blogging and social networking

*Enables real estate agents to serve and communicate with clients using free or inexpensive online tools without the investment of expensive software and equipment.

Social Media Revolution

Has changed the way people buy and sell real estate. Are you ready?

Facebook added 100 million users IN 9 MONTHS. The fastest growing segment on Facebook is 55-65 year old females.

You Tube is the second largest search engine in the world It serves up 1 billion downloads A DAY.

80% of companies use LinkedIn to find and screen employees.

In 2009, Boston College stopped distributing email addresses to incoming freshmen.

35% of book sales on Amazon are for the Kindle.

More than 1.5 million pieces of content ( web links, news stories, blog posts, photos, videos etc.) are shared on Facebook DAILY.

1 out of 8 couples married in the US last year met via social media.

Online Diary or Web LogPrimarily Text but may include photos, video, links

Commentary displayed in reverse chronological order

The collective community of all blogs is known as the

“blogosphere.”

It is estimated there are over one million blogs in the blogosphere.

What’s the difference?

Website = StaticBlog = Dynamic

Snag ItSnag It

“If your business is crappy, a blog won’t help.” - Linda Davis, Inman Connect, San Francisco – 2008

SEO?Search Engine Optimization

or

YEO?You Engaging Others

YEO?“You Engaging

Others”

Focus first and foremost on

providing value to the reader. Instead of being a “writer,”

think about being an “educator.”

55 Comments

Brett Ellis Chris Griffith

Island’s End Golf Course

Long Island 2007

Other Reasons to Blog?

Blogging opens doors and provides opportunities

In a crowded marketplace, where your potential clients and customers have lots of choices, you can stand out by being just slightly famous. It’s not about being all things to all people, but being a mini- celebrity to the right people.

It’s about targeting your market and developing a reputation as a great resource – trustworthy, knowledgeable, and close-at-hand.”

Steven Van YoderGet Slightly Famous

Read and learn from other Real Estate Bloggers

Agent Genius

Active Rain

Your Local Newspaper Blogs

Define your Audience

It’s probably too late to jump into the national blogger pool.

Find a Niche. Who are you talking to?

Decide on a blog platform.

What is your budget?How tech savvy are you?

REAL ESTATE SPECIFIC

Trulia Voices

Active Rain $

CUSTOM REAL ESTATE BLOGS

Real Estate Blog Sites $

Dakno $

Real Estate Tomato $

Realivent $

NOT INDUSTRY SPECIFIC

BLOGGER

Chicago Real Estate Local

WORDPRESS.Com

Denver Dwellings

TYPEPAD $

Simply Ledyard

St. Paul Real Estate

Hosted Blogging Platforms

Trulia Voices

Active RainActive RainFree or $29.00 per monthFree or $29.00 per month

National Real Estate Blogs

Group Real Estate Blogs

Local Real Estate Blogs

“Hyper Local” Real Estate Blogs

Photo Blogs

Micro Blogs

Hyper Local BlogHyper Local Blog

If you can use email, you can blog. Really.

Twitter Stream

http://lindadavis.posterous.com/

You don’t have to have a cell phone that takes photos to post on Posterous!

So my theory is this. Like any endeavor, you make a choice when you start a blog. You either put in some effort to

make something engaging and creative that builds community, or you toss a “me too” onto the

growing pile of repetitive, navel-gazing content.”

Margaret MasonNo One Cares What You

Had For Lunch

What’s your passion?

Blog at least once a week

Consider using a guest blogger Plan regular features

Have a “blog ideas” notebook

Add photos & video for interest

Carry a camera everywhere

Istock Photo for stock photosFlip Video and You Tube

Blogging isn’t about technology. It is about good content.

Use interesting headlines, links and photos

Social Networking Sites to Social Networking Sites to Engage the ConsumerEngage the Consumer

The National Association of REALTORS@ reports that 92% of home buyers used the Internet in 2008. Real estate Web 2.0 giants Zillow and Trulia each report traffic in the neighborhood of 5 million unique visitors each month.

Why is Social Networking Why is Social Networking Important??Important??

Danger Danger Danger Danger Danger Danger Danger Danger Danger

YOU CAN’T DO IT ALL!!!

FacebookFacebook

You are not alone.You are not alone.

•More than 250 Million active users

•The average user has 120 friends on the site

•More than 120 million users log on at least once a day

•More than 30 million users update their status at least once each day

•More than 8 million users become fans of Pages each day

•More than 1 billion photos and 10 million videos are uploaded each month

•More than 30 million users access Facebook through their mobile device

About Facebook:

Who am I?

Facebook Site Governance: Statement of Rights and Responsibilities (updated 8/11/09)

Section 4, Point 2

“You will not use your personal profile for your own commercial gain.“

This is scary.

Facebook ProfileFacebook ProfileA facebook profile should be used to represent an individual.

You have a “profile if under your photo or logo it says “Edit my Profile”. You have a page if under your photo or logo it says “Edit my Page.”

Status

Tabs

The WallYour Blurb

Connections are called Friends

Photo

Facebook GroupFacebook GroupA group is used by clubs and organizations to engage their members.

Connections are called Members

DiscussionBoard

The Wall*

*A Group wall doesn’t allow forphoto, video, or link attachments. Posts do not show up in a member’s news feed.

Custom Tabs

Custom Graphics

Connections are called

Fans.

Why are Facebook Pages Best for Business?

The pages are public, which makes them visible to search engines.

New content that you create on a page will show up in the newsfeed of fans.

A page can have an unlimited number of fans.

Tabs on a facebook page can be customized.

Why are Facebook Pages Best for Business?

Facebook allows you to place targeted ads that link to specific tabs.

Why are Facebook Pages Best for Business?

Facebook provides a page analysis tool called Insights

Why are Facebook Pages Best for Business?

Pages allow you to create a landing page

Why are Facebook Pages Best for Business?

How to Create a Page!It’s pretty darn easy. Really.

1. Click on the Ads and Pages Icon. (Bottom left hand corner)

1. Click on Create a Page.

2. Select a Business Category.

3. Choose a Name.

4. Click on Create Page.

5. Fill in available basic and detailed fields, add photo or logo and a blurb about your business. (Different business will have different fields.)

6. Customize your tabs.

Customize your tabs.

7. Choose your landing pageYou can select which tab opens for new visitors.

Facebook provides Wall, Info, Photos, Discussions, Reviews, Events, Notes and Video.

You can add additional tabs from applications or create custom tabs.

8. Add good content*. Period.

*Use links, photos, videos, blog posts

P.S. This is not good content.

My Facebook Strategy:

The goal shouldn't be to have a lot of people to yell at, the goal probably should be to have a lot of people who choose to listen. ……..Seth Godin

Applications

There are over 55,000 Facebook applications to choose from.

Tips and Tricks

Send your PAGE updates to Twitter.

Remove annoying stuff.

Send your Twitter Stream to Facebook.

Find PeopleYou EmailPeople Search

Classmates SearchCo-Worker Search

Name Search

Suggestions

Or you can use your investigative skills.

Find Friends Find Friends

Create Lists

Iphone + Facebook = Very Cool

Post audio to Facebook

www.Picnik.comwww.Picnik.com

Resources

Resourceswww.appdata.com

ResourcesResources

www.InsideFacebook.com

www.AllFacebook.com

Email me for an ebook about Facebook.LindaCDavis@comcast.net

Online Resume

Business Business NetworkNetwork

Linked In

Twitter in Plain English

Follow relevant accounts www.search.twitter.com

Twitter LingoTwitter Lingo

http://business.twitter.com/twitter101/

To follow somebody is to subscribe to their message.

A tweet is an individual message

A DM or direct message is a private message on Twitter.

RT or retweet is to repost a valuable message from somebody else on Twitter and give them credit.

Trending topics are the most-discussed terms on Twitter at any given moment.

Twitter LingoTwitter Lingo@username is a public message to or about an individual on Twitter

A hashtag – the # symbol followed by a term, is a way of catagorizing all the posts on a topic.

Shortened URL’s – To fit links into the short messages, Twitter shrinks some URL’s down automatically

http://business.twitter.com/twitter101/

TruliaTrulia

TruliaTrulia

Zillow AdviceZillow Advice

www.google.com

Seller handbook cover created by Jeff Dowler with Big Huge Labs Magazine Cover

Frankly Realty

Real Estate Agent Reviews

Ning – Free with Ning – Free with AdsAds

Goggle Docs and SpreadsheetsGoggle Docs and Spreadsheets

Create a google account!

Manage your online reputation Manage your online reputation with Google Alerts.with Google Alerts.

Google Alerts

Google Never Forgets.Google Never Forgets.

RemembeRemember.r.

ResourcesResources

Mashable – Social Media Mashable – Social Media GuideGuide

www.RealSolutionsBlog.comwww.RealSolutionsBlog.com