Patrick Ciriello's Blog

Utilizing Craigslist - And Avoiding the Ghosts

Patrick Ciriello (Hawks Mountain Consulting) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:55:41 -0700

This is an excallent use of Internet Marketing. When you are marketing your business, a listing, or a service, always user the various avenues that are availabe, espcially the ones that are free (or at least inexpensive.) And, as Kristie points out, always target your audience. Geography, propect, benefit - these are the things people use in their searches. Use the keyword finder on Google to narror down the type of keywords that people are looking for; this will increase your viewers and limit it to those who are really looking in the area.

You can access the tool at: http://adwords.google.com

There are a number of resources online that can help you with using the tool. I would also be available to consult via remote access to walk someone through using it as well.

Patrick

Via kristie Filion (SuccessWebsite.com):

For the past 3 years or so, I have been helping my clients post ads for their listings and real estate services on Craigslist, and in the beginning it was a lovely service to offer. They were getting great leads without having to pay a dime. Sure, it took some time to put together and post the ads, but it was great to be able to tell a client that we can generate leads without additional ad costs.

It was also the perfect opportunity for companies like ours to develop products to help clients post ads more effectively on Craigslist.

And that’s just what we did. We spent months developing a product that would combine online listing flyers with USP (unique selling proposition) ads to generate the maximum amount of traffic to the website. It was wonderfully complex and would surly be the most innovative thing to hit the market.

After a stellar launch, there was more interest in it than any other product we had put out before. Our clients were extremely excited about it and new business was coming in as a result. And then.......... the ghosts came (insert scary music here).

Ghosting is when your ad appears to be accepted by Craigslist, but is not actually posted to the list of ads. You will receive a confirmation email from Craigslist saying your ad was accepted, and the link will direct you to what looks like a successfully posted ad online, but if you search for it on the list it wont show up. The ad is there, but can't be seen by anyone. It is a "ghost".

There are benefits to posting ads on Craiglist simply because it gets a massive amount of traffic on a daily basis. Should you build your business around it? Definitely not. And it is always dangerous to rely on one method of advertising (especially when it’s free).It can be very easy to get sucked into trying to "game the system" when your time could be better used elsewhere.

But, there are still some great ways for real estate agents to advertise on Craigslist.

Just yesterday I recorded a webinar specifically on this and what you can do to avoid the ghosting issues. Click here to access the Craigslist webinar video.

I also recommend the following quick tips to those who want to successfully post on Craigslist:

Make sure you have a strong headline. The most effective headlines within Craigslist contain the geographic Area, unique type of home (fixer upper, foreclosure/Distress, luxury etc.) and the type of prospect (first time buyer, investor, home seller etc.)

If you plan to post more than once a day, create multiple accounts. You will also need multiple phone numbers for verification purposes

Use images for your ads instead of .html.

Try posting in the "Real Estate Services" category rather than "Real Estate For Sale", especially if you are offering a free list of homes, real estate reports or an online home evaluation.

The bottom line: Blocking, ghosting and flagging are not unique to real estate advertisers. They are problems that have become widespread among all Craigslist users, whether they are spammers, legitimate businesses or innocent individuals. It can be even more frustrating because the conditions that cause these problems are not consistent from city to city. And Craigslist seems to be firm in its refusal to openly deal with the matter.

In the end, the most I can do is try to address the Craigslist needs of our members and remain committed to helping them succeed. And as Ray Parker once sang in that mildly popular 80’s tune “I ain't afraid of no ghosts”.

Kristie Filion

SuccessWebsite.com

kristie@successwebsite.com

1-800-361-9527 ext. 1100

Maximize your SEO Marketing using the ReBlog Button

Patrick Ciriello (Hawks Mountain Consulting) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 10:56:55 -0700

I really enjoyed this post from Debbie Gartner from Floor Coverings International in Westchester (all I did there was cut and paste that sentence from Debbie's post.)

As a professional Social Media and Internet marketer, it is always a pleasure to read about blogging and marketing from business owners, rather than other marketers. Not only does it lend credibility to the SEO/SMM/IM profession, but we all learn something new. This arena is contantly evolving, and the 'ReBlog' button on AR is a very powerful tool for those that use it wisely.

For me, the geography part is not as important, since I can work with anyone, anywhere, for marketing, coaching, and consulting. For the software side of the business, Vermont is the main area, though we may be expanding to the rest of the East Coast.

Debbie mentions Google Maps ... this is a key element for marketing these days. If you would like to learn a bit more, here is a link to a post from the Social Media Agency, UpLog, with whom I am a partner. I'll be adding information to my Hawks Mountain Consulting web site as well.

As for adding a backlink (like the one I have in the last paragraph), make sure you fill out the 'title' portion. This is an important element for SEO, and many people just leave it blank.

Lastly, add your contact information is ALWAYS a good idea, and should always include as much information as possible to make it as easy as possible for you to be found and contacted. So, here is my contact information (with embedded links where appropriate ... again, the point is to make it EASY):

Those who are interested in learning even more about SEO, SMM, IM, and Blogging can contact me, Patrick Ciriello by phone at 888-236-8015, by email at info@hawksmountain.com, via our website at Hawks Mountain Consulting, through Skype: patrick.ciriello, or on Facebook.

I hope everyone has an awesome week!

Via Debbie Gartner - Westchester Flooring -Hardwood Floors Carpet Tile Refinish - (Floor Coverings International Westchester NY & Stamford CT):

Reblogging can be both beneficial for the original poster as well as the reblogger from an SEO standpoint. Here are a few tips to maximize your impact - both for you and the original blogger.

How it can help the original author

1. Their post gets more exposure, and importantly an additional link back to their post. This helps the SEO of their post. Also, they may get some more comments (which can also help) and more readers (and some may reblog it on the rebound). Sometimes more exposure leads to a feature, too.

2. If the original poster has links in their post or footer back to their website, then, they've now received additional links to their, site, too.

3. You can help the original poster by giving them a link back to their profile page. So, when you say, thank you so and so for writing this post, add a link to their name and link it to their profile page (you may need to open up a 2nd window). E.g. I really enjoyed this post from Debbie Gartner from Floor Coverings International in Westchester When you do this, you help strengthen the page rank and searchability of their profile page. Try to use some key words in the link (e.g. what they do and city/town they are located in. If you can just take 2 minutes to read their profile page, it will really go a long way to helping them as well as creating a stronger relationship with them.

How to improve your SEO and your impact.

1. Change the title...and if possible, include your geography. First off, changing the title in any way will help both you and the original author so it won't be seen as duplicate content. Second, if you include your geography, you are more likely to come up for your local search reults. To change the title, you need to publish the post, and then immediately go and edit, change the title and republish. (Try to do this right away before google indexes it. if it's done later, it's okay, but it will take longer before google recaches it).

I do this for posts that are relevant to me/home improvement. i do not do this for fun posts that I reblog where geography just doesn't make sense. (Not to mention that people will not be trying to find me for those terms).

3. Add commentary about the post AND include your geography here. You should be doing htis anyway to explain why you think the post is great and why you are reblogging for your audience. Mention your geography in the first line and if the reblog is logn enough, in the last line too. I try to always include zip codes too, since that seems to help with the searching. Sometimes, I'll even include a google map here w/ my geography.

4. Add a link back to your website in the commentary, if appropiate. For example, I have reblogged some posts from a friend of mine from Floor Coverings International and he is in another geography. One time, he wrote about cork flooring, so I mentioned that anyone looking for cork flooring in Westchester NY could find more info on my cork page.

5. Add your contact info at the end of the commentary unobtrusively. Yes, I know we all have footers, and if someone scrolls to the bottom, they will find us. But, sometimes, people either get confused with a reblog and/or don't read everything. Sometimes, they want to contact the reblogger because their commentary is so good (Lenn Harley is a great role model for this) and/or they want their local person. So, now, I've started adding something like, "Compliments of Debbie Gartner, owner of Floor Coverings International in Westchester NY 914-937-2950. I do it in bold so it stands out a bit, but not too much, so it doesn't ook flashy and doesn't take away from the content of the original blogger.

Hope this is helpful.

Hardwood Flooring - Carpet - Tile/Natural Stone - Laminate - Refinish Hardwood - Backsplashes

Debbie Gartner, President and Owner

"The Flooring Girl"

Floor Coverings International: Westchester NY/Stamford CT

You can download our free flooring guide. Or, visit our flooring selector - 2,000 options for hardwood flooring, carpet, tile. Call us for a free estimate 914-937-2950.

"We bring the store to your door."

WC19920-H07, HIC619252

Customer Service and Communication

Patrick Ciriello (Hawks Mountain Consulting) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:56:52 -0700

Yup ... another post about relationships ... LOL

This week I've learned the real value of providing good customer service. As many of you now know, I own the development and distribution rights to a software package called "ReDocs", and this package is mainly used by Real Estate Attorneys for completing and filing all the forms required when a deal closes. Many of our clients have been with us for over 10 years and have come to rely on our software.

So, when a workstation all of sudden doesn't work, it can cause real headaches, real stress, and can have real economic consequences.

I had one such scenario occur this week. Actually, it started last week, but I was not able to begin addressing the issue until Monday. I won't go into too much technical detail, but suffice it to say that the licensed platform upon which our software is based is very particular about the way it is installed and uninstalled. The licenses are keyed to the account, the IP address, and the to the network adapter. So, when my client switched from a wireless network to a more secure wired network, the program stopped working.

Unfortunately, it took several days and many emails between myself, the client, the client's IT contractor, and the support team for the platform software to determine the issue and find a solution. We have a happy ending, and my client is happy that we jumped in and fixed it as quickly as possible, but it revealed to me a few things that I would like to share.

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY - even though you may not have caused the problem, take responsibility for providing the solution. In this case, the problem was caused by lack of education. Even though we inform our clients that the software must be uninstalled while connected to the web to ensure that it can be re-installed once any significant changes are made to their systems, telling them this once is not enough. Time, turnover, and expedience often cause knowledge to be misplaced or lost. Sure, I could have blamed the client, or even the IT guy, but what would be the point? The funny thing is that when I finally was able to contact the IT contractor to find out what had been done so we could diagnose the problem, he was immediately putting up the "blame shield" - and having been in his position many times in the past, I can understand that. There are a lot of software people that will immediately blame the hardware guy (and vise-versa) - I don't think he was expecting me to have the attitude of "I don't really care what caused the problem, other than to try to prevent it in the future with other clients. I just want to find the solution, and I would like to partner with you to do that."

STAY IN TOUCH - with your clients - all the time. This scenario could easily have been avoided if we had been in constant contact with our clients, and their IT support contractors, reminding them of the complex licensing issues with the software platform and keeping them constantly updated with new information. My new monthly newsletter will be going out the first week of August, and it will have a few permanent sections including "WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING!"

OWN THE PROBLEM - not unlike point number one, but more specifically, take your client by the hand and be with them every step of the way until the problem is solved. I spoke with the client every day, sometimes two or three times, and I emailed them every time new information came to light. I have a happy client because they knew I was on top of the problem and that is *was* going to get resolved, one way or another. I even had the credit card ready to buy them new licenses if it came down to that.

So, what was gained? I have a happy client, I have a new hardware support ally, and both of them are now excellent references and potential sources for referrals. My client has peace of mind that when they call for help we'll be there, and the IT contractor, who was ready to drop them as a client, now has an ally that can jump in and help him when he runs into issues like this with our other clients. No money changed hands, but it was a win-win-win deal for everyone.

Referral Networking – You must plant before you harvest

Patrick Ciriello (Hawks Mountain Consulting) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:58:37 -0700

“What is in it for me?”

NOTHING … if this is the attitude with which you approach any potential networking group or activity, and even more so if the group is designed to bring referrals to its members.

Relationships – networking, marketing, sales, business development – it is all about relationships. The only time you can “play the numbers” is if you have a limitless advertising budget and you don’t really care with whom you do business. I’m sure the large soda manufacturers don’t really care about “you”, the individual. They care about “you” the collective, and for them, the numbers game works.

But for the small business, you don’t have that luxury. You *must* focus on the relationship; you must get people to know, like, and trust you before they will do business with you. Which means, you must GIVE *before* you GET. Period. It doesn’t work any other way. The exception to the rule would those brave souls who run a non-profit (a legitimate one, where 90% of the money isn’t going to salaries) – those people “give” of their time, their advice, their spirit, and their energy. If you work with anyone like this, you should be spending an hour a day trying to think of ways to either help them, promote them, or find them people that will donate to the cause.

For the business person, however, you need to develop relationships. The easiest way to do this is to be more interested in what everyone else does, and less interested in talking about yourself. Be more interested in finding out what the challenges are that are facing the members of your group, and then actively look for a solution, or someone who might be able to help.

Become a connector, and learn to actually care about your othere members. When you do that, they will begin to see your value, and it will be easy for them to refer business your way. A quote I learned a long time that has stuck with me, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care” is very true, especially in a circumstance where the recommendation puts their own reputation on the line. Why would I recommend business to someone I don’t like or trust?

The bottom line here: get involved! Spend the time and effort to learn about others, and their businesses, and help them to overcome their challenges. That which you plant you shall reap; so help others, refer business to them, and then watch as your own phone begins to ring off the hook or people start seeking you out for advice, interviews, expertise, or solutions.

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Get Rid of the Typewriter!

Patrick Ciriello (Hawks Mountain Consulting) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:03:15 -0700

Do you have forms that you need to fill out for your transactions? Do you find that for some, or many, you need to type or handwrite the information ... over, and over, and over again?

We can help you!

Hi, my name is Patrick Ciriello, and I own a product called ReDocs, which is short for "Real Estate Documents."

Our system, which has been developed over the last 15 years, supports over 300 forms used by Real Estate Attorney's in Vermont and New Hampshire, and those around the country doing business in those states.

The secret, however, is that we can create forms for just about anyone, for just about anything.

This means that if your proceses involve forms that are taking a lot time to utilize, we can help. Having issues findng the forms? Don't want to use the typewriter or hand write them? We can help.

The cost to develop a form is usually very small when compared to the amount of time, not to mention the frustration and stress, that it will save. And we can usually turn them around in two weeks or less (unless it is something that needs municipal or State approval - that could take a bit longer.)

So, if you want to make your paperwork move along more smoothly, give us a call and lets see if we can't help you save money, time, and energy.