René Fabre - Social Media Marketing

So you want to enhance your presence on the net?...

You're aware that @ 90% of consumers are going to the web first to look for real estate. You want to be there so they can find you because many of them are choosing their realtor online, especially out of towners and first time home buyers.

Let's pretend for a moment we know what we're talking about, forget the geek talk, and skip all the way to the last chapter.

So therefore, in conclusion... It equates to populating the search engine index with 'YOU' and helping the search engine understand that the what when and where of 'YOU' scattered across the public pages of the web is THE one and only YOU! If the index understands that, then you create gravity and the laws of attraction are now in play.

Let me put it this way... If I'm on Active Rain, LinkedIn, Biznik, Yahoo, Google Reader, Tumblr, Retaggr, Twitter, Yelp, YouTube, Meetup, Digg, Stumbled Upon, Facebook, Vimeo, Flickr, (and participate) etc. etc... "that's all ME." I understand this is a gross over simplification of how it works, yet there you have it. One has to get it conceptually, and as Picasso once said; "Art is the lie that helps us see the truth."

Marketing like music uses repetition, it creates rhythm. People may not remember exactly what you said, but they will remember how they felt when you said it. If they like or can relate to your tone, your beat, your patterns, they're a lot more likely to listen and follow. Are you speaking to them, at them, or sharing a conversation? Are you playing their song?

We go the web everyday to search for our wants and needs... We are a culture of searchers learning stuff along the way, and making decisions. We make way more decisions not to do something than we make to do something. The goal then is to be present and held in regard when the decision is made to take action.

They can't do business with you if they can't find you?

Conversations are markets...

We are by nature members of communities. If our audience is online then we want to be there. The essence of marketing on the web is to be a member of community so the goal here is to build them and participate in them for mutual benefit and exchange.

It's easy to get lost in the details and important to step back and look at it from a distance. From micro to macro, don't forget your goal. Why are you doing this?

Experiment, it's important... doing the same thing as everyone else doesn't work. Google loves the authentic.

I get the greatest return from some of the most simple methods.

1: If you're a member, make sure your ActiveRain.com profile is complete, including testimonials. Participate...

2: Linkedin.com Again, it's important to have a full profile, with history, and testimonials.

3: Biznik.com Get online, get aquainted, find events and show up for inperson networking.

5: My Retaggr.com gives me more ranking than I would have ever thought.

6: Make sure your Google profile is complete. You'll rank higher if Google knows you. Let google know that your emails @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, @msn.com, are all 'YOU'

7: I have a Tumblr.com page at renefabre.net. It was worth the investment to buy my name as a domain.

8: Yelp.com is an easy way to participate in your community. Support your local vendors, write reviews and your favorite business gets a ranking boost and so do you.

Be ubiquitous...

Don't second guess where your next customer is coming from. Be ready for them to come from anywhere...

We're in this all together (remember, we're community)...

9: One of the most effective new tools in my kit. StepRep.com (you need a google account)... This amazing program written over Google Alerts is awesome! Check it out. Teach the Google directory who you are and organize it. Manage and influence what's on the web about you to build your online presence.

10: Any idea how important it is to have a Google Profile?

I witnessed great benefit when I completed my Google Profile. Like StepRep, Google now knows that rene.fabre@ticoritle.com, rene.fabre@gmail.com, and all the other email accounts I use are all me... Remember, it's an index!

There's more... next time...

Photos were all done using Photofunia.com

This morning I really hit pay dirt. I was combing over SEO blogs as part of my research for an article I'm writing about driving traffic to real estate blogs and websites. We've been running a series of experiments with great results and I wanted to check in with the experts to discover what I might be doing right. I'm by no means an expert SEO aficionado or guru. I'm a subscriber to the good internet Karma school... "If it's well written and follows good composition principles," it should do just fine. Then I do my best to back that up with a little "common sense" key word usage, tags and such... Seriously, I jest. I know there's a lot to it and I'm an enthusiastic student. But I stress the term, student.

Not that I ignore SEO by any means, it's just that I'm so Right Brain. I confess my SEO is more ISMP (intuitive by the seat of my pants). My challenge is when I'm writing and think SEO at the same time it flips my internal editor on (that darn left brain critic) which shuts down the right side of my brain. You see, I basically hangout in the right side of my brain most everyday so when the editor comes on I'm instantly catapulted into a concentric Left Right Brain argument that can paralyze me for hours. I can't compose and edit at the same time.

It's even worse then when I'm staring at an empty page.

"Okay, let's start."

Yes, no, maybe, not that, could be, what if, how come, left right left right, not quite so right, a little more to the middle, what about graphics?

"There's gotta be a better way to say this!"

"Say what?"

"Okay then, what the ‘ell you trying to say here?"

Just throw some stuff on the stupid page, start playing with it, and stop trying to write the quintessential definitive internet marketing dissertation of the early 21^st Century. Anyway, a couple of hours ago you had this really great idea. "What was that again?"

My work these days is more about the ‘big idea'. (A nice way to humor me and let me know I'm pretty much the old guy around here now.) I peer into the future and pick a destination. Where are we going? Dream about it. Ask the question, "if we were there, what would it look like?" Then assemble and implement.

Quite simple, right?

I use to do a fair amount of programming in Access, Excel, Visual Studio, and I studied (back in the day) Assembly Language, Basic (mostly before visual), Forth, C (before the pluses), Paradox, and HTML. Thank the Lord I now have an excellent programmer that works with me. Kareem Hunter knows Visual Basic and Visual Studio way beyond my comprehension and works miracles for me daily. I conceptually get the gist of it for sure, but the new versions look like Greek-eeze to me.

That's why I have such a love affair with today's Web 2.0+ internet. There's so many wonderful resources and solutions out there that I can play with what someone else has already built. They usually give me plenty of options to inner-act, tweak, and customize. I don't need to be a programmer (for the most part) to make what I want happen. Just write a little code here and there, plug in a widget, play with the Lego's and COOL, it works, it's fun, and it looks great.

I digress, but having fun.

I looked at several blogs this morning and found a few real gems.

Check these out, I think they're worth a look.

I found Brandon Corbett this morning. He's here on AR at: Brandon72

He's produced 3 really great videos that I found on YouTube. Brandon's delivery is easy to follow and understand. He does a great job and has a lot of great ideas. It's good practical SEO application that we all need to know.

Lesson 1 - Real Estate SEO - Link Building

Lesson 2 - Real Estate SEO - Website Content

Lesson 3 - Real Estate SEO - Website Attrition

While I was looking at Brandon's videos I discovered Wil Reynolds. I don't find him here on the rain, but I did find him on YouTube and LinkedIn.com. He's got a ton of neat videos on SEO and some fabulous ideas. You can check him out at: Wil Reynolds

I especially like these two...

Duplicate content and SEO

And if you're not quite sure what Twitter can do for you, watch this one.

Using Twitter for Link Building

Speaking of left brain right brain, do you know what side of your brain drives your world? Take the test and find out.

Left Brain vs Right Brain

So what are you, a lefty or a righty?

enjoy... René

Left Brain, Right Brain image courtesy of Idea Champions
Spinning Lady image courtesy of The Herald Sun

Where did your last client come from?

The Results...

Thanks to everyone who chimed in with your ‘where did my last client come from’ statistics. Although this is certainly not the most scientific analysis, I thought this sampling from those of you in the Rain, and from all over the country, was very interesting.

Roughly 140 of you gave me input based on my question to you from my blog post of 3/19/2009. Some of you gave me more than the last client, and some of you have had leads but no deals yet from the internet.

It was a challenge in a few cases to separate them out as:

1. They know someone I know. (referral)
2. It was through my marketing. (traditional marketing)
3. They found me online. (internet)

After reading all of your comments several times, I simply tallied everything up, counted all of the transactions you mentioned and where they came from, and it made sense to me to break it down into four categories.

1. Traditional: You got the client based on traditional farming, postcard mailings, flyers, signs, a newsletter, floor time, or a newspaper or magazine ad.
2. Referral: Your client showed up because you were recommended by a former client, you worked with them before, or through someone who knew someone who knows you.
   
3. Mixed: A blend of Traditional and/or Referral, yet the internet (and email marketing) played a role and couldn’t be separated out.
4. Internet: They saw your listing online. Because of your internet presence they found their way to your website, blog or know you via Active Rain.

I’m a curious fellow. A question I always ask my real estate associates when a transaction comes into play is, “Where did your client come from?” Traditionally it was most often one of three ways.

1. They know someone I know.

They ride the bus to work with my neighbor. They socialize with a friend. It was a recommendation based on my good treatment of a prior client. It was someone from church, volunteering, a relative, a friend.

2. It was through my marketing.

“I’ve been working this ‘area’ diligently for sometime now and they gave me a call because they saw my flyer, postcard, ad, sign, or open house.”

3. They found me online.

They found me via my company, read my blog, or found my open house online. They see me on ActiveRain, Facebook, LinkedIn, or at a Biznik event. We’re in an online networking group and share an interest in cooking, cars, golf, or travel.

Once upon a time #1 was very different from #2, and #3 didn’t exist. In fact #3 is rather recent and it has only really come into play in earnest over the past five years or so (even though it’s been around for more).

#1 happened because you lived and participated in a community, neighborhood, school, or fraternal organization. You were known and real estate is what you do. If someone had a need, chances were good (or at least hopeful) that they came to you, or were recommended to you. That’s passive.

#2 came about because you had vision and a plan and you worked it faithfully. You had a goal in mind. You intentionally made yourself visible while prospecting for those that had a real estate need. If you did your job well you found the 1% or 2% that had a real estate need and they chose you (instead of your competition) because you were there, had the right message, style, personality, and presence. You are proactive.

Time went by (along with a lot of blood sweat and tears) and you stayed committed and learned your craft. You practiced great customer service day in, day out, even when you didn’t feel like it. You noticed clients and prospects moving from group #2 to group #1 and your referral base began to grow.

A great achievement for any professional, right?

So what happened? Did something change?

Yes, very much so. The lines of distinction between #1 and #2 not only blurred they melded and fused together. #1 and #2 didn’t go away (and don’t forget that realtors!). But #1 and #2 are now super influenced by #3. In fact most consumers no longer make the distinction where one begins and the other ends.

Why?

Because we all changed.

#3 is the new #1 influencer because the consumer (and that includes us) adopted search (online) as our primary first or second action step towards goal/life fulfillment. We also broadened our social net to include more people into our lives and our decision making process than every before known on the planet in any time that ever existed before now.

I use the term ‘consumer’ loosely, thinking people use online search for many things other than purchase… We also look for answers. We look for facts, love, friendship, ancestors, religion, science, art, music, and history. We seek out people with common interests. It’s not always just about the purchase. Yet, in almost every single case it leads to, or is tied directly to, something to buy.

What happened?

The internet not only redefined local, (a monumental and wonderful accident), but as searchers (surfers) we are engaged in the pursuit of knowledge. We’re looking for stuff… real estate, coffee pots, a new car, a great vacation. We’re self educating.

The consumer is driving the market. They’re fed up and tired (just like us) with the old methods that we see crumbling around us daily. It matters far less where we are on the planet and so much more about what we have to offer and share. Distance is no longer a barrier. The old platitudes fall away. It’s not about control, domination, scarcity, hording and controlling. It’s about abundance.

Because we’re actively engaged and in pursuit, we do not want to be sold anything. Yet the result of our search is often about the want or need to buy something. When you Google anything you get at least 1,798,354 unique hits. So what do we do? We immediately begin to eliminate. Not you, not you, not you, nor you. Searchers want a reason to be pulled in. They do not want to be pushed. That’s why internet marketing is passive.

I’ve talked to about 700 realtors through lectures, presentations, roundtables, and networking events since the first of February. I asked them, “Where did your last client come from?”

In short and overwhelmingly so the verdict is…

The answers included #1, #2, and were dominated by #3 (and profoundly so)… The internet was inextricably involved at every point along the way. It didn’t matter if they knew you, knew someone who knows you, they were your neighbor, a relative, or friends of friends. Every conversation we had, we could not separate the internet from the equation. Even from the non believers.

I'm asking you to help me with my research… “Where did your last client come from?”

I'd like to know... thanks...

René

I admit that Google's Chrome browser is rapidly becoming my favorite, but Firefox really pulled me back this week and got a lot of my attention with its new research add-on Juice.

I did a simple search in Google, “Renton Real Estate”. The usual suspects show up on the left, sponsors to the right, and Juice adds a skyscraper column on the right of your Firefox browser.

Note the tabs… Web Images News Video Blogs

I really like the tabs. They give you instant organization by category. I immediately found photos, slide shows, and Video. The Blogs tab produced a great list of real estate blogs, several from local realtors on ActiveRain.

When you want to drill down for hyper-local information all you need to do is highlight text from the Google results on the left, then drag it over to the right into the Juice column. All of the tabs refresh their search data based on what you copy then drag and drop.

When you click on a link in Juice it automatically opens a new tab in Firefox. I thought it was a very intuitive way to search, sift, and organize your results. You can also highlight and drag to Juice from any open Firefox tab. It makes for a very nice three dimensional way of working with your internet data.

Enjoy...

René