Cassandra Engeldinger's Blog

New Public MLS Website Launches; NaplesArea.com

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:40:02 -0700

Ok I know that I have been MIA for quite a few weeks and for that I sincerely apologize! I AM currently working on my next installment of ideas for your Facebook Fan Page as well as some WARNINGS for Fan Page users that I have recently encountered that I must make sure you know about asap. More on that in later posts I PROMISE.

The reason I have not been able to post as much lately is because we have been working on a new website project, http://www.NaplesArea.com. This website integrates MLS data, agent info and community info in one easy to use location. This information is offered to the public by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS (NABOR) . It was designed as a way to provide its members the ability to advertise property information to the general public at large.

The project was a collaborative effort between NABOR, NABOR's IT staff and my company, CyberSunshine, Inc. We are SO excited to announce the offical launch. I am hoping that you go and check the site out as it has professional design, cutting edge technology and a wealth of information all at your fingertips. Though it is early into its inception, we believe this site will soon become a great information resource to anyone looking to buy or sell property in the Naples area.

Thanks for taking a look! Have a great night!

Short and Sweet Blogging Inspirations - Gotta Love Google Alerts!

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:59:39 -0700

Whether you are a seasoned blogger or just getting started, its always good to go back to basics and check yourself to make sure that you are covering all bases. I found this article today and wanted to share it with you:

Inspiration for your Company Blog

Pay special attention to the Google Alerts point. Google Alerts is a great tool for getting news feeds straight to your desktop. If you're not familiar with it or are not using it, be sure to check it out. You can sign up to get alerts anytime information that matches your keywords appears in Google. As an example, I am originally from Wisconsin so I am signed up to receive news alerts anytime my city appears. I am also signed up to receive news alerts for the word 'REALTOR' so I can keep on top of what everyone is up to in the news! To sign up, click here.

Where Google alerts is most helpful to your business is when you can get information on local market news. Be the first to share and disseminate the information through your blog or Facebook Fan page and your clients will appreciate that you are a one-stop shop for everything local.

Finally, I also happen to love their suggestion to get guest writers. Check your list of friends and business associates and start thinking about how they could offer your clients beneficial information. Whether its a friend in the mortgage and finance business, real estate law, title companies or maybe even your company's broker, ask them to be a guest to your blog. Decide on a topic ahead of time and be sure to promo your guest to gain interest. Once they've posted, be sure to spread the word through your various social media sites. If you can bring new, interesting and unique content to your blog, you'll be able to capture readers again and again.

FREE Social Media Tools You Can Use!

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:50:38 -0700

This is going to be a very short yet very sweet post about some great social media tools that you can use that are not only easy but FREE. I'm watching the NFL kick off and really need to get back to the game! :)

1. HootSuite

http://www.HootSuite.com

This great (and cute) little application lets you manage multiple Twitter accounts, view your retweets, mentions and statistics all within one very easy to use web application. There is even a "shrink it" box that you can paste long URLs into and it will shorten it for you automatically so you can fit it into your Tweet. I was amazed at how simple it was to setup and how great it is for managing my accounts. You can even schedule tweets - so convenient for those of us that are time challenged!

2. Bit.ly

http://www.bit.ly

You may have already seen this floating around the internet. This is another URL shortening service but this one really rocks. Let's say you want to Twitter the URL to one of your property listings but it's really long. All you have to do is copy and paste the url into this site and it generates a new, shorter version for you. BUT (and this is the great part) it also gives you TRACKING tools on these links so you can analyze information about who clicked your links. Great marketing tool!

3. Twhirl

http://www.Twhirl.org

This one is for the more "intense" Twitterer or what I would consider a "Twitterholic" but it's a great program none the less. You have to download a copy of Adobe AIR to use this but they provide a link for you to do so on their website and it is FREE. This application does a wide variety of things from managing your multiple Twitter accounts with an expanded integration with other services such as TwitPic, FriendFeed, Ping.fm and Seesmic. A great thing about Twhirl is that it is available to Windows AND Mac users. There is a Tweet spell checker, instant notifcations, tracking and more.

I just had to share these great tools with you as they have been very helpful and effective for me and I know they will be for you too. Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Socializing!

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CyberSunshine, Inc. is real estate web design firm that has been developing website and intranet applications for the real estate industry since 1998. Regarded as one of the industry's premier technology development companies, and recently named as one of Florida's Top 100 Small Businesses, CyberSunshine, Inc. enables clients to maximize their marketing and sales potential through the internet by providing flexible, dynamic systems with robust web-based solutions tailored to their specific needs. For additional information call 239-437-2628 or visit http://www.cybersunshine.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

50 Ways to Use Your Fan Page to Earn Business…Part FOUR!

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:27:31 -0700

If you’re following this post, you have setup your Facebook Fan Page and started obtaining Fans. I know that many of you got some helpful tips and tricks from my previous 30 ideas on how to use your page for your business. Since my last post, all kinds of great things have become available for your Fan Page through Facebook. I hope that through these next 10 tips, you start thinking creatively on how you can promote your page.

The first item on my list is critical to your social media campaign. It’s not only an execution strategy, but a way of thinking at all times in marketing. I have been noticing that though a lot of real estate professionals have their Fan Pages started, they are missing one crucial element. It’s so important, I’m making it #1 on my list.

1. Your Fans should be consumers.

Though I will attest to the fact that real estate professionals are great at socializing, you don’t necessarily want to be doing it with your fellow industry peers on your Fan page. You can do that on your profile page where you and your friends hang out. Your Fan Page, however, should be about you and your business. You need to attract customers who are looking to buy and/or sell a property in the future, or who have bought and/or sold in the past. Remember, they are your “Fans”. They are people who know you and have done business with you or would like to in the near future. Now, don’t take this wrong- you can most definitely have Fans on your site that are your friends, after all, that is how you network and reach potential clients. However, if you take a look at your Fan list and see that 50 – 80% of your Fans are fellow REALTORS®, you’ve got some work to do.

2. Add a “Fan Box” to your website. To encourage people to become a Fan of yours, you can add some simple script to your site that will take them there. On your Fan page, there is a link on the left hand side under the logo that says “Add Fan Box to Your Site”. Click on that and it will give you the code to add to your site so that visitors can see your updates, Fans and click to become a Fan. This is a GREAT tool to drive traffic to your Fan page. See it in action on our site at http://www.CyberSunshine.com (hey while you’re there, become a Fan!) We also added it to a non-profit site, http://www.AnimalRefugeCenter.com

3. Hook your Fan Page up to Twitter. For those of you with Twitter accounts, you can now save yourself a whole lot of time and headache by synchronizing your Facebook Fan Page with Twitter. Login to your Fan Page and follow the prompts, allow the application and login to your Twitter account. Once this application is setup, your updates on Facebook will automatically be sent to your Twitter account as Tweets! You’ll be reaching two audiences in half the time.

4. Import your blog. Facebook allows you to import any external blog that you utilize so that your Fan page is automatically updated with your blog articles in the ‘notes’ section of your page. The great thing about this is that no matter where you write your articles, if you set this up (and it’s EASY) your articles will appear. This is a MUST for those of you who have blogs on your website. Once your blog is imported, visitors to your site can subscribe to your ‘note’s (essentially an RSS feed).

5. Send updates to Fans to subscribe to your notes. Going along with the above, once you have imported your blog through FB, you should then let your Fans know. Update them through your FB Fan page with a link to where they can subscribe. (hint: it’s found under the ‘notes’ tab of your page)

6. Get involved. One of the great ways you can generate interest is to give back to the community and get involved with a non-profit’s Fan page. When you associate yourself with causes you care about on Facebook, other people will gravitate towards your page through the connection. The very nature of Facebook is to draw people who share similar interests or desires through their friend’s particular interests.

7. Buy ads. I promise I do not work for Facebook but I have to put this in here just simply because it IS an option. Facebook allows you to purchase ad space for your Fan page…have you noticed the little banner ads on the right hand side? It’s one way that you can increase awareness and exposure. The great thing about their ads is that they are targeted to those clients who would most likely be looking for your service. Through information gathered by profiles, they are able to target their ads in such a way that you get maximum exposure.

8. Create a focus group. Professional marketing companies seek out focus groups to get real world information on what kinds of products and services will be most successful when they are on the market. A great way to use your Fan Page is to get feedback on the kinds of services you offer. Create a group and then invite some Fans to get their opinion on your services. Focus / user groups are GREAT for websites too. If you’re thinking about designing a new site, gather a group of Fans on your page and ask them to use your site and then provide you honest, real world feedback. You’ll be amazed at what you learn AND your site will be that much BETTER.

9. Update frequently. If you have your Fan Page started, the next thing you need to do is set aside time to make your updates. Though you may feel you are too busy to keep up, make updating and checking your Fan page a normal part of your marketing schedule. Facebook is geared to highlight new information so the more you add, the more you’ll get noticed and in marketing, getting noticed and noticed often is the name of the game. Don’t forget that you can send all of your Fans updates via an email message from your page.

10. Add a Link to your Fan Page on your Email Signature. Add a link to your Fan Page in your email signature along with your Twitter handle if you have one. You’ll be promoting your page each time you send email. Oh and if you don’t use a signature- well you really should start. Including pertinent contact information like your name, company name, phone number and email is standard in today’s email communication and makes your customer’s lives much easier when they need to get in touch with you.

This concludes part four of my series. There are only 10 more tips left to hit 50. I hope you’re finding the information helpful and can try and work as many of these tips into your social media strategies as possible. Try each one and you’re bound to start seeing the effects quickly, but don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t happen overnight. Have patience and know that social media is very much like search engine marketing- it takes a concerted effort on a frequent basis for it to pay off. Once you have a strategy in place that you feel works, don’t abandon it or give up.

Check back soon for my final 10 ideas as I round out 50 ways to use your Fan Page. For more tips and tricks on real estate technology, please visit our website and sign up for our monthly e-Newsletter. It's FREE.

Until then, Happy Socializing!

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BREAKING SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS: Export Your Facebook Updates to Twitter

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:47:05 -0700

Good news social media fans...as of today, you can now export the updates you make to your Facebook FAN PAGE directly to your Twitter account. Get on Board...login now to your fan page and you'll be prompted to make the connection. Give Twitter the 'ok' and you're set to go. Hows that for making your life easier! Thank you Facebook!

How Traditional Media is Utilizing Social Media

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:47:25 -0700

I live in Southwest Florida and I attended a business meeting last night where they had a panel of representatives from many of our area’s major media organizations discussing how the traditional media companies that they work for are currently using social media in their daily business operations. In attendance were representatives from the Naples Daily News, The Fort Myers News Press, FOX 4 WFTX-TV, NBC-2 (Waterman Broadcasting) and BOBFM. From traditional newspapers to radio and TV, the panelist included a fairly broad spectrum of traditional media corporations.

I was both intrigued and rather surprised to find out that many of these organizations really do not know what to do with social media. Though they have all significantly adopted these sites- mostly Twitter and Facebook- they remain unsure and almost skittish about predicting what place social media will have in their organizations in the future. It seemed to me that there was an adoption of practice, but a reluctance and uncertainty as to how to use it to improve their bottom lines. Effectively, they know they need to do it, but they’re not exactly sure why.

The radio stations probably have the clearest perspective on how social media can and will affect their business. They have already established Facebook Fan Pages and are driving traffic to these pages while they are on the air. Though interestingly enough, the disk jockeys remain skeptical on how mentioning these sites on the air will effectively help drive business. They even indicated that many of them were very reluctant in the beginning to even adopt the practice of mentioning their website. That said, the marketing gurus of these agencies clearly see how a mere mention of a contest on the air and encouragement to view their Fan Page causes a spike not only in their Fan Page traffic but to their website as well. They feel this is an excellent indication of how they are reaching a broader base of consumers through their on air to online interactions. Ultimately, they feel that at the end of the week when the Nielsen ratings are taken, the more exposure their consumers have had to their brand through these new media outlets, is and will have a significant impact on their advertising sales.

Radio has also found the celebrity factor useful through sites like Twitter. Though they are only local celebrities, they are well known in the community and appear to be gaining Twitter followers quite quickly. Radio marketing experts feel that through these utilities, they are creating a more human connection and interaction directly with their consumers and radio broadcast personalities. Essentially, now the public can follow what these people do all day even when they are off their air. It was not specifically discussed how their radio personalities feel about this new type of ‘fame’.

TV News Broadcasting is even more interesting from a social media perspective. They indicated that social media is new on the scene at these companies and has not exactly affected their business or changed their strategies from a marketing perspective. However, they said it has definitely changed the way they gather their news. I found this rather interesting- essentially saying that reporters may be starting to ‘listen’ to the Tweets to find interesting news stories as they are happening through their followers. A sort of ‘reverse Tweet’ if you will. They indicated that though there has not been much resistance on the part of the reporters to adopt social media, they do not have any public Facebook profiles where you can interact with them and they are not necessarily actively using it in their day to day reporting business. It will be interesting to see whether or not this trend begins to shift more towards the use of social media to gather news information as its happening around the area and around the world. Certainly the recent election in Iran was an indication on how powerful social media sites can be in broadcasting news as its breaking. It begs the question, however, if the news is free…does the value of these organizations begin to decline?

Which brings me to our local newspapers. I found them to have the most interesting perspective on social media with the Naples Daily News appearing to be a tad more savvy and directed on how they are currently using social media and will continue to use it in the future. The Fort Myers News Press, though certainly well informed on the topic, seems to be a bit less sure of how they intend to utilize it in the long rung. Interestingly enough, none of these outlets have any policies with their employees (including reporters) on the usage of sites like Twitter and Facebook; though the Naples Daily News indicated there is a policy in the works and on its way down the pipeline.

In terms of news dissemination, these local newspaper reps indicated that social media may be changing the delivery of news overall. Whereas news used to be delivered to the people, there is a growing trend of other people delivering news to each other through the use of social media. They related this shift to the notion that we are now getting some of our news from each other via these websites verses directly from news sources. Blogs are one good example of this; many of us get our industry news and information from blog writers- they get their info from other blog writers and so on and so forth. The Fort Myers News Press stated that where just a short year ago much of the news was distributed by news sources and then perhaps ‘tweeted’, the current practice may now include someone tweeting that they are going to write a story, then asking their followers to contribute feedback to the story, then tweeting as they are writing it and finally submitting it via the web where it is then distributed through various news channels.

Finally, all of this begs the question, “Why do it, and how do you measure it?” Many of the panelists were unsure what to say. Newspaper reps were especially unsure; they seemed to feel that because the newspaper industry is changing so quickly that only time would tell exactly where social media would fit into their business objectives. Currently they are able to see a rather significant inrease in traffic to their online new sites from their social pages. Radio reps were a bit more certain. They indicated that they could see clear results in their Nielsen ratings from incorporating social media by the increased traffic to their sites. They indicated this increase of traffic would not online increase and enhance brand awareness, but also turn page views into marketing dollars; after all, these companies all survive on advertising revenue. The banner ads and in some cases commercials they run on their site will get more ad views the higher their traffic. Ultimately, they said, THAT is where social media will begin to show its effectiveness.

In closing, I should mention that one of the major sponsors of this panel discussion was a local real estate team. They were not on the panel, but it speaks to the growing trend of social media adoption and participation within the real estate space. Nowhere else can you gain the kind of one-on-one interaction with your clients as service professionals than on a social media site. You must learn this practice, embrace it and do all that you can to begin thinking of creative ways to make those personal and professional connections. People do business with people they know and like. Never before has this been more true than today. Embrace this practice and you’ll easily see how social media can and will fit into YOUR business (even if these media giants can’t yet.). Maybe I should direct them to my blog series, 50 Ways to Use your Fan Pages for Business. ;)

New Website Boasts Lifestyle Search: Is Your Site that Creative?

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:45:12 -0700

I recently came across a new website, http://www.averyhess.com. The brokerage is Avery Hess REALTORS® serving Maryland, Virginia, Metro DC and West Virginia and I have to give them KUDOS. They recently launched this custom site and you just have to check it out for its clean, simple design and along with it, some pretty cool features.

The first thing you should notice is the front page. It’s very Web 2.0. Clean and simple; using a three column format on the bottom of the front page. Three columns are becoming more and more popular in web design and are useful because you can fit a good amount of text links and information without cluttering up the page. You can also use one or two of the columns for an auto-feed of your blog posts or relevant content for your SEO.

One of the most interesting and notable features of this site is its “MyLife” Home Search. This lifestyle search is interesting in that it lets the consumer delve more deeply into what kind of life they want to live based on very specific personal criteria - which ultimately translates into where they want to live. My husband, for example, loves to Kite Surf. Therefore, living in Iowa is out of the question…no offense to anyone from that part of the country. By pinpointing exactly what kind of criteria someone is looking for in their day to day life, this site presents listing results pages that are more tailored to the consumer, thereby increasing the likelihood of a sale. For example, this site offers a “Search by Metro Line” feature - commuters can find homes perfectly located near their specific metro rail line. They can even search for homes near their specific metro stop! Once you’re on a details page, it tells you just about anything you would want to know about what your life will be like living in that area- average gas prices, medical facilities nearby, shopping destinations and more. They have local school information but most notable is the estimated commute time and cost calculator. Fantastic!

How do they do this? Through custom programming on their website. Much of this information is FREE and you can obtain it, but it will take some effort to create it. You can provide just about any kind of information you’d like to if you have the creativity and motivation to provide it to your clients.

The reason I point this out is because I am noticing that with the economy, many real estate professionals are turning to template solutions because of price concerns. Though I can appreciate the need at this time, a template should not be a long-term solution. Don’t lose sight of the fact that you are part of one of the largest member organizations in the country. That means you have a LOT of competition. As an agent or brokerage, you have to find more creative ways of providing value to your clients and standing out amongst the crowd. This website does exactly that and I guarantee you their business and agents will get more exposure because of it.

To find out what might help you stand out, do some market research yourself. Large marketing firms hire focus groups to analyze what is important. You don’t have to hire a large marketing firm to get one- get a group of your friends or contact some of your Facebook Fans and ask them if they’ll provide you information on what they might want to search on if they were looking to buy or sell property. Track their answers and tailor your website features to those needs.

As business starts to pick up and we enter into the coming new year, start thinking creatively about your online marketing- technology is always changing and unfolding. The possibilities are limitless if you set your mind to it. Through creative features and functionality, you can provide your clients a unique and specifically tailored experience on your website. The more specific information you can give, the more likely your visitors are to find your services of value.

50 Ways to Use Your Fan Page to Earn Business...Part Three!

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:31:25 -0700

Welcome to Part Three of "50 Ways to Use Your Fan Page". If you missed the first two posts, please check out my blog to catch up. Each post I will give you 10 more ideas on what kind of information to post and provide on your Facebook Fan Page. I'll give you unique and creative ideas on how to promote yourself, your listings, your website and your company online using Facebook. I'll also provide you how-tos on promotion of the page, reading statistics and more.

The next 10 ideas on how to create value and promote your Facebook Fan Page are listed below. If there is something you would like to know more about or if you have an idea or suggestion you feel works, please feel free to let me know or post it below! After all, social media is all about sharing and collaboration. It is only successful when others participate.

1. Network your Blog on Facebook. If you don't know what a blog is, you had better figure it out - a soon! Blogs are great tools that not only help you connect with others, they help in your search engine ranking too by providing dynamic, relevant content and links. If you have a blog that you post to frequently, it will only be effective if people know its there. There is an application available that allows you to post your blog to your Facebook profile. You can find it here: http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=9953271133

2. Add notes as updates. If you want to let your fans know of new information that you can't say in a short update, notes are perfect. You can add links and photos to notes as well. When your notes update, it shows up in your feed. Others can click to subscribe to your feed which will notify them of new posts. This is a great area to add information about what is happening in your market area, a recent listing you acquired or a recent sale. Be creative; notes afford you the ability to communicate in more lengthy and meaningful ways than just status updates.

3. Post your LinkedIn Profile. LinkedIn is one of the most popular and widely used business networking sites. You must have a LinkedIn profile for this to work (www.LinkedIn.com) but it's a great way to connect your networks in your LinkedIn profile to those on your Facebook Fan Page. An icon that you select appears either on your wall or in a box (it's your choice). Fans can access your profile info (which hopefully includes recommendations for your work) on your page.

4. Post a different part of your website each week. Your Facebook fan page is a way to generate buzz and interest in your services. As a real estate agent, you want to ultimately drive traffic to your website where they can (hopefully) view property inventory and information about your market area and buying and/or selling. If you are marketing yourself appropriately on the internet, your website should be a plethora of information that is both informative and useful to your clients. Post links to those parts of your site each week to generate interest and encourage visitors. The more eyeballs you get to your site, the more likely you are to capture the lead and get that ‘sticky' factor.

5. Don't post political or religious viewpoints. This is one of my don'ts; only because with all of the latest political debates I see more and more status updates that spout off about everything from health care reform to the Iraq war. Don't use your business profile as a way to sound off about your religious or political view points. Though I know its tempting to want to say what's on your mind, your customers should NEVER know anything about you that might alienate them, offend them or put you in the sort of light that makes them not want to do business with you. Your goal with your page is to make yourself open to anyone and everyone, regardless of their political or religious beliefs.

6. Get familiar with Social Calendar. http://apps.facebook.com/socialcal/ Some apps you have to be careful of because they will download your profile information and that of your friends. You also have to be careful when you download it because they depend on viral marketing and always ask you to pick friends to include. You may risk offending your fans so be careful how you use this application. However, its actual purpose can be really great. Social calendar lets you manage and maintain important events and dates of your fans. Most popular are birthdays. A great way to connect with your fans is to get their birthdays added to your social calendar. When you see its their special day, navigate over to their page and send them birthday wishes. They'll be impressed you took the time.

7. Upload your contacts from your email client to your fan page. You can upload contact information into your profile and then ask them to become fans. It's a great way to get started with a solid fan base. http://www.facebook.com/friends/?filter=ffp

8. Share and post survey or research information. NAR and organizations like it often post research reports to their website that contain valuable information about a variety of topics. Read up on this information and report on it within your page to show you are aware of industry trends. http://www.realtor.org/research You can get local market info here http://www.realtor.org/research/research/metrohomepriceanalysisreports

9. Become a fan of NAR Research on Facebook and share the info. The information NAR garners is incredibly valuable, and collected on your behalf to help you work with consumers at large. Become a fan of NAR Research and stay up to date on the latest information. On this page, you can ‘share' the links and post them to your profile.

10. Suggest your page to friends. Even though many of your friends may not be looking to sell or buy a home, they are likely to know someone who is, and when they make a referral, you want them to think of you. On your personal profile page, you can suggest fan sites to your friends. Suggest your fan site to them by sending them a message through Facebook. They will be encouraged to become a fan; since they know and like you (hopefully) they will probably fan you. The power of social media is the viral nature of the marketing; 2 people know 4, those 4 know 16, and so on and so forth.

This concludes part three of my series. By now you should have your fan page setup and you should be starting to gain some ground. Try and think of your fan page as a plant; the more care and feeding you'll give it, the more it will grow. Check back soon for 10 more ideas as we work towards providing you with 50 ideas on how to use your Facebook Fan Page!

Until then, Happy Socializing!

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Facebook: 50 Ways to Use Your Fan Page to Earn Business…Part Two!

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:40:12 -0700

Part two of my series, “50 Ways to Use Your Fan Page” has arrived. Below you'll find 10 more creative ideas on what kind of information to post and provide on your Fan Page. If there is something you would like to know more about or if you have an idea or suggestion you feel works, please feel free to let me know or post it below! After all, social media is all about sharing and collaboration. It is only successful when others participate.

To catch up on this blog series and read the first 10 suggestions, please click here

11. Post personal photos. Photos are probably one of the most popular uses for Facebook. Photos grab attention and encourage people to take a look at your page. You can and should post personal photos but keep it professional. Make sure you keep in mind that this is a professional fan page and use discretion.

12. Post photos of properties. If you have a particular property that you are featuring on your website and would like to get some extra viewing time on, post an album in the photos section that is of the property. Be sure to put the properties address as the name of the album. For added benefit, go into the settings area of your album and set it to ‘everyone’ can view. That way, even if someone can’t see your profile, they will be able to see that particular photo album. (You can designate settings for each album.)

13. Post photos of events you attend. Make sure you take great photos of any events that you attend. If there are people you know who appear in the photos, get their permission and “tag” them. Tagging can be done as you are uploading your photos or after you have posted them to your album. When you tag a photo of someone, Facebook sends them an email letting them know and encouraging them to visit your page. This is what creates the “community” feel of your page. The more personalization you put on the page, the more likely it will be it gets visited.

14. Start a Discussion. Discussions provide a way to initiate conversation on your profile and encourage people to network with each other. Allow others a chance to communicate with you and your friends. It draws users in creates commentary. Click on the ‘discussions’ tab at the top of your fan page. Click the ‘start new topic’ link and enter the information. Once you’ve entered it, be sure to post on your wall that you’re starting a discussion. Keep it interesting; talk about current market events, or use it as a question and answer session. If you can provide valuable advice, you’ll get fans coming back for more.

15. Advertise your Open Houses. At the top of your fan page is a tab called “Events”. Here you can post upcoming events like your upcoming open houses. You can even attach links to a map for driving directions.

16. Add your own functionality through FBML (Facebook Markup Language). Facebook Mark Up Language allows you to add advanced functionality to your fan Page using this application. If you know HTML, you can design and create your own pages or have someone do it for you. This application will add a box to your Page in which you can render HTML or FBML (Facebook Markup Language) for enhanced Page customization. Click here to add the application: http://harvard.new.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=4949752878

17. Announce your blog posts. You can advertise new posts to your blog simply by posting it as an update on your wall. You can attach a link directly to your blog that will direct fans right to the article.

18. Use Twitter to drive traffic. Use your Twitter updates to let your followers know of unique and interesting content or new content you’ve posted to your fan page. Cross marketing is an extremely effective way to get social media to work for you.

19. Become a fan yourself. Not only should you make sure that you become a fan of your own fan page through your personal profile, you should also make sure that you become a fan of other causes, companies, brands and people with whom you know and do business. Reaping the benefits of social media means you have to participate in it as well. Make sure you are cultivating the online community by searching around for pages that match your specific interests. A consummate professional pays attention to the causes and companies that matter most to their clients and becomes fans of them as well. One good turn deserves another.

20. Visit at least two fans per week. Social media is like any other kind of socialization. You have to make yourself available to others for it to work. In today’s hectic business climate, you may find it difficult to pick up the phone and call people just to say hello. Facebook profiles make it much easier. Be sure to pick at least two fan’s profiles per week to visit. Post a friendly ‘hello’ on their wall. They will get emailed that you posted and feel good you reached out to them. This concludes part two of my series. I hope you’re playing around with your fan page and starting to get a hand of its functionality. Check back soon for 10 more ideas as we work towards providing you with 50 ideas on how to use your Facebook Fan Page!

This concludes part two of my series. I hope you’re playing around with your fan page and starting to get a hang of its functionality. Check back soon for 10 more ideas as we work towards providing you with 50 ideas on how to use your Facebook Fan Page!

Until then, Happy Socializing!

=========================

CyberSunshine, Inc. is real estate web design firm that has been developing website and intranet applications for the real estate industry since 1998. Regarded as one of the industry's premier technology development companies, and recently named as one of Florida’s Top 100 Small Businesses, CyberSunshine, Inc. enables clients to maximize their marketing and sales potential through the internet by providing flexible, dynamic systems with robust web-based solutions tailored to their specific needs. For additional information call 239-437-2628 or visit http://www.cybersunshine.com.

Memorial Day: Remembering My Grandfather, a WWII Bomber Pilot

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Mon, 25 May 2009 08:48:42 -0700

I am remembering my grandfather today who was a WWII Bomber Pilot. A member of the 449th Bomb Group, he was shot down and taken as a POW. My grandfather flew a bomber that they named "Reluctant Liz" after my grandmother, Elizabeth (Betty) Bontly. On April 4, 1944 known as 4/4/44, seven of the original planes from Bruning in the 449th were shot down in that single day. This event was immortalized in the paintings by artist Jim Dietz entitled "Maximum Effort". The painting commissioned by Col Hollie Wilkes hangs in the Pentagon. I have included an image of that painting in this note. The 449th received a DUC for a mission on 4 April 1944 when the group, flying without escort, raided marshalling yards in Bucharest; although heavily outnumbered by German fighters, the group succeeded not only in bombing the target but also in destroying many of the enemy interceptors The most successful operations of the allied strategical air warfare was against the German fuel supply which proved to be the fatal blow for the luftwaffe. The 449th Heavy Bomber group flew raids over Romania and is credited with the destruction of the oil refinery at Ploesti.

30 members of the 449th were killed over Austria in the worse of midair collisions. In all of the 449th Group, 388 men were killed in action, 363 were taken Prisoner of War and 101 planes (B-24's) were lost.

My grandfather survived and lived to tell the tale. We have quite a bit of information, as he was more willing to talk about it later in his life. I have always been incredibly inspired by my grandfather's efforts in this war and will continue to pass his story down to Baby Chase once he's old enough to understand, though I pray that when he's old enough "war" will be a concept we only read about in history books.

Please take some time today to remember those who have served in our military and died for our freedom. My grandfather was a brave but humble man. He probably would have laughed at me for posting this online but I know he wouldn't be mad. :)

This is the official website for the 449th Bomb Group:
http://www.norfield-publishing.com/449th/449site.html

Additional Historical Information:
==========================

===================================
28 B-24s of the 449 BG[3] from Grottaglie, after taking the usual route past Turnu Severin, across the Southern Carpathians, and up to Târgovişte and Snagov, bombed for two hours at mid day. The principal target was the Bucharest marshalling yard, Gara de Nord (tracks were destroyed). Warm weather and strong wind deflected bombs which landed on Calea Griviţei and Giuleşti and western/north-western Bucharest was severely hit, destroying hundreds of buildings and killing/injuring over 5,000. Bombs fell on Calea Victoriei, on the Splendid and Athénée Palace Hotels; on the German Military Mission; near Cathedral of St. Joseph (destroying its stained-glass windows); and on Cotroceni, uprooting poplars in the Botanical Garden of Bucharest[4]. One bomb shelter was also destroyed.

Seven B-24s were lost from enemy aircraft (flak was slight and inaccurate over the target), and 13 B-24s were damaged and returned.[5] 717 BS losses included Reluctant Liz, Miasis Dragon, and from the 719th BS, Consolidated Mess, Dixie Belle, Paper Doll, Born to Lose, and B-24 #41-28655. Destroyed/probable/damaged Luftwaffe aircraft were 32/6/5 ME-109, 6/5/1 FW-190, 1/0/0 HE-113, 1/0/0 Me-210, and 0/2/0 JU-88.

Facebook: 50 Ways to Use Your Fan Page to Earn Business…Part One!

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Fri, 22 May 2009 14:03:08 -0700

Welcome to my blog series, "50 Ways to Use Your Fan Page to Earn Business." Thank you for reading! Over the next five weeks, I am going to provide you 50 unique ideas on how you can use your fan page to attract, retain and earn new business. Each week I will give you 10 more ideas on what kind of information to post and provide on your Fan Page. I’ll give you unique and creative ideas on how to promote yourself, your listings, your website and your company online using Facebook. I’ll also provide you how-tos on promotion of the page, reading statistics and more.

The first 10 ideas on how to create value and promote your Facebook Fan Page are listed below. I’m going to assume that you are just getting started, because most of you do not even have your page setup yet. If that is you, please check out my previous post on how to set a page up.

Over the next several weeks, if there is something you would like to know more about or if you have an idea or suggestion you feel works, please feel free to let me know or post it below! After all, social media is all about sharing and collaboration. It is only successful when others participate.

1. Spruce up your profile to prepare for visitors. Treat this moment like you would if your friends and family were coming over to see your new house for the first time. You want to make a good impression and have it sparkle. If they come to your profile and there is nothing captivating or memorable, they may never come back. If you’re an agent, be sure your profile photo looks professional. If you’re a brokerage, use your logo. Finally, make sure that all of your info is filled out entirely so visitors can learn all they need to know about you. It’s always great when you can find some common ground with the people with whom you do business.

2. Make it personal. People do business with people they know and like. This is an age-old saying and it still stands true. The beauty of social media is that it puts the personal back into technological relationships. You now have a way to allow people to get to know you. Post as much as you can about yourself – your hometown, schools that you went to, where you work, places you’ve been, etc. When people find common ground with you, they’ll feel more connected. I happen to be an Ohio State Buckeye, which connects me with thousands of former alumni who still feel very connected to their school.

3. Use your newsletter as a guide. If you write or send out a newsletter or eNewsletter, a quick and easy way to start your fan page is to utilize content from your current and past publications. Post updates and events to your page and then invite your fans to those events!

4. Create value through unique and interesting content. Find interesting news articles online and post them to your fan page. Many websites now offer the ‘share’ utility that allows you to post content you feel is valuable to your profile.

5. Promote the benefits of your service. Think about the kind of information you would give a new or prospective client. Write down the questions they would typically ask of you regarding your service and then research the internet and try and find the answers. For example, post information on why it’s good to use a REALTOR® and then back it up with facts you find online.

6. Post your listings! If you have a featured property, use your fan page as a way to advertise it. It’s FREE! Our websites come with a ‘share this’ feature on all listings details pages. That means you can go to your site and post the property to your fan page. When users click it, it takes them to your website so they can find even more information about you.

7. Become the main source for up-to-date local info. Use the updates feature to talk about the latest happenings in your area from new restaurant and mall openings to construction projects. Find local community information online and post it. Your clients will appreciate having one source for this important information.

8. Advertise your websites. Use your fan page as a way to drive traffic to your website(s). Send them to the site by promoting it on your page. Remember that you will most likely have different audiences on your fan page vs. your website. It’s ok to send users back and forth.

9. Post market information in various neighborhoods. Keep your audience in mind. Fans will be a combination of all ages and in all stages of the home buying process. Keep your name in the mind of your past clients by offering them recent sold data within their areas. Pick a different neighborhood each week and post information about market conditions.

10. Post sold properties. Let it be known when you have sold a property! This is your opportunity to show your fans what you are accomplishing. If you are busy and show that you know what you’re doing, they’ll be more likely to contact you to assist them.

This concludes part one of my series. It should give you a good initial start on what kind of information to post on your social media sites. Come back next week for 10 more ideas as we work towards providing you with 50 ideas on how to use your Facebook Fan Page!

Until then, Happy Socializing!

=============

CyberSunshine, Inc. is real estate web design firm that has been developing website and intranet applications for the real estate industry since 1998. Regarded as one of the industry's premier technology development companies, and recently named as one of Florida’s Top 100 Small Businesses, CyberSunshine, Inc. enables clients to maximize their marketing and sales potential through the internet by providing flexible, dynamic systems with robust web-based solutions tailored to their specific needs. With clients located throughout the globe, CyberSunshine, Inc. has solutions that can fit your specific business need. For additional information call 239-437-2628 or visit http://www.cybersunshine.com.

All About your Facebook Fan Page

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Wed, 13 May 2009 17:34:41 -0700

My last post told you all about how to create a fan page on Facebook. Oddly enough it can be really hard to find exactly where you can create a page, once you have a login to this popular social media site. In my last post I provided you a quick link. Check it out if you still haven’t created your Page.

To those of you who have created your Page and are now ready to move to the next step, let me first commend you for your efforts! I know this can be scary…but don’t worry! It’s FREE and the only way to truly goof up is to not do anything! Keep in mind that your goal in developing a social media marketing campaign is to keep it professional, build networks and cultivate relationships that will ultimately turn into business leads.

The first thing you need to do is look over your info section. Make sure that you have filled everything out entirely. You don’t have to give everything away but make sure that it at least provides your contact info and where you work. If someone is interested in getting in touch with you, this is where they’ll look so make sure it’s all accurate and up to date.

Secondly, you’ll want to check your settings and information. At the top left hand of the page, there is an ‘edit’ link. Within the edit section, you’ll find settings, wall settings, mobile, discussion boards, events, information, notes, photos, video, wall and more applications. To edit any one of these sections, click the small pencil icon to the right and then select ‘edit’.

Under “Settings”, make sure that under “Published”, the “Published (publicly visible) is selected. Once you have “published” your fan page, it will become visible to other users.

Under ‘Wall Settings” you can change the default view for fans and control who posts to your wall. This is where you can control who can post what to your page.

“Mobile” allows you to publish your status updates via mobile phone for when you’re on the road. Once you get comfortable with Facebook, this can be a great way to let people know your status updates quickly. You have to have a carrier that works with this service so check your service plan.

“Discussion Boards” allow you to get a conversation started about topics of importance or interest. This can be a great tool for you to get some valuable feedback from your clients. You set the topics and promote the discussion.

“Events” is a great feature. This is a fantastic way to get the word out about any event you have coming up. Post open houses, grand openings, social gatherings, real estate seminars and more. If you send emails out to clients about events you would like to attend, make sure you post them to your fan page as well. Once you create the event, you can promote it to your fans through Facebook. Your fans are sent the info and they can even RSVP to it.

“Information” is where you can manage the information settings on your page. This is where you can add your website, picture and basic info.

“Links” provides you the ability to determine who can post links to your fan page. You can post websites, blogs, videos, and songs, as well as content on Facebook, like profiles, photos, notes, groups, and events. You can allow all fans to post links or only allow admins. This is your decision.

“Notes” allows you to share information through written entries. You can tag people you know in these entries and others can leave comments. If you want to write an article about something important, or perhaps you want to write a thank you to a recent client, you can use this feature and then tag that person. They will get an email that they are in that note and can go right to it on your page.

“Photos” allow you to upload your own personal photos to your fan page. In my opinion, photos are a really great way to gain interest in your fan page quickly. People like to look at photos online. Once you upload them, you can add comments and tag other fans in them. The photos are also posted in news feeds of your fans, which can get their attention and encourage them to take a look (which drives them to your page). You can create your own albums and then share them with others. If you go to an event, take photos of that event. If you have a property that is especially enticing, create an album for it. I’ll have more ideas to share about how to use this great application in future posts.

The “Videos” section allows you to post, record and send videos to fans. This is a great way to generate interest, as videos can be extremely viral. Viral means that others will see it, then forward it to their friends, who forward it to theirs, and so on. If you have a video of a community or property, this is a good place to include it.

Your Facebook “Wall” is the open forum where you communicate with your fans. It’s the best place to interact with them through comments, posts, insights and more. Think of your wall as your customizable bulletin board where you can post interesting bits of information. The best part about the wall is its interactivity between you and your fans. With it, you can share information and not only become an information resource, but obtain valuable feedback for your business.

That wraps up the overview of your new Facebook Fan Page. In the next week, take a look at all of the features of your page and get familiar with them and how they function. If you’re interested in learning more about social media and Facebook, please follow my blog. Next week I will be starting a new blog series, “50 Ways to Use Your Fan Page”. It will be a five week series that will provide you with 10 unique and creative ideas each week on how to use your fan page in business networking. If you’re interested in getting started but feel stuck on what to do next, you’ll want to check back each week. I hope to get an interesting discussion started on how we can all use this fantastic media to cultivate new and rewarding relationships.

If you use Facebook and feel it has been successful, I’d like to hear from you! Let me know how you have used it in your business to help promote yourself and your services.

Until next time, Happy Socializing!

How to Create a Fan Page on Facebook...and then what to do with it!

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:49:48 -0700

Facebook Fan Pages are getting a lot of attention lately in the media and rightfully so. Research indicates that 70% of viral marketers report increasing brand awareness as one of the most successful areas of their social marketing campaigns. Not since the onset of the internet and websites have you been given the ability to reach out across the miles to millions of potential prospects in such an exciting and targeted fashion. Best of all, it’s FREE!

As a real estate professional, you are your brand. You create logos around your name and business. If you’re a broker, then brand awareness is even more crucial. If you have an organization, business, product or personality that you intend to keep in business through this year and beyond, well then you’ll want to setup a Facebook Fan Page.

Facebook Fan Pages are customizable pages setup to help a variety of promotional groups “join the conversation with Facebook users”. They allow unlimited users (unlike personal profiles), business-to-consumer interaction, and content sharing. One of the most important aspects, but often overlooked is the fact that they allow you to create a very targeted focus group for your business. (I'll get into that much more in my next post) If all that still hasn’t convinced you, well then you should know that they are even beginning to show up quite quickly in major search engines. Did I get your attention now? Everything from corporations, major newspapers and television shows to individual celebrities and non-profits can leverage the power of a Facebook Page to promote brand awareness.

Facebook Pages are similar yet quite different from personal profiles. Instead of “friends”, Pages acquire “fans”. Fans are sent updates (posted by page administrators) via news feeds on their personal profiles, which are then promoted to their ‘friends’.

Posts by your Page go to your Fans’ News Feeds, and comments by your Fans go to their friends’ News Feeds. Those posts are hyperlinked back to your Page. News feed promotion helps spread brand awareness among an exponentially large group of people. If you have a personal profile on Facebook, you may have already seen this in action.   Under ‘News Feed’, you’ll see a list of the updates that have been made by your friends. Along the far right hand side of the page you may see thumbnail images with the title along with an announcement that “John Smith” is a fan. Along with it is a link for you to click to “Become a fan”.

Page creation can be difficult to find. I’ve provided you a quick link to help you out (you can thank me later). Click here. Creating a page is not difficult or time consuming, and involves only a few fields of pertinent information.

1)    First, choose the category in which your Page will be seen in the Facebook directory. Select whether you are Local, a Brand or Product, or an Artist, Band or Public Figure. As a real estate professional, you’ll most likely find the right designation under “Local”. Select ‘real estate’ from the drop down menu. (Note: if you want to setup a Page for a non-profit you care about, you’ll find “non-profit” under Brand or Product)

2)    Choose your name. This part’s important. Tread carefully!! Once you have chosen it, Facebook does not allow you to change it. It’s also important to know that whatever you choose will be found in the URL of the page, which is great for search engine effectiveness. That’s why you’ll want to make sure that the name you use is the one that you use in all of your other marketing. Now is not the time to be cute – keep it simple and obvious. If you’re not sure, take a look at your marketing tools; business cards and brochures…how do you present yourself? Go with what you see most often in your marketing materials, whether its your name, your company name or a URL, select the name that you feel a potential buyer or seller would use to search for you.

3)    Finally, perform the “security check”. The security check is just simply a Captcha box that requires you to type in the words you see on the screen. This is just so the system can verify that you are indeed a human.

4)    Click ‘Create Page’ and you’re done!

Now what do you do?

1)    Take a break and get a treat for yourself…you’ve officially began your social media campaign!

2)    Start customizing. Select an image to upload- make sure its professional. It's going to follow you around on Facebook so you want it easily recognizable and clear. A logo or photo identifying your Page is critical…don’t leave the goofy question mark you’ll see there (you can change this any time if needed).

3)    Fill out the info page. This is good for search engines; add as much as you can and be as descriptive as possible. You want people to relate to your group so they’ll become your fan.

4)    Fill the page with useful and interesting content. You’ll want to start obtaining fans but if you have nothing interesting to lend, you won’t have any fans!

If you’re a real estate brokerage, post statistics on your market area, show off your company websites, and brag about your sales numbers. You can announce new agents to your team, brag up a particular listing agent who was a recent top producer or even highlight an agent of the month. Use the page as a way to market your business.

If you’re an agent, post open houses to your events, show off your website(s) through link posts, share photos of featured listings and communicate with prospects via updates. Be creative! The more clever you are, the better your Page will be.

5)    Finally, start promoting. Remember you are now a needle in a haystack. You need to spread the word about your page. Post your Page information to sites like delicious.com, twitter, your website and your blog.

In my next post, I’ll give you all kinds of information on how to promote your Page, how to update your fans, how to target your updates and more. Until then, Happy Socializing!

TWEET TWEET…AND WE DON’T MEAN PEEPS. What are you doing?

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:51:46 -0700

It’s Spring and love is in the air…so are birds…and as you walk down the street you hear the twitter of birdies and their babies flying about, preparing for the summer ahead. You might even be enjoying one of those fluffy, sugar-coated pieces of heaven we all know and love as “Peeps”. If you’re doing either one of these things, other people want to know and they want to know RIGHT NOW. That's where Twitter comes in...

Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing? (Source: http://www.Twitter.com)

You have probably heard recently that people are ‘twittering’. For those of you addicted to Facebook and posting status updates, Twitter could be the next best thing to chocolate covered Peeps. (Do they make those? If they do, please let me know where to get them!) But what IS it anyway and how can you use it to benefit your business?

The jury is still out on how Twitter will fit into business, if it will be used at all. Can it go beyond a simple utility that lets people know what you're doing from the grandest of achievements to the most mundane? It seems that the more we retreat into the confines of our offices, delving into the anonymous, ubiquitous world of the internet, the more we long for social interaction and connection. Could it be that the world has gotten so small and yet still feels so big that we all feel completely disconnected from each other? Well if you do, then start Twittering. It allows you to talk about what you’re doing each moment of the day with all of the people who have decided that they care enough to become one of your “followers”.

Once you’ve setup your Twitter account, chose those that you will “follow”. When you follow someone, you are updated when they post to their account. If you’re a news junkie or talk show fan, you can follow your favorites. Find out what their next shows are and get breaking news. Taking it one step further, you can keep in touch with friends by following them and their daily actions. Once you follow them, you’ll get notified when they make updates and you can reply to those updates any time.

How could Twitter benefit your business? If you use Twitter for personal AND business, you might find that you get inundated with too much mindless, mundane updates for it to actually work as a networking site (I prefer Facebook myself). However, I am always open to feedback from those of you who have gained positive connections and/or sales through Twitter (Contact me if you have!) Where I really feel it benefits is from a research and development standpoint – listen to the tweets and you might find it ‘sweet’.

Use Twitter to….

Simply Listen and Learn. As real estate professionals, and especially if you own a real estate business, you should always be keeping up with the latest news and events in your industry. By now you should be getting preference specific news updates like Google alerts on those topics that you care about- your market, local area economic concerns, real estate technology etc. (If you’re not, you better start…email me if you need to know how to set this up). You need to keep up on this information to remain an educated, well-informed service professional for your clients. In keeping with that objective, Twitter CAN help you stay informed. Follow organizations like Inman News, the Real Estate Channel, and even your own local association for updates on things that affect you, your business and your clients.

Learn about your competition. What better way to find out what your competitors are doing…each day more and more real estate businesses are adding “corporate profiles”. Usually a staff member or even an executive is posting updates to their page about their latest business happenings. If you’re lucky, they’re posting information about their newest marketing campaign, strategy, expansions, management practices and more. They’re so busy bragging themselves up, suddenly you know as much about them as their own agents.

Learn about your clients. Regardless of what age range you cater to, get your clients enthused about social media. If you have someone contact you through your website, search for them on Twitter. Follow them if you find them. Read all about their daily lives, family and things they care about then make sure you stay on top of it. If they post that they are sad they lost their dog, send them a note of sympathy. Let them know you care. Thoughtfulness is the key to prosperity.

Remind you what is important. As I was writing this, I took a break to be with my three month old son. He was blissfully playing on his back with a play gym I recently bought him. As I approached him, his eyes lit up and he smiled at me. There was something wonderfully sweet about the fact that he has no idea what Twitter is…or the internet for that matter. I’m going to enjoy and relish in the first few years of his life where he is not inundated with constant communication and social networking. I’m sure by the time he is five he’ll know more about all of this than me…but until then, I’m glad all he’ll know or care about is the color of his “Peeps” not the amount of his Tweets.

Happy Socializing!

Social Media Online; Separating Personal from Professional

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:20:06 -0700

Social media a new set of internet tools that enable shared community experiences, both online and in person. As social media gains more popularity among all generations, many people are using the internet for both personal and professional reasons. It’s a great idea to use the internet for your profession, however much like in life, it’s always best to separate your personal life from your professional life. Social media is one example where this is crucial.

Social media is quickly becoming one of the fastest, most effective ways to network. It can be extremely beneficial to connect and network with friends and business associates. Many people have reconnected with people they haven’t seen in quite some time, which can be quite fun. Sites like Facebook and MySpace can become virtual class and family reunions that allow you to share and collaborate with people you may not see that often.

At the same time, social media can also be a great way to network professionally with business associates and clients. Many real estate agents have begun using social media websites to network themselves with other business professionals and prospects.

Utilizing social media can be extremely effective. You build relationships with people through sharing and collaboration. The drawback is that you can find yourself sharing information that you didn’t expect- or showing your business associates and potential clients a side of you that might be less than flattering. It’s important to remember that people may judge you not only by your behavior but by those with whom you associate. Remember that on many social media sites, you can’t always control what other people post about you or themselves. Your clients and prospects might not find that photo of you with friends drinking at the bar and being silly all that humorous or professional. You can’t control what others say and do online. That’s why it’s crucial to always keep your online personal and professional life separate.

Keeping your personal and professional life separate as much as possible can be difficult when your business associates become your friends. However, if you want to use social media as a way to network with clients, you must be very skilled at navigating these tricky waters. Your clients and business associates gain a first impression from you based on your initial contact, regardless if it was in person. That means if they ‘meet’ you online in a social media site like Facebook or MySpace, your profile page will be their first impression. Make sure that whatever social media site you utilize that you can control the settings – you want to be able to decide who gets to see your information and what they can post. Your friend from college might think it’s funny to post that story about your past party escapades, but your potential clients might not find it quite so intriguing.

If you wish to use a site like Facebook, setup a profile for your personal friends and family, and setup a separate one for your persona as a business professional. A word of caution! Facebook terms of use clearly state, “the Service and the Site are available for your personal, non-commercial use only”. Do not use a Facebook personal profile page to promote or recruit for your company. You can use it to talk about what you’re doing, accomplishments, answer client questions, post photos and more, but if you use it too much as an advertisement, Facebook may contact you and you could have your profile shut off. If you wish to promote your company, utilize “Facebook Pages”. Facebook Pages are special profiles used solely for commercial, political, or charitable purposes. You can create a page for your company under your own profile login to make administrating it easy. You can also add other members of your company as admins. There are a varitey of tools you can use on these pages that have been created specifically for business ues. I’ll cover how to utilize social media for your business in a later post.

To create a professional social media profile, here are some do’s and don’ts:

DO:

1. Post personal information about yourself, but keep it professional. Use a professional head shot for your profile photo. Stay away from using photos that portray you casually. Remember this is a professional representation of you- make sure that you’re portraying yourself appropriately.

2. Include relevant information that would connect you with another individual’s personal experiences. Where you grew up, went to school, perhaps whether or not you’re married and for how long, how many children you may have and any places you’ve traveled is all fair game for a professional profile. Other people identify with groups you may belong to- alumni groups are a great way to create a personal connection. * Warning! Keep it brief! Don’t bore everyone with too many personal details. Keep it only to that information you would share in a business networking situation.

3. Post professional accomplishments, acknowledgements and designations you have achieved. This is a chance to let everyone know your true credentials. Do not, under any circumstances, embellish your accomplishments! Even though it may be tempting, it’s very easy to verify the truth online. If you’re caught lying about your credentials, you lose all credibility forever. Be honest, and if you feel your profile needs more “fluff” go out and actually achieve the accomplishments you desire.

4. Post photos that portray you engaging in appropriate activities and refrain from posting too many. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself whether or not you’d hang the photo(s)on the wall in your office.

5. Post information about your company or your industry experience. Where the business is located, how you got your start, and where you are today are all great points. Include contact information and your website.

6. Post your professional news. This is your chance to get the word out about what you’re doing lately. Announce a new client/listing, a recent sale, and recent accomplishments. Brag about your successes and achievements- this is your chance!

7. Keep current clients and potential clients informed about changes in your industry or your business practices. If you’re now offering title insurance, or you just partnered with a great banker, get the word out on your profile page. It might just prompt someone to contact you!

8. Use “status updates” as a way to show how busy you are. Let people know you just updated your website or posted to your blog. Include a link.

9. Join networks that are specific to your area and profession. These can be great ways to connect with others who share your interests; a great starting point for business relations.

10. Connect with clients by posting relevant information to their profile pages; let your clients know you sold a property in their area, or market conditions that affect them. They’ll appreciate the real-time updates and insider information they get from you first hand.

DON’T:

1. DON’T inundate your contacts with ‘special requests’ (like sending someone a shamrock for St. Patrick’s Day or silly quizzes, etc.) Remember much of what you do on these sites gets emailed to your contacts when you do it. If you annoy your contacts with a constant barrage of irrelevant items, they’ll start treating you like they treat their spam email…they’ll delete you!

2. DON’T try to friend people just to gain as many contacts as you can and don’t send people you don’t know your other contacts unless they have indicated they are interested in them. If you suggest friends to other people, make sure you genuinely feel they might know them or benefit from knowing them. It’s irritating to get friend requests from people you don’t know and are not interested in knowing. Keep your profile page relevant and personal. Make sure you are communicating with people who will actually find your information relevant to them.

3. DON’T use status updates to show how mundane your life is. No one cares that you just did the dishes or that you just watched American Idol.

4. DON’T talk about your love life. It is unprofessional to air your ‘dirty laundry’ to professional business contacts. “Hook ups” and break ups are off limits and whatever you do, don’t talk about your relationship problems!

5. DON’T put someone else down. Keep it professional and above board. If you wouldn’t say it to everyone you’ve ever known or talked to, then don’t say it online.

6. DON’T put other companies, previous employees, agents or anyone else down or use social media to slander others. It’s poor business practice and only makes you look unprofessional. This is your chance to shine; don’t waste your precious time on making others look bad.

7. DON’T forget that everything you do online is traceable. Make sure that whatever you say or do remains professional. You very often can’t take back things that are said and done online.

8. DON’T post photos of you in compromising situations. Refrain from posting photos of you partying, drinking, or engaging in any illegal or questionable activity. It only takes one unsavory photo to ruin your reputation forever. If you wouldn’t give it to the media, don’t put it online.

9. DON’T use your social media outlets just to connect with other real estate professionals. Use it as a way to connect with clients and potential clients as well. Offer them valuable information and they’ll keep coming back for more. Encourage referrals!

10. Finally…never, EVER joke about engaging in illegal or dishonest activities or business practices online in either your personal or professional profile. As social media catches on, more employers and business associates will utilize social media to find out information about you. Though it can be a successful business tool, it can also be detrimental if you make a wrong move. Make sure that whatever you post online you’re prepared to defend.

Once you have setup your professional social media sites online, there are a variety of ways you can use them to benefit your business. I’ll cover that in a later post. Until then, happy socializing!

A Real Thanksgiving - What Matters Most in Life

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:14:09 -0800

Turn on any television today and you'll depress yourself with all of the doom and gloom occurring around the country and now the world. It seems as though everywhere you turn there is another depressing report about the state of our economy and 'consumer confidence'. As more people are exposed to this antagonistic, negativity, I am finding every day interactions are getting nastier and nastier. Common, every day communication has become bitter and mean. It seems everyone is in a bad mood and have nothing good or positive to say. I have begun to wonder- are we so engrained in our finances that we have forgotten that we are human? Do we worship our money so much that when threatened, we turn on each other? Does our business and profit margin mean so much to us that we would lie to gain advantage over another person or entity?

My grandfather was a POW in WWII and I wonder what he would think of our interactions today. What would he think of doing business on the web, writing blogs and interacting with people you'll never really meet? Would he think it's great, or would it seem depressing? Are the days gone where you have to treat people with decency and respect because you'll see them again someday? Has it become so easy to hide behind the internet and anonymity that we somehow feel more powerful when we can say or do things that bring sadness, hurt or harm to others? Has this kind of thinking bled into every day personal interactions?

As this year's Thanksgiving approaches, I elect to focus on that which matters most- people...and I hope you'll do the same. This Thanksgiving, take stock in those who are important to you, but at the same time, don't forget that everyone is important, regardless of who they are or what they do. This is true in your personal and professional life. Be thankful for all the people in your life who do things for you. Remember that people are imperfect...they will make mistakes. Keep in mind that companies are not "things" they are made up of people like you who are just trying to do the best they can. If you go shopping on Friday, treat the service people how you would want to be treated. Have patience. Be kind. Don't let your own frustrations turn you into someone of whom you would be ashamed. Always try and put yourself in their shoes- empathy goes a long way towards kindness and understanding. Most importantly of all, however, remember that regardless of what the media and "experts" say, money does NOT make the world go ‘round...people do and you make the choice each day about the kind of legacy you'll leave behind. Stay positive and focus on that which matters most and you'll experience true success regardless of how big or small you bank account is today.

CyberSunshine Launches New Agent QuickSite

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:46:50 -0800

CyberSunshine is proud to announce the launch of a new Agent QuickSite, http://www.intownlifeatl.com/. Kevin Polite is an agent with Solid Source Realty, a metro-Atlanta based real estate company. The website is part of Solid Source Realty's Agent Quicksite Program offering agents a suite of custom tools created for the corporate site but custom tailored for an agent's personal website.

The site's features include a custom IDX property search of FMLS & GAMLS data, featured properties, real estate related articles, along with comprehensive school and neighborhood information. The site also features lead capture tools; an automated home search system, "First to Know" that sends daily email updates and logs their activity to a backend database, a content manager and design editing tool all within the backend control panel.

For information on the agent website program or any other products and services available, please contact us!

A Changing Market is No Excuse for Bad Behavior

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:32:16 -0700

KUDOS to Randy for saying what so many people are thinking but afraid to say. It's great to know that there are still those of you out there who are dedicated to your job and committed to treating other people fairly. At least you can sleep at night knowing you did the very best you could, regardless of how you were treated.

Via Randy L. Prothero - Hawaii REALTOR®:

When the market was hot, it seemed like people were crawling out of the woodwork to become real estate agents and loan officers. They had little to no training and no experience, yet they had a license. The market was hot, everyone was making money and it seemed like clients were willing to forgive and forget. It was a royal pain in the neck for the rest of us who had to deal with them.

Now that the market has changed, many of them are still lingering around. This last year, I have seen worsening behavior among many part time/ hobbyist agents.

Phone messages and e-mails unreturned.

Messy and incomplete contracts. Some agents refusing to submit offers in writing (more on that).

Not pre-approving or pre-qualifying their buyers.

Not appearing for scheduled showings and not calling to cancel.

Rude to other agent's and their clients.

Listings without photos or accurate information.

Not following timelines. Commonly because of one of the following reasons.

Don't know how to read a contract.

Busy with their other job.

Lazy or just don't care.

One of the tactics I am seeing more of is agents fishing for price. I have gotten several calls from agents making verbal offers on my listings. They expect the seller to accept the price, before they will consider writing an offer. No mention of any of the other details of the offer or even if they have a qualified buyer. The main reason for this is they are offering a ridiculously low price and they know it will most likely not be accepted. I am sure they are making dozens of these calls.

In the last month I have had several agents no-show for appointments on my listings. One of my listings has sellers that are an 80 year old couple. My sellers take extreme pride in their home and go out of the way to be sure the home is ready for all showings. Even after I tell agents to call if they are not going, and explain that my sellers are in advanced years, we still get no call. Three no shows in the last month; two of them did not return my messages. I have had no-shows on all of my listings.

Behaviors like this damage the public's view of our profession. When you consider how much money is involved in these transactions, there should be no excuse or tolerance for unprofessional behavior.

Back to Basics: Five Ways to Use the Internet to Make you Money

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:02:18 -0700

At CyberSunshine, Inc., we're dedicated to helping you understand everything you need to know about your online marketing objectives. Whether you're an individual agent, or a large brokerage, there are still far too many of you who have not committed seriously to your online program. You know who you are- it's been on your "to do" list for a long time, but you just don't know where to start. Or maybe you've had a site but it's just not doing the job. We're here to give you a back-to-basics refresher on how to use online marketing effectively.

1. Get a personal website and BRAND you or your company.

80% of all real estate transactions involve the use of the Internet. Buyers using the Internet end up using a professional real estate person to help them 90% of the time. In order to be successful in this industry, you need to think "Internet," yet also focus on branding. You should work hard as a real estate professional to differentiate yourself from competition in all aspects of your marketing. Building a brand is a critical piece to accomplishing this task, and is something that many real estate agents tend to overlook. You want your brand to mean something specific to the marketplace. Your brand is not just your company name, logo, website, or advertisements. A brand is what your clients think, say, and believe about your company. Your clients should be undoubtedly aware of the benefits you offer them. Your brand identity must work for you on your website and all other marketing materials you use throughout a specific time period. Use your brand identity to describe your services and how you can benefit your clients. It is important to realize that your brand is also deciphered into your logo so that it is easily remembered. When your clients see your logo, they should effortlessly associate it with your distinguished services and benefits.

2. Market your Site

It is extremely important to your continued success as a real estate professional to spend time on a marketing plan. You should work with an online consultant who will help you determine your goals and objectives for your online marketing. You MUST diversify your marketing strategies, much the same way you would with an investment portfolio. After all, the technology you purchase is an investment and it should be working for you at all times. Invest your money into a variety of different marketing platforms (e.g. natural search, pay per click, manual submissions, site adjustments, etc.) so that you get the maximum benefit for your expenditures, and avoid "putting all your eggs in one basket." We recommend participating in data push programs such as GoogleBase and Video portals for maximum exposure.

3. Enhance your listings- videos, photos and more!

In order to truly differentiate and stand out from other more standardized websites, there are many things you can do to enhance your listing and drive traffic to your site. You could add more remarks, photos, brochures and virtual tours. One way to truly stand out from the rest is by creating videos of your properties and the communities in which they are located. Video portals are an easy and convenient way agents can show video from their website and gain additional exposure of their properties. Web videos are a creative way to realistically show a home without physically having to be there. They offer a thorough, realistic view of a home, which allows the listing to become something of significance for buyers who are searching for a more tangible way to experience a particular property.

4. Work Hard and Commit Yourself to the Site

Too often, agents want their website to be simple and "do-it-all for them." The popular saying "If you build it, they will come" doesn't apply to real estate sites. You cannot build a site and then just let it sit there, expecting it to earn you business without doing anything. You should commit at least a couple of hours to your website per month. Two to three hours per week is preferable. Commitment to online advertising is critical. While real estate advertisers continue to cut back expenditures on print ads and direct mail, online advertising continues to grow in popularity and has become essential to the success of real estate agents. It is estimated that in 2007 50% or more of real estate companies spent more on their online advertising than on print. You need to be ready and willing to embrace this technology to stay in the game.

5. Reinvest in Your Technology

If you do have a website, you must continue to reinvest in it in order to keep it fresh, new, and innovative. A website is an investment just like a property. If you care for it and maintenance it, then it will flourish and make money for you. If you let it sit, it will do nothing and degenerate with time.
Reinvest about one-third of your technology costs each year for maintenance, replacement, and training purposes. Invest at minimum, 5% to 10% of your revenue in technology. Set aside funds each time you make a sale into a marketing account for this purpose. Cutting corners when it comes to your technology will only hurt your long-term success. When implemented correctly, the savings of technology and return on your investment will far exceed the costs.

Follow these five basic rules and you'll be further on your way to a more successful online marketing approach. Keep in mind, however, that it is never a bad idea to enlist the help of a professional when determining your online marketing goals and objectives. If you sell real estate well, chances are you don't have a lot of time to devote to all of these things so you'll need to delegate. An experience professional can not only help you formulate a plan, but execute it as well.

Videos Online: A Creative Way to Sell Homes and Gain Exposure

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:13:19 -0700

In recent news you may have heard of a popular website, YouTube.com. YouTube.com is quickly becoming one of the most popular sites on the Internet. Recently acquired by Google, YouTube.com is a search engine portal that allows you to upload videos to it for public use. Additionally, the Google Video search index is now populating videos from YouTube to increase search content.

In the past, limitations with web technology prevented successful execution of online videos. Recent advances in broadband technology, web production and creation methods make creating and providing videos online a reality. In today's market when you're searching for ways to get ahead of competition by providing buyers and sellers with more offerings, you need to find innovative ways to grab and maintain attention. Web videos are a creative and engaging way to realistically show a home without physically having to be there. It makes a home accessible around the world, removing barriers that have limited potential markets in the past. Web videos may soon start replacing the popular virtual tour format, as virtual tours are notorious for poor quality, distorted images, and unsightly seams. Web video offers a more detailed, realistic view of a home, providing a more compelling and professional presentation of the property. Industry experts predict that in the next 12-24 months, videos online will gain popularity and favorability among buyers who are searching for a more tangible way to experience a particular property or community.

Property listings incorporating online videos also offer the buyer a more convenient and quicker way to compare multiple homes of interest. Add videos of a particular area or location of interest to provide a more comprehensive viewpoint of the property location. Through the use of online videos, buyers feel more confident in their purchase when they are able to rule out certain listings without physically having to tour each home. From a seller's standpoint, videos offer a more entertaining and engaging presentation of their home.

Perhaps the greatest aspect of online videos is their ease of distribution. Once you have your videos, you can integrate them into your website, email them to prospective clients, and disseminate them to millions of people around the world through popular search portals. YouTube.com and other video portals are a great way for real estate agents to gain even more listing exposure. Videos are manually pushed to these portals and then indexed as part of their search content. With click-throughs back to your website, you can improve your listing exposure and your website rankings online. Though popularity for this type of advertising is new, some agents have already begun uploading videos online. These agents are gaining maximum exposure right now while competition for search rankings is extremely low.

Watch for online videos to gain even more popularity within the next 24 months as popular search portals like YouTube.com gain more exposure among online users. Be prepared and ahead of the curve by starting to use this effective form of advertising and exposure for your listings.

CyberSunshine, Inc. Ranked Top 100 South Florida Small Businesses

Cassandra Engeldinger (CyberSunshine, Inc.) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:30:11 -0700

We are proud to announce that CyberSunshine, Inc. has been named amongst the Top 100 South Florida Businesses in the annual South Florida 500 issue by South Florida Business Leader Magazine, formerly South Florida CEO. Qualifying companies are privately held, have been in business for at least five years in Florida with a five year revenue growth of 40% or more. Additional criteria includes 100 employees or less, significant business achievements, honors, awards and community achievement. This is a true honor for CyberSunshine, Inc. and the hard working, dedicated staff. CyberSunshine, Inc. was started in 1998, has grown to service over 90 real estate associations across 28 states nationwide. We have thousands of clients both nationwide and abroad. We thank all of our clients for helping us maintain our growing success and look forward to servicing you in the near future.