An ever increasing number of home buyers are utilizing Google to find their new homes; this has made it imperative that Realtors get found online. This guide will give you the tools and knowledge to get started on a successful strategy that will increase leads and sales through an effective online presence.
Google is making changes to it algorithms that will make social media and blogging an integral part of your online marketing mix. As these platforms are very inexpensive (Facebook and twitter are free) it is vital that you start now, to ensure you are found online in the future.
Blogs A very simple and inexpensive method to get started is by creating a blog. Your blog is a great way to open the communication lines to your potential customers by providing interesting and relevant information. Blogs are a quick and effective way to keep clients and buyers up to date on industry news, tips, listing info and are great for generating leads. Clients, employees and visitors can comment on your posts thus building the foundations for a relationship in the future. Your blog can be linked to your website to keep the homepage fresh and relevant. Website users will have more of a reason to return to your site (and view your listings) if there is new and interesting content regularly posted to your website. Your blog can be used in place of a newsletter to keep yourself in front of potential clients on your email lists.
Social Media Integration Blogs are a great way to feed your social media channels. This saves time and adds relevant content to your accounts automatically via RSS feeds. By linking your blog to your facebook fanpage and twitter account, your fans and followers will always know what's new with you and your business. This can be a great time saving tool as it is instant and automatic. It is important to login to your social media accounts to interact with your followers and fans. Linking your blog is a great way to get the conversation started, but you must follow up and interact to receive the full benefit of social media marketing.
Twitter Twitter is a fantastic way to communicate with real estate buyers and industry members in your marketplace and across the globe. Many Realtors are turning to twitter to post their news articles, new listings, showings, open houses and all other relevant information. Twitter allows users to share and discover information very quickly and only takes minutes to use. Google is utilizing twitter feeds in their new search algorithms, so it is recommended that you have a twitter account and use it to promote yourself, your listings and your business.
Facebook Facebook is another great way to interact with clients and promote your business online. You can create a personal page and add all your friends, colleagues and clients. You can also create a fanpage and list all your business information, post interesting articles and relevant news. It is important to remember with both twitter and Facebook that they are about two way communication. Think about what your friends, fans and followers want to read about and post engaging material that gets the conversation started. Blasting your social media contacts with non stop sales oriented material is a great way to get blocked and dropped quickly. It is important to understand your social media goals and follow a strategy so you can measure your success.
Are you trying to:
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Become a Real Estate thought leader
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Generate Buzz
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Get lots of friends online
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Garner leads and sales
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Improve your online presence
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Promote your listings
By developing a strategy you will have an easier time with the day to day usage of social media, and enjoy yourself much more. While this may seem a bit overwhelming, it is imperative to get a start on your social media strategy now, to ensure you have an online presence in the future. Realtors with a successful social media program will start seeing the benefits in both their website's Google rankings and in general brand awareness from the public. So whether you start a blog, facebook &twitter account, or do all three, the most important thing is that you get started.
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By Kelowna Web Design Company
http://www.geton.com Kelowna Web Design Firm Specializing in Online Marketing and Search Engine Optimization for Realtors and Small Businesses across North America.
