This is the follow up blog post to my presentation to Sutton REALTORS®: How To Really Use Social Media. Here is the talk part of my presentation, approximately 8 minutes.
http://www.vimeo.com/4831740Presentation Materials
- How to Really Use Social Media Keynote Slides (PDF)
- Homework for How to Really Use Social Media (PDF)
Some Commentary…
Since I started my real estate technology training workshops I realize that REALTORS® seem to ask the same questions. I get a lot of questions like this “how do I use technology fad X”?
I use ‘technology fad’ because my top three questions are usually:
- How do I use Twitter?
- How do I use Facebook?
- How do I blog?
However, what I think REALTORS® are really asking is this:
How do I get more leads from the Internet?
The answer is simple.
- Have conversations with people (twitter, facebook, blogging). This is social networking.
- Provide useful information for free. Blogging is the easiest way, but you can do an old school website too.
Just give me the answer…
I was having a coffee/one on one training with Leilani Fong (web/@leilanihomes) a few days after the presentation. Leilani is a REALTOR®, young, smart and enthusiastic about taking her marketing 100% online.
The enlightening part of the conversation is when she demanded, “just tell me the answer” and in frustration I blurted out “if I answer that you’ll just ask me more questions”. Since Leilani was the second person this week to essentially demand the answer from me I finally realized that explaining how the technology works was an ineffective approach to teaching.
Most people don’t care about how the pizza is made. They want this: order, pay, eat, satisfaction. Skip the process, the history and the culture and just give me the pie.
So what they are really asking is.. what can I buy to get online marketing?
Well that is fairly easy to answer:
- Online ads. Banner ads, Google AdWords, advertise on yahoo, on other people’s websites.
- A web site from a real estate website builder. They’re plenty of them.
- Hire an online marketing company.
- Hire a web developer, a graphic designer and have them work on your web brand.
- Hire a content writer to write and blog for you.
- Hire an SEO company to optimize your web site.
There are lots of company’s that provide those services. I’m know they’re more than happy to have your business. If you’re happy about their results that’s value. Why wouldn’t you do it?
Well, in my first presentation about how the Internet is Changing Real Estate, I said that the net has made communication cheap. It has made it accessible to anybody not just the people with large marketing budgets. So the point of taking your marketing online is to get the same number of leads for less money. You can do it yourself.
However, going online is challenging right now for people with limited knowledge. Training out there is limited and expensive. Getting somebody else to do it for you (just give me the pie) is expensive but it’s better than nothing. The return on marketing online just isn’t there for most people. Even more sad is that the results all still suck, consumers are still unsatisfied and REALTORS® are still confused. There must be a better way.
Maybe I should throw out the disclaimer that the opinions on this blog are mine and not my employers. (heh).
Is there something better?
Yes. I’m working on it. It’s not ready yet but the core values are (alpha version):
- 100% online only marketing. Save the trees.
- Training. Lots and lots of training and information. We enable. We’ve embraced technology and learning.
- Better and more information. Set a new standard for quality and quantity.
- Open data. Reciprocity and VOWs are user unfriendly. User unfriendly sucks. If you want this listing in XML, in JSON, in ATOM, just add .xml, .json or .atom to a clean URL. If you want all of our listings, here is a RESTful API. Steal from Twitter’s API.
- More people makes the system richer for everybody. More is more!
- For people who believe in the same thing. Don’t worry about catering to everybody.
- Usability. Empower REALTORS® to do their own online marketing.
- Valuable. Price is what you pay, value is what you get. I want you get lots.
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Actually, my questions are really, how does Twitter work, how does ….. work. I need to understand the nuts ‘n bolts of “on-line social networking”.
For instance, I write on your Facebook fan club wall and it shows up on my wall. What gives with that? Where do my messages end up? That’s the kind of stuff I need to know.
The marketing part of is individual. This is where you could show examples to give us the “what’s happening in marketing 2.0″ and here is where it might go.
So teach, you are so good at it.
If people don’t want to take up the challenge, too bad for them. (Refer to your prediction that maybe 30% of the last class would actually do all three assignments. What are the real numbers?) You can’t spoon-feed adults.
Because of you, I have done turn-around on from blogging fluff to researching and then blogging stuff. (Ok there will still be fluff fillers).
Don’t get disheartened. Your efforts and patience are really, really appreciated.
Sylvia
BTW if I have mis-interpreted your post, I am on coffee withdrawal.
Nice presentation, easily understandable. Don’t let the class hijack it though. Questions at the end.
Plenty of information on using the tools, definitely enough to get started.
thanks again,
Daniel
@sylvia What is your goal when you ask how twitter or TechX works? I find that a few of the REALTORS® I’ve talked to about this really don’t want to know… so I’m a little gun shy that is what you’re really asking.
However, I’d go out on a limb and say that you’re the exception to the norm. I probably sounded a bit critical of things. It is not really the people that frustrate me it is the poor state of the technology as well as the usability.
A lot of value can be gained from getting more usable.
I think about 15% of the people actually did the homework. Well I didn’t get this post up until today to we’ll have to see how many people do the RSS + blogging homework.
@Daniel John
Thanks! Hope to see you at the next one.
If I know how it works, Twitter, TechX, et., I can figure out how I will use it or not. I don’t need to know every component, just the sum of it’s parts and what it can do.
I don’t want to be cookie cuttered with those wanting to be spoon feed, but I will sit through those classes too because I know I can take some new knowledge and try to make it work for me.
You might have noticed I am experimenting with what can be done with blogging as well as what kind of messaging I want to do.
Keep in mind that I had no developed plans re web 2.0 marketing. I just had a website. So you really did unleash an “almostgeek.”
Sylvia
I’m liking that I unleased an almostgeek. I think we’re similar because when I understand the components I can really leverage it. However the kick ass curve / suck threshold applies to me too:
see: http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2005/10/getting_users_p.html
Basically, it takes time for people to get past “suck” and to “kick ass”. I’m trying to help you get to kick ass faster, but not sure how.
Ask me a question that google can’t answer maybe… :)
I’m too old to aknowledge that “suck” exists.
Your “audience” learns by being told (auditory) rather than like you young ones (“visual and tactial if you did lots of gaming.) We’re too old, our eyesight has gone!
Now please look at my blog(s) and tell me how it could be better. Thanks
Sylvia
btw i got 42 hits in 4 days. I think most of them were from you. Thanks
Woo HOOOOOOO!!!!!! My most recent blog got picked up by http://en.wordpress.com/tag/real-estate/
How did that happen? What did I do? I need to know so it can happen agains.
how can I get some tractions?
(I’m really not excited …)
What do you mean by “some tractions”?
traction = kick ass
This is what I think. Be the Apple of REALTORS. Treat me like how Apple computers treats me. Apple has millions of customers, most realtors have a dozen at any given time? Why can’t I ‘feel’ as important when I work with a realtor?
1. Make your online listing better than realtor.ca, realtylink.org. If I was a broker this would be my minimum for each of my agents for listing information:
a) A video walk through – HD quality, plays right off the website.
b) 10 to 20 photos, high quality. Not pics of random things.
c) that the sellers clean up their house (declutter) before selling
d) information: bedrooms, bathrooms, property taxes and amenities. (that’s enough)
e) user friendly (high usability) for the website.
2. Daily Training on Customer Service for my agents. Give me the grandmother test: would I treat my grandma like that? If the answer is no, then time to improve.
In my first training video I quoted: “technology won’t replace realtors. Realtors that embrace technology will replace realtors.”. I think this is more true: “realtors with exceptional customer service will replace realtors. Embracing technology just will just help them do it faster.”
I think that is where I’d offer a lot of value. Providing the technology component to help those realtors kick ass faster. The rest, well they can get their customer service exceptional first and I’ll be here :)
BTW: I really like what Mike Stewart is doing: http://www.mikestewart.ca/blog/.
Hey Benson,
Some good points.
Apple has great customer service. So let’s look at some key components: staff are educated in their products, trained to be professionals, have support, and work as a team towards the goal of beyond customer satisfaction. And they each earn a salary if they have performed to that goal of customer satisfaction.
Look at Real Estate, – not one team, everyone is an independent contractor, every brand of real estate offices has their own niche, everyone has different standards, continuing education is only 3 courses over 2 years…. In short, every REALTOR is a one person show dependent on that commission to feed the family. Everyone has a different business model. I think this applies to your business too, at least web designers.
In the past, advertising ruled.
Now with Web2.0, the consumer gets to know the real goods about who they are dealing with. This is a good thing. The real professionals will shine because they write their own material and in order to write own material, one has to research, keep on top of things. As they write/blog, their knowledge, experience, personalities … will come out for the whole world to see and judge “Is this someone I want to do business with?”
Sure, I know there are ghost writers and canned blogs you can buy. I trust the public will sniff that out. If not, too bad.
I appreciate your input and need your help in the how to cast the net far and wide.
Thanks,
Sylvia
BTW, I agree with your assessment of what a realtor site should offer except the video tour.
Perhaps I think in terms of liability or risk because I was on a Police Board for 6 years and saw and heard lots of things that would lead me to believe the owners and future owners may be put at risk because some criminal element saw the video and know the lay of the house. Easy pickings.
Same is true for floor plans posted on the internet.
I, as a responsible REALTOR would never put home owners at risk.
Sylvia
Hi Sylvia,
About the videos and crime. It is no different from photos or a virtual tour. As a REALTOR you’re selling the property not the belongings.
REALTORS should tell the sellers tidy the house and hide your valuables. Don’t display that million dollar art or coin collection. Same rules as an open house! I believe the risk is worth the value.
Some thoughts on the lone REALTOR as an independent contractor.
1. The smaller your team the tighter your niche. If you are a team of 1, what is your specialty? Read Purple Cow by Seth Godin.
2. The Internet is a great equalizer. The affordability of a great web presence is within everybody’s grasp. That means it is about quality now.
3. Automation, no matter the size. Read 4 hour work week by Timothy Ferris. Here is one way you can cast your net further:
1. Write a blog post
2. Use a tool that will automatically post it to Twitter
– see: rsstotwitter.com
– see: Twitter app for facebook
– see: feedburner.com
In this day and age you have people in different networks. So gotta use tools that will cast new nets for you automatically.
Put yourself in the new home owner shoes. Worked hard, saved, ncie family, small kids, moved in and very happy. One day, house is intruded, your privacy violated, could be something like a B&E when not home, but could be something serious.
So why did the criminal element pick on your home? Your home looks same as rest of neighbourhood. Could be some homes on the street look more opulent. So why yours?
Then you google your address and lo ‘n behold, someone 10 years ago thought it was great marketing put a virtual tour and floor plan. You have got to wonder, if the lay of the house is out there in cyber space, did the criminal element find it too and that is why your home was targeted? This will be a lifelong nagging feeling.
Safety and Security first!
As for putting away thing, de-cluttering, easy to say, hard to do. Again, put yourself in the show of the person told to declutter. Look around your place, can you de-clutter that easily? My place is full of furniture and things accumulated over a period of time. It is not messy but full of stuff. Most people are like that, your life’s memories around you. Afterall, it is your home, what you worked hard for.
And, everyone has different standards of what they consider clean. We as REALTORS can only suggest.
As for Open House, every REALTOR has different practices. Go to a few to see what goes on. I can speak of my own practice which is the home is in as good a shape as possible, a notice is posted on the door that everyone is welcome so long as they sign a registry, when they ring the bell to please wait because we may be showing the home, and we do show the home. We do not allow anyone to wander around. Takes a lot of effort. Is it worthwhile? Yes, safety and security for my sellers.
Now some comments about Twitter. Interesting locker room banter or sell a service, promoting each other, cliques (sp?), not about sharing, definitely “all about me” … disclaimer is I’ve been on Twitter about 5 or 6 weeks. Perhaps I haven’t found the right Twitterers, only Tweetheads (which I delete).
If you want to continue this conversation, maybe we should do so privately. These topics don’t seem to interest anyone else as they are not posting.
Sylvia
BTW I have my stuff together for a website look. Still waiting for you to recommend someone to design it. Has to be someone who understands MLS. Thanks
If it is a smash and grab I think most people will go for the things that are easy to convert into cash. If it is a robbery targeted at a specific item then it is a smarter, more motivated thief and an online video probably won’t be the main factor of the robbery.
Regarding going private, it’s better to keep it in the comments. Blog comment are an easy way to generate content for your web site. You can have passionate discussions and it’s fun.
Secondly, if people like what you say they may click through to your website. The currency of the web is Attention, usually called Traffic. The more traffic you have to your website and your information the more you have to convert into clients and then into leads.
Commenting on blogs expands your network. While you sleep. FYI: We talked about ROI of social media, I found a better term today: ROE – Return on Engagement, which is probably a better way of measuring the value of blogging.
This is what I was reading:
http://prsarahevans.com/2009/05/15-ways-to-measure-return-on-engagement-roe-of-social-media/
FYI: I’m very happy that we’re engaging here. I’m figuring out better ways to teach and this helps me a lot.
You see, that’s one of your values to me, the bit about traffic. I saw this conversation as maybe web pollution for others but interesting only between you and I. Thus I said maybe take it private. But you have a made great point. Let’s continue the chat and if anyone wants to join in, great.
Regarding security & privacy vs virtual tours/floor plans on line, a crime is a crime no matter what the motivates are. Yes, there are lots of Break and Enter (B&E) but a home, not a house, is broken into and the owners feel violated, unsafe.
I don’t want to be any part of any, any potential safety issue for the current sellers or any future buyers. That is why I am so guarded during open houses and I think “if this was my home, would I want this kind of exposure.” My opinion only, but thinking about the safety of the family that lives in the home is important in the marketing of the house.
Why do people like to look at virtual tours and video’s of the home? Voyeurs? What is the point of over exposing the house? Real buyers can get a sense of the home from good photos that show features of the house and if interested will go see the property.
Now from a non-REALTOR point of view, what are examples of good photos? One’s that will help you decide if you will see the property?
Sylvia
Sylvia,
Trust me this is not web pollution. People like me love to read blogs and learn from others questions and comments. It may not have occured to me or another realtor to ask the questions you have asked, therefore we’ve learned a great deal just by reading your posts. I too am a realtor that has been very careful about virtual tours and making sure sellers put up valuables. Personally, if I am looking for a new home I like to see if my furniture is going to “fit” in the rooms, and by watching a virtual tour I can eliminate houses that obviously won’t “fit”. Although I have learned looks can be deceiving with the right camera equipment, and programs used.
Keep on asking questions, we readers are learning some great stuff here.
I decided to create a new post for this since this is an interesting discussion that I would love to get more people discussing.
See: http://www.mostlygeek.com/real-estate/listing-videos-valuable-or-risky/
Social media and real estate are closely related to each other.
@real estate web secrets re: your comments. Elaborate please. What are examples of good tied together social media and real estate? Why?
@Sylvia
That’s an example of blog comment spam, that’s the reason why I had the captcha (that funny squiggly word thing) before. :)
Not that long ago, social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn were thought of as novel. Today, they are considered relatively commonplace forms of networking on the Web. What has everyone abuzz now is Twitter. But a lot of lawyers are wondering what the conversation has to do with them.
Keep up the good work with your post – very informative!
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