Technology has advanced real estate marketing dramatically in the last few years, and if you’re not keeping up to date, you’re being left behind.
Unless you’re totally unplugged, you’ve surely heard words like Facebook, Myspace, Youtube, Twitter, Squidoo, iPhone, Blackberry and a dizzying array of other names. You may have wondered, “What does any of this have to do with my real estate business?”
Everything.
The world is becoming more virtual, and so should your business. More real estate offices are online today than ever before, and competition for site visitors is fierce. Being in the most common places online can drive more clients and investors than you would ever imagine.
If you’re still trying to find out how you can tap into social networking and increase the power and value of your online web presence – take a minute to read through this post. You’re sure to find a couple of tips to get you pointed in the right direction. And um… if you don’t think sites like Twitter change or improve Real Estate careers, think again!
The Power of Branding – it’s Worked for Snickers and Gatorade, it’ll Work for You!
People go with what they know. Think about it. When you reach for a product at the grocery, do you not at least start to grab for the brand name you’re most familiar with… the one that’s proven itself over time?
Branding your company is very important, but most important is branding yourself. Leave a lasting impression so people will remember your name and your face. Clients will follow you for you and your services. If you happen to go to another brokerage, your clients will more than likely move with you. Why? Because you’ve kept them up to speed and in touch through your excellent mastery of social networking via the web!
Can People Find Your Blog or Website in the Organic Section?
By this I mean, does your blog or website come up on page 1 or 2 when folks run a search on Google? While you can do a lot to point folks in the right direction to your site by using backlinks and other seo strategies, knowing the natural order of things… how folks will key in searches for what you offer… is a must.
WebProNews is a site I often frequent to brush up on my keyword research skills. Check out these articles to learn a bit more about keyword selection.
Once you settle on your selected keywords, find ways to populate your blog posts or website articles with them – naturally. For instance, if selling bank owned properties is your specialty, then make sure you give content about bank owned properties. Search engine spiders will scan your pages and rank you higher if your content is more clear and relevant to what people are searching for.
Get Social with Online Social Networks – You’re Awesome! Let People Know it!
Instead of having buyers or clients aimlessly stumble upon your brokerage, you want to direct them to you. Be a known presence online. The goal is to win the “who shall I select as my agent” battle before it begins!
What is it that you need to do? Well, getting up and running on social networks is a great place to start.
You MUST be on social sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Squidoo. If you don’t have an account set one up now! Once signed in, start socializing and networking. Remember you don’t need to look only for folks who you think might need your services right this minute!
Think “long tail,” here. By this I mean – work from the outside in when you think of ways folks might connect with you or find you on these networks. I like to start by thinking of things I most like to do – and I target those areas. If you find that your favorite hobbies seem far removed from your real estate business – then that’s a good thing!
People gravitate toward those with whom they share an interest – and how much more personal can you get than if you’re talking about someone’s Work those channels by seeing who’s talking about them on the various networks. Then… CHIME IN! (Joe Hall’s WhosTalkin.com site is a great way to stay on top of what’s being said about your niche, regional location, etc right this minute!)
Don’t go channeling Rodney Dangerfield from Caddyshack or anything – a genlte “Hey, noticed you’re into snorkeling! Check out this site, I found it really useful for plannign trips!”
The key here is to put hobbies and interests out there first. The business stuff will come later. Did you get that? L-A-T-E-R! Don’t be “that guy/gal!” These sites are called social networking sites – not fast paced, high-pressure, annoy the heck out of you sites.
Two of the many highly suggested active real estate sites are Trulia and ActiveRain. ActiveRain is prized by many Realtors for its ability to boost their Google search rankings, and rightly so. However, do give some consideration to building your “own” blog brand. We’ll talk more about this in later posts.
Don’t expect astonishing results overnight. As they say “do your due diligence” and you will reap the benefits.
Continue to follow my posts and we will cover each of the subjects touched on here with a little bit closer lens… Tevor Moore
I’d like to take a minute to introduce Trevor Moore. He has some great ideas about helping Realtors get their sites up and running using some tried and true – as well as some more cutting edge – SEO techniques. Look for posts from Trevor down the line as a continuation of this initial effort. Thanks for sharing with us here at the Florida Mortgage Blogger, Trevor! (P.S. You can keep track of Trevor’s endeavors via Twitter here.)
Related articles
- Real Estate SEO and Niche Marketing Tips (nichetitans.com)
- If We Knew Then What We Know Now (bloggingwithoutablog.com)
- Social Influence & The Future Of Marketing (leighhimel.blogspot.com)
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I hope you found this post useful! As always, if you or anyone you know is in need of a local Florida mortgage broker, I’m your guy. Call me at 863-604-3019 or apply online for your Florida mortgage. We’ll keep you posted and let you know when it’s time to pull the trigger!
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Hi Kevin – What a great post. I agree we all need to be aware of the virtual world when it comes to business. With the economy the way it is, and the competition stiffer than ever, having a home on the web is a great way to gain an edge.
Ironically earlier today I was listening to the news and the subject of Facebook came up. Then on another news broadcast, they were “checking Twitter”.
Hopefully many will heed your advice.
Thank you for the link love. I truly appreciate it.
Barbara Swafford’s last blog post..Sharing Encouragement and Inspiration
It still amazes me how many people forget to connect with their chosen area of expertise through social networking. Its such an amazing tool, as you mentioned, to be able to really interact with not only like minded people, but people who are looking for the service you offer, and yet it still gets ignored!
P.S. Props for the Rodney Dangerfield reference. Gave me a nice chuckle.
Noah@Business Development Blog´s last blog ..Obama, Please Don’t Try to Run Companies
Thank you for this post. Social media marketing is the 800lb gorilla of the internet. Very informative blog!