Joseph Goodman*ABR*GRI*SRES*

Be Authentic

These social networking sites don't cost anything to participate in, and they give you a golden opportunity to draw people into your profile and content through your personality. So put your people skills to work! Show that you're a person, not a business-minded, tech-savvy real estate professional. I you have a hobby you're passionate about, or just have a great sense of humor, don't be afraid to tap into those aspects of yourself through your communications on social networking sites. Respond to status updates of your friends in a genuine manner. The best responses are often received from posts and comments that use humor as the main thing that draws people's attention. And sharing your life passions with the larger community can also be rewarding; people who share your favorite hobbies will appreciate that, may contact you based on that commonality alone, and will definitely be more interested in interacting with you as a result.

Be Active

You have to contribute content to succeed in a social network. So this means you must be a creator as well as a participant. And you'll find that more often than not, you'll need to take initiative to reach out to others in the community. Recommended activities include searching for new friends, sending personal messages along with friend requests, commenting on items your friends post, updating your status and profile, posting new content items yourself, and moderating your profile's comments.

Try and shoot for at least a couple of significant interactions with community members on your various social networking profiles a couple of times a day. That way, your profile will frequently be near the top of the queue of recent status updates when your friends log in and you will maintain high visibility. But just be careful; if you don't have a reason to update your status, or people are turned off by your updates, then they might block your updates from showing in their queue. Or worse yet, "unfriend" you! As a small aside, you also know that if you lose one friend it isn't the end of the world. These things happen as people's interest drifts from one thing or person to another. You should, however, be alarmed if you post something and then notice the next day that a quarter of your friends are missing. That's when it's time to take a close look at your recent interactions and figure out what you might have done to prompt such a response from your community.

Have Fun With It

This one is quite simple. You can't go into any social network to self-promote and expect to get good results. Learn to participate for fun and then the connections you make through them will help you achieve your marketing goals without trying. So for about the first time in recorded history, it pays off in the business world to routinely have a good time. Fun first, business second is a good rule of thumb with social networks. Just make sure not to get too goofy with your posts, unless you want people to think that you are also trying to be a standup comic.

Also Socialize With Quality

While having fun is a key component with social networks, it's also important to not limit yourself to meaningless fluff. Try and engage community members on things that are important to them, as well as topics that are relevant to the real estate field. In order to do this regularly, you'll need to surround yourself on the social network with friends who share your interest in real estate. That shouldn't be very hard to do, considering millions of real estate professionals are online and eager to network.

There are also clever ways in which you can "bait" people who otherwise don't take a great interest in your subject matter to participate in a meaningful fashion. Custom-created polls or quizzes (tools to create both can be found on Facebook and other sites) can be quickly made, distributed, taken, and the results discussed amongst the community. For example, you could make a quiz that asks "Do You Have What It Takes To Buy A Home?" The quiz could be full of questions that test the participants knowledge of the home buying process. If you were an influencer, you might even be able to get people to pre-qualify for you by asking questions about what their ideal home is, their price range, desired neighborhood, etc. This could yield you prospects, and also give you valuable marketing data. So that's a way in which you can leverage your social profile for a quality, real estate-related interaction.

Establish A Social Networking Brand

This can be as simple as deciding what your profile name is going to be across all social networks and running with that, or planning out an elaborate branding strategy which includes custom graphics and copywriting for each social networking site. Either way, having some consistency between your various profiles will make it easier for people to connect the dots and track you across these different channels. It also gives you the opportunity to help phrase the conversation in a space that you have carefully created, and that gives off a more professional appearance to potential new friends (and prospects). So take the time and effort to come up with a branding theme that fits your business and personality. It's an important first step!

Choose Your Networks

You should think very strategically about which social networks to opt into. Which networks are most likely to cater to the demographic you are trying to capture? An extreme example: you wouldn't want to routinely post real estate related content on Technorati because no one there will care (unless all of your content has a heavy tech-industry slant to it).

Before you even think about signing up and creating a profile on a social networking site, consider this: Have you spent some time browsing the network; reading the content and the comments, learning about popular sources and players? Do you understand how the site works and the niche it serves? If so, is the site for you?

While all socially driven sites have the same basic elements (reading, submitting, voting, and commenting) not all of them function the same way and they definitely aren't as friendly to real estate professionals. If you don't invest time in determining whether a site is right for you from the start, all your subsequent hard work likely won't pay off.

Also, before you click the "sign up" button, consider this: You've looked at the site and determined that you would be a good fit among the other community members, but have you thought about your goals? Why do you want to sign up with the site and what will you accomplish by doing so? Consider the needs of other users. Sure, it's a social site and every community member is supposed to share content he or she finds interesting, create their own content, etc; but don't forget that you also have to take into account the interests of the masses. A singular opinion that has no crowd-backing will never be successful on a social networking site. Keep your business interests in mind, but judge them within the context of the community's interests and opt into only networks where you think you have something significant (valuable) to offer that could also receive good traction within the community.

Complete Your Profile

A successful profile usually has a lot of information in it. And it all starts with the profile name. Make sure that you choose a name that is easy and memorable. This goes back to your branding. You want people to be able to say your name aloud and recognize it instantly at a glance. You also want something easy to remember so that people can find your profile through the site's search feature or by just adding it to the end of the domain in the browser window. The easier you make it for people to find you again, the better off you'll be...

Profiles are something you should really put the time and thought into doing correctly. Many social community users will review profiles before choosing to "friend you" or instead avoid you like the plague. So the more time and care you take in filling in all the available fields, the more your visitors will be able to know about you. Also, many fields in social networking profiles are searchable (through both the site itself and the search engines), meaning that if you don't fill out all the fields, you might be missing from the search results when otherwise you would be found by someone.

Also make sure to add some unique, interesting content to your profile, along with some quality images that reinforce your branding. If you can upload professional audio and video to the profile, it would be worthwhile to take the time to do that as well. Even if your video is just something relevant you found on YouTube, it's always better to have something stimulating on your profile page than an empty box.

Finally, something to consider when setting up your profile is how are people who are having success with real estate configuring their profiles? Do some research. There might be a setting on their profile that you wouldn't have thought to configure the same way, and it could help make a difference as well.

Choose Who To Engage

The follow up to choosing which networks to participate in is choosing the right people to communicate with within those networks. Since you are a real estate professional, you are going to want to concentrate on locating other people in the industry. Additionally, targeting people who fit a particular demographic for adding as friends can also be helpful in ensuring that the majority of people you communicate with are potential partners and/or clients down the road.

That's not to say you need to start being a snob and rejecting people who don't fit your vision of what an ideal listing client is, for example. But avoiding communication with those who are obviously spam profiles or simply don't fit the description of anyone you'd befriend in real life is just a healthy part of establishing your own specific niche in the larger social community. You'll find that by adding too many friends who aren't on the same page as you, you will dilute the conversation that takes place on your profile with irrelevant messages from people you don't really know or care to hear from on a regular basis. And chances are if you are turned off by their posts, the people who you really want to communicate in a meaningful fashion with will be as well.

Now that you understand what a social network is, the real question is: "How do I become a player?" In the social networking realm, people (or brands) that have a high visibility and are followed by large numbers of subscribers are called influencers. Obviously, being popular on social networks to the point where people interested in real estate routinely go to you for advice, information, and entertainment is an enviable position. That puts you in the drivers seat to deliver your marketing message, and leverage your social connections for business purposes. Quite often, business relationships are built through this level of communication.

Okay, so you're sold on the value of these social networks... but it's not as easy as just saying you want to be an influencer. Becoming an influencer something you have to achieve, and as with most things in life, there are no guarantees of success. One thing is for certain, however: you first have to know how to successfully participate in a social network in order to become an influencer. Here are some guidelines to follow when beginning your social networking campaign.

Like most real estate professionals, you are probably ready to put 2008 completely behind you and do great things in 2009 with your real estate business. This is easier said than done of course, but it all starts with confidence in your experience that has helped you weather the storm of ‘08 and, more importantly, a solid marketing strategy that will act as your backbone for the upcoming year.

Hopefully you are one of the wise REALTORS® who has already laid out your marketing plan for this year, or at least the next 6 months. If you are, than this post is more geared for you. If not, then we recommend that you stop everything else you are doing and spend some time planning out your real estate marketing strategy as you have some work to do. If you are planning on going through 2009 blindly again or sticking to your tired, ineffective marketing plan then you very well may not be in this industry come this time next year. We saw it happen to many REALTORS® this past year and with the market being as tough as it has been we would not be surprised to see more experience the same fate.

Let's focus on those of you who have come to realize that marketing is vital, specifically online marketing. By now, as a REALTOR®, you should understand that if you do not have a strong presence on the internet then your prospective clients are being poached by those who do. If you are still questioning this, then we suggest reading why internet marketing for real estate is more important than ever.

Does Internet Marketing for Real Estate Work Anymore?

The answer is, you should know. One of our predictions for 2009 is that online marketers and agencies will be required to deliver an actual, measurable ROI on their marketing campaigns. Whether you are doing your own internet marketing or having a company do it for you, knowing the return on your marketing / advertising is crucial. As long as your ads are generating new customers for equal or less than what you are spending on marketing / advertising, then you should be buying / doing as much of it as possible.

Blogging is a wonderful tool for real estate marketing. Not only does it increase your exposure on search engines but you start to build a valuable reputations for yourself as a reliable source and professional.

When it comes to blogging you are bound to develope some writers block now and again. It's important to blog about topics that relate to you industry, neighborhoods, market trends, etc. while keeping it fun and interesting for your readers.

Here is a extensive list of 100 Real Estate Blog Posting Ideas for you to utilize:

Describing Your Neighborhood...

1. Tell a story about your neighborhood.

2. Architecture or housing styles in your area.

3. Attend a public meeting and write about it.

4. Churches - what denominations are in your area, where are they located, when are services.

5. Commentary on local news stories.

6. Commentary on local public policy.

7. Cost of Living Comparison (for different cities or neighborhoods in your local market). Put in a side by side comparison for average price of homes, gas, utilities, etc. Provide proof to your buyers of what they get for their money in one city versus another.

8. Day Care - who provides day care services, what are rates, where are they located, etc.

9. Environmental issues - does your area do something significant to lessen the population's impact on the environment?

10. Guide to dining out - rank all the restaurants in your area (let the restaurants know about your ranking guide and see if you can get a link from the ones you rank highly)

11. Historic buildings - what time periods are represented, where are the historic districts, are there any museums or historical tours?

12. Job market in local area - who employs the most people in your area? What job sectors are considered "growth" industries right now?

13. Lists of local businesses - categorize them based on utility: supermarkets, department stores, hair salons/ barber shops, gas stations, etc.

14. Local Parks - what can you do at each park? Any commentary on which is your favorite and why?

15. Local Schools Ratings - reference online studies that you can find and what you know of the different schools yourself.

16. Market statistics for your area, including average prices and absorption rates

17. New businesses coming to area

18. Places to eat

19. Places to shop

20. Transportation & Parking - Does your area have a good public transportation system? Is it bike friendly? Are the freeways or highways well-connected?

21. Travel tips for visitors to your area (great for out-of-town buyers) - What kinds of items do people frequently forget when traveling to your area?

22. Upcoming sporting events, concerts, shows, etc.

23. Your city council.

24. Local directory of doctors, dentists, hospitals, chiropractors, etc. (also, get these providers to link to your site and add a blurb about their facility and the services they offer)

Buyer And Sellers Resources

25. A closing - what goes into one, how long it takes, what to expect, etc.

26. Avoid Legal Battles when Buying or Selling a Home (a great place to talk about the importance of hiring a professional - You! - and to talk about the protections and responsibilities built in to your state/local real estate contracts)

27. Book review of a real estate related book.

28. Buying a second home or vacation home/condo.

29. Buying your first investment property.

30. Real estate hoaxes and scams.

31. Create a helpful checklist for buyers and sellers.

32. Do and don't list on buying investment properties.

33. Equity stripping scams.

34. Fair housing issues.

35. Final walk through overview.

36. First-time home buyer programs.

37. Home owners associations - how they can impact your long-term expenses.

38. Home prices in local market.

39. How do I price my home right to sell without giving it away?

40. How not to sell a house.

41. How to sell a house.

42. Investment scams.

43. Land lord or tenant issues.

44. List of basic real estate definitions, from A-Z.

45. Local real estate market trends and observations.

46. Over-priced homes - how to identify them.

47. Pet-friendly housing.

48. Property taxes.

49. Real Estate Laws.

50. Senior housing.

51. The home buying process.

52. The home selling process.

53. The pros and cons of buying and owing a timeshare.

54. Things that go wrong with real estate sales.

55. Three Biggest Seller Mistakes (typically, these are Price, Condition, and Marketing - they must price it right, have it in good condition, and market it well - this is where you can talk up how your marketing program beats the competition).

56. Types of mortgages.

57. What you need to know about buying foreclosures.

58. What you should know about home inspections.

59. Women home buyers.

Home Maintenance and Remodeling

60. Building trends.

61. Childproof Home Safety Tips.

62. Decorating ideas.

63. Energy Saving Tips.

64. Fire Safety Tips for your home (also discuss 2 story homes, condos/high-rises, small children, the elderly, etc.).

65. Furniture.

66. Gardening and landscaping.

67. Home maintenance.

68. Home owners insurance.

69. Landscaping can make a difference.

70. Paint and painting.

71. Pest control.

72. Resources and tips for hiring contractors and actually having a good experience (a lot of folks have bad experiences with contractors either not showing up, not finishing the job, not doing work they were already paid for, etc. - you could provide a list of tips and resources, such as your local or state contractors association, referral services, etc.).

73. Simple repairs to help your home show better and sell faster.

74. The importance of safety around swimming pools.

75. Trends in kitchen design.

76. What are the Top 10 Scams of building contractors and how to avoid them?

77. What is curb appeal?

78. What to do about mold - is it really a problem?

79. What to look for when shopping for Energy Saving Appliances.

80. Feng Shui Decorating.

Home Listings

81. Local subdivisions/ farm area prices, solds, actives, pendings, etc.

82. Lofts in the Area.

83. New construction plans in area.

84. Open houses.
85. Advantages of going through a mortgage broker for your next loan as opposed to your local bank (i.e., more options for finding a lender to say yes, potential for better rates, competing lenders so can find the best program for your needs).

Loans And Mortgages

86. Repairing your credit.

87. Credit scores.

88. Dangers of certain types of loans (such as interest only, certain ARMS, etc.), and why they are not for everyone - be careful not to buy more house than you can afford.

89. Interest Rates.

90. Mortgage fraud.

91. Mortgage rate updates.

92. Mortgages news.

Move-Related

93. Bad neighbors - what to do to repair bad relations with them.

94. Good neighbors - how to show them you're appreciative!

95. Home safety.

96. Moving - how to prepare, what to do, etc.

97. Moving resource guide (resources for buyers moving in from out of the area, for local moves, and for sellers moving out - all are potential client bases for you).

98. Moving with children.

99. Moving with pets.

Referrals

100. Detail a lender who does a great job with your clients