This Social Media Marketing and Networking thing is kinda’ like being on a Diet isn’t it?

Did one of your 2011 Goals include Blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking (is that a word?) everyday or every week?  Have you been able to Stick to It?  It’s easy to get over-whelmed, over-stressed… just OVER it all, and take a break.  And that’s Okay!  You can take a break every now and then!

Skip the treadmill, sneak a doughnut and order those $1 fries from McD’s when no one is looking… especially if you created a 2011 To-Do List that looks something like this:

Yeah, about that…

Here’s the thing about that kind of list…  you’ve got to have KILLER Time Management Skills and a sleep schedule like Debe Maxwell, or Susie Blackman to make that work!

Newsflash!  You don’t need to do EVERYTHING all at once!

The KEY is to:

• To Do Whatever You Do WELL
• Maximize what you are doing
• Be Consistent

Doing Your Online Social Media WELL could mean that you are connecting with past customers, new prospects, family and friends each day on Facebook.  You are building a community and staying in touch! Great!  But what are you updating them on in regards to the Real Estate Market?  I do not think you should SPAM folks on Facebook – but I DO think that you should be providing at least 1 in 4 status updates that reminds folks that you are in the Real Estate Business.  Don’t JUST put Real Estate updates on your Business Page - update your personal page periodically too!

Maximize what you are doing could be as simple as sending custom Tweets out about a blog post you write.  Not just a link that comes from Activerain or a plugin from your WordPress site… a Message that makes folks want to click on the link!  Are you part of Networked Blogs on Facebook?  Maybe you should be.  Do you bookmark your posts, or ask others to do that?  All legitimate things to do!  Start a conversation on Linkedin, or on your Facebook Business Page and link to additional information in your blog.

Be Consistent… this is one of the most critical things to remember.  If someone finds your information, and then they notice that you haven’t updated anything on Twitter in 4 months… or you haven’t updated your blog in 3 months… it’s not going to give you the credibility that you deserve!

If you’re just not going to update Twitter – you might not need that account.

Being genuine, and providing good content online in a consistent manner will get you seen, found and CALLED. Everyone who has a To-Do list with 9 Social Media checks on it knows this… and if you fall off the wagon for a week or two – don’t worry!  You can always get back in your routine!  I just suggest that you pair the list down a bit, until you are ready to add something else!

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!

Here’s something you might not know… your news updates and Listings will appear in someones email (because it gets forwarded or they subscribe to it), in an RSS Feed Reader on someones phone or laptop, Social Bookmarking Sites, Social Networks including ActiveRain, Facebook, and Twitter, Search Engines (Google, Google and Goolge)… weather you want them to or not!

And when they do, you are competing to be noticed.

Just like in the old days, when your Broker-In-Charge was explaining how to write a good “Reader Ad” for the newspaper, today’s Real Estate Agents must think about their Headline… because a poor headline will render your article or Listing invisible.

Here are some easy rules, that work in “traditional newsprint” (like Magazines) and they work on the Internet too:

Old School Rule Number 1: It’s important to use Emotion in Your Headline- Make your audience feel something they can relate to.
This holds true with online writing too.  You can use “Extreme Words” like: best, most, never, crucial, perfect or you could use purely “Emotional Words” like: scary, sad, mean, fun.  Other Emotion evoking words include “Playful Words” like:  secret, hidden, unknown, forgotten, exciting.

There are also those Emotion Words that remind me of what a magazine in the Grocery Store Aisle might have in a headline like: holidays, celebrities, well knowns, news items, buzz words… Either way, the idea is to use something attention grabbing!

Bad Headline Example: Interest Rates Are Unpredictable
Good Headline Example: The 4 Crucial Reasons You Don’t Want To Wait On Interest Rates

How about this one?  Are Your Maggie Valley Pumpkins Wet Or Are You Just Happy To See Me? You’d click on that right?

Old School Rule Number 2: Another Call To Action – What am I going to take away from this article?  Don’t hide it in the body!

Improve on something
Teach something
Overcome something
Uncover something  – Just offer something

Bad Headline Example: The Real Estate Loan Broken Down
Good Headline Example: 5 Simple Solutions To Getting Organized For A Real Estate Loan

Old School Rule Number 3:  Description - Lay it all out there.
Tell the whole story in a sentence that avoids confusion with description
Avoid assumptions; your audience shouldn’t have to guess what your writing about!  What is “4 Plus a Door!”??? Remember that you are NOT writing a READER AD!  You have Waaay more space than those stingy little space MLS gives you!  Describe the AREA!

Bad Headline Example: Today’s Real Estate Transaction Is Not That Difficult
Good Headline Example: Exactly Why Buying a Home Is Easier Than Getting A Tattoo.

Okay, so enough with the Old School Rules.  Here are some terms that you are hearing about in the “Real World” of online marketing. One of the most important terms to understand (especially with Headlines) involves “Keywords.”  I call them “Buying Words.”  For instance, when a potential buyer (or seller) sits in front of the “Google Bar” what words are they typing in to find YOUR information?  I don’t know very many people who are considering a move from California to Dallas who are sitting at their computer saying… “Honey, let’s find that Josh Harley fella’.  I have an idea he’s going to be the right agent for us!”  No – they are typing in words like Dallas Homes For Sale, or Moving to Dallas.

So make sure you are being found for terms that match where you want to be found. Work those words into your titles.  Do people in your area REALLY search by the term REAL ESTATE?  Or do they search by Homes or Houses for sale?

Some experts believe that the Title is the most “weighted element” in your posts’ search engine success… but  Search Engines, being computers, aren’t going to give you credit for keywords, unless you include them.

Bad Headline Example: Friends Don’t Let Friends Pay 6%
Good Headline Example: Friends Don’t Let Friends Pay 6% In Real Estate Commissions

Remember that the online environment in which your headlines appear, and the impatience with which they are glanced, demands that you grab your audience by the collar and force them to notice you. Otherwise, something else will get their attention, and you lose… so, make your headlines look like headlines that are important, but not obnoxious.  Avoid using all CAPS and avoid writing in lower case.  Think magazine headlines: They Look Like This.

If you have questions about your 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!

What a wonderful question ActiveBrad, thank you for asking it.  I would like to share my answer and expand on it a little more.

I am a big believer in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and writing with a purpose. The purpose of writing content for your website should consist of one goal and one goal only… closing more deals and increasing your bottom line. Why else would you spend time writing when you could spend time on more effective income producing activities or, more importantly, spending more time with your family?

Am I suggesting that writing about personal issues on your real estate site is a waste of time? Not just no, but heck no! I see great value in showing your personal side in your blog. In fact, I’d highly suggest you also allow your personality to shine through when writing about real estate.

Be candid, personable and not only will your content read better, your readers will find it easier to relate to you.

The time you spend writing should meet the following objectives; increase your rankings within the search engines for the keywords that are relevant to your business… and provide true value while establishing a relationship between you and your readers.

So, how do I come up with content for my website or blog? I first look inward and determine where my business needs expanding and then I decide how my post can accomplish that task. For example, if I want to work with buyers looking for new construction homes, then I will write an article about a local builder and their neighborhoods. I will focus on the keywords that will drive those website visitors looking for more information on that builder to my article. I will then optimize the content and keywords in the article, and the headline, in an attempt to outrank that builder on their own name. If they are a small to medium size builder, that’s a pretty easy task! Lastly, I ensure there is a value proposition. E.g., Fill out this form for a list on homes available for immediate move-in.

When you sit down to write your next blog post or page of content for your site, I want you to ask yourself the following questions:

• “How will this post help me capture a new client?”
• “Will this article be relevant to potential buyers or sellers?”
• If the article is not specific to real estate, then ask, “Will this article build trust and increase my readership?”

Ultimately your blog should be a reflection of you and your goals. It should be used to increase your bottom line unless, of course, you simply have nothing better to do!

I’m curious – how do you come up with content for your blog and what goals are you trying to achieve?  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!