The Social Media Guru, Chris Brogan, created a must read list of social media tips to enhance your current marketing efforts.

FROM CHRIS BROGAN:

Social media isn’t always the right tool for the job. Not every company needs a blog. YouTube worked for BlendTec, but it might not work for your company. And yet, there’s something to this. Over the last three days, I’ve spoken to four HUGE brands in America that are considering social media for one project or another, and there are many more out there working on how these tools might integrate into their business needs. Here’s a list of 50 ideas (in no particular order) to help move the conversation along. Note: I mix PR and Marketing. They should get back together again.

50 WAYS MARKETERS CAN USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO IMPROVE THEIR MARKETING

1. Add social bookmark links to your most important web pages and/or blog posts to improve sharing.
2. Build blogs and teach conversational marketing and business relationship building techniques.
3. For every video project purchased, ensure there’s an embeddable web version for improved sharing.
4. Learn how tagging and other metadata improve your ability to search and measure the spread of information.
5. Create informational podcasts about a product’s overall space, not just the product.
6. Build community platforms around real communities of shared interest.
7. Help companies participate in existing social networks, and build relationships on their turf.
8. Check out Twitter as a way to show a company’s personality. (Don’t fabricate this).
9. Couple your email newsletter content with additional website content on a blog for improved commenting.
10. Build sentiment measurements, and listen to the larger web for how people are talking about your customer.
11. Learn which bloggers might care about your customer. Learn how to measure their influence.
12. Download the Social Media Press Release (pdf) and at least see what parts you want to take into your traditional press releases.
13. Try out a short series of audio podcasts or video podcasts as content marketing and see how they draw.
14. Build conversation maps for your customers using Technorati.com , Google Blogsearch, Summize, and FriendFeed.
15. Experiment with Flickr and/or YouTube groups to build media for specific events. (Marvel Comics raised my impression of this with their Hulk statue Flickr group).
16. Recommend that your staff start personal blogs on their personal interests, and learn first hand what it feels like, including managing comments, wanting promotion, etc.
17. Map out an integrated project that incorporates a blog, use of commercial social networks, and a face-to-face event to build leads and drive awareness of a product.
18. Start a community group on Facebook or Ning or MySpace or LinkedIn around the space where your customer does business. Example: what Jeremiah Owyang did for Hitachi Data Systems.
19. Experiment with the value of live video like uStream.tv and Mogulus, or Qik on a cell phone.
20. Attend a conference dealing with social media like New Media Expo, BlogWorld Expo, New Marketing Summit (disclosure: I run this one with CrossTech), and dozens and dozens more. (Email me for a calendar).
21. Collect case studies of social media success. Tag them “socialmediacasestudy” indel.icio.us.
22. Interview current social media practitioners. Look for bridges between your methods and theirs.
23. Explore distribution. Can you reach more potential buyers/users/customers on social networks.
24. Don’t forget early social sites like Yahoogroups and Craigslist. They still work remarkably well.
25. Search Summize.com for as much data as you can find in Twitter on your product, your competitors, your space.
26. Practice delivering quality content on your blogs, such that customers feel educated / equipped / informed.
27. Consider the value of hiring a community manager. Could this role improve customer service? Improve customer retention? Promote through word of mouth?
28. Turn your blog into a mobile blog site with Mofuse. Free.
29. Learn what other free tools might work for community building, like MyBlogLog.
30. Ensure you offer the basics on your site, like an email alternative to an RSS subscription. In fact, the more ways you can spread and distribute your content, the better.
31. Investigate whether your product sells better by recommendation versus education, and use either wikis and widgets to help recommend, or videos and podcasts for education.
32. Make WebsiteGrader.com your first stop for understanding the technical quality of a website.
33. Make Compete.com your next stop for understanding a site’s traffic. Then, mash it against competitors’ sites.
34. Learn how not to ask for 40 pieces of demographic data when giving something away for free. Instead, collect little bits over time. Gently.
35. Remember that the people on social networks are all people, have likely been there a while, might know each other, and know that you’re new. Tread gently into new territories. Don’t NOT go. Just go gently.
36. Help customers and prospects connect with you simply on your various networks. Consider a Lijit Wijit or other aggregator widget.
37. Voting mechanisms like those used on Digg.com show your customers you care about which information is useful to them.
38. Track your inbound links and when they come from blogs, be sure to comment on a few posts and build a relationship with the blogger.
39. Find a bunch of bloggers and podcasters whose work you admire, and ask them for opinions on your social media projects. See if you can give them a free sneak peek at something, or some other “you’re special” reward for their time and effort (if it’s material, ask them to disclose it).
40. Learn all you can about how NOT to pitch bloggers. Excellent resource: Susan Getgood.
41. Try out shooting video interviews and video press releases and other bits of video to build more personable relationships. Don’t throw out text, but try adding video.
42. Explore several viewpoints about social media marketing.
43. Women are adding lots of value to social media. Get to know the ones making a difference. (And check out BlogHer as an event to explore).
44. Experiment with different lengths and forms of video. Is entertaining and funny but brief better than longer but more informative? Don’t stop with one attempt. And try more than one hosting platform to test out features.
45. Work with practitioners and media makers to see how they can use their skills to solve your problems. Don’t be afraid to set up pilot programs, instead of diving in head first.
46. People power social media. Learn to believe in the value of people. Sounds hippie, but it’s the key.
47. Spread good ideas far. Reblog them. Bookmark them. Vote them up at social sites. Be a good citizen.
48. Don’t be afraid to fail. Be ready to apologize. Admit when you’ve made a mistake.
49. Re-examine who in the organization might benefit from your social media efforts. Help equip them to learn from your project.
50. Use the same tools you’re trying out externally for internal uses, if that makes sense, and learn about how this technology empowers your business collaboration, too.

Permission to reblog granted by Chris Brogan (provided that we include the link back to his website)!

If you're thinking of selling your Ansley Park luxury home, you should start well in advance of your list date to get it show ready. Depending on the upgrades your home may need, those upgrades could become overwhelming and time consuming to complete.

Major renovations to bathrooms and kitchens aren't always necessary in order to sell your luxury home. But if your bathrooms and kitchen could use updating, think about whether spending the money to do so will result in a good ROI. The best approach to selling an outdated home, or any home for that matter, is to price it correctly. And don't expect to list it at the same price as other homes for sale in the neighborhood that have had quality upgrades.

If your Ansley Park luxury home doesn't need updating, there are a few small changes you can make that will have a tremendous impact and a good ROI on your real estate investment. Some of the most economical changes you can make to your luxury home include:

• Clean everything
• Get rid of the clutter
• Add a fresh coat of paint, inside and out.
• Update the floors

Make a list and begin by assessing what needs to be done and in what priority. You may want to tackle the smaller projects first for inspiration and motivation. Ask a trusted Realtor for their advice on improvements. I always tell my clients not to spend a nickel on improvements, unless they can get a dime in return.

Update Flooring

Unless you're a pro, the best approach here is to hire a flooring specialist to work with you. Aside from visiting various flooring stores to see samples, allow time for measuring, time to choose the flooring, and time for them to get a written quote back to you. Get a couple of quotes from different stores for comparison.

Re-Carpet

Re-carpet rooms that need it. It cost less and you'll get a better ROI than if you replace all the floors with hardwood. Hardwood floors are the current trend preferred by buyers and is expected in luxury homes. They may also help your home sell faster. Ask a floor covering professional to help you choose something current and inexpensive that is suitable and makes your Ansley Park luxury home for sale stand out.

Painting

Choosing paint colors can be a challenge but always remember to keep it neutral. For some reason, many buyers have a hard time looking past a crazy paint color that prevents them from visualizing how their own furnishings will look in the space. Keep colors modern, and fresh. A professional painter may notice things you should repair such as cracks in ceilings or walls. It's important to repair cracks, drywall tape that may be lifting, and don't forget the ceilings.

Get rid of the clutter

Go through every room in your house. De-cluttering closets, bookcases, basements, attics, kitchen pantry and garage. Consider renting a POD (portable storage unit) to temporarily remove items from the house.

Cleaning

The more you clean the better. Most people think they can clean their house really well but buyers will notice and pick up on the slightest of things that are dirty or soiled, like baseboards or ceiling fans and light fixtures. Hire a professional cleaning service for a deep cleaning. Don't forget the windows!

Set a Timeline

For maximum results, create a schedule for deadlines:

1. Start by choosing a listing date and then work backwards.
2. Allow a few weeks to clean your home and stage your furniture.
3. Set a deadline for having the flooring completed.
4. Set a two to three week period for painting.
5. Schedule several days to de-clutter and complete other repairs.

To complete even minor improvements to your Ansley Park luxury home, several weeks may be required. Getting your luxury home ready to sell prior to the list date is crucial if you want to maximize a sale and your bottom line.

For a no obligation consultation on marketing your Ansley Park luxury home for sale, contact Ron Tissier at (404) 580-9069 or visit MyAtlantaLuxuryHomes.com.

Ansley Park Luxury Homes for Sale in Atlanta

Are you looking for the perfect address in Atlanta for a luxury home? You need to look at homes for sale in Ansley park!  It has lots of character! Ansley Park is your answer and it is right in-town Atlanta.  Ansley Park is a sought after address in the Atlanta metro area and is known as an in-town affluent residential neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia. Ansley Park is conveniently located just east of Midtown Atlanta and west of Piedmont Park. Ansley Park was one of the first suburban Atlanta neighborhoods in the city designed for autos and so the streets in Ansley Park features wide and winding roads rather than the square street grid pattern typical of older city sprawl.  Search for homes for sale in Ansley Park below!

Homes for Sale in Ansley Park

Ansley Park Golf Club, the Piedmont Driving Club, Piedmont Park and Peachtree Street border the neighborhood. It is one of Atlanta's most prestigious neighborhoods; it' been that way for over 100 years. In fact, the Georgia Governor's Mansion was located in Ansley Park for many decades. It was one of Atlanta's first suburban neighborhoods, although, ironically, it's now located in Midtown - which is in the middle of the City of Atlanta.

Ansley Park is a great neighborhood with a lot of character. There are beautiful parks throughout the winding streets. Known for its historic and stunning architecture, Ansley Park is one of Atlanta's most desirable neighborhoods.

Click the link below, if you would like to see the homes currently for sale in Ansley Park.

Ansley Park Homes For Sale

Nestled between Peachtree and Piedmont St. sits a quiet neighborhood surrounded by parks and tidy tree-lined streets. It is hard to believe that Ansley Park is in the heart of Midtown Atlanta, but it's charm and character abound and give a feeling of gentility that we often forget about with the fast paced hustle and bustle of Atlanta.

FOR ALL AVAILABLE ANSLEY PARK HOMES CLICK HERE.

Ansley Park was built in four phases of construction, beginning in 1904 and eventually being completed in 1930. Largely built by famed Southern architect Neel Reid, it features diverse home styles, from Bungalow to Tudor, and is now featured on the National Park Services Register of Historic Places. Ansley Park is a stone's throw from Downtown Atlanta and the Virginia Highlands neighborhood. It features world-class schools, including Morningside Elementary and Inman Middle.

FOR ALL AVAILABLE ANSLEY PARK HOMES CLICK HERE.

FOR ALL AVAILABLE ANSLEY PARK HOMES CLICK HERE.