Web 2.0 Social Media Helps the Real Estate Market Flourish
The traditional forms of marketing real estate aren't doing their magic as they had in the past, but fortunately, there is an area of relatively untapped potential that can assist a seller greatly - Web 2.0 social media.
You might have thought that social media was for people to blog, meet and chat. Yeah, it is. It's also a great place for you and your home to get the attention needed to make a sale. Web 2.0 social networking sites are free to use, which is an automatic advantage over traditional means of advertising your home. It also puts you in a different "fishing hole" where the younger buyers are more accustomed to finding their information.
A new class on Web 2.0 for Real Estate starts on January 7, 2010. Please the link above to register for the free preview calls and for more information.
Your First Step to Promoting Real Estate on the Web
Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) How to Optimize Your Website for Internet Search Engines (Google, Yahoo!, MSN Live, AOL, Ask, AltaVista, FAST, GigaBlast, Snap, LookSmart and more)
Amazon Price: $35.99 (as of 12/03/2009)
List Price: $39.99
If you have a website or are even using social media sites like this Squidoo lens, you'll want to understand how Search Engine Optimization (SEO) works. This is how you get found on the web - it brings targeted visitors right to you so that you work smarter, not harder!
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Consider this - the whopping majority of home searches begin online - about 83%
This fact makes using free Web 2.0 social media a very sensible move.If you're feeling in the dark about exactly what social networking sites are, they are all the websites that you can connect with others through - and there are a ton of them. Squidoo (the site you're on right now), Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon and HubPages are all commonly used social networking sites that can be used to your advantage when selling a home.
Some networking sites are geared towards selling things - sites like Craigslist, Trulia and Zillow for example. Both types can really help when you're selling a home. If you're feeling that your home selling endeavors aren't moving along as quickly as you'd like, try using some of the free Web 2.0 social networking sites to move the process along a lot more quickly.
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Staging Your Home on the Web 2.0 Social Media Sites
By now you know how important it is to stage a home when readying it for sale. A staged home gives your prospects a warm welcome and lets them see how beautifully they would fit in to the home and it's wonderful surroundings.If you plan to market a home on Web 2.0 social media sites (and you should), you need to stage it a bit differently than you would for "in-person" showings. This really isn't difficult and the results can be outstanding. Here's what you need to do/know about staging a home for Internet viewing:
Web 2.0 networking sites offer you a long list of ways to show your home. You can use:
- Slide Shows that you can turn into videos and post on YouTube, Viddler, TubeMogul, et al
- 360° panoramic views of the inside and outside of the home, with your commentary over the top pointing out the unique features
- Videos on specific aspects of the home's best features - like the view - so that your video gets found in more ways by buyers looking for certain features
- Blogs and mini-blogs to keep others posted on what's going on with the home
- Photos can be posted on flickr (and others) to highlight certain features and create authority backlinks to the main site you've created for the property
- Interactive tools like virtual floor plan tours that engage your viewer, where they can post comments should they so choose, with forwarding link buttons
All of these tools and more will enhance your prospect's experience when they view the home online. You can use social media sites to give buyers a great look at the home and also give them graphical information on location, schools, community features, and information about what makes the home and the town it's in so special.
Make sure your Internet staging is spic and span, just like the house would be when showing it. Be sure your spelling and grammar shine, as does your online presentation. Staging a home in this way is sure to bring lots of positive attention.
Wield the Power of Web 2.0
Plug Your Business! Marketing on MySpace, YouTube, blogs and podcasts and other Web 2.0 social networks
Amazon Price: $17.05 (as of 12/03/2009)
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"There is so much insider information in this book that can help almost anyone who wants to do internet commerce. Particularly interesting to me was the information on increasing search engine interest in one's website by doing the simplest things, such as registering your website's URL for several years instead of one year."
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Social Networking Sites That Are Perfect for Real Estate Buzz
When selling a home, you need to create a buzz to really catch the interest of prospective buyers. As with anything, when you create excitement around it, people will come looking to see what's going on, word will spread, and soon, you'll achieve what you set out to do - get attention.You can use social network sites to produce a real estate buzz that will help sell that home much more quickly than by using only conventional means of getting the word out.
Take this Quiz - Are you Addicted to Social Media?
I'm thinking that 46% is relatively healthy. What about you?
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Facebook is the Grown-Up's Version of MySpace
Facebook Marketing: Leverage Social Media to Grow Your Business
Amazon Price: $16.49 (as of 12/03/2009)
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"With more than 80,000,000 affluent, savvy members, Facebook is today's fastest-growing marketing opportunity! But traditional marketing methods won't work here. In Facebook Marketing, best-selling author Steven Holzner reveals new social marketing techniques that do work, and shows you exactly how to make the most of them. Using true case studies, Holzner introduces powerful new techniques from today's smartest Facebook marketers...and helps you avoid pitfalls that can cost you money and credibility. No matter what business you're in, you'll learn how to create bottom-up, "viral" Facebook marketing programs that achieve maximum results at minimum cost!"
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Here are five of the top sites for creating a stir:
Active Rain - This social networking site is for real estate professionals to communicate amongst themselves, and share information, support and referrals.Facebook - Facebook is a social networking site that let's you create your own personalized web page and is used for networking, as well as connecting with like-minded people.
Localism - Localism is a networking site in which realtor feature communities and their businesses.
Squidoo - Squidoo lets you create "lenses", which are basically single page websites, about whatever you like, lending itself beautifully to featuring a home for sale. You're looking at a Squidoo lens right now! Click here to learn how to build your own Squidoo real estate lens!
Twitter - Twitter is a microblogging site. You can use it to send small correspondences about what's new to your "followers". If you're selling a house, you can use it to focus on your progress.
When selling a home, don't discount the ability of these and other social networking sites to create a buzz. Getting people excited about what you're offering is what it's all about!
New Rules for Real Estate Marketing!
Real Estate Rainmaker: Guide to Online Marketing
Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 12/03/2009)
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"Any agent, new or old, can use this one. I was actually looking for info to help me with my mortgage business - and this one delivered. It is for R.E. agents (actually Realtors), but a lot of it could be used for almost any internet business. Teaches you how to make the center of your business your webpage. Without getting into too much detail, this book covers topics such as: Why not to use your name as your domain name, how to use multiple domains, driving traffic to your website, capturing e-leads, follow up, turning leads into customers for life, email marketing, building an email database, using virtual assistants and more. In depth. This is the type of book I have been waiting for (and again, I'm in the mortgage business - not a real estate agent!)"
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Web 2.0 Networking for Real Estate
Using Twitter to Quickly Build Your List of Prospects
from eTechnology Marketing Whiz, Connie Ragen Green
"...Many people only use Twitter to promote and market their products and services, but it seems to be more acceptable if you share at least a little about your personal life. I tweet about activities I am involved in within my community, like the Rotary Club, and if I am traveling I will tweet about what is happening while I am traveling as well as when I am at the event. This makes it all more interesting.""...If you are just starting out on Twitter you will want to find people you know to follow. Other people will do the same with you, so you end up with both followers and those you are following. You can search for people by keywords, so if you are trying to find someone in your niche you can easily locate them if they have used those keywords in their website or blog address, or in their bio."
"...By tweeting about my niche, as well as my products and courses, many more people are able to find me and end up joining my list. This has made it easy to triple my list over a three month period."
You can find out more about how to use Twitter by listening in to Connie's free weekly calls - please click her name here -- Connie Ragen Green
The Biggest, Bestest Directory of All Social Media Sites
Comments:
This is where YOU get to say your bit...
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- HomeStagingNJ HomeStagingNJ Sep 11, 2009 @ 7:34 am
- Gosh, Jordan, you said a mouthful when you mentioned well defined goals for usage. Are you using it to brand yourself, drive traffic to your website, build a list, keep in touch with customers like the old-fashioned drip campaigns, what? All are possible, but you need to know what you're up, I agree.
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- jordanmuela jordanmuela Sep 10, 2009 @ 1:41 pm
- Great introduction to the subject, there is alot of confusion amongst SMB owners (not just realtors) that know social media is important but are unsure where to start and don't have well defined goals for their usage of it.
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- RyanRE RyanRE Nov 24, 2008 @ 10:20 pm
- Sweet lens Juliet! Thanks for adding it to my real estate group :)
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- Sara Sara Nov 12, 2008 @ 7:25 am
- Great page! I will check out some of the books. Finding your way thru new internet marketing is not easy. I appreciate all the help I can get.
