The most trusted name in live chat brings the top ten blogs and news stories right to you! We monitor industry trends, current events, and the auto dealer community every week to bring you the top ten blogs and stories from around the globe. In this weekly edition – the world doesn't end, Carfax and ActivEngage Partner, and kids reacting to Santa.

10. Dealer Website Best Practice: “Talk to the Dealer”
Paglia has shared best practices regarding dealership’s lead forms and quality assurance.

9. Is Search Engine Marketing a Priority at your Dealership?
J.R Batchelor reminds us that SEM and SEO are important aspects when you want to gain more visibility on the Internet.

8. 7 Ways to Use Humor in Your Online Marketing

Do you like to laugh? Guess what: so do your customers. And because these people face a constant barrage of Facebook posts, tweets, YouTube videos and emails every day, making your marketing fun can go a long way towards capturing their attention.

7. Julian Assange Promises More Leaks
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, promised in a rare speech Thursday evening to release more than a million files in the coming year which would affect "every country in the world."

6. Endangered Florida Panther is Seen for the First Time EVER
For the first time ever, an uncollared Florida panther has been captured on camera moving her kittens to a new den in the 26,000-acre Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge near Naples. 

5. Miss USA is now Miss Universe! 
A 20-year-old Boston University sophomore and a self-described "cellist-nerd" brought the Miss Universe crown back to the United States for the first time in more than a decade when she won the televised contest Wednesday.

4.How Kids Would React if they Saw Santa
Kid Snippets asks kids to write short films and "Catching Santa" sees the kids explain how it would all go down as two adults act out this confronting scenario.  

3. Why the World Didn’t End
Jell-o made a sacrifice to the Mayan gods earlier this week. What was it? Chocolate pudding. Anyone would be happy with that!

2. Carfax and ActivEngage Partner
Carfax and ActivEngage, the most trusted provider of automotive live chat, have teamed up to help dealers provide Carfax Vehicle History Reports™ to online shoppers through live chat.

1.Chris Dungan Blogs about ActivEngage
We’re blushing after this blog about us, Chris Dungan states, “But ActivEngage holds a special place in my (personal) heart, because as the guy around the handycars offices that needs to continually communicate with and tweak the ActivEngage process and programming, I've noticed they rank in highest echelon of in the following categories:

(1) Program effectiveness, usability, and stability
(2) Graphics and presentation
(3) Customer service (perhaps the most important factor of my high review of aE's product, staff, and a company overall)”

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Did we miss anything important? Like our top ten blogs this week? Leave us a comment below! Or if you really can’t wait for your automotive fix, follow @activengage on Twitter for daily updates on auto industry news!

The Handy Family of Dealerships has been around for quite some time. Established in 1952, Handy Automotive actually started out as Handy Truck and Trailer, a tractor trailer dealership. From this investment they were able to open John Deere farm equipment dealerships in Highgate Vermont. With time, they turned that dealership into a number of different car brands—GMC, Oldsmobile, Nissan, Dodge –until they settled on Handy Toyota and Handy Chevrolet.

Chris Dugan, Internet Manager, has been in the automotive industry for three years, “Since I started here in 2010, we have been aggressively pursuing the eCommerce side of our business.  Prior to my arrival, we had a good foothold on Internet operations, however we lacked a dedicated and knowledgeable person with the skill to write content and expand our social presence. Since then, we have attempted to open every avenue for any/all customers to reach us, including live chat, mobile and social.”

The need for reliable chat software

Handy Automotive had adopted live chat as early as 2004 since it was a free service with their website’s package, “It was a horrible program - free or otherwise - and it was unreliable.  Early in 2011, we decided it was necessary to have an actual, pay-for service, and ActivEngage was our initial inclination.”

Although Dugan wanted to go with ActivEngage at first, he did pull quotes and saw demos from other vendors stating, “ActivEngage wins hands down. Their software was by far the most robust AND least expensive, something nobody in our industry (or perhaps anyone, period) can easily swallow due to the nature of business. It honestly confounds me to this day how ActivEngage’s program - reliable chat, insanely robust back-end statistics, and ‘in-your-face’ customer awareness graphics and imagery – perfectly combine to make the best chat product on the market today. And, that stands true for any ONE piece of the aforementioned qualities alone.”

Choosing to Chat In-House

Dugan wanted to keep chat in-house for good reasons, “We wanted it to be an extension of our BDC agents, including up to the minute knowledge of deals and offers that they retain and know more about than even yours truly.”

Reporting and Analytics

“In terms of business intelligence, ActivEngage is second to none.  90% of my reporting comes from the ActivEngage reporting dashboards, as I've noticed a marked enhancement when compared to website providers reporting. Further, the up-to-the-minute reporting is phenomenal and empowers dealers and dealership employees, especially our BDC,” Dugan stated.

Customer Support

Dugan feels that ActivEngage’s Customer Support goes beyond expectations, “I have gotten everything I've needed and then some.  Our Customer Success Manager is exceptional at going over monthly statistics, understanding our needs, relaying any support or other questions and getting timely answers, and implementing holiday-based graphics.”

The most trusted name in live chat brings the top ten blogs and news stories right to you! We monitor industry trends, current events, and the auto dealer community every week to bring you the top ten blogs and automotive stories from around the globe. In this weekly edition – the Pope gets a new ride, a man kills his roommate over a pork chop, and Puerto Ricans Tweet about life in Jail.

10. 46 Year Old Man Dies Dancing Gangnam Style
Eamonn Kilbride died dancing Gangnam Style at his company’s holiday party. A cardiologist said that men shouldn’t stray out of their comfort zone when dancing.

9. A Man Kills his Roommate over Low Cooked Porkchop
The police said that alcohol was a factor in the shooting and yes, this happened in Florida.

8. Mercedes Benz gives the Pope a New Ride
Posted by David on DealerElite, the Pope gets a new Popemobile, the special-purpose body of the Popemobile is designed to ensure the personal safety of such a prominent figure. Also, he’s on Twitter now!

7. My First Sale
Craig Lockerd shares his story of his first sale at a Plymouth Dealership, along with other stories about his sales. A great read and a great picture of him in Bell Bottoms. =)

6. Wearable Matching Tail Matches your Mood
If you were ever hating your life because you didn’t have a tail, good news, we now have Tailly. “Tailly is not just a toy, nor is it a fashion accessory or a gadget. It is those three items

combined, and, since it reacts to the heart beat rate, it is an extension of the users’ body,” says the project’s Kickstarter page, “When you wear Tailly, you’ll radiate cuteness and happiness!”

5. Puerto Rican Inmates Tweet about Life in Prison
Three inmates in a Puerto Rican jail want you to follow them on Twitter so you don’t follow their footsteps in life. This pilot program is called: Siguenos para que no nos sigas, (Follow us so you don’t follow us). The goal behind this program is to show young people the harshness of prison life.

4. Mr. President, Build this Death Star
A petition calling on the U.S. to build a Death Star has reached 25,000 signatures on the "We the People" White House website a day ahead of its deadline -- meaning the Obama Administration, according to its own rules, must prepare an official response.

3. ActivEngage is Recognized for Creating American Jobs
The Hire Power Awards, sponsored by Bank of America, rank private companies by how many new jobs they’ve added over the past three years.  ActivEngage is proud to be listed at number 7 in the  2.5-5 million category.

2. Honda Saves the Civic
The interior of the new Civic was so bashed by critics that Honda did a quick turn around and “fixed” it.

1. Photos of Animals Celebrating their Birthdays
I know this has nothing to do with current events or the automotive industry, but it’s Friday! Enjoy these cute pictures of these adorable animals! =)

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Did we miss anything important? Like our top ten blogs this week? Leave us a comment below! Or if you really can’t wait for your automotive fix, follow @activengage on Twitter for daily updates on auto industry news!

Take a look at your FAQ page. How does it look? Is it pretty bare? When was the last time you updated it?  Do you even have a FAQ page? The FAQ page is more important than you think. Since the dawn of the Internet, customers have been going to the FAQ page to see if their question has an answer.

A savvy website will keep an updated page of frequently asked questions to cut back on redundant contact submission, customer complains, and to help educate your shoppers about your dealership.

As a chatter I've received a couple of frequently asked questions such as:

Do you Finance people with challenged credit?

Is it better to lease or purchase a vehicle?

I have a vehicle I would like to trade in, how do you determine the value?

How can I tell when my vehicle needs service?

Do you sell vehicle parts for my model?

I like a vehicle at another dealership, can you transfer it to your dealership?

However, to truly know what frequent questions your customers are asking you need to take a look at your website form or chat transcripts and figure out what are the top 10 questions being asked. If you can, set up a system to tabulate questions for you.

Your goal here is to never answer the same question twice.  However, you must be proactive in responding to inquiry submissions, and if they ask a question that your FAQ already answers, direct them to the FAQ.  If their question hasn’t been addressed, write up a complete and effective response, and add another entry into your FAQ.

That being said, here are some key things to remember when you are creating your FAQ page:

1. How would your customers word a question?
2. Is your FAQ page clean to read and simple to use?
3. Is there a clear distinction in style between questions and answers?

There you go! If you have any other suggestions to add, feel free to do so in the comments section below! And as always - please subscribe to our blog for other ActivEngage updates!

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I feel that being imitated means the imitator lacks the creativity to come up with ideas on their own.

Virtual Sales Associates (VSA’s) has become a popular title in the chat industry lately. ActivEngage coined this term in 2007 and now other chat providers are using that same terminology to describe their chatting staff.

That’s okay though, because there’s something that ActivEngage’s Virtual Sales Associates have that no other chat provider can match - passion. Passion for the car industry, passion for the art of conversation, passion for creating that very special connection with YOUR customer. Passion that cannot be imitated no matter how hard others try.

Passion cannot be Imitated.
As many of you know, I was a VSA for six months before moving into our marketing department. I came here knowing not a single thing about cars, the automotive industry, or car lingo. I was hesitant in my first chat because everything was new to me. However, with training, encouragement, and a wonderful team structure that provided ongoing support, I made it through and I shined. I shined through the busiest chatting month of the year - December. In a single day, I took 70+ chats. I didn’t miss a detail and it was invigorating! During those days, I received recognition for taking on so many chats and having over 80% of my chats converting to leads for our dealers, over 75% phone numbers acquired, and over 10% appointments set. Passion.

Every Chat, Every Word, Every Time!
The environment I was in created passion. Our Virtual Sales Associates have a motto, Every Chat, Every Word...Every Time. It’s painted on a bright orange wall, to remind each and every VSA what we do and the passion with which we do it.

Although others are naming their chat staff VSA’s, we know who the real VSA’s are and you will too when you read our chats.

I’ll leave you all with a video to let this sink in just a little bit more:
Watch as our Virtual Sales Director, Carol Marshall, describe our Virtual Sales Associates, the training they receive, and what they provide YOUR dealership. No other chat provider does what our VSA’s can do.

What is your dealership passionate about? Let us know in the comments section below!

The SPCA has teamed up with Mini Cooper in New Zealand to teach three dogs how to drive. Why? The Auckland SPCA hopes to dispel the idea that abandoned pets are second-rate with the social campaign.The chosen doggies-- Porter, Monty, and Ginny -- are learning to drive in rigs with paw-activated accelerators and brakes.

"Obviously, we think dogs are pretty smart and amazing. And we reckon, if more people thought the same, more of our dogs would find happy homes," the official Facebook page states. The interactive marketing campaign lives on the Driving Dogs Facebook page where visitors can learn about adopting a smart dog and about the Mini Cooper.”

I’m not just sharing this with you because I think these dogs are adorable, there’s a lesson to be learned on social media engagement strategy. The Auckland SPCA used the “See it here first” strategy. The only way you’ll be able to see these dogs drive a Mini Cooper you must go to their Facebook page.

There are 4 different social media strategies you could also use for your dealership:

1. The 'One Thing' Strategy
One approach to developing an engagement strategy is to determine the one thing that's relevant to your brand that will resonate with your customers.

2. The Zealot Strategy
Another approach is to make your brand accessible to the crowd and solicit its input, ideas, trial, and feedback. For example, you can post FAQs on how to change a tire or some quick tips on features a certain vehicle has like bluetooth, OnStar...etc.

3. The Guru Strategy
Another approach is to position your brand as the industry leader or innovator. Find out the top questions your sales people are getting and answer them in a blog!

4. The Gaming Strategy
Play with your customers. Develop contests, promotions, loyalty programs, etc.

If you want see if these adorable dogs can drive you can watch them live next Monday at 7pm!

The election is over, political ads are removed from television, and we can all rest easy for four more years. WRONG. It’s time to vote again, in the Facebook Site Governance proposed documents. Voting started 2 days ago, but fear not, you can vote up until December 10th at 12pm (PST). You can vote here.

Here is what Facebook had to say about the vote:
Recently, Facebook posted proposed revisions to its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities (SRR) and Data Use Policy and invited users to provide comments on these new documents. Now, please vote to let Facebook know which documents you prefer to govern the site.

Don’t worry, you’ll be able to read up on the proposed changes when you vote. It’s a bit long, so here’s a shortened version thanks to Mashable.

Here is what you’re voting for:

• To get rid of user voting on its governance changes; instead, the company will allow members to provide feedback by submitting questions to Erin Egan, Facebook's chief privacy officer, as well as hosting webcasts to address comments and inquiries.

• Share user data with its affiliates, including Instagram, which the company acquired in April.

• Set "new filters" for managing incoming messages to users' inboxes.

• Change how they "refer" to certain products.

• Clarify exactly who can see what on user timelines.

Why vote:
You’re basically voting on whether or not Facebook is going to have these open votes again as well. So far 176,728 have voted to not change the proposed documents. At least 30% of all active registered users must vote in order for the results to be "binding," according to Facebook. Any less than that, and the vote will only be "advisory" -- meaning the social network can go ahead with its proposal. Mashable stated that in a previous vote that took place only 342,632 users cast their ballots -- that was 0.038% of Facebook's then-population. If you want your voice to be heard, vote. If not, that’s okay too.

If you want to be notified about future proposed changes to the documents governing Facebook, like the Facebook Site Governance Page.

Yesterday, the US Government took to its blog to announce that all the rumors of earth ending on December 21,2012 are false. Wait, what? Our government has a blog? Yeah, I didn't know that either. Apparently NASA has been receiving tons of letters asking about the end of the world, so they posted the top questions asked and answers to them.

I did find this blog to be rather informative in regards to the origin of this doomsday prediction:

“The story started with claims that Nibiru, a supposed planet discovered by the Sumerians, is headed toward Earth. This catastrophe was initially predicted for May 2003, but when nothing happened the doomsday date was moved forward to December 2012 and linked to the end of one of the cycles in the ancient Mayan calendar at the winter solstice in 2012 -- hence the predicted doomsday date of December 21, 2012.”

Going on to say that:

“Nibiru and other stories about wayward planets are an Internet hoax. There is no factual basis for these claims. If Nibiru or Planet X were real and headed for an encounter with the Earth in 2012, astronomers would have been tracking it for at least the past decade, and it would be visible by now to the naked eye. Obviously, it does not exist. Eris is real, but it is a dwarf planet similar to Pluto that will remain in the outer solar system; the closest it can come to Earth is about 4 billion miles.”

I could go on to share other answers that I found to be interesting, but you can go here to read them all.

Dealer Takeaway
You can learn something from this dealers! Blogging increases your rank search organically, so find out the top questions your customers are asking and answer them in a blog!

Last night ActivEngage had it’s annual Holiday Party at Ceviche. We had an open bar, hand passed appetizers, and a great DJ. By 7PM employees created a break dancing circle and one later told me that he ripped his pants doing a whirlwind move!

Why am I telling you this? Because Holiday Parties are good for company morale. At this party there were no divisions because of positions or locations in the office, everyone was mingling like one big family. Some argue that a bonus would be better than a party, to those people I say BAH HUMBUG. Those bonuses remind me of the often quoted business-owner motto, “I don’t need to say thank you, that’s what I pay you for.” Throwing money in someone’s direction might be appreciated, but it feels a lot less personal and I’m not alone in my thinking, “A party at the end of the year is a good way for an employer to show its appreciation to employees,”  Bob Kelleher, CEO of The Employee Engagement Group

I won’t stop there either, here are some reasons why having a Holiday Party for your employees is great for your company.

Relationships

• Office parties affect morale in a positive way by helping to build relationships. Managers have the chance to spend time socially with people who work for them, which can help the employees see them more clearly as human beings rather than bosses. Employees are able to interact socially with people they may not know well, which can create bonds between members of different teams within the organization. Morale is positively affected by interacting socially because people need to feel that they are part of a team.

Builds Trust

• Trust is established when an organization follows through on its decision to keep social events in place, even during tough economic times. It shows employees that the company genuinely cares about the happiness of the people who work their, which can help build morale. People have a basic need for trust in relationships, which is satisfied when an employer shows good faith in its employees as well as concern for their happiness and well-being.

Motivation for Next Year

• Parties are a helpful way for employers to acknowledge the hard work their employees have done for them over the year. Whether giving out awards, making small speeches or simply buying everyone some food and beverages, the acknowledgment is happening. Employees need to feel that they are not expendable, and an office party is one way to help with this. Being acknowledged raises employees' self-esteem, which in turn raises morale because it makes them feel appreciated and happy.

Do you have an annual company party? If so, share the reasons why you have this party in the comments section below!

Have you wondered why certain things online go viral? Why do we share each other’s blogs, links, and video content? Think about it. Is it because you want to promote a brand? No. Is it because you follow a user religiously and want to share everything and anything they post? Nope. 

People share content because it makes them look smart/insightful/funny/..etc. In fact, back in 1966 Ernest Dichter’s study on Word of Mouth reveals 64% of sharing is about the sharer, themselves, desiring to:

• gain attention
• show they have inside info
• help
• reach out
• show friendship
• show humor
• provide information

Only 33% has anything to do with the actual product or brand experience.

Sharing online content is an integral part of modern life. People forward newspaper articles to their friends, pass YouTube videos to their relatives, and send restaurant reviews to their neighbors. Indeed, 59% of people report that they frequently share online content with others (Allsop, Bassett, and Hoskins 2007), and someone tweets a link to a New York Times story once every four seconds (Harris 2010). Emotional aspects of content may also affect whether it is shared or not. Many people discuss their emotional experiences with others and customers report a greater word of mouth if they feel their level of customer service they received was extremely satisfactory. Remember that Publix woman that shared her experience at a local store? 

Angus Nelson, founder of Daddyapproves.com states, “You and I share out of our own self-interest. The goal is to cause followers to feel powerful ...about themselves. On one level, this may seem like you're feeding people’s narcissism. However, on another level, your brand has an incredible opportunity to generously serve and help others. And it’s this very perspective that makes all the difference in how your content is perceived.”

Why do you think we share certain things and not others? Post your thoughts in the comment section below!