Carol Morgan

By BDX Guest Blogger, Carol Morgan, mRELEVANCE

Instagram, the fast, fun app used to share photos with the world   has skyrocketed its way to the top of the social media food chain since launching in 2010. With more than 90 million active users, 40 million photos posted per day and a recent format change to include web browsers, real estate agents need to be paying attention.

Now that Instagram photos and profiles are completely viewable from your desktop or laptop computer, it’s more important than ever for real estate professionals to start snapping away. The ability to view Instagram on web browsers equals easier accessibility, which also more than likely means you’ll see an increase in views on your Instagram page. Instead of having to rely on the app to share your photos to the appropriate social media profile, you’ll now be able to pull the photo’s specific URL, so that you can share it everywhere, including your blog. You’ll also be able to direct your clients to your online profile instead of having to make sure they have the app on their phone. A third crucial benefit is that you’ll have easier access to the photos you are tagged in, making it easier for you to share them with the world.

Next time you’re out and about with your buyers or sellers, use Instagram to snap a few photos of the home they love, the home they are selling and even them smiling as they sign the contract for their new place! Then, be sure to capitalize on these happy memories by sharing them everywhere you can.  The end result will not only be happy clients, but also a happier business.

If you’re ready to show off your creative side and need help getting started, contact Marketing RELEVANCE.

 

By BDX Guest Blogger, Carol Morgan, mRELEVANCE

Last month, LinkedIn reached the 200 million members worldwide milestone. This comes as no surprise since the online professional networking site has plenty to offer for those of any status in the work force, from recent college graduates to seasoned business professionals.

One of the newest, and most useful, features of LinkedIn is the endorsement sections. This section is easier to use than the lengthy testimonials section and because of this has become quite popular. Endorsements allow professionals to validate and recognize the skills and expertise their peers have added to their profile. Reward your business partners and coworkers for their mastery of a skill by giving them recognition through an endorsement. This feature is the perfect opportunity to do so without having to write out a full recommendation.

Here’s a quick overview of how to endorse your peers:

  • At the top of a connection’s profile, you’ll see recommended endorsements, simply click on the skills you want to endorse them for
  • In addition, you can suggest additional skills
  • Endorsements can also be made in the new Skills & Expertise section

If you’ve been endorsed, you will receive a notification from LinkedIn both by email and when you log into the site. You can view who has endorsed you for each skill by viewing your own Skills & Expertise section, where you can also accept any new skills recommended by your colleagues or include additional skills.

While the new endorsements section is great for recognizing other’s achievements and expertise, it does raise a few questions when it comes to business etiquette.

  • If someone endorses me, do I have to endorse them? Endorsing someone isn’t time consuming, and it’s always good to return positive favors!
  • What if someone endorses me, but I don’t want others to see it? Simply click on their face next to the skill they have endorsed you for. Then, you’ll be able to select the hide endorsement button.
  • Is endorsing someone even worth my time? On the whole, I wouldn’t suggest going on an endorsing spree, but if your peer has done exceptionally well at something or if you know they are looking for a new job in a specific field, endorsing them could potentially help them out.

For more tips and tricks when it comes to social media and business etiquette online, be sure to visit www.MarketingRELEVANCE.com.

By BDX Guest Blogger, Carol Morgan, mRELEVANCE

Any good homebuilder or business person knows that giving away something for “free” is a great way to entice new potential customers or even keep current homeowners happy. No matter the size of the gift being given away, people flock to free. However, we all also know that nothing in life is truly free, including social media. Yes, technically, social media is still free to use, but as time has passed more and more sites are converting to a “pay to play” model. And, since they have your business relying on them to connect with buyers and drive sales, chances are, you’ll end up forking over the money to keep on playing.

Look at Facebook for example, builders heavily rely on this social media giant to reach new homebuyers, connect with current homeowners, share information and more. Lately though, you may have noticed that it seems like fewer fans are engaging with your page. It isn’t your mind playing tricking on you; engagement has been limited. Now that Facebook has become a publicly traded company, they upped the ante by creating new promoted posts and advertising campaign features. Unless you’re willing to pay (an amount that is decided by you), then chances are you will continue to see less traffic and less engagement to your page.

You may be thinking to yourself that you’ll never buy in, but if spent wisely, this money is a solid investment. Statistics have shown that 16 percent of fans are reached organically on average per post on the site, and this number increases by 40 to 150 percent through paid advertisements.

An example of one business that is using this to their advantage is Atlanta Real Estate Forum. A product of mRELEVANCE, this Atlanta real estate news site has been promoting their weekly radio show posts for $10 a day, three days a week. In that time, radio show downloads have almost doubled, page likes are up significantly and these posts are reaching more than 50,000 people.

But, Facebook isn’t the only site that is “cashing in.” Twitter has started promoting users to pay for tweets and Tumblr charges for highlighted and pinned posts. They’re getting away with this because they know you’ll keep coming back for more, and of course, they’re in the business of making money too.

If your business is looking to effectively monetize your social media program in 2013, visit www.MarketingRELEVANCE.com to learn more about how we can help you.

Email Marketing For Home BuildersBy BDX Guest Blogger, Carol Morgan, mRELEVANCE

Wish there was an easy way to keep prospective, past and current clients updated on your company? Newsletter eblasts are a great way to spread you important information quickly. Email marketing campaigns reinforce brand, increase customer loyalty, help your company stay top of mind and even help with referrals for new prospects. Emails are also a great way to drive traffic to your website, blog, social media sites and your sales center.

Before you get started on your next email marketing plan, there are a few things to remember. First, you need to make sure your email pieces are catchy and creative, so that customers will not only open them, but also remember them. It is also important to integrate these emails with your overall marketing strategy. Companies can easily do this by providing links to various online assets. Finally, your emails need to be mobile friendly. The majority of emails are read on a mobile device, and if yours doesn’t display properly, it will more than likely go straight to the trash.

Once you have your content planned, you will need to consider your target audience and the frequency of which you plan to send these emails. You don’t want to send too many emails! Send just enough for them to remember you. Many experts suggest that sending emails at two week intervals or even once a month is sufficient. You’ll have to find out what works best for your company in terms of maintaining audience loyalty. If you offer a rewards program for Realtors, you should also consider offering specials and incentives in these eblasts.

In the end, the goal is to run a successful email marketing campaign, so you’ll always want to offer fresh eblasts, update your autoresponders and perform internal audits to make sure everything is running smoothly. You can also gauge your success through the metrics offered in email programs such as Constant Contact, Mail Chimp and iContact.

For good examples of strong email marketing campaigns, check out the ones offered by The BDX and Marketing RELEVANCE.

By BDX Guest Blogger, Carol Morgan, mRELEVANCE

Statistics have proven time and time again that home listings with photos sell faster than those without, which is why many homebuilders are rushing to sign up for new image-based social media sites such as Pinterest, Houzz and Instagram. And, with Instagram’s announcement of their newest feature, web profiles,  builders who aren’t utilizing this hot new tool should definitely add it to their to do list for 2013.

If you ‘re a little behind on the times as to what Instagram actually is, that’s okay. Now is the perfect time to catch up. Instagram is a free photo-editing and sharing app available on both Apple and Android devices. Users are able to snap a new photo or choose an existing photo, enhance it with editing tools and unique filters and then share it with the world. The app’s announcement of their new web profiles will only enhance the company’s strength because it will make it even easier for you to share your creations with more people.

So, how can homebuilders and agents use Instagram to help them sell their homes?

  • Give to new life to old photos by applying the app’s funky filters to them.
  • Snap photos at community events, throughout the building process, of new homeowners and of your homes and communities in general, then enhance and share them.
  • Run a contest. Ask people to take a photo of their favorite part of their home or your community and tag you in the caption to be entered to win a prize.
  • Share your Instagram photos through your other social media profiles.

Of course, promoting your Instagram presence will now be even easier thanks to the new web profiles. Make sure to include an Instagram social media button on your website, so that homeowners and buyers will know where to find you!

If you’re thinking of running an Instagram promotion or need help managing your social media presence, contact Marketing RELEVANCE.