Real Estate Marketing Drips

The Top Top Three Tips to Become A Blog Originator and Build your Brand Identity Online

The Top Three Tips to Become a Blog Originator and Build Your Brand Identity Online

 

Is blogging dead?  This is the question that seems to resurface every time a micro-blogging platform gains more visibility, new features, and higher traction.  To me it is like a comparison between a quick bite to eat and a great home cooked meal or an elegant dinner with fireside dining. 

Sometimes I need information and conversation that is quick and fast, other times I might want to opine and banter back and forth soaking up the prose along the way and digesting an idea to let it permeate my thought patterns and hopefully create something great as a result.

....Or just be satisfied with a belly full of good conversation among people I respect.

 

What might just be dead, though, is the regurgitation of tired topics.  As bloggers we need to create content that matters to our readers.  As business bloggers we have the tools at our disposal to see what is relevant to our readers and write about new topics and old topics with a brand new bent. 

Blogging for business is about establishing your brand, your presence, and your authority on a topic and owning it in your own unique way.

Blogging for business is one of the greatest tools available for real estate professionals to brand their business online.

 

Here are the Top Three Ways to Become a Blog Originator and Build Your Brand Identity Online

 

Create a theme focused blog

 

Deliver on the real estate goods for your blog readers

Create a theme for your blog and stick to it.  Start tracking categories on your blog so you can be mindful of the topics you are blogging about and if those topics are staying consistent with your blog's theme or if they are starting to run off track.  It's easy to meander on your blog and if you do this consistently you are shooting your brand in your foot and run the risk of losing readership and business in the process.

 

Need help finding a theme?  Use this blogging workbook designed to help real estate professionals decide on a focus for their real estate blogs and create a strategy for blogging and micro-blogging.

 

 




Develop your Blogging Voice

 

The stronger the dialog, the stronger the brand; the weaker the dialog, the weaker the brand.

~ Larry Webber

 

Content is big business online.  How do you create and maintain originality while still remaining a water fountain of information that your readers thirst for and pass on to their friends and family?  The answer is to develop your blogging voice.  You can do this by working on traditional writing exercises that will help tone and strengthen your blogging muscles and allow you to feel more at ease letting your personality seep through your blog prose.  Here are 36 resources to create blog content that blossoms online.

Developing your writing skills will allow your blogging voice to seep through your blog posts and up the emotional value in your real estate blog posts.

 

 



Use and Protect Your Blog's Property Wisely

 

Once you have developed a readership and gained traction in the blogosphere for your nichConsider and Act Wisely on your Branding Options. Today is a New Day for Your Businesse market make sure to use and protect your blog property wisely.  There are many widgets and applications designed to make blogging easier and at the same time pull your readership to those companies internet property and away from yours.

You will also find that if you make a big impact online by working your blog with dedication there will be other professionals eager to have you open up your blog to their services and products.  Choose your affiliations wisely and keep your reader's needs in mind FIRST before you recommend other professionals products or services whether it be in a blog post or by an ad on your blog. 

Your association by link, blog prose, widget, or ad will be attached to your brand and your name for all to see.

Consider your blog as a primary Internet storefrontto showcase your products, services, and unique selling proposition BEFORE considering outside resources for your readership. 

 

Consider all these components of your blog as branding opportunities,

 

  • Blog Header
  • Call to Action in the Footers
  • Blog Post Headlines
  • Blog prose in each post
  • Outbound links
  • Interlinking
  • Tags
  • Photos
  • Images
  • Blog Margin/Side Bar
  • Groups you join to Promote Blog Posts in a Community
  • Name of Your Blog
  • Blog Post Topics
  • Blog Archives
  • Blog Categories
  • Alt Tags

 

 

Don't miss another opportunity to build your brand identity online through your blog.  Use the top three tips and become a blog originator.

 

Subscribe to Blogging in the Rain, A Real Estate Marketing Blog

 


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*************************************************************************

Rebecca D. Levinson is a real estate marketing consultant with 17 years of experience serving real estate industry professionals.

If you need assistance with online marketing, offline marketing, social networking, or blogging contact Rebecca D. Levinson at #262-203-5231 or email rebecca@bloggingintherain.com.

8 comments • Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant • February 08 2010 10:40AM

Week of 01/18/10- 01/23/10 Real Skillz Freebie Picks- Free Online Reads and Real Estate Marketing Resources for Real Estate Agents and Real Estate Companies

Week of 01/18/10- 01/23/10 Real Skillz Freebie Picks- Free Online Reads and Real Estate Marketing Resources for Real Estate Agents and Real Estate Companies

  • Developing Persuasive Content for List Building

    An article from Website Magazine on the different ways to strengthen your content in order to build your contact database.  The article breaks down persuasive content into three categories:  logical content, credible content, and emotional content and cites general examples of what type of content satisfies these categories.  After reading the article I would keep a cheat sheet handy that outlines each category and a brief summary of what it means.  When you write your blog posts start marking them Logical, Credible, and Emotional.  Keep a notice of which type of posts you lean more heavily toward.

    If most of your posts, for example, lean toward the emotional category and you are blogging for business, you need to revisit your blogging strategy and mix in more posts under the categories of logical and credible to draw business.  If none of your blog posts have an emotional bent, you need to create a strategy to create blog content that has an emotional value so new readers and subscribers can connect with you.

    Balancing your content is a winning real estate marketing strategy.

    • Use Chrome, Stay Focused:  New Plug-In Limits Frivolous Browsing  

    An article from Jodie O'Dell of ReadWriteWeb that discusses two plug-ins to help keep you focused and manage how you spend your time online.  One plug-In noted is LeechBlock for Firefox and the other is StayFocsd for Google Chrome.  Time management is a fundamental business necessity and online time can seemingly evaporate if you don't track, monitor and stay disciplined with your activities.

    These two plug-ins help you get the job done online by cutting out any wandering you may have along the way.

    • The Eight Elements of Contagious Ideas

    A blog post from Dan Zarella that breaks down eight tactics you can use to help make your online marketing campaigns spread virally.  Zarella is known as a viral marketing scientist and the tactics explained are done so in an analytical fashion.  The post is worth your time and if you like crunching historical marketing with a new media twist it will be worth your read.  Some take aways include: 

    • Influential users share content more frequently than average social media users-Twitter proves this to be true.
    • Unique Ads get the most attention.-The Geiko commercials illustrate this point.
    • Present old information/messaging in a new package for a powerful message that resonates with readers.-Stir up your blog and create remixes of your posts that are classics.

    Read the whole post for all eight elements of contagious ideas.

     

    • Ten Ways to Make Wordpress More Useful

    An article from Jon Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing on Wordpress Plug-Ins.  While I found that most of these plug-ins made sense, here are four that I think are especially worth a look from real estate professionals:

    Wishlist Member- A paid membership site or course site.  Think about training for real estate professionals or even course training on real estate topics for real estate consumers.
    Sociable- Adds links to social networking sites to consumers can share your content online.
    Related Content- Displays posts that are contextually related to your blog post.
    MoFuse- Creates a mobile friendly version of your blog.

           
    There are many plug-ins for Wordpress so it's nice when a simple blog post can make the cream rise to the top.

     

    • YouTube Basics for SEO

      A blog post from Wil Reynolds of SEER Interactive with excellent video marketing tips.  The full post is power packed with some easy how to's and ah ha moments.  Some great take aways include:

      1. Put your URL as the first part of the description for every video you post.

      2. Thank webmasters/bloggers who embed your video and ask for feedback and a link to your website.

      3. Post your videos and a text description on your website not just YouTube.

      This is a really easy to follow SEO post and well worth the entire read.  Reynolds not only explains the how but the why in practical terms that are more real people speak then tech speak. 


      Get to know me on Facebook as a friend and if you like what I'm doing I'd be honored for you to become a RealSkillz Real Estate Marketing Fan.

       

      *************************************************************************************

      Rebecca D. Levinson is a real estate marketing consultant with 17 years of experience serving real estate professionals.  Real estate marketing services include
       
      • Blogging- See my Blogging Tune-Up Website for Details
      • Social Networking
      • Niche Marketing
      • Marketing Strategy
      • Branding- See my Branding Sanity Website for Details
      • Offline Marketing
      • Online Marketing
      • Special Events Promotion and Marketing
      • Holiday Marketing
      • Marketing Campaigns
      • Email Marketing (Content and Design)
      • Reputation Management
       

      If you treat real estate as a business then Real Skillz is a desirable real estate marketing solution. Call #262-203-5231 or email rebecca@realestateskillz.com.

4 comments • Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant • January 31 2010 08:26PM

Week of 01/10/10- 01/18/10 Real Skillz Freebie Picks- Free Online Reads and Real Estate Marketing Resources for Real Estate Agents and Real Estate Companies

Week of 01/10/10- 01/18/10 Real Skillz Freebie Picks- Free Online Reads and Real Estate Marketing Resources for Real Estate Agents and Real Estate Companies
 
 
  • What's Motivating the Social Relationship Between Consumers and Companies?
A new chart from Marketing Sherpa exploring how consumers interact with companies who use social media.  The report follows Max Connectors (people with more than 500 social connections), Daily Users and All Respondents.  The reason most consumers friend/follow companies is because they want to learn about special sales followed closely by wanting to learn about new products/features/services.
 
Keep this in mind when marketing reduced listings, posting new inventory, and discussing new housing bills.
 
 
  • SEO CHALLENGES FOR 2010 WITH AMANDA WATTLINGTON
 

An insightful interview with Amanda Wattlington, SEO expert, on three SEO challenges for 2010 which include Google page loading speed, localization, and personalization.
 
 


What Wattlington has to say about localization and personalization is especially important.  Remember that your offering should be as full as possible on your social media profiles because not all visitors will go to your website.  Make sure to claim your business in online local directories.
 
 
  • Which Is Worse for Your Brain:  Texting or Pot?(Hint:  Pass the Pipe)

An article from Richard Young of BNet that cuts into the stress of the real time web and gives some no nonsense advise on how to deal with it. 

A few stellar tips include,

Set a time to check for messages in the afternoon and use your brain for more important tasks; Turn off any alarms that notify you of email as it comes into your inbox.

Organize your thinking visually.

Break down complex information into sub-groups

Delegate more often.   

 
       Working online makes it difficult not to fall into the trap of 24/7 availablity.  This article helps provide tips  
       on being less robotic and more human. Just as important it emphasizes that your effectiveness increases
       when you are less tapped into a wired environment.          
 
  • Ten Musts for Marketing to Women on Facebook
This article from Brette Burrow on Mashable discusses how to market to women online.  Women account for over 56 million Facebook users and are the purchasing decision makers in most households.
 
Here is a Summary of the Top 10 Tips:
 
  1. Create an emotional connection with your fans.
  2. Design a post series that readers can rely on and is useful to them.
  3. Share new products/services with your fans and help them take advantage of new offers online.
  4. Quit being redundant.  If you repost news to your Fan Page offer additional value.
  5. Consider widgets that allow a transaction to occur right from your fan page (For real estate this could be a free home evaluation or access to listings; For mortgage professionals this could be rate quotes or daily rate summaries).
  6. Respond to feedback and criticism.
  7. Share the positive and address the negative.
  8. Let your customers know about supply shortages or website problems.
  9. Provide quality information in your Facebook posts and on your Facebook Fan Page.  Stay away from spammy advertising. 
  10. Answer questions on your Facebook Fan Page.
 
Women are in the majority when it comes to making financial purchases and decisions.  This is a helpful list to keep in mind as you are creating a
Facebook Fan Page Strategy.  Also check out this summary notes report- "Marketing to Women".
  • The Mad Scientist of Cold Calling
 
An excerpt from an interview with Geoffrey James of BNet and Dr. James Oldroyd on the science of cold calling. There are some really fantastic metrics in this post which include,
 
       The best times and day to qualify leads are between 8a.m.-9 a.m. and 4-5 p.m. on Thursdays.
       Sales leads in the financial industries remain live or 24 hours.
       Your focus shoud be on the newest leads first.
 
The full Lead Response Management study by Kellogg can be downloaded here and includes information on getting people to your website, creating effective lead capture website forms, contacting web leads and great stats and tactics on lead generation.      
 
        The report is worth the read and the timing strategy tip are excellent. 
 
Use it in conjunction with these five tips on choosing the right day to market your real estate services online to create an effective prospecting schedule for your real estate business.
Real Skillz is grateful to have such loyal subscribers, readers, friends, followers and fans.  For more practical tips and how subscribe to the Real to's Skillz Real Estate Marketing Newsletter.
Get to know me on Facebook as a friend and if you like what you're reading then please do me the honor of becoming a fan.  
 
4 comments • Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant • January 20 2010 11:22AM

Five Tips to Create Emotional Value in Your Real Estate Blog Posts

How do bloggers maintain loyal readership and gain new followers?  Most bloggers discover over time that the way to do this is to blog consistently and satisfy your readers by giving them what they want.  In business, this is information, given freely and regularly, about products and services.  Timely news, how to's, and real life real estate stories are all blog fan favorites, but they need to be intermingled with a special seasoning to make an impact.
 
That special seasoning is emotion.  PPC Advertising, online marketing, and sales all use emotional triggers because they are proven winners.  You can create emotional value in your blog posts to wow readers into referral sources and direct buyers of your real estate services.
 
 

Here are five tips to create emotional value in your real estate blog posts

 
 

Research-Mix up Your Blog with High Traffic Trending Topics

 
Check trending topics on Google and Twitter.  View a few of the blog posts and articles that are written based on these trending topics.  What triggers your emotions in these online works?  Record the phrases that stand out when you read them and draw an emotional response from you.  Keep these notes on hand when you write your blog posts and need to find way to draw a similar response.
 

Analyze-Craft a Great Headline

 
 
Provide a balance of good SEO strategy and emotional value in your blog posts at the onset by creating a headline that makes use of longtail keywords and hits an emotional trigger.  Use a copywriting tool for your headlines called the Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer.  Use this tool to set your blog posts on target from the get go.  The headline analyzing tool helps bloggers makes sure their headlines will make the right impact for their readers.  This tool also helps you stay on track with the theme of your blog posts by sorting it into one of three categories: spiritual, empathetic, or spiritual which will help you make sure you are on track with the theme of your blog posts.
  

Create- Write First. Edit Second

 
Allow the words that come to your mind to flow freely without thought to spelling, grammar or allowing your inner self criticizing writing demon to stop you in your tracks.  Limit your distractions from IM and Email by using the WriteRoom application for Google Docs.
 
When you are done writing the words exactly as they come to mind without any censoring then you can go back and edit your blog posts.  If you edit as you write you are, without a doubt, editing the emotional potential of your posts before it has the chance to hit your computer screen.
 
 

Enhance-

Add Graphics that Invoke Emotion
 
Read this blog post from Cathy Moore, "How to add emotional impact with evocative images".  Great images can evoke emotion in your readers beyond the prose of your post.  Moore's post breaks down the use of graphics into these five categories with specific details and how to's,
 
  1. Choose your stock site carefully
  2. Search the site for the concept
  3. Think of opposing similes
  4. Avoid culturally specific images
  5. Manage your images locally
 
After you read this post you will have a whole new view on the impact of images.  It is seriously that good.
 

Learn- Get A Clue from Creative Works

 
Watch some film footage, and more specifically, watch footage from animated movies.  One of my favorite inspirational resources to draw from are Pixar films.  Pixar's movie "Up" manages to portray a whole lifetime in five minutes.  It is utterly amazing and a craft of genius.  It is a high caliber example of how to create and hold the end user's attention through eliciting an emotional response within a short time frame.  If you want to really observe how to create an impact I recommend watching this film.
 
Here's another example of Pixar's ability to create emotion through creative work.  View this short scene from Toy Story 2 and notice how it triggers emotion.
 


 
You can recreate this same effect by using multimedia in your blog posts.  Adding video and audio is good way enhance your blog post topics.  Another method is to publish Speechless Sunday and Wordless Wednesday blog posts.
 
 
Use these five tips to create emotional value in your real estate blog posts.  Remember thought, that these tips will mean nothing unless you do the ground work.  Take a step back to breathe, live, laugh, and love.  This is where the best inspiration comes from. 
 
The rest are just meaningless methods without this foundation.
 
 
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
—
Maya Angelou
 
 

Bookmark and Share

 
 Subscribe to BloggingintheRain, a Real Estate Marketing Blog
 
  
*************************************************************************************
 
Rebecca D. Levinson is a real estate marketing consultant with 17 years of experience serving real estate professionals.  Real estate marketing services include

 
  • Blogging- See my Blogging Tune-Up Website for Details
  • Social Networking
  • Niche Marketing
  • Marketing Strategy
  • Branding- See my Branding Sanity Website for Details
  • Offline Marketing
  • Online Marketing
  • Special Events Promotion and Marketing
  • Holiday Marketing
  • Marketing Campaigns
  • Email Marketing (Content and Design)
  • Reputation Management

 

If you treat real estate as a business then Real Skillz is a desirable real estate marketing solution. Call #262-203-5231 or email rebecca@realestateskillz.com.

 

 
 

22 comments • Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant • January 14 2010 03:34PM

01/01/10-01/09/10- Real Skillz Freebie Picks- Free Online Reads and Real Estate Marketing Resources for Real Estate Agents and Real Estate Companies

01/01/10-01/09/10- Real Skillz Freebie Picks- Free Online Reads and Real Estate Marketing Resources for Real Estate Agents and Real Estate Companies
 
 
  • Clear Hyperlinks Increase Conversions
A blog post from Todd Follansbee on how not to confuse your visitors with hyperlinks and how to make sure sure your hyperlinks are getting the most mileage.  Take his hyperlink text quiz and make sure to check out the tips under "Make Text Hyperlinks Do More". The first one is discusses "Call to Action". 

"Call to Action" are my three favorite words in marketing. Good marketing does nothing for sales without a clear call to action.
 
  • Tweetpsych
 
Tweetpsych is a Twitter application created by Dan Zarella.  Tweet Psych provides Twitter psychological profiling for both users and lists.  Each factor is represented in a bar graph as a percentage over/under the median of Twitter users with a description listed in the results section under the bar graph. 

I learned that most of my tweeting is about work and I tweet the least about media. 

Tweet Psych used in tandem with Twittergrader's tweet cloud really lends a clear perspective to your tweeting efforts and could keep you in check and on track.



  •   The 2010 Social Media Marketing Ecosystem

         

 A blog post from Dave Fleet on Social Media Today of the vast ecosystem of social media marketing and what to look ahead to in 2010.

 As you start to read it you may want to shy away because of the intricacies in detail (even in the diagrams) and the layers of marketing butplug through.  What I would like you to take note of is the first chart which lists the type of media and then the elements mentioned under the "ideal corporate social media system".

Note that the diagram has a corporate website and social media hub as the center of all other Internet marketing activities:  Facebook,Twitter, YouTube.

I recommend that you map out your own current social media initiatives and see if they put your corporate website and social media hub at the center.  You can use a simple pen and paper or a mind mapping software to help in this task.

Are all of your activities on social media marketing venues directed toward your corporate website and social media hub or do they not have a clear path home and a call to action?

If there's no clear direction home, time to get to work and work on creating an effective social media marketing strategy.

 

  • High Performance Analytics
       
A Feature article from the February 2010 edition of Website Magazine.  This article is well worth the read as it emphasizes the importance of analytics in your online marketing activities.  The author discusses KPI (Key Performance Indicators) that include Visitors per Conversion, Lead or Order, Cost per Lead, and Stickiness.  It also gives four key tools for measuring website speed and load times.

The website also discusses Video Analytics, social analytics, and CRM analytics.  I would bookmark, print, highlight and use this post when planning your analytics and looking at factors that you should be measuring and the tools that can help you with those measurements.

It will be very clear after reading this article that measurement should be part and parcel of all of your marketing endeavors.

Real Skillz is grateful to have such loyal subscribers, readers, friends, followers and fans.  For more practical tips and how subscribe to the Real to'sSkillz Real Estate Marketing Newsletter.

Get to know me on Facebook as a friend and if you like what you're reading then please do me the honor of becoming a fan.


*********************************************************************************

 

Rebecca D. Levinson is a real estate marketing consultant with 17 years of experience serving real estate professionals.  Real estate marketing services include:

 

  • Blogging- See my Blogging Tune-Up Website for Details
  • Social Networking
  • Niche Marketing
  • Marketing Strategy
  • Branding- See my Branding Sanity Website for Details
  • Offline Marketing
  • Online Marketing
  • Special Events Promotion and Marketing
  • Holiday Marketing
  • Marketing Campaigns
  • Email Marketing (Content and Design)
  • Reputation Management

 

If you treat real estate as a business then Real Skillz is a desirable real estate marketing solution. Call #262-203-5231 or email rebecca@realestateskillz.com.

 

 

 

10 comments • Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant • January 12 2010 08:27PM

A Simple Twitter Cheat Sheet for Real Estate Professionals to Generate Leads, Brand Your Business, Create Referral Partners, and Manage Your Reputation

A Simple Twitter Cheat Sheet for Real Estate Professionals to Generate Leads, Brand Your Business, Create Referral Partners, and Manage Your Reputation



 

Why Twitter? The news is in....Twitter users will now have an added advantage of their conversations appearing on the search engine results pages of Google and Bing.  I have seen the indexing of tweets on Google as well as on Bing firsthand.  Twitter can be used to brand your business, lead generation, to create referral partners, and even retain business through responsive reputation management. If you haven't started adding Twitter into your online marketing, it's time to engage. 


When to Tweet


 

You can tweet everyday of the week.  Make sure to to tweet on Wednesdays and Thursdays for maximum effect as they are the most active days of tweets and retweets as found by HubSpot's State of the Twittersphere June 2009.




Where to Find Local Peeps on Twitter

There are many directories and Apps for Twitter to help you find locals.  Submit your twitter handle(s) and follow locals.  Become engaged in local conversations on Twitter.
 
1.  Twellow- Twitter Yellow Pages.
2.  GeoFollow- Location based Twitter Directory.
3.  Local Tweeps- Zipcode level Twitter directory.
4.  twvite- Find and attend a local tweetup(locals who twitter meeting together offline.
5.  Twitter Local- Gives you a feed of tweets based on location.
6.  Nearby Tweets- Find twitter users in locations near to where you live.
7.  Happn.in- Tracks local twitter users near to where you live.



How to Customize Your Background On Twitter


First impressions are important for branding and your background page on Twitter is no exception. Your Twitter background is a great opportunity to brand your business.
Your Twitter followers will look sometimes before they leap. First impressions are important.

Here are 7 free applications you can use to customize your background:
 

1. Twitter Patterns- Abstract twitter patters you can use for free for your Twitter background.
2. Twitbacks- Free customized twitter background with full about section.
3. Twitpaper- Free Twitter themes.
4. Prettytweet- Customize your twitter background.  You can add images, change color and change text.
5. TwitterImage- Free backgrounds grouped in various categories.
6. Freetwitterdesigner-Create custom twitter backgrounds.
7.  Twitrounds- Free Twitter backgrounds.




What to Tweet


Twitter is a great way to prospect for business and engage in conversations. 
 
Here are a few ways to find some useful things to tweet about and get people's interest.
 
You can join Twitter here.
 
1.  Twitter Lights-Application that lets you highlight information you find interesting and send as a Tiny URL to Twitter.
2.  WhatTheHashTag- Tracks trending hashtags and other hashtags on Twitter.
3. Tweetag-Search for topics on Twitter and setup alerts to get notified when your keywords are being talked about on Twitter.
4. Twitlink-What links are being shared and what is being tweeted on Twitter.
5. StufftoTweet- Popular topics on the worldwide web.
6.PlusPlusBot- Karma on Twitter.

7. Twitter Answers- Ask questions and get answers on Twitter.


Use the powerful tools of Twitter to enhance your online marketing strategy



How to Monitor Tweets to Generate Leads and Retain Business

Monitor Keywords Topics, and Links on Twitter...Then Engage.  These 6 applications will help you track keywords and topics on Twitter allowing you to monitor your brand and generate leads.
 

1. Tweetbeep- Set up alerts that will be sent to your email when your topics/keywords are tweeted.
2. Tweetscan-Do a search for keywords and get results sorted by most recent tweets.
3.  Samepoint- Tracks conversations across the web based on your keywords.  A must use tool for prospecting and marketing.
4. Tweetmeme- Tracks the most popular links on Twitter.
nces.
5.  Monitter- Allows you to monitor multiple keywords in a grid in real time on Twitter.
6.Twitscoop- Robust application for tracking keywords, topics, and conferences.

Best CRM for Twitter-Hootsuite- Manage your contacts by grouping, manage multiple twitter handles (user accounts), keep searches running, synch up with your Wordpress blog, analyze your twitter traffic and so much more. 


These tools are recommended twitter tools to create an effective strategy for lead generation, reputation management and branding for real estate professionals.  Do not use all the tools.  Choose one or two from each list that will get the job done for you.  I have whittled down the Twitter applications from the worldwide web and there are probably a half dozen new Twitter applications born for every one that already exists every week.  Don't concentrate on that.

Concentrate on the tools that will make your Twittering effective and then just do it.  Stop by and make sure to say hi to me while you tweet.


If you enjoyed these tips then sign-up for the weekly Real Skillz Real Estate Marketing Newsletter which has a static Twitter column with Tips to make your twittering efforts effective.  It's delivered to your Inbox every Tuesday.

For All Real Estate Professionals

For Email Marketing you can trust




For Real Estate Professionals Who Are RealSkillz Clients

If you're a current RealSkillz client look in your inbox for the debut of the RealSkillz Real Estate Marketing newsletter for clients with tips on how to use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and new how to's.  This newsletter is only for clients and will debut on Tuesday, January 12, 2010.

******************************************************************************************************


Rebecca D. Levinson is a real estate marketing consultant with 17 years of experience serving real estate professionals.  Real estate marketing services include

 

  • Blogging- See my Blogging Tune-Up Website for Details
  • Social Networking
  • Niche Marketing
  • Marketing Strategy
  • Branding- See my Branding Sanity Website for Details
  • Offline Marketing
  • Online Marketing
  • Special Events Promotion and Marketing
  • Holiday Marketing
  • Marketing Campaigns
  • Email Marketing (Content and Design)
  • Reputation Management

 

If you treat real estate as a business then Real Skillz is a desirable real estate marketing solution. Call #262-203-5231 or email rebecca@realestateskillz.com.

 

 

26 comments • Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant • January 08 2010 01:10PM

Planning for an Effective Social Media Marketing Strategy IS the Shift in 2010. How Does Your Real Estate business stack Up?

Planning for An Effective Social Media Marketing Strategy IS the shift in 2010.  How does your real estate business stack up?

Marketing Sherpa has just released the 2010 Social Media Marketing Benchmark Report.  You can download Marketing Sherpa's Executive Summary on Social Media Marketing for free without filling out a form on their website.

The summary is worth the read and provides valuable insights to help you plan your social media marketing strategy. 


Some significant observations noted in the report include:

  • Lack of an effective social media marketing strategy is one of the most significant challenges facing marketers
  • The human factor will account for nearly 60% of social media marketing expenditures next year including staff salaries for blogging, content development, social monitoring, etc.
  • All Business Sectors will be increasing their budgets significantly for social marketing in 2010.  The average hovering around 50% while some sectors will be increasing their budgets for social media marketing by nearly 80%.
  • Lack of an effective social media marketing strategy is one of the most significant challenges facing marketers.

The executive report discuss social media maturation by organizations and the levels of maturation.  It cites that Forty percent of companies are moving toward the transition phase where the emphasis is on planning a social media strategy.

Don't skip past the chart on Aligning Social Marketing Objectives with Corresponding Metrics.  This chart is useful to help you determine the metrics you want to achieve in your social media marketing efforts.

So how can you achieve this experience?  Start by not throwing spaghetti up against the wall and seeing if it sticks.  You need to look at your business goals and your current marketing strategy and see where you can add social media marketing methods to achieve an optimized, competitive, leadership strategy in your marketplace.  You need to become consumer friendly 'cause the consumers are already out and they are talking, with or without your presence or your voice.

Make a decision to commit to consumers and the consumer experience.  Take a look inside your organization....is there someone who can help your company or solo business take these steps, now?  Develop a plan, now?  Transplanting current employees or contractors from one position to another unsuited one to forage into social media marketing might allow you a lucky strike or it could be the pitch that strikes you out.

Just remember, for every 30-60-90-120 days it takes to get it done, your customers are 30-60-90-120 days ahead of you. 

Some will just be gone.


If you enjoyed this post learn more about creating an efficient social media marketing strategy by reading,


****************************************************************************************

Rebecca D. Levinson is a real estate marketing consultant with 17 years of experience serving real estate professionals.  Real estate marketing services include,

 

  • Blogging- See my Blogging Tune-Up Website for Details
  • Social Networking
  • Niche Marketing
  • Marketing Strategy
  • Branding- See my Branding Sanity Website for Details
  • Offline Marketing
  • Online Marketing
  • Special Events Promotion and Marketing
  • Holiday Marketing
  • Marketing Campaigns
  • Email Marketing (Content and Design)
  • Reputation Management

 

If you treat real estate as a business then Real Skillz is a desirable real estate marketing solution. Call #262-203-5231 or email rebecca@realestateskillz.com.

14 comments • Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant • January 07 2010 11:38AM

61 Top Marketing Reads, Tools, Resources and Research of 2009 for Real Estate Agents and Real Estate Companies

61 Top Marketing Reads, Tools, Resources and Research of 2009 for Real Estate Agents and Real Estate Companies


I have taken a time traveling trip through Real Skillz Facebook and Twitter accounts in search of the top 61 marketing reads, tools, resources and research of 2009 for real estate agents and real estate companies as tweeted and noted by Real Skillz real estate marketing.

Here are the results,


Favorite Marketing Reads of 2009
  1. 2009 Tribalization of Business Study- Deloitte- Study on use of Social Media by businesses.
  2. IBM Study- The End of Advertising As We Know It- Social Media Today's summary of the IBM Study- The End of Advertising As We Know It.
  3. EBay Generated $400M in business from iPhone App: CEO- How one mobile app. increased EBay's profit margins.
  4. Peanut Butter Plan to Feed the Homeless Spreads- Social Networking for a Charitable Cause
  5. Google Does Not Use the Keywords Meta Tag In Web Ranking- Confirmation of meta tag non ranking attribute.
  6. Committee to Protect Bloggers:  An Interview- Take a look at the CommitteetoProtectbloggers.org and learn about lending your voice to help bloggers around the world.
  7. Search Engine Optimization Tips for Commercial Real Estate Professionals- Easy to follow post on some simple SEO tips. Blogged for Commercial r.e. agents, but residential can easily follow these tips also.
  8. Mobile WiFi Consumption on the Rise- JWire- "Thirty-eight percent of mobile users employing WiFi in cafés are making purchases via mobile."
  9. Location, Location, Location- Twitter Blog- Hyper-local isn't just hype, it's common sense.
  10. Ask Miz Ginevra-Using Your Own Domain with Your Blog- You can use domain mapping option on typepad blogging platform and integrate your blog into your website.
  11. Lending Tree Casts Consumers as Superheros-The Rebranding of Lending Tree.
  12. 10 Worst Countries to Be A Blogger- Persecution of bloggers in some countries exists beyond monetary injury.
  13. Linked In Profiles More Accurate than Resumes- (Sad But True)- How thorough is your profile on LinkedIn? May be time for an update.
  14. Web Key for Autos-Brandfreak- Consumers want video experience when car shopping and autodealers are responding.
  15. Social Media Press Releases- How to use multiple types of press releases for an effective marketing reach.
  16. The Answer Factory: Demand Media and the Fast, Disposable, and Profitable as Hell Media Model- Quality vs. Quantity- Speed vs. Durability.....Ways to ponder and think about the current and future use and marketing of online content. Some food for thought.
  17. Live from DMA09:  Got Content? Get a Content Strategy- Plan to create and execute a content based strategy this year.  Here are some ideas around content strategy to get the creative juices flowing.
  18. Search engines will be able to find documents created and published using Google Apps- If you want more of your internet property to be indexed on Google (branding), just another reason to use Google Docs.
  19. U.S. Weekly Breaks the Facebook Advertising Mold- U.S. Weekly takes on State Farm as an official sponsor on its Facebook Fan Page.  Really Smart Marketin

Favorite Marketing Tools of 2009
  1. Thankfulfor.com- A gratitude journal to list what you are thankful for everyday
  2. Daftdoggy.com- Daft Doggy might be a good tool to use to see how your clients are browsing for listings online and how you can help them. I know my mom often shares with me her real estate website searches, where she is searching, what she is finding, and what is lacking.  Why not track the same things for your clients to help give them a better home buying experience.
  3. Zoho.com- For the individual professional zoho has apps from doc managers to collaboration and oh yeah, mobile access.
  4. Switch Audio Converter Software-If you record a note to yourself on your blackberry, you can use this software to convert it into a MP3. Awesome.Why would you do this? For mobile podcasting I would use Utterli, but if I were on the go and wanted to record a private message for someone to hear or for my online journal- so I didn't want it to show up in a public timeline....ta da....Easy Breezy.
  5. Backpackkit.com- Manage your documents, discussions, schedules, checklists in one place and share with your team.
  6. Archive.org-If you are looking for old copy or layout that you had on your website but did not save, try searching on the wayback machine.... a trip thru internet time.  I have used this tool for years and it has come in handy for soooo many things.
  7. 2D or not 2D that is the bar code question- I would love to see 2D bar codes used in the house hunting process.
  8. Dailylit.com- How cool is this? Time Management for reading. Subscribe for free and get installments of books sent to you by email or EVEN BETTER RSS Feed.
  9. Picapp.com-  Free images for your blog.
  10. Bubbletweet.com- Add video messages to your tweets.
  11. Digsby- Manage your social networks, email, and chat.
  12. Dropsend-  Send large files from your desktop.
  13. Urlfanx.com-This site shows how popular websites are in the blogosphere in Real Time. Awesome. Check out your site, the sites you enjoy visiting, and your competitors.
  14. Docstoc-Real Estate peeps I would upload my documents to this site....good PR and has a very visible real estate category on the homepage.
  15. Topseos.com- Identifies, categorizes and ranks top seo companies. Great presentation and resource.
  16. Metroblogging- City specific blogs worldwide; This could be part of your hyperlocal marketing strategy.
  17. Prezi- Online Presentation Tool.



Favorite Marketing Resources of 2009



  1. B.B. Geeks- Reviews on Blackberry applications, news, and information.
  2. 29 Ways to Carry Out Random Acts of Kindness Everyday- A friend sent me this article and even though it's from 2008 acts of kindness have a way of transcending time.
  3. AdAge Power150- A Daily Ranking of Marketing Blogs.
  4. Chris Harrison- Internet Map- Beautiful internet maps showing how connected we truly are....u know, these might make a nice edition if you are tech savvy in your listing presentations- Sometimes Seeing IS Believing.  Email the creator if you do this for permissions....make sure to give appropriate credits as well.
  5. Web For Design Patterns:  Sign-up Forms- An article from 2008 that I shared in 2009. Very relevant if you are strategically planning your website.
  6. World's Best Presentation Contest 2009 from Adobe and Slideshare- See what makes up a winning presentation and incorporate the winning elements into your presentations.
  7. Guide to Single Serving Websites- Solid article. Real Estate professionals read this and think about your open houses, buyer's seminars, micro-niche markets.
  8. Free E-Course-Finding Information in Technology- Excellent Free E-Learning Course- Finding Information in Technology....also reviews Copyright fyi.
  9. 29 Ways to Collect Email Addresses for Your Business- A blog post that lists the 29 best ways to collect email addresses. All salespeople know the power is in your list and the strength of those connections. Check out this free list of ideas for ideas on how to capture those email addresses and grow your list.
  10. Forbes 21 Top Twitter Tips- 21 Ways you can use Twitter for your business that make sense.
  11. Facebook Developer Roadmap- Developer roadmap for Facebook to have a better idea of what changes will happen on Facebook and when those will occur.
  12. Landing Page Optimization Silver Bullets-Web Marketing Today- Really nice list of landing page optimization tips, would be nice to see some on Real Estate websites.
  13. 100 Ways to Measure Social Media- Awesome no fluff list to measure social media.
  14. MarketingTerms.com- Marketing reference guide that helps cut through the lingo.
  15. Makeareferralweek.com- Experiment in March of '09 for one week to record how many referrals could be made.  I participated by making two referrals and recording them.  Good idea for a campaign for real estate franchises/brokerages.
  16. SCORE Online- Free and valuable online courses for small business owners.



Favorite Marketing Research of 2009



  1. Marketshare.hitslink.com- Has your site been checked in different browsers? IE (Internet Explorer) still leads marketshare.
  2. 2009 Women and Social Media Study by BlogHer, IVillage and Compass Partners-  This study give you one more reason to blog:) Women trust them more than social networks according to 2009 Women and Social Media Study by BlogHer, iVillage and Compass Partners.
  3. The World's Most Valuable Brands.  Who's Most Engaged? Engagement DB Ranking the Top 100 Global Brands- Ranked on the breadth and depth of engagement.
  4. 50 Best Websites 2009- Great list to learn about usability and engagement.
  5. Facebook: Who You Know; Twitter: What You Know- Study finds video viewed longer when posted to Twitter than posted to Facebook.
  6. 52 Percent of Americans use mobile for non-voice activities:  Study- Huge mobile stats here. Ignoring mobile is ignorant.
  7. Mobile Internet User Experience is Miserable:  Study- " 59% success rate for users to complete mobile tasks vs. 80% success rate from their pc"= Lots of work to be done here.
  8. Consumers More Negative Now About Economy- Why it's important to think about the value of your brand as it directly correlates to the REAL value of your service.
  9. More women using social networks preferring Facebook- It's really important to keep on top of these trends and tweak your marketing accordingly.



This is the condensed version.  Throughout the year I have tweeted and reported from my Facebook accounts of useful tools, research, resources and great reads pertinent to the real estate industry.  I will continue to do so in 2010.  Make sure you don't miss any...we are now 5 days into 2010 and Real Skillz has been Tweeting and Facebooking away.  It's really simple not to miss a beat...you just need a computer mouse and three clicks.

Join me on Twitter
Friend me on Facebook
Become a Fan of Real Skillz on Facebook


Bookmark and Share
18 comments • Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant • January 06 2010 04:16PM

Real Estate WordPress Plugin Enables Searchable Listings for Free

 

I am so excited that my business associate and friend, Misty Lackie of GoSmart Solutions has launched this seriously powerful plug-in for Wordpress.  You may be familiar with Misty's Classified Flyer product that syndicates your listings across the worldwide web.

If you have a Wordpress Blog this is a serious upgrade and enhancement, for free, by installation of a simple plug-in.  If you are looking to expand your lead generation efforts (is this a question) downoad this plug-in.

 

 

Via Real Estate Advertising - Misty Lackie (Go Smart Solutions, LLC):

As an alternative to IDX solutions, real estate marketing company, RealShout, offers a free WordPress plugin that allows agents and brokers to have searchable real estate listings on their site.

With WordPress being the choice for many real estate bloggers, RealShout has unveiled a new plugin for the publishing platform that will enable real estate professionals to have searchable local listings on their blog or website.

RealShout Real Estate Wordpress Plugin
RealShout Real Estate Wordpress Plugin
Up until now, real estate professionals had to purchase expensive IDX solutions in order to display neighboring listings to their visitors

The free searchable listing Real Estate Wordpress plugin can be installed on any WordPress template and functional the same day. Pulling data from the Google Base API, the plugin provides ample data to populate any real estate site. Customization capabilities include colors, location (cities), distance, bedrooms, bath, and price. The plugin enables listings to display in a list with thumbnail pictures, which can be clicked on to view more details, photos, a Google Map, and more.

Setting it apart from many IDX services, the RealShout plugin does not place listings in an iframe, thus allowing them to be indexed by search engines.

“Up until now, real estate professionals had to purchase expensive IDX solutions in order to display neighboring listings to their visitors,” says Misty Lackie, CEO of Go Smart Solutions, LLC, the parent company of RealShout. “We’re offering this plugin for free to allow agents and brokers to have searchable listings on their site without spending hundreds of dollars.”

The plugin is offered for free on the RealShout website or the WordPress Plugin Directory, and is compatible with most WordPress templates.

RealShout.com is a real estate marketing company that guarantees leads for agents, real estate brokers, and mortgage brokers. The company also offers marketing services to MLS’s nationwide.

RealShout is the creation of Go Smart Solutions, LLC, a company that has been providing advertising solutions for professionals and small businesses since 2002. RealShout provides lead generating online real estate advertising for agents and brokers in the industry.

Go Smart Solutions, LLC
Misty Lackie - CEO
http://www.gosmart4u.com
LinkedIn: gosmartsolutions
Twitter: @gosmart4u
Facebook: gosmart
9 comments • Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant • January 05 2010 12:02PM

12/22/09-12/31/09- Real Skillz Freebie Picks- Free Online Reads and Real Estate Marketing Resources for Real Estate Agents and Real Estate Companies

12/22/09-12/31/09- Real Skillz Freebie Picks- Free Online Reads and Real Estate Marketing Resources for Real Estate Agents and Real Estate Companies   
  • 15 Online Press Release Distribution Sites
A blog post from Alyssa Gregory, owner of a full time virutal assistance firm, about where to find the best sites to create and distribute your press releases.  Make sure not to miss the comments to this blog post because in them you will pick up some additional resources and tips for sending press releases.
 
Press releases are an important part of marketing and if you haven't already started adding them into your repetoire it's time to begin.  For more on this topic I recommend reading the New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meersman Scott. The information about creating a media room on your website is invaluable.
  • The Executive Summary for Marketing Sherpa's 2010 Social Media Marketing Benchmark Report 

You can download Marketing Sherpa's Executive Summary on Social Media Marketing for free without filling out a form on their website. 

The summary is worth the read and provides valuable insights to help you plan your social media marketing strategy.  Some significant observations noted in the report include:

  • Lack of an effective social media marketing strategy is one of the most significant challenges facing marketers. 
  • The human factor will account for nearly 60% of social media marketing expenditures next year including staff salaries for blogging, content development, social monitoring, etc.  
The executive report discuss social media maturation by organizations and the levels of maturation.  Forty percent of companies are moving toward the transition phase where the emphasis is on planning a social media strategy.
Don't skip past the chart on Aligning Social Marketing Objectives with Corresponding Metrics.  This chart is useful to help you determine the metrics you want to achieve in your social media marketing efforts. 
  • Don't forget to use some very simple and proven sales techniques on your online sales pages

An article from Nick Usborn on Web Today on simple but proven sales strategies and triggers.  Three important take-aways are: 

  •  
    • Can you add a sense of scarcity?
    • Can you offer something free?
    • Can you reduce the perceived risk of taking action?

Review your website and see which of these questions you are answering. 

 

  • Twitter Productivity

Organize

I am a fan of any application that reduces the noise on Twitter and increases the productivity.  About six months ago I swtiched from Tweetdeck to Hootsuite and haven't looked back.  Hootsuite is my CRM for Twitter. 

DeClutter
At the end of each week I use Twitter Karma to help me follow and unfollow in bulk and clean up my Twitter account.  This one tool saves me hours of time.  It's like hiring a housekeeper to scrub the bathroom, clean the kitchen, and scrub the walls and ceilings.  You will be left with a mere 15-30 minutes of work after Twitter Karma gets its job done.  
        
Upgrade
Want to search conversations by keywords and receive results only from your follower base?  Sign-up for flocking.me and it will dig thru your followers tweets to retrieve search results for your keywords.  It will also map search results based only on your followers.  You can use this tool to more effectively join conversations AND to keep up, over, and beyond competitively speaking.  


Real Skillz wishes everyone a Happy New Year.  I am grateful to have such loyal subscribers, readers, friends, followers and fans.  It is an increasing motivation to find the most practical and useful marketing tools and ideas online because of you.

Real Skillz Freebie Picks- Free Online Reads and Real Estate Marketing Resources for Real Estate Agents and Real Estate Companies is a weekly online newsletter provided by Rebecca D. Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant. 

  
13 comments • Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant • January 04 2010 05:23PM