PICNIK

Picnik is a free tool now owned by Google.  Just open up the site, upload your picture, and you can change the exposure, add text comments, add a little more color to the grass… miracles happen!  Unlike Flickr, this is not a “cloud storage” system… It’s more like a Free PhotoShop (that’s not as complicated as GIMP).  Another helpful tool included with Picnik?  It can resize photos in a SNAP!  Need a profile picture for Twitter that’s way smaller than you have?  Upload to Picnik and set the exact size!  The Premium Service for the year is less than $30, and very much worth it!

Check this out:

If I was a seller, and this was the picture the agent put on the Internet, I’d be FURIOUS!  This looks like one of those shot from the car deals!

But, you put the picture in Picnik, and hit ROTATE, you will see a bar that says “Straighten.”  Move the bar, and a graph appears on the picture, moving it to the “straightened” position!

Fortunately, Google has tons of other Free Real Estate Tools available for us to use in 2012! If you have some great examples of cool things with Google Maps, or YouTube, or G+ pages, share them! We’d love to see how other people are using these tools!

People use Google for research and reviews more than they use Yahoo, Bing, AOL or ASK.  In the United States Google is reaching over 65% of all Search Results!  It’s important to remember, however that Google is not just a search engine!  It also has powerful tools including YouTube, Gmail, Google Docs, Google Adwords (pay per click), Picnik and Picassa.

Top 2011 Google Tools for Real Estate Agents in 2012

• Google Keyword Tool:  Use the Keyword Tool to find the 2 and 3 word Phrases that you want to be found under.  Also, check out your competition, and see what terms your competitor’s sites are using!
• Google Analytics:  Use the Analytics to see who is coming to your site, what is referring them to the site and how long they are staying.  (Okay – it’s not going to really tell you the name of the people who come to the site, but it does give you some great intel!)
• Google Places and Google Local Business Listings:  You should be showing up on local listings, especially mobile searches, be sure you’ve added yourself to your business location!
• Picnik: Real Estate Agents who do not take “perfect” pictures (like one that might be slightly crooked?) should definitely check out Picnik.  Works like a charm!
• Google Real Estate Search:  There’s not a Google Real Estate Search at this point, and though there’s been some rumors that Google is testing something for 2012, I can’t find any real support for that theory.
• Google + Business pages:  Google allows you to create 10 different pages per Google Account, so if you are the ambitious type and just WANT to have one page for First Time Home Buyers, One for Green Homes (for instance), and another on Avoiding Foreclosure, you could! They’ve only been out for about 4 weeks – but it’s been proven already that content shared by businesses and brands via Google+ is becoming more and more prevalent in search results.
• Custom Google Maps:  This is probably one of the least used, best features available to Agents. Most locals, like Atlanta, have “common” terms for certain areas we’ve all heard of – like “Buckhead.”  If you think that might be an interested in living in… wouldn’t you like to know what general area that is on a map?  Draw it out!  Add your favorite coffee shops, and parks.  Include a video of the area on the map, and then refer folks to the map at the bottom of each post about Buckhead!  Live in a more Rural Setting?  You can create a map that shows which homes near by qualify for USDA financing… or Create a Map of a Golf Course.
• You Tube: Don’t think you are ready for Video?  Look at Jing and learn how to do a quick video from that CMA you just finished!

Internet users watched an all-time high of 42.6 billion videos during October, with YouTube accounting for 20.9 billion of those views — 49.1% of the total. ComScore credits YouTube/Google with an audience of just under 161 million unique viewers, almost triple the reach of Facebook, which was second with a little less than 60 million unique viewers.

If you need more help working on your Keyword List, or you have questions about creating Great Blog Content, let me know!  I love helping agents who are trying to improve their search, and generate Internet Leads!  I’d love to help you and learn more about what’s working in your market! Are you on Facebook and Twitter?  Let’s Connect!

We have an eBook available on Fathom Cafe, and we received this question:  “I’m working on an ebook but unsure how to “push” it out. Suggestions on how to get sign-ups and then to either have the book downloadable or emailed automatically? Really appreciate your time and response!”

First off, creating an ebook, on “How To Buy A House” or “What Is A Short Sale” or anything else that answers an important question that people are searching for information on is a GREAT way to generate leads!

The Free Mechanics of “Automatically Downloading”

There are multiple ways to make an ebook automatically downloadable.  One FREE way to do this would be to use the Gmail’s Autoresponder.  To get to this feature, login to Gmail, click on Mail Settings (the little flower looking icon in the top right corner of the screen) and you will see General, Labels… keep looking to the right and go to Labs.  From there you need to enable “Canned Responses.”  Compose your email, and save it as a “Canned Response.”  (Here’s another quick idea for using canned responses and gmail) While this works great for many Real Estate Internet Lead Generating campaigns, I’m not convinced it’s the best way to deliver an ebook.

Gravity Forms

If you are going to offer the ebook from your personal website, you might want to consider investing $39 a year and using the Gravity Form Plugin for WordPress.  Once you sign up for the Service and Install the plugin, you’ll need to insert your license key and sign up for Recaptcha (which is free).

Simple text boxes, multiple choice check boxes and drop down menus are all possible with this plugin.  You chose what you want completed.  There’s even a whole host of automatically generated templates for things like name and email address or telephone number.  You can make the fields required or optional.

Then you can set up the response so that once your required fields are completed, a response is generated containing the link to your downloadable ebook… one way to set up the response is to create a page on your site for the customer to land on once they complete the required fields.

Gravity Forms will integrate easily with Mail Chimp, Campaign Monitor and Aweber for further Campaigns.  Another plugin you could use would be Custom Contact Forms, which is free.  It does not have as many options as Gravity Forms, but  it does allow you the flexibility of collecting contact information once the required fields are completed.

“Pushing” The ebook

The second part of the question was really about how to get folks to see the ebook… that’s a little more tricky!  The most targeted, budget friendly way to do this would possibly be via Facebook pay per click campaigns.  It really depends on your sphere of influence, and what topic your ebook is on.  Like any other social media marketing campaign to generate Real Estate Internet Leads, the best answer is to make it easy for the customer to find, create a compelling message (“Download Your Free eBook”), and make sure you target it to your audience… meaning what you say with a link to the free download on LinkedIn will likely be different than what you say on Facebook, G+ and Twitter.

I’m psyched about 2012, and the opportunities for Real Estate Agents to use these new tools to engage with new clients, and create more Real Estate Internet Leads!

If you have questions about creating leads from your real estate blog, or how to get your Listing seen by more eyeballs – contact me.  I’d love to help you and learn more about what’s working in your market! Are you on Facebook and Twitter?  Let’s Connect!

Getting Started

For best results use a Web Browser OTHER THAN Internet Explorer, so Safari, Firefox, Chrome.  Login to your Google Account, and at the Google bar, click on Maps in the top left tool bar.  The familiar Google Map will show up, and right next to Get Directions, you should notice “My Places.”

In the Address Bar, put in the address you would like to start with, then click My Places, and Create  New.  You will have the opportunity to drag the icon to any place on the map, enter your own description, paste in a YouTube Video, or change the marker “shape.”

Making Maps Work For You

Let’s say you are working with someone in love with the GasLamp Quarter in San Diego, and they tell you that they’ve stayed at the Hyatt one time, and they loved going to Croche’s Resturant.  You can easily create a map like this, with the markers they are familiar with, and icons for the condos near by.

What if someone says they love to jog?  Create a map with a jogging trail, embed video, or give them hints of places they can park!

Have you just completed a CMA, and you are about to list a property higher than the other houses nearby?  If you feel justified with the higher price, why not mark 5 or 6 properties on a map, and put a link in each marker.  Then do a quick video showing each property, and say why your property should be priced higher!

BUT WAIT!  There’s More!

When you are on the Maps Page (as long as you have the most recent version of Firefox, or Chrome, you have the option to play with Maps GL!  Look at the very bottom of the left hand Column.  3 D Maps that you can embed!

Check out all of the other great tools Google has for Real Estate Agents to use in 2012!

Let’s think about SEO and Link building as if you were going to College. 

So the first year at school, the Professors could teach you about the kind of Links you can build yourself, that are relatively easy.

The first set of Real Estate links for your site should be pretty easy.  There are lots of business directories out there where you can just submit your URL, company name and a description of your business.  Some of them require approval, some of them guarantee a higher ranking if you pay a fee (I don’t usually use those sites).  Here’s what you are looking for.

In this class of Level I links, there are also many social media sites where you can simply build links to your site.  Think Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook.  As more and more time is spent on social sites, their native search features will become increasingly important. Be conscientious about using your keywords in your tweets and updates – for example.

Your Sophomore year classes, would teach you links you can build yourself, that take a little more effort.

By now, your Real Estate Website should have a blog associated with it.  Without having a blog on your site with lots of good content, you don’t really have anything to link to… I say this because an html site, that you are simply adding pages to, probably doesn’t have the mobile features you need, and it probably doesn’t have the social share features or RSS feeds on each page.

That said, there are a couple of common link building techniques that work well that don’t require you to be a “thought leader”. Yet. So the first of these activities requires a bit more time investment and a small financial investment.  Before Google made it’s changes earlier this year, Press Releases were a REALLY good way to get hits to your site.  With that change, it’s not as good… but you still might want to check out a paid service like wired pf firm.  Again, with the change earlier this year – Article marketing, submitting your content to a site where it might get picked up and syndicated is really not going to help you either (ummm, duplicate content!?!)

One of THE BEST methods of Real Estate link building and improving your SEO requires using social media.  Leverage the relationships you build and foster on the various social nets out there. It may sound cliche, but that’s only because it’s true. Building relationships, and a community will increase the likelihood that people will pay attention to your content, and consequently share your links, and link to you. It also increases the success you’re likely to have when you reach out to ask for links.  Again, we’re talking about Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, G+. In addition to this – you should be sharing your links and information in your email drip campaigns.

Your Junior Year, Professors will be showing you how to create Links that take a little time and effort.

No matter what route you take, the goal of this level is to make yourself visible among people interested in the same topics as you. This process is a bit self promotional, if you are in a Condo Market – find the top Condo folks. Selling Ranches, find the other people who are doing that! Another great idea is to look for agents who are in your Town’s Sister City. You must promote yourself in a way that you’re adding value. You master this level by being a resource and a friend for other agents.

How do you do this? It’s all about networking and building meaningful relationships. This is past the Social Networking we did last year… The first step in this level is reading other people’s blogs. Then, commenting on them. Then, eventually starting a relationship where you’re communicating 1 on 1 with them. If you just go to Activerain and post information, but you never take time to comment on other people’s posts… well, you are missing a huge opportunity! Be interested in what other people are doing, and THEN get them interested in what you are doing.  On Twitter, be a GIVER – then people will start giving back to you too.

From a link building perspective, the ultimate goal of this level is to get invited to write a guest article for other people’s blogs or website.  During this process, you’re also building up a group of people that will most likely begin following you…

Senior Year, Professors should be able to help you create links simply because you create great content! 

This level is like the last month or two in high school when you’ve already passed mid terms and you’ve been accepted to the college of your choice. You’ve done the hard work already. Now, it’s time to go to parties and enjoy being the care free big man on campus.

You don’t necessarily halt the activities above.  But, you spend more of your time just creating remarkable content… and your goal is to create Link Bait, so that your content can become viral.  Here’s a video of Matt Cutts (Google Master) discussing a Link Bait idea he thought was cool.  Could you see a way to use this exact same strategy to create something uber interesting about your city, maybe with the town commissioners… or a professional athletic team?

I guess in looking at these levels of SEO and Real Estate Link Building, I would tell you that it’s a process. The biggest mistake that newbie internet marketers make is thinking that creating great content on their blog will be all it takes to be successful internet marketers. My biggest frustration is when Real Estate Agents start blogging, and then give it up after a week or two because the blog doesn’t have an immediate impact, the phone’s not ringing… Do you get IMMEDIATE business from everything you do? Building a presence on the Internet takes time, and effort – but it WILL create money and interest as you build relationships, and provide solutions for prospects!

Viva La Internet Leads!

Tip 1:  USE FLICKR TO HOLD YOUR PICTURES

Have you ever had trouble sending property photos through email because they were too large? Have you ever received an email from someone and it was difficult to open or it took up a lot of space in your email? Usually they have to send you a series of emails just so you can get all the property photos and you have to sift through each email and download them to your computer so you can begin browsing through them. Let’s be honest…that’s kind of annoying and it takes up a lot of time. You can prevent all of this with Flickr.  You can even upload your photos to Flickr from your PHONE!

This might not seem like much of a tip – emailing a link to your pictures?  But that will constitute HITS to your Flickr Photostream. You can also Tweet your pictures directly from Flickr, and you can use the URL in your blog posts, as opposed to uploading new images into each post.  All of these links, and shares, and hits will help you get seen faster, plus, people can favorite and comment on your pictures!  This is also a great place to have a VERY complete profile!Tip 2:  MARK THE PICTURE LOCATION ON A MAP

Flickr gives you the opportunity to “pin” where the picture was taken on a map.  many people search and use Geo-Location to see what else is in a given area!  It’s just one more time to shwo that you are an expert in a given Geo Location.  Don’t you want to be on this map? 144 MILLION pictures on here?

And if you were considering a new place to live, or find things to do, wouldn’t you be looking at things located near you?  See the find my location button on the right in the image below? Have you looked to see if you could make friends in your area?  There are tons of Cities in the Country that have Flickr Groups that MEET in real life on a regular basis to talk about Photography! You can NETWORK within Flickr!

TIP 3:  TAG YOUR PICTURES

You can’t upload pictures to Flickr that say 123 Main Street for Sale, or Buy My Listing of 123 Main Street… and I’m not so sure I’d want inside shots of my house on Flickr – but you can definitely tag the picture as 123 Main Street, Wickem Subdivision, 35674, Carrollton Tx, Near GWHS… all of those might be searches that someone puts in for homes.

My point is that all too often I see people who upload img3450068400831 and that does NOTHING to help you get found ANYWHERE.  Take the time to write a description, tell the sellers that you put the pictures on Flickr and recommend that they make a comment about some of the things that go on around that property.  Upload pictures of the sign at the entrance of the subdivision, upload your videos of shopping nearby… you CAN maximize every picture that you’ve taken, and use it to be FOUND.

If you have other ways that you are maximizing your pictures, and time using Flickr please share them!

Did you know that people read websites in the shape of an F?  So what is in the top right hand corner of your site?  Your Telephone Number would be a good idea!  What’s in the right hand column at the point of the fold?  That widget box is important too!

Do you have more than one search on your site? If you have a button that says Search for Homes in Richardson, Texas – you don’t want to direct the Visitor to a Plano, Richardson and Carrollton, Texas.  Send them directly to Search for Richardson, Texas homes!

Many experts feel that it is a good idea to use 2 different searches.  So you could use a paid IDX, like Diverse Solutions for one and your  own mls for another one.  But what the button for that search says is really important.  Jay Thompson tells folks that he got a 29% increase by changing one word to Detailed Home Search from Advanced Home Search.  Also look at the button color,  make a change and see if the higher contrast will create more click throughs.  On one site, we saw a  41% increase by moving Subscribe down and Search Home higher.So how do you know where people are clicking on your site, and how do you check and see if the change you make is working? Probably the best tool to use is a  Heat map, which will allow you to see where people are clicking.   Crazyegg.com does heat maps, so does Labsmedia (although it can be tricky to use) and you can do a free 30 day trial for Clicktale.com.

If you don’t have a ton of traffic to your site (or even if you do) you can make the changes you feel are best and then create a quick visual test using Clueapp. It will give you a link that you can ask people to take a 5 second test and give you feedback.  Send a link to the test on Twitter, put it on Facebook, do a blog post on Activerain and get feedback from friends.

It’s also very important to see what kind of experience visitors who are on smaller screens are having – because mobile browsers, small screens are the future.  Have you looked at your site on your phone?  Have you tried to click and call, or search for a home from your phone?  If you don’t have a mobile device that allows you to go online, try Opera Mini Simulator and mobiReady to show you how your site looks like on one.

If you have questions about your creating leads from your real estate blog, or how to get your Listing seen by more eyeballs – call Josh Harley, Fathom Realty, 214-228-0301. I”d love to help you, and learn more about what’s working in your market! Are you on Facebook and Twitter?  Let’s Connect!

In this era of ever changing business models, and Open Software that’s used for Apps and programs, I think it’s interesting that people are still buying Microsoft Office upgrades.

The new  programs have an  interface that isn’t as polished as MS Office but they do support Office binary formats (meaning extension that end in doc, ppt and xls), and the Office Open XML formats introduced in Microsoft Office 2007 ( with extensions of docx, pptx and xlsx).  In addition to these “mainstream” (and well known) formats – the new Open Source Document Programs support the newer Open Office default format with the newer XML based Open Document Formats including odt, odp, ods, and odg.  One of the main things I feel these programs lack is a clipart, theme gallery – but there are about a ba-jillion of those available for free on the web!What am I talking about?  Well, have you looked at Google Docs? Google Docs is a free office suite that includes Word Document, Presentation Documents, Spreadsheets and Web Form Creator! To use it you must have an internet connection and a Google (gmail) account. Google Docs supports ODF files, and Office binary files, and even though Google Docs may not be as robust as some desktop software, it does have the advantage of allowing you to share files and collaborate in real time with any one else who has a Google account.  So the “downside” to Google docs is that you can’t really use it offline.

IBM Lotus Symphony is another free office suit which is also, compatible with ODF, Office bianary formats, and it can open but not save as Office Open XML formats. Lotus  Symphony also has the ability to export files as PDFs. The Suite has a tabbed interface for easy switching between multiple documents, and a built in web browser, but does not not have a graphic or database program like OpenOffice and Go-OO. The other slightly negative feature to Symphony is that while it is Freeware, it is not completely open-source.

Another good option for ODF software is Go-OO.  This is a branch of the popular free and open source OpenOffice.org software. Like Google Docs, Go-OO is free for all uses weather it’s business or personal. The programs interface isn’t as polished as MS Office but it does support Office binary formats (doc, ppt and xls), and the Office Open XML formats (docx, pptx and xlsx), as  well as the ODF XML Formats (odt,odp,ods,odg). Go-OO includes Write which is a word processor, Calc which is the spreadsheet, Impress which is the presentation creator, Draw which is an application for creating graphics charts and diagrams, and Base for creating databases. Go-OO also has the native ability to export your documents as PDF files.

So if you are trying to save some money, maybe you have an old desktop you’re using on a limited basis that needs an upgrade… consider free and open-source software solutions!  They can be a great way to get the program access you need for FREE!

Once you know a little bit about Real Estate Websites, and blogging – you are going to start looking at WordPress.  It’s a great platform and program to build your content on! Will you get to the top of Google just by Blogging on WordPress?

WordPress.com versus WordPress.org

WordPress is a free software program. If you have a WordPress.com site, then WordPress is Hosting that site, it’s Free and because it’s the largest blogging platform in the world you have great Real Estate SEO. It comes with many different themes, and you can use plugins to make it do all kinds of fun tricks like connect to Twitter and Facebook, show your properties in a little rotating box, or pull in all of your photos on Flickr. The downside is that you don’t own the content – and when there’s a problem with a server, there’s really nothing you can do about it.

If you opt for a WordPress.org site that means that you purchase your domain name, you host your site, and you are using WordPress to make it look the way you want it to. Hosting your site can cost anywhere from $6 to $25 a month depending on who you decide to use and what type of options you might want.

Because you are hosting the site, you own all of the content. There are thousands of Free themes and plug ins to choose from, and many that are real estate specific.

This might be a little daunting for the average Realtor to try and set up. It will take several hours, and that doesn’t include the IDX feed. If you are going to self-host a WordPress site you should probably look at the Premium Themes that will cost you a one time fee of around a hundred bucks and come with tons of support.

If you have questions about building your real estate blog as you build your real estate business, give me a call!   Josh Harley, Fathom Realty, 214-228-0301. I’d love to help you, and learn more about what’s working in your market! Are you on Facebook and Twitter?  Let’s Connect!

Most people know that one of the things that will help you rank higher in the Searches, is to have links pointing to you.

Here are 6 of my Favorite Tips!1.   Complete your profile and include a link to “content” (not just the website URL) in the Profile Section. Great places to do that would include:

• Yelp https://www.yelp.com/signup
• NeighborCity http://www.neighborcity.com/member-registration/
• Answers.com http://www.answers.com/

2. Complete your profile and include a link in Website, Blog Site Contact information to Content (not just the website URL) Just because the Profile Section says what’s your WEBSITE doesn’t mean that you can’t link it to a page that highlights GREEN HOMES (if that’s your specialty). Places you should have your business profile would include:

• Merchant’s Circle http://www.merchantcircle.com/corporate/landing/signup.html
• About Me is site that also allows hyper links in the profile section https://about.me/

3. Write short posts with links pointing to your content on other relevant sites. You can blog on Merchant Circle, Trulia Voices, Posterous for free and link from there to your other content back on Activerain / and/ or your website.  Adding links to the content that is important to you helps!

4.  Put Hyper-Links in your Email Signature. So many people just have a string of website listed under their name… how long would it take for you to put “Learn More About Me!” under your name?  What if you had some KILLER information about First Time Home Buyers and you added “Learn more about THAT!” under your name.  People will definitely click FASTER on a hyper link directing them to relevant information than just a website URL (how boring!)

5.  Add Hyper-links to content and INSIDE your website from your Activerain Profile. I’ve been told that you might lose points if you go back and update your profile… but if it doesn’t really tell the STORY of who you are, and link people to more information you’ve written, it’s a chance I’d take!

6.  Use Bookmarks to add links to your content. It’s time consuming, and I don’t suggest that you only add every page you write to Stumble Upon… but there’s value in having a great collection of information on a certain topic – like Green Building.  If you are not utilizing the Activerain Outside Blogs for creating a place for people to find information you think is important about a specific topic – try adding links to the articles from one or more of these:

• stumble upon http://www.stumbleupon.com/sign_up.php?pre2=nav_join
• delicious https://secure.delicious.com/register
• digg http://digg.com/register
• technorati http://technorati.com/account/signup/?destination=/

I’m sure you have great ideas for Link building - please share them!

If you have questions about building your real estate blog as you build your real estate business, give me a call!   Josh Harley, Fathom Realty, 214-228-0301. I’d love to help you, and learn more about what’s working in your market! Are you on Facebook and Twitter? Let’s Connect!