Realtors: You KNOW You Need Video!!

May 16, 2012 By April Leave a Comment

There is no doubt whatsoever that when it comes to the various different types of media online, video has become the undoubted favorite. Why would a prospective home buyer read the listing description when they can tour the home from the comfort of their own?

It shouldn’t come as a complete shock to us as almost everyone prefers to watch a moving image rather than read something else in order to pick up the same information. Both video and audio represent dynamic media options as they are now available and accessible to everyone and anyone who wants to be seen online. There is quite a lot to appreciate technically; however, your Real Estate Virtual Assistant knows exactly what to do.

Video Creation: Based on the fact that as a real estate agent you have a story to tell – or rather a multitude of stories to tell – you can repurpose the content and promote it in the form of a video. Your virtual assistant can help you to create a video, with audio overlay based on voice or music. These videos can be based on a slideshow format or they can be a lot more sophisticated. Today, due to technology, there are many options available when it comes to displaying the video, so that is not an issue anymore. Outsource the design work associated with creating the video to your virtual assistant to start with.
Video Imagery: No longer does the agent have to play second fiddle to any larger broker when it comes to the sheer impact of the video imagery associated with the company. Your virtual assistant can be responsible for creating a truly professional, dynamic and hard-hitting “intro” that can in turn be used whenever an informational video of yours is displayed to a prospect online. Never underestimate the importance of portraying your organization, no matter how small, in a very powerful light using a variety of special effects and audio.
Video Hosting: Not too long ago video files used to represent quite a problem for webmasters as they were very large and would use a lot of bandwidth. This could represent issues in terms of the cost associated with bandwidth but also limitations imposed by some web hosting companies. Now, there are options available “in the cloud” and many different ways now available when it comes to rendering the actual video file itself. Your virtual assistant can ensure that there are no hurdles associated with the display of your video, without interruption, buffering and so on, to whoever wants to see it.
Video Marketing: Just as it is important to distribute articles to top line directories and other authority sites online, it is important to market the videos that your VA produces so that they are seen and can be found through various dedicated search engines. You will often notice that videos are displayed as an option in the Google search engine whenever you’re looking for information about a particular topic. When your virtual assistant is in charge of your video marketing this can give you added flexibility in terms of your overall business exposure. Your VA can even develop and manage your own YouTube business channel.

Ready to incorporate video into your marketing? You should be! I have recently partnered with an AMAZING video SEO company who is giving my clients a great discount. Complete my Work With Me questionnaire for more information.

Filed Under: Coffee with a VA, Ditch Your Desk, Real Estate S & M Tagged With: video, youtube

3 Simple Ways Realtors Can Outsource Their Social Media Needs

May 11, 2012 By April Leave a Comment

I know it doesn’t seem like it, but Social media as a business tool is a relatively new phenomenon. As little as five years ago when Facebook first started to enter our lives, few businesspeople really looked at it as an opportunity to spread the word about their products or services.

However, when social media is used thoughtfully and carefully by a Real Estate Agent, it can make a considerable difference to the way that people perceive you and how you conduct business. Still, some Realtors do not understand how to approach the subject. They don’t know how to use the potential, or to figure out whether they should choose one particular outlet over another. When this typeof confusion is evident, the result is predictable. Nothing is done and an opportunity goes to waste.

This is the perfect solution for a Real Estate Virtual Assistant. Outsourcing your social media online is one of the most astute things you can do and a core component of any relationship that you have with your VA.

Social Bookmarking: Let’s start off by looking at social bookmarking. Essentially we are using the power of crowd sourcing here. When more people talk about a particular subject more focus is given to that subject. In other words, the topic is given credibility. On the internet, a great way of spreading the word is by “bookmarking”. This is when other people essentially vote for the topic in question within a variety of extensive networks, such as Digg. Your virtual assistant will write a compact description of listing homes in your area, how to help first time homeowners in your town, or whatever storyline you would like to publicize. This brief will then be distributed through various networks by a variety of people and this will serve to provide links and awareness.
Facebook: Facebook, as you know, is at the center of anything to do with social media. It has swiftly become an essential part of many people’s lives. It’s a place that a lot of people visit not only every day but several times each day. A business can – and should – have a dedicated Facebook page. Virtual Assistant Chick has a couple of great Social Media packages, and can create a Facebook Page that will work for you and your audience. It can be branded so that it appears very similar to your actual website. Here, however, you will be able to interact with friends, new prospects and can gain exponential exposure by proactively working to establish you as the respected expert in your neighborhood.
Twitter: If Facebook is the king of social media, Twitter is the crown prince. This is essentially a micro-blogging platform. Here again, your Real Estate Virtual Assistant brands a business page carefully so that it has the appearance of your website and other marketing collateral. Your VA will work to engage with people who are by definition, also interested in the area within which you operate. By constantly keeping in touch with pertinent news, information, updates and advice, an organization that uses Twitter can be at the forefront of the social media scene.

You can view our Social Media Packages, or complete the Work With Me questionnaire so that we can discuss your unique social media needs.

Filed Under: Coffee with a VA, Real Estate S & M

Using the “Embed” Code from Pinterest

May 4, 2012 By April Leave a Comment

I love that you can embed “pins” from Pinterest (that’s a link to my boards) which just makes everything so much more shareable (spell check HATES that word). I thought what better way to show you how easy it is, than to use this picture I pinned today of my French Bulldog, Maggie Mae:

Source: twitter.com via April on Pinterest

To do this, find a picture that you want to share from Pinterest and click on it. You’ll get a pop-screen with that pin on it, with some choices off the the right such as “Like”, “Tweet”, “Embed”, “Report Pin”, and “Email”. Click on “Embed”, choose your dimension, copy and paste into the HTML editor of your blog. Super easy, and now everyone gets to enjoy Maggie.

Filed Under: Coffee with a VA, Real Estate S & M Tagged With: how to, Pinterest

Become the Expert by Recycling Your Real Estate Articles

April 9, 2012 By April 5 Comments

Most Real Estate Agents write a blog post or article, post it and forget it. Doing this creates more work for you and time lost. Instead, focus on writing really good articles and then recycle them over and over again to spread your message and get more out of each one.

Start by writing 3 really good articles that answer the questions the people in your target market are asking. Now is the time to position yourself as the expert and really think about the problems that these people face, the issues that you can help them solve (are they facing foreclosure?), what is stopping them from reaching out to you, what is making them angry or upset.

Brainstorm a bit, talk to people in your area about what they think, and then write all of your answers down on paper or a whiteboard.

When you sit down to write your first article, try to be very specific about their problems. Get really detailed about it so that they can feel it; trigger an emotion that says “Yes! This person understands my problem! He’s not just a Real Estate Agent who is after my money, he cares about my community!”

Be authentic, be real, and be genuinely concerned.

Now do it again, two more times. If you need time in between articles, that’s okay, just make sure to schedule some quiet writing time into your calendar so that it will actually get done.

Now here is where the recycling comes in:

Post it on your blog and tweet it
Post it on your Facebook Page. If you had any comments, mention an interesting one in the status update.
Bookmark it on Digg.com and tweet it again
Add it to your Linked In stream. (If you’re using HootSuite, schedule this out)
Remove all links and calls to action, rewrite the first paragraph and change some things around. Submit it to:

Bookmark it on Delicious and tweet it again
Start writing your monthly, bi-monthly, or weekly newsletter. Add in an excerpt of this blog post with a link to “read more” back to the blog post
Bookmark it on Stumble Upon
Post the picture from your article (or video if you have it!) on Pinterest (if you’re unsure of how to use Pinterest for Real Estate, take my free 5 day email course.)
Post it on Active Rain
Add a link to it from a Single Property Website if it is in the community you are writing to in your article.
Create a video about it, post it on You Tube and link it back to your blog post

Remember to be as definitive as possible. When you are clear about solving someone’s problem, the reader or viewer will be forced to think if it will solve their problem AND if it will help anyone they know.

If you know that this will help you, but you know you’re just too busy to do it all yourself, go to the Work With Me page and schedule a quick phone call to see how we can help you.

Filed Under: Coffee with a VA, Real Estate Info, Real Estate S & M

The Timeline Checklist All Facebook Pages Must Have

March 27, 2012 By April 6 Comments

Originally posted on All Facebook

Creating a successful Facebook page requires more than just a few clicks, especially with the new timeline design.

Even before timeline, there were so many things to consider that we’d found it helpful to create a checklist for pages.

So we’ve upgraded our pages checklist to help you upgrade to timeline, and also keep track of your page on an ongoing basis. Print out this timeline checklist or save it on your computer so you can check off tasks once you complete them. And by all means, give us feedback on this in the comments section beneath this post.

1. Analysis

Task	Description	Complete?
Internal Analysis	Do I generate added value for my business and my fans with my page? Do I have the resources (time and money)? Does it fit with my business strategy?
Target Group Analysis	Who is my target group? Is the target group actually on Facebook? Are the fans on my page part of the target group?
Stakeholder Analysis	Are there active fan pages for my business or products? Is a merger or partnership possible? Tip: Merge the pages, where applicable. An explanation how to do this appears here.
Competitive Analysis	Are my competitors active? What are they doing? Tip: Compare your fan page with others.

2. Strategy

Task	Description	Complete?
Define Objectives	What are my objectives for the fan page? Are they reasonable and measurable? Do they contribute to the success of my business? Are they smart?
Define Key Performance Indicators	How do I measure success (number of fans, user engagement, increase in sales, and so on)? What do I want to achieve? Which metrics should I use? Tip: Define clear objectives and metrics upfront for a certain time frame and continuously check the performance.
Create a Framework	What resources do I have available? What departments need to be involved? Who is responsible for what? Tip: Involve all internal and relevant stakeholders (marketing, legal, customer support) in a timely manner and create processes and outlines for responsibilities.
Define Systems And Processes	Who is the responsible spokesperson within the company? What are the processes for approval? Tip: Outline an approval process that serves as a binding, unmistakable guideline for community management. Plan for quick processes that enable personnel to act.
Define Content	What basic content will be posted? Tip: Avoid marketing and advertising text. Facebook requires individual contributions that adapt to the platform, its environment and behavior.
Internationalization	Do I need a central fan page or country-specific fan pages? Are the target groups within the markets big enough for individual pages? Are there sufficient resources for multiple pages and translations? Tip: Individual status updates can be directed at different countries and languages.
Define Direction	Is the fan page long term or is it campaign driven? How will the users be directed to the right page?

3. Basic Set-Up

Task	Description	Complete?
Page Name	Is the page name fitting and can it be used long term? Does it conform to policy and the law? Does it communicate your objectives? Will potential customers or fans search for this name? Tip: The guidelines for Facebook page names appears here.
Profile Picture and Cover Photo	The new profile picture (square and small) ideally can be used for the company logo. You could try to design a profile image that’s part of the design of the cover photo, but that requires a lot of work. Does the new cover photo fit the objectives and does it represent the company? Tip: The new cover photo ideally measures 851 pixels by 315 pixels and has a resolution of 96 dots per inch. When deciding which picture will be the new cover photo, some Facebook guidelines have to be considered. An overview of the requirements appears here. Tip: Test the new design in advance with a Photoshop template.
Information Tab	Is all relevant company information provided? Can a fan get in touch via email or phone? The new design directs more attention to the info tab, so design accordingly. Tip: The information options within the info tab vary depending on the type of fan page selected (local business, company, and so on).
Create a Vanity Address	What address do I want, and do Facebook’s rules allow it? What are the rights for the URL? Is it communicated in marketing? Tip: A vanity URL can be created here. Be sure your page is selected.
Chronology	The new timeline can be used to illustrate the history of the company. Tip: Add past events in retrospect with the new timeline features to create a rich company history on Facebook.
Applications	Which applications are needed on the page — or are they even needed at all? Who designs them? Who implements them? What resources are necessary? Tip: Timeline allows almost 300 pixels more horizontal space for displaying application thumbnails. Take advantage of this.
Integration with Other Channels	Am I active on Twitter or YouTube? Should these channels be integrated as a separate tab on the fan page?
Netiquette	Does my page require a netiquette? What should be included? Can I bypass Facebook rules here?

4. Community Management

Task	Description	Complete?
Editorial Plan and Responsibilities	What content will post within the next weeks? Who is responsible and serves as administrator? What type of voice will be used? Tip: Create an editorial plan that outlines when contributions are to be posted and name clear responsibilities so that even in emergencies one person is responsible for the fan page.
Frequently Asked Questions And Approval Processes	What are the most common questions? When do I need to inform the legal department? Who can give approval? Tip: Create an FAQ in advance and outline posts that require an approval process so the community manager can react quickly and independently.
Crisis Management and Prevention	What are potential crisis topics? What are our opinions in each of these scenarios? What will be communicated and what not? Who needs to be informed when and how should they be involved? Tip: Develop a crisis plan and statements for well-known issues so your community manager can react quickly.
Pin to Top	What’s the post of the week? Do I have to point to current promotions or campaigns again and again?Tip: Use the function ‘”pin to top” to prominently show your current campaign, your promotion or an important post on your fan page.
Messages	Do I want to allow direct messages delivered through the Facebook page or do I want to focus on emails? The new option is a chance to conglomerate crucial comments or service queries in a less public way beyond the timeline. Tip: The launch and the use of the messaging function on Facebook require adequate monitoring and the development of frequently asked questions to ensure fast processes.
Monitoring	What is happening on the fan page? What happens on weekends and outside of working hours? Tip: Set fixed monitoring periods, also beyond normal working hours. Determine which comments require a reaction and which do not.
Reporting And Evaluation	What is the atmosphere like? Have performance indicators been achieved? How is the activity? How is growth? Tip: In addition to Facebook insights, use additional sources for evaluation and develop your own metrics based on objectives. Continually compare this with your determined performance indicators and standards, checking at regular intervals.

5. Additional

Task	Description	Complete?
Media Buying	Are advertising campaigns on Facebook effective for my goals? How is the price-performance ratio? Is there a desired click-through rate? Who designs and administrates ads? How are they paid for? Is the contact with Facebook necessary? Tip: Start with a small budget and test the effectiveness of ads if you are unsure. You can create and manage ads on your own. An up-to-date overview about the different ad types and how they can be used for business purposes appears here on Facebook.
Marketing & Presence Beyond Facebook	Presence on other platforms/independent activity: Is my fan page included on my homepage? Within my advertising? How should the fan page be integrated in marketing communication? Tip: Integrate your fan page on your homepage with the like box,which you can find here.

Task

Description

Complete?

Media Buying

Are advertising campaigns on Facebook effective for my goals? How is the price-performance ratio? Is there a desired click-through rate? Who designs and administrates ads? How are they paid for? Is the contact with Facebook necessary?

Tip: Start with a small budget and test the effectiveness of ads if you are unsure. You can create and manage ads on your own. An up-to-date overview about the different ad types and how they can be used for business purposes appears here on Facebook.

Marketing & Presence Beyond Facebook

Presence on other platforms/independent activity:

Is my fan page included on my homepage? Within my advertising? How should the fan page be integrated in marketing communication?

Tip: Integrate your fan page on your homepage with the like box,which you can find here.

Guest writer Jasper Krog is a consultant for digital communication with a focus on Facebook marketing atEdelman Digital in Germany.

Filed Under: Coffee with a VA, Real Estate S & M

Best Social Media Marketing For a Real Estate Company – Ever

March 1, 2012 By April Leave a Comment

Filed Under: Real Estate Info, Real Estate S & M Tagged With: client attraction, facebook, linked in, marketing, Real Estate Marketing, ROI, social media, tech savvy, twitter, video

How to Make Your Real Estate Email Marketing Go Viral

February 21, 2012 By April Leave a Comment

I am always helping my clients with their newsletters – what content, how often, how long. Most of you don’t want to send it out more than once a month, and I get that, I really do. I don’t send mine out like clockwork either (I’m working on it!) but this post below by Jeff is so true. Once a week, every week, same day, same time. Like clockwork. I will be implementing this strategy for every agent that is brave enough to put themselves out there like this every week.

Post by Jeff Logue of Retechulous, LLC

Do you want to know the single greatest strategy for generating more sales? Well, unless you learn how to effectively implement real estate email marketing for your business, you will be missing out on an enormous goldmine of opportunity.

However, in order to fully take advantage of this tactic, you need to know exactly how to interact with your audience. Too many professionals miss this very important point by either sending very sporadic emails or simply providing content that is less than desirable.

Thankfully, we have discovered a system that works regardless of where you live or who you are marketing to…

Secret Real Estate Email Marketing Formula That Produces Results

We refer to this as the laziest but most powerful method for staying in touch with your list. Therefore, we no longer accept the terrible excuses that agents don’t have enough time. Or that people don’t respond to this medium anymore.

That’s complete horse manure. In fact, our own business has basically been built around this one single strategy. So now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s dive into how you can start to implement this idea right now.

Step 1 – Schedule 2 specific days each week: Before we get into any mechanics, you must first tattoo this behemoth truth into your mind…without consistency, your real estate email marketing efforts will be completely wasted.
Consequently, it is vital to your list’s lifeblood that you make a point to send out your messages like clockwork each and every week. Make this just as important as presenting your next listing presentation or hosting the next open house.

In fact, many case studies show that people are much more likely to interact and remain signed up for your content if you email more regularly than if you only touch base once or twice per month. So pick a morning early in the week and another one a few days later in the week to blast out the following…
Step 2 – Updated free weekly list of (insert your niche):Regardless of whether you focus your real estate email marketing on foreclosures, luxury properties, town homes, ranches, distressed properties, etc. the same principles apply.
Simply sign into your MLS or IDX system and paste the updated link into the body of your email. This can be entitled, “Your Free Weekly List of INSERT NICHE is Here!” Include any other necessary details as well such as their name or your contact information.
Step 3 – Best buy deal of the week: Please do not neglect to follow through with this step. We have heard countless reports of people receiving viral responses on these messages alone. Thus, take the initiative to find something that offers great incentive and then tell people about it.
This real estate email marketing strategy can be done via text or video. If you choose to use the latter (which can tend to generate better response), do a brief live tour of the property or a screen capture utilizing Screenr.com to briefly review the details.
Step 4 – One call to action (CTA) per email: Finally, keep your messages simple with this tip. Otherwise, your emails will tend to be crowded and cluttered and could hurt your response rates. Something that has worked for us personally time and time again is a “private open house.”
This offers a nonthreatening and effective way for people to view each property without feeling pressured. Plus, you can leverage your own time even better! Be sure to give people the option to either call, text or email to RSVP.

Filed Under: Escape the Paper, Real Estate Info, Real Estate S & M

Twitter Tips for Better Social Media Marketing

February 19, 2012 By April Leave a Comment

We can all use a reminder from time to time on how to effectively use Twitter in our daily marketing (yes, I said daily!) Guaranteed SEO gives us 7 really useful tips and reminders when tweeting about your business. I admit that twitter is a hard one for me sometimes, as I feel like there is already this big conversation going on, but I’m not sure where to jump in. I try to send out relevant tips and information to be Real Estate Agents who need help, and to other VA’s who may be looking for guidance from someone who has been doing this for a while.

Tried & True Twitter Tips for Better Social Media Marketing

Optimize your Tweets. Your tweets are another reflection of your brand. That means that each one should be carefully created to match your branding while offering a good representation of who you are as a company. Just because Twitter is a more casual medium doesn’t mean that you can let your branding fall to the wayside.
Use keywords and hashtags in your tweets. Keywords are important for all web content, whether that’s a blog post, page copy, a webinar or a tweet. Having your keywords helps establish a good SEO structure, and also helps your customers associate those words with your brand. Using hashtags (which help categorize your tweets and organize conversations) can also help to emphasize your keywords within your Twitter content.
Always use links. Try to always include a relevant link within each of your tweets (preferably to your website or blog) that encourages Twitters users to continue their engagement with you outside of Twitter’s platform, driving traffic to your website.
Use Twitter as a networking tool. Talk to people! That’s what Twitter is all about. Using Twitter to just broadcast information, rather than starting conversations with other users is the same as going to a networking event, sitting in the corner and muttering to yourself.
Build Relationships. Once you’ve initiated those conversations, keep them going. Don’t talk to a follower once and then forget they exist. Build strong brand relationships that turn regular Twitter users into brand fans and word of mouth marketers for your company.
Be informative not sales-oriented. Just posting about sales information, offers and freebies, isn’t a good way to build relevant relationships. Sure, you will probably get more followers initially, but are any of them going to turn into strong advocates for your brand? Probably not.
Connect your Twitter account to both your Facebook & LinkedIn accounts. This is an easy and quick way to help spread your content to a wider audience. By linking all of your accounts you make sure that you have the greatest reach and can connect with your target customers more readily.

April here: Regarding #7, push out from Facebook to Twitter – never EVER the other way around! You don’t want your tweets clogging up your Facebook feed, and neither do your friends. That’s the quickest way to get blocked or unfriended. #thatisall

Filed Under: Real Estate S & M Tagged With: client attraction, reblog, social media, work smarter

Realtors: You KNOW You Need Video!!

3 Simple Ways Realtors Can Outsource Their Social Media Needs

Using the “Embed” Code from Pinterest

Become the Expert by Recycling Your Real Estate Articles

The Timeline Checklist All Facebook Pages Must Have

1. Analysis

Task

Description

Complete?

2. Strategy

Task

Description

Complete?

3. Basic Set-Up

Task

Description

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4. Community Management

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5. Additional

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How to Make Your Real Estate Email Marketing Go Viral

Secret Real Estate Email Marketing Formula That Produces Results

Contact Virtual Assistant Chick

Let’s Be Social!

Examples of Agents Who Are Doing it Right:

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5 Days of Pinterest for Real Estate

1. Analysis

Task

Description

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2. Strategy

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3. Basic Set-Up

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4. Community Management

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5. Additional

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Secret Real Estate Email Marketing Formula That Produces Results

Tried & True Twitter Tips for Better Social Media Marketing

Contact Virtual Assistant Chick

Let’s Be Social!