marketing: Marketing for the Holidays with respect for Diversity: Spell Hanukkah - 12/03/08 06:39 AM
It's that time of year again,December, when many different religions celebrate their faith.  I love Christmas, it's always been my favorite time of year.  But I also learned to appreciate the other Celebrations like Hanukkah.  I remember as a teenager going to Temple with my best friend, and not really understanding anything, but trying to learn anyway.  I also went to Mormon Temple, Baptist, Lutheran, Nazarene and Presbyterian.  I wanted to know what each Organization believed.  I think this is what helped me respect the diversity of our Religious Holidays today.

Marketing during this time of year has gotten both tricky … (22 comments)

marketing: Anyone in the Western States...need your help :) - 09/23/08 12:43 PM
Cultural Activities in the West....Are we as good as our Eastern Friends? Cultural Activities....not softball, lemonade stands, kite flying off the cliffs of Torrey Pines, but real honest to goodness Cultural Experiences...Museums and Art Galleries. Many times I have heard people say that they wanted to come to America to visit but they wanted to go to New York, or Boston, or one of the states in the East because that's where they have Museums.  Well, I hate to put my esteemed friends in the East down....but we also have Culture out West, and I'm bound and determined to prove it … (33 comments)

marketing: Marketing .....Plain and simple, Loud and Garish, or in-between? - 09/04/08 01:13 PM
Generational marketing.....we know about texting (look at the current Political Scene), we know about Blackberry's and the Apple iPHONE. We also know that when the "Boomer" Generation was younger a whole lot of us didn't wear glasses, liked loud music, and our tastes were different.  So, how does that relate to Marketing, Color, and this Post?
Last week I wrote about learning how to make Wallpaper and Calendars to give away:
Marketing: Learning from Marti Garaughty & "Art of Marketing You" Tutorials
Since that Post I have noticed that we don't all like the same things, and if we are going to … (30 comments)

marketing: Marketing: Learning from Marti Garaughty & "Art of Marketing You" Tutorials - 08/30/08 03:33 PM
The Art of Marketing You Group, here on Active Rain, has become my new best friend.  I love new ideas, and love things that can increase my business.  Like so many people, time seems to be more abundant than money these days. Reading Active Rain, and other Real Estate Networking sites  keeps us on top of any new changes to the Market, or anything new for Marketing or Technology.  Following marti garaughty's Blog and Wallpaper Tutorials is like a soap opera....each week we just want more :)
Well, Marti's last Post............was a great Tutorial on how to make our own Wallpaper.  … (26 comments)

marketing: Will Gas Prices Change the Marketability of Real Estate? - 07/10/08 04:14 AM
Think back several years.....as many as I can think of people that couldn't afford a certain area went a little further out.  And bought where they could afford.  Now what? Even if gas goes back down a little, I believe the greed of the Market, and the Oil Companies will never allow it to go back to what it was last year.  The Pandora's Box has been opened, and we are paying the price....literally.  So, what does this have to do with Real Estate?

 
My primary Market, West Palm Springs also known as Whitewater, CA is about 20 minutes … (32 comments)

marketing: Blogging with a Heart.....Will we remember you when you're gone - 06/26/08 10:50 AM
This is a social network, and many of us also belong to other social networks, chat rooms, etc. where we meet people that we call "friends".  But what happens when that friend leaves, or you don't read anything from them for a long time. Do you think of these "living in my computer" friends and colleagues, or is it out of sight out of mind?  Today I remembered a dear AR Friend that is no longer with us.
Today I have been working on several Real Estate related articles for my outside blog  California Real Estate and Life.  As a Veteran myself … (30 comments)

marketing: Monday Morning.....the Gifts of marti garaughty that keep on giving :) - 06/15/08 05:10 PM
Designing a website or blog.....Pitfalls encountered when we aren't focused and lessons learned.
About a month ago I wrote a Blog Titled: Get out of your comfort zone and learn something....Blogs 101.   How premature that desire was to have someone design a new Blog for me.  Heck I wasn't even focused enough to be able to articulate what the Blog would be used for.  Oh sure, I could say anything, but the reality is without being focused, how does the Designer know what to do for you?  How do they know how to maximize your site for your benefit?  And what do you do … (51 comments)

marketing: Tuesday Truths............ Fake or Real~ Follower or Leader; Marketing Yourself - 04/29/08 04:45 AM
What is Self-Marketing exactly? As Real Estate Professionals we put our information on websites, networking sites, Classifeied Ads, and everywhere and anywhere online that we think can help us. The goal being to get people to want to call us.  We want people that have a Real Estate need to contact us, and we want to help our business.
 
The other day I got a phone call, someone was calling me for Information.  This is why I have my Blog, and why I have given up a certain amount of privacy....for the CALL.  Anyway, so I get a call.  This isn't anything new, but … (26 comments)

marketing: Tuesday Truths.....All of Us Judge each other rightly or wrongly..... - 04/15/08 04:28 AM
How many times have you bought something on  e-bay, or anywhere else on the Internet, but once you received it you were disappointed - it wasn't really what you thought it was.  Think about our jobs, our clients, the homes we list, finance, sell, everything we do including blogging here on Active Rain. How many times have you been disappointed?
For Today's Tuesday Truths I have decided to repost something I wrote many months ago.......I think it is as Relevant today as it was then, maybe even more so.  I have often wondered why someone would write some of the things they do, or … (40 comments)

marketing: Virtual Open House.....It's Over and I would say a rousing Success :) - 04/06/08 09:20 AM
The other day I posted the final step we were doing to make this a reality Virtual Open House....A Real Estate Win-Win for Everyone including clients....:) and now the Results are in. For those of you that might not know , this idea was a Marketing Contest Entry from Misty Lackie  CEO  Go Smart Solutions . 
This is the page that Misty and  Candice  developed that stayed up all week until the actual time of the  Virtual Open House . I have to tell you I was very nervous.....yes, nervous.  I felt like I was giving a Party, and was afraid no one would show … (54 comments)

marketing: Tuesday Truths....Lenders are now being Scammed; and don't they deserve it? - 04/01/08 05:03 PM
Todays Market.....What does that really mean to the Average Home Buyer or Seller?  There are a ton of Articles on buying and selling....but what about the newest scams that have popped up?  And yes, these scams have to do with Lenders.  I just learned about it today, and I'll be a SOB.... I just couldn't believe it.
 
 
REO (Bank owned) Properties......I have one currently listed, and had written about it back in December. Most of them need work as people leave in the middle of the night, or damage the place out of anger. The issue isn't that the work needs to be … (26 comments)

marketing: Want a Great Marketing Idea......I got mine by Judging an Active Rain Contest - 03/30/08 09:39 AM
This time last week I was helping Judge a Marketing Contest....there were a lot of interesting entries, but 2 of them really stood out for me, and ones that I could see myself using.  That was a week ago, and tonight I just finished implementing one of them. 
The results of the Contest aren't out yet, but the voting is over, so I can say that one of the Entries Virtual Open House  by Misty Lackie  CEO  Go Smart Solutions , sounded intriguing.  I could see the benefit to this, and even though it only got a few comments, those people also saw … (32 comments)

marketing: A little bit of the Old West- Land :) - 03/07/08 07:53 PM
Saturday afternoons I used to watch old cowboy movies ~ The Rifleman, Roy Rogers, John Wayne, and so many others.  I loved watching these movies.  So today when I was making my Real Estate Show on land for sale in Riverside County, I chose the Western Music.  I enjoyed listening to it so much that I changed all the  Picture Titles to complement the music :) 
 I love the tune, it makes me want to get in my car and drive back out to all the Properties I have listed for sale.......but it's 1:30 in the morning, so I think I'll just listen … (19 comments)

marketing: Does anyone have a one legged REALTOR® - 02/05/08 01:32 AM
I was sitting here thinking.  We're not allowed to discriminate when we hire someone because it's the law, but what about REALTOR's®? A lot of people have never personally met their Agent. All business was transacted over the phone, electronically, or through the mail. They wouldn't know if you were a green-eyed two headed purple people eater, a nice elderly crank, or someone that acts young.  They don't know......they just see a Marketing Picture; a head shot usually, and we know these aren't always up to date.
 
But what if you only had one leg?  What if you got to a listing appointment, and when … (35 comments)

marketing: How much does FREE cost........can you afford it anymore - 01/31/08 06:19 PM
As Real Estate Agents, Stagers, or anyone else that works in the Real Estate Field we try to find innovative ways to Market ourselves, and try to let people know that we are working in their area.  But seriously now, how many times do we use the word FREE.....isn't that the word everyone wants to see.  Advertising.....buy one, get one FREE. 
 
Magnets, notepads, pens, water-bottles, calendars. etc.  OK, granted some people actually use these......
 
 Newsletter....just sign or click here........
 
E-mail .....just fill in this box......oh and we just might sell your info, or at the very least we will Market to you, or our … (28 comments)

marketing: Marketing Yourself....Holiday Gifts - 12/09/07 07:40 PM
Life is full of surprises, and it is full of the unexpected.  This is supposed to be the slow time in our Real Estate Market- the Holiday Season. This is supposed to be the time we spend more time with our family and friends....time to give thanks, and time to reflect and plan for the coming year.
While times are slower, and some people's financial situations might be a little uncertain, Nature has some Wonderful Gifts for all of us. If you need to give a gift......Photography can be a great gift.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Photos make great Holiday (or anytime) Gifts, and Great Marketing … (45 comments)

marketing: How did Your Website go from Great to Pitiful - 11/09/07 04:13 AM
When was the last time you really looked at your online presence? Tech tools, tech fun...you hear everyone say they can help our Business, but these tools are only good if you know how to use them. If not, it's no fun at all, and can change your perception of what was once Great to what is now Pitiful. Our Websites.....our online presence.
I have this Blog; I have 5 websites.....2 Real Estate Oriented, 1 Photography, and 1 Notary.  Two are pretty good and two are in dire need of HELP. Thank You DAKNO Marketing (Bobby Carroll) for giving me 19 pages of what I need to do.  Heck … (51 comments)

marketing: Who is Telling the Truth....Lender, Agent, or Mother-in Law - 10/13/07 04:14 AM
 I just woke up, turned on my computer  and there it was. Something that my client said her "Mother-in-law" told her was true, but I said No, it's not. Well, at least not as far as it concerned her loan. She trusts me, and I told her No, but Some of Your Ads are telling her YES....who is the consumer to believe, their Agent, or the Lender's Ad.
 
 I  logged onto Yahoo, and the Lead Ad Jumped out at me.........Interest Rates Lowered to 4.75% ........Then it told the consumer to call them to lower their Interest Rate.  Wait, I just told a client this wasn't … (22 comments)

marketing: Joe Blow isn't on TV... But the Big Balloon Company is...How Do You Choose - 10/11/07 09:59 AM
Have you ever driven down Main Street of whatever city you wanted to buy a home in, and noticed all the Real Estate Offices?  If it is a small town, you might have Mom and Pop Browns Realty, and Joe Blow's Realty Plus, a few more with cute catchy names, some with pictures in the windows and some with a lot of neat stuff outside inviting you in.
 
But how do you know which one to go to, especially if you have 10 choices within a few blocks radius?  Do you go to the one with the Big Balloon because you saw … (83 comments)

marketing: Blogging Expectations - 08/05/07 06:49 AM
When you write a Post to your Blog what are your expectations?  A Post takes time to write, time to edit for spelling and grammar errors, maybe find an appropriate photo or other graphic, and hopefully the content is either entertaining, educational, or inspirational, or possibly all of these.
Now that you have it written, you go back and make sure you haven't intentionally offended anyone, and then Post it.....but  what if your intention was to write about one thing yet everyone else picked up on something different. What was your expectation?
I just finished commenting on my last Post Baby Boomers and Technology Without our "Cheaters.".....  and … (13 comments)