becomes crucial.

3. “Ed-Med.” Education and health services are by far the largest job sectors in the U.S. economy, as well as a fast-growing sector in the rest of the world. Education and health care have more in common with selling than ever before—convincing someone to part with resources to leave them better off in the end, whether that means studying for a test, doing physical therapy or adhering to a drug regimen.

The New ABCs of Selling

The old ABCs of sales was “Always Be Closing.” The new ABCs, Pinks writes, are “Attunement, Buoyancy, and Clarity.

• ”Attunement is “the ability to blend one’s actions and outlook into harmony with other people.”

• Buoyancy is “the quality that combines grittiness of spirit and sunniness of outlook.” To be buoyant means to apply three components before, during and after any effort to move others.

• Clarity is “the capacity to make sense of murky situations.”

In the end selling, is about moving others. We can no longer ignore our human nature when we are selling.

In his new book, To Sell is Human, bestselling author Daniel Pink argues that selling has changed more in the last ten years than it did over the previous 100. Think about it, whether we’re trying to push a product to someone or just trying to convince someone of our point of view, we’re always in selling mode. 
 

Why We’re All in Sales

Pink identifies three crucial elements of macro socioeconomic trends driving the changes in sales and selling. He calls them “the 3 E’s”:

1. Entrepreneurship. The enormous rise of small entrepreneurs in the economy means more of us are in sales. The research firm IDC estimates that 30 percent of American workers now work on their own. Some analysts project that independent entrepreneurs could become the majority of the workforce by 2020.

2. Elasticity. Workers can no longer rely on doing one task at work. The new breadth of skills demanded by companies means that more people are engaging in both selling and non-sales selling. As elasticity of skills becomes more common, the ability to move others becomes crucial.

3. “Ed-Med.” Education and health services are by far the largest job sectors in the U.S. economy, as well as a fast-growing sector in the rest of the world. Education and health care have more in common with selling than ever before—convincing someone to part with resources to leave them better off in the end, whether that means studying for a test, doing physical therapy or adhering to a drug regimen.

The New ABCs of Selling

The old ABCs of sales was “Always Be Closing.” The new ABCs, Pinks writes, are “Attunement, Buoyancy, and Clarity.

• ”Attunement is “the ability to blend one’s actions and outlook into harmony with other people.”

• Buoyancy is “the quality that combines grittiness of spirit and sunniness of outlook.” To be buoyant means to apply three components before, during and after any effort to move others.

• Clarity is “the capacity to make sense of murky situations.”

In the end selling, is about moving others. We can no longer ignore our human nature when we are selling.

Now that the pre-planning stage of your web video is complete, it’s time to develop the production of your videos. If you’re not up to the job technically or don’t have a video professional on staff, it’s a good idea to outsource to a reputable production company. 

Here are some points to remember when creating your video:

 

• Use a script, and ensure that it's clear, short, and concise. A good Web video creates energy and buzz, so don't bore your viewers with droning speeches.

• Consider how the script can be used alongside your graphics and any other audio you use so that the whole fits together in a way that allows you to hear and see a rhythm pattern and progression. This is what will hold your audience's attention.

• Keep the background simple, and don't allow clutter. Let short phrases and accompanying graphics do the talking. Think of it as an interactive slide deck. 
   

When production is all said and done, there are 3 metrics to measure the success of your video:
 

• Engagement: How long do viewers spend watching your video? Do they watch the whole thing? When do they drop off?

• Play Rate: How many people actually click play

  • Test different thumbnail images to see which one gets viewers to hit play the most

• The number of plays over time: If you’re looking at total views of a video instead of number of plays over time, you’re measuring the success of your video in a poor way. Think about it, if you get a lot of hits in one day and then your play rate plummets, that video didn’t stick with shoppers. However, if your video has a steady number of play rates each day then, your video is really speaking to your shoppers!

Hopefully these tips will help you become successful in creating a web video that is sure to accumulate countless numbers of plays over time. If anyone has any tips they would like to add, feel free to comment below! 

Now that the pre-planning stage of your web video is complete, it’s time to develop the production of your videos. If you’re not up to the job technically or don’t have a video professional on staff, it’s a good idea to outsource to a reputable production company. 

Here are some points to remember when creating your video:

 

• Use a script, and ensure that it's clear, short, and concise. A good Web video creates energy and buzz, so don't bore your viewers with droning speeches.

• Consider how the script can be used alongside your graphics and any other audio you use so that the whole fits together in a way that allows you to hear and see a rhythm pattern and progression. This is what will hold your audience's attention.

• Keep the background simple, and don't allow clutter. Let short phrases and accompanying graphics do the talking. Think of it as an interactive slide deck. 
   

When production is all said and done, there are 3 metrics to measure the success of your video:
 

• Engagement: How long do viewers spend watching your video? Do they watch the whole thing? When do they drop off?

• Play Rate: How many people actually click play

  • Test different thumbnail images to see which one gets viewers to hit play the most

• The number of plays over time: If you’re looking at total views of a video instead of number of plays over time, you’re measuring the success of your video in a poor way. Think about it, if you get a lot of hits in one day and then your play rate plummets, that video didn’t stick with shoppers. However, if your video has a steady number of play rates each day then, your video is really speaking to your shoppers!

Hopefully these tips will help you become successful in creating a web video that is sure to accumulate countless numbers of plays over time. If anyone has any tips they would like to add, feel free to comment below! 

We’re hearing lots of talk about resolutions to keep in the new year. Promises to eat better, quit smoking, save more money, and tour the world are being made all around the nation right now. Have you resolved to make 2013 the year to dominate digital at your dealership? ActivEngage can help you with that. In our latest eBook, The Six New Year’s Resolutions Your Dealership Must Keep, we’ve assembled 6 proven tactics that will raise the bar for dealership websites and make 2013 your most profitable year ever.

In these pages, you’ll commit:

- To adding the tools of behavioral prediction and neuroscience to your sales process

- To triggering powerful purchase motivators that put your shoppers in the buying mode

- To moving towards a personal connection with your web visitors through individualized follow-ups

Don’t let another year go by without adopting these strategies at your store. Don’t hesitate -download your free copy of The Six New Year’s Resolutions Your Dealership Must Keep today!

We’re hearing lots of talk about resolutions to keep in the new year. Promises to eat better, quit smoking, save more money, and tour the world are being made all around the nation right now. Have you resolved to make 2013 the year to dominate digital at your dealership? ActivEngage can help you with that. In our latest eBook, The Six New Year’s Resolutions Your Dealership Must Keep, we’ve assembled 6 proven tactics that will raise the bar for dealership websites and make 2013 your most profitable year ever.

In these pages, you’ll commit:

- To adding the tools of behavioral prediction and neuroscience to your sales process

- To triggering powerful purchase motivators that put your shoppers in the buying mode

- To moving towards a personal connection with your web visitors through individualized follow-ups

Don’t let another year go by without adopting these strategies at your store. Don’t hesitate -download your free copy of The Six New Year’s Resolutions Your Dealership Must Keep today!