Title

Staying Social in Social Media: Suggestions on Content

If you don’t have content you don’t have anything. It isn’t enough to simply create an account on any of the multiple social media sites; to stand out from the crowd you must have something of interest to your audience.

Success in social media goes beyond effectively including SEO words or even having a large network. If your content isn’t interesting then it is most likely your page won’t be read and then there goes your efforts to increase your business through social media.

Take the time to consider these sites as a platform to establish yourself as an authority in your area. So what should you add?

Listings – This one is easy. After all, getting the word out on your product is the prime motivator in tuning into social media. Just make sure that listings aren’t the only things you include. Think about it: you wouldn’t spend much time on a site that lacks variety, and neither do your readers. Who wants to read a list of listings anyway? That is why they have you as an agent.

Neighborhood News – Is there a home on the block that has been featured in a prominent publication? Did a neighborhood decide to go green? Or is the neighborhood the kind of place that embraces annual block parties? Share that with your readers.

Favorite Haunts - As an agent you spend plenty of time in your real estate territory. Most likely you’ve become familiar with the restaurants, boutiques, and special mom and pop shops around the area. Feel free to share those kinds of nuggets of information you’re your readers. Readers appreciate that kind of insight.

Staying on top of what is going on in the industry and presenting it in an interesting manner will help strength your social media sites. Get creative and personal, but be careful how personal, after all this is still business.

 

Foursquare: The Next Generation of Social Media

Foursquare is the latest venture in social media and could possibly become another tool for your real estate business. Although it could be a year or two before this explodes into another virtual phenomenon such as Facebook or Twitter, Foursquare is already claiming a quarter of a million users according to The Wall Street Journal.

You may be asking what is Foursquare? In a nutshell it is an app that allows you to leave a virtual trail of where you have been. You can leave tips from venues you have visited and check out other tips from friends. The more you frequent a place the more “badges” you get (a fun game to get you exploring your city) and the more rewards you get out of it (i.e. discounts at your favorite coffee shop).  Foursquare tracks where you are from your phone’s GPS and works on iPhones, Android, PalmPre and recently Blackberry (although the glitches are still being worked out on this phone).  You can also sync it up to your Facebook and twitter to broadcast your whereabouts to your friends.

As agents we are always looking for ways to expand the business, and it could be helpful to see how Foursquare can help us grow, after all Foursquare is all about location and so is real estate.

Add Listings As Venues-When a location is not available on Foursquare users have the option of adding it to the list. When an agent showing their listing adds it to Foursquare this app becomes a marketing tool. Listings can then be tracked to see how many times people frequent it, agents can check-in and check-out of the listing every time they visit it and even add a few tips about the neighborhood; pretty soon all that checking-in and help tips will expand to Facebook, Twitter and more visits.

Rave About Neighborhoods- Consider a target neighborhood. Theoretically you could single handedly change a neighborhood by using Foursquare. Do you know a boutique where the owner loves to style his/her clients with fabulous clothes? How about a restaurant that serves up a to-die-for panini that is off the menu? You can add these tips to the venues you visit on Foursquare so that those friends in your network can check it out too, and vice versa.

Play A Game- Foursquare gives badges depending on the number of times you visit a venue. Let clients compete for the coveted “Mayor” title (all right so there really is no meaning for the badges, but I’ve found that for the most part people love a good competition). Friends have fun playing your game and you get more publicity on your listing.

In today’s world social media is making real estate marketing easier by allowing you to localize your marketing. Foursquare can take your strategy a little further. Go ahead let people know where you are and where you have been, become a virtual explorer for the benefit of your business.

Twitter: The Next Networking Frontier

In this virtual world of tweets it can sometimes be difficult to wrap our minds around socializing without ever having to actually see a person face-to-face. If you are using Twitter as a tool to further strengthen your business it might be time to rethink how you follow fellow tweeters. Following the wrong people could be hurting your business, and wasting your time.

Allow me to elaborate. If you were trying to use Twitter as a tool to generate more leads, why would you follow those who are in your industry? Here is a radical idea, why not follow those individuals who share your same interests, or live in your area? Here is a simple step-by-step solution to making better use of the tweets, and preventing you from making twitter your next full time job.

1. Relax and be more social- Simply because you are using this tool to add to your business does not mean you have to be the annoying advertisement plugging in your business every opportunity you can. This will not get your more friends. Share your interests, tweet about things you care about, and yes that can include the top reasons why you love chili fries so much. Better yet, forget you are tweeting about your business and have fun socializing.
2. Embark on a search for your tweeting soul mates, or those that are interesting to you. This search does not have to become a full time job. Nowadays, there are plenty of sites that make finding your tweeting soul mates as easy as well, tweeting your thoughts.  Check out LocalTweeps for those in your area, and ChirpCity for the latest happenings in your town. (Tip: try finding the local hashtag for your area. It will make it easier to find your neighbors.)
3. Avoid looking like the creepy sales person, by trying a tried and true introduction. Simply say hello. Think about tweeting as your virtual forum of the classic networking party. You wouldn’t walk up to someone and introduce yourself by asking them if they want to buy a house, so don’t do it online. Try to establish a relationship with those who you find interesting. Let the business come later, and believe me it will.

For more detailed information you can check out these two articles on tweeting: Who Should Real Estate Agents Follow On Twitter, and Six Twitter Tools to Network Locally.

Google: Not Just A Search Engine

Sure we use it to look up almost anything on the web today, and it has even made its way into everyday lingo. What exactly am I talking about? Google of course! This Internet phenomenon has become a part of our daily lives, and if you really think about it most of our lives would quickly turn into chaos if Google were to suddenly disappear.  Yet there are other reasons to love Google and it pertains to your real estate business. Here are a few reasons why Google is not just a search engine.

Google Analytics – This great tool allows you to analyze the traffic on your website. The way the program works is it tells you were the website visits come from and what they are looking at when they visit your site. This is great for customizing your marketing towards what your readers want.

Google Trends- With Google Trends you are able to see a daily list of the hottest trends. You are also able to search avarious websites and see what scope of your market is interested in.

Google Sitemaps- This is in the event that you want your information on the web quickly. The way this program works is it will quickly post your new pages on the Google index quickly.

Google Docs- This is a great tool to have if you are constantly on the go. A Google doc allows you to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations while giving the convenience of sharing and collaborating them in real time. You can also access them from any place since these documents will be web based.

Google Alerts-Here is how it works. You set up a query list of relevant topics that you’d like updates on. Any time something is mentioned with those particular guidelines you get an email notification regarding those topics. This is great for keeping up with competitors, your products and even to do market research.

Google Buzz- Yet another social media tool, Google Buzz works directly from your Gmail account. It is intended to start conversations about your interests. Best of all you don’t have to go out and scout new “friends” since it works through your email. You can also link it up to your twitter and access it via your smart phone (i.e. Iphone and Android).

Google Translate- As a realtor you know that business can come from anywhere and you should not limit your potential gain because of a small language problem. Google Translate allows you to set up your website or blog in 51 different languages. The only thing you need to do is install the program it will automatically show a translation toolbar if the visitor happens to speak a different language than you.

With the variety of services that Google has to offer it is difficult to showcase them all here. Among some others that may prove useful are Google Earth, Google Adwords, Google place and maps, just to name a few. If you find yourself working out of a complete virtual office more and more everyday these handy tools are sure to make your business more efficient and enjoyable.

NutshellMail: Get Yourself Organized

Keeping up with all your social media outlets gets easier with NutshellMail. This is a must have service for anyone who has become a professional technology juggler. How it works is NutshellMail allows you to consolidate all your social media accounts into one mail message.  A summary of all your social media alerts will be sent directly to your main email account, where you can then interactively manage it all without having to deal with checking all your other accounts.

NutshellMail supports Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Myspace, Gmail and many more. It is a great tool to keep connected and build on all your media sites.  The best part is that you can schedule it to be sent on your own schedule. So let’s say you prefer to do all your blogging, chatting and facebooking in the morning, then you can set it up so that all those messages don’t bombard you during the day, and a nice neat message alerts you in the morning. Better yet, you can receive summaries of email messages from your lesser-used accounts.

Among the other features is the ability to tweet, reply, retweet and DM from your email inbox.  In a nutshell you have an electronic organizer for your social media outlets. Now you can move to more important things like getting that home off the market.

How Much Is Too Much?

It is easy to figure out when you are over sharing in a face-to-face conversation.  It is even easier to figure it out when you are dealing with a business marketing situation. But what happens when the business mixes with the social and the line between the personal and business blurs? How much is too much? Here are some tips on what information you might want to hold back, and what information you shouldn’t hold back.

Hold Back:

It’s pretty obvious what not to share like your personal information, health history or details on your relationship. But what about other things that seem harmless like stuff about your family? Those details depend on your personal level of comfort, but then again consider your audience and that in the end this is for business. While we are at it let’s steer clear of volatile subjects such as politics and religion. There is a time and a place for that. And I absolutely know that you would never under any circumstances make your home address public information, for your whole networking sites to see. Avoid posting photos or comments about how wild your weekends are or salacious gossip. Facebook users don’t post updates on what your Mafia Wars or Farmville pets are up to.

Feel Free to Share:

So what information can we include without sounding like a boring business presentation? Plenty! How about some information about what you do? What do you specialize in? How long have you been doing it? Talk about some of the organizations you are a part of. It is okay to have a little fun, share some thoughts on that fabulous restaurant you found hidden away in your favorite neighborhood, or stories about your recent trips. If you find it interesting, they will find it interesting because your passion will shine through your words.

Now some of us maybe a little more open than others. For those of you that are consider this before posting. I suggest getting some feedback from a trusted confidant. Sometimes saying it out loud helps. And for the rest of us just follow this rule of thumb, would you share that information with someone you just met? If not, then don’t post it. Or simply follow your gut; if you aren’t comfortable saying it, then you probably shouldn’t post it on your social media sites.

Via: InMan News

Happy Belated Earth Day!

I may be a little late with earth day celebration, but I heard somewhere that “everyday is earth day!” In observance I figured I’d share some stats on how the wealthy are doing their part in saving the earth.

According to the American Affluence Research Center, this is how the most affluent 10% of households in the country contribute to saving the earth.

• 90% recycle regularly
• 56% believe they are doing their part to help the environment
• About 3 in 10 feel they should be doing more to help the environment
• 70% report using energy efficient light bulbs and/or other products to reduce energy consumption
• 30% purchase organic foods whenever they are an option.
• Only 6% buy fashions that use organic materials
• A third of the respondents currently own none of the 7 eco-friendly products listed
• Most commonly owned “green” items are compact fluorescent light bulbs (45%), low flow toilets or faucets (44%), and EnergyStar appliances (40%). Green cleaning products (27%) was the only other item owned by more than 10% of the respondents
• Half of the respondents do not expect to buy any of the 7 listed “green” products during the next five years. The most frequently anticipated purchases are a hybrid automobile (24%) and EnergyStar appliances (22%)
• Two-thirds have done none of the 3 listed eco-friendly activities during the past 5 years. The most frequently mentioned (31%) activity was the purchase of hormone-free meat, dairy, or produce.
• Almost 8 of 10 respondents do not anticipate doing any of the 3 listed activities during the next 5 years. The most frequently anticipated activity (15%) is an eco-friendly vacation or resort.

According to Forbes, the real estate industry is also doing their part to reduce our carbon footprint. From geothermal cooling, to LED technology, recycled rainwater and even solar panels we are making great strides in changing the way we live. The best part about it is that in many cases we no longer need to sacrifice luxury and comfort to save the earth. Now that is what I call progress. What kind of green initiatives are going on in your area?

Via:  Luxury Insights and Forbes

Tweet Your Way to More Clients

So you did it, you went ahead and started a twitter account for your business. Now what? While you probably won’t be tweeting about your breakfast options, or that funny comment you heard at happy hour you can still add your own personal touch.  Twitter is a great tool for sending out real time information to your followers, and can be effectively used in localized situations, such as for a real estate professional. So here are some things to consider.

Custom Feeds Are Key- So you figured freely posting live information would be a breeze, just hastily type a sentence or two and voila ! Instant communication to the world. Well my friend, you would be wrong. Take the time to customize your feeds. No one will read what you have to say if you are not reading what he/she are tweeting. You can find people by using the Twitter directory.

Stay Organized- Just like you group your phone numbers on your smart phones you should also categorize those you follow on twitter, fellow realtors, real estate enthusiast, you can even follow real estate publications in your area.

Get Localized- Just because there is a plethora of information out there does not mean you have to stay tuned to everything. Get yourself localized by finding out who is tweeting in your area. Real Estate is all about location and tweeting can help you stay on top of fellow realtors and new happenings in your area.

Mind Your Manners: Survive the Tweeting World

Remember that tweeting has it own set of rules, so keep these in mind when tweeting for business purposes.

1.Re-tweet: When you Re-Tweet (repost someone else’s comment) you are A.) commenting on something you like (which is always great) and B.) you are allowing your audience to exponentially grow.

To Re-tweet: Click “Re-Tweet” button next to a message you like and want to share with your followers, or simply just copy and past the message, don’t forget to add RT @ _____ (that would be the person you are re-tweeting).

2.Be thankful: For all those who mention you, make sure to thank them. You can check to see who mentions you by clicking on the @_ _ _ button on your home page. And do it every day, yes tweeting is a constant so be prepared to stay on top of what is going on.

And also make sure to respond to those direct messages you get, just say thanks. Beware, don’t start sending those annoying spam messages it is an easy way to lose followers and quickly.

3.Sharing is Caring: Don’t shy away from being personal and letting your spunky personality shine, after all this is twitter and it is all about connecting with people. Be genuine and in no time finding material to tweet about will be a breeze.

Social Media is a fun and personal way to keep your business growing. What are some other things that you have found helpful when using twitter?

Source: Inman News

 

Need A Plan?

Katie Lance, of Inman News, has a plan to keep up with your social media pages. She calls it her “Secret Sauce,” below is her plan that has made her successful. The best part is that all you need is an hour.

Katie suggests starting up all your pages (Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter), plus your website, blogs, and favorite news sites. Then move fast, but make sure to reply to all messages, put up your posts for the day, and comment/re-tweet on anyone else’s post that you found interesting. Log out and close those windows.

Once you are done with the social aspect of social media, move on to your websites, blogs and favorite news sites.  Pick 6-8 links to share on twitter, and then pick 3 to post on Facebook. She suggests also using Hootsuite.com, and plugging your posts and links into the site, separating them 1-2 hours apart.

The key is to be quick about it, don’t dilly-dally and lose focus. Repeat in the evening and then the next day. This will soon become a habit. She suggests adding an extra 2-3 hours for bloggers and taking the time once a week to add new friends/ followers. Above all don’t forget to stay social, comment on other’s posts, and have fun interacting with your network.

For details on Katie’s one-hour a day plan, check out www.inman.com.

Think Social Media is For You?

With all the marketing tools available nowadays it can be difficult to decide which is best for you. Although Social Media has dominated the networking scene, it may not be for everyone.

Like all marketing tools you must first decide what you want to achieve by going the social media route. Yes, you may be able to reach large amounts of people by going this way, yes you will be able to quickly relay time sensitive information, but consider the time and dedication you must put into it.

Luxury Insights offers these tips when planning out your social media approach.

• Positioning
  Know your desired positioning.  Be on message for your target market.  Own your niche and communicate appropriately.
• Professionalism
  Demonstrate your market expertise, professionalism, and competence.  Be ethical.
• Personality
  Be memorable–do business with style.  Be human and personable.
• Persistence
  Social media is increasingly time and location-based.  It’s not a one-shot deal, but more likely an ongoing commitment to publishing content on a regular basis.  It will require patience, focus, and persistence.

Are you up for the challenge? Remember social media was created to express your individuality. Think about your personality and feel free to show it off. Before beginning lets revert back to those early marketing classes.  Remember the SMART goal setting rules?

S- Specific

M-Measurable

A-Attainable

R- Realistic/Relevant

T- Time-bound

No matter what marketing route you choose, this will help you stay on target.