Homes & Land has been working on our organic SEO for quite some time. Not only do we offer the finest quality print magazine in the area we provide excellent web exposure with over 20 national web partners and great Google juice! Here's some local results for the Greater Knoxville Area:
I had a Client ask me this week what my Top 10 marketing tips are.
I've never put together such a list because it would depend on the industry, on where the business was in its life cycle, the marketing budget, the expertise of the person owning the business, the goals of the business owner, and many more subjective variables.
Nonetheless, I took it upon myself to sit down to see if I could come up with a general Top 10 that might fit any business, and here they are, in no particular order:
Market yourself, in good times and bad, but especially in bad times. This means that you have to properly capitalize your company because some of the worst times that a company will go through are those first few days, weeks, months, and possibly years in business. If you want to be in it for the long term, you have to be able to survive the short term.
Do whatever works, as long as it is legal and meets your own moral and ethical standards. Some people don't want to be pushy like a used car salesman, but if it works, why not? Some people don't want to be the low-cost leader like Wal-Mart, but if it works, why not?
Create your unique selling point that will help you develop your niche market. This means that you might actually have to think about what you want to accomplish with your business, other than make money, of course.
Create two commercials, a presentation, and an infomercial. Your two commercials will be 30-second and 60-second commercials. Your presentation will be five minutes, and your infomercial will be 30-minutes. This allows you to meet the needs of any person or group asking "What do you do?"
Track everything you do. Everything! This means that you might need to either learn how to use Excel or hire someone who does. Perhaps you have a child who knows Excel or has the innate child computer ability to pick it up very quickly. For my Clients who are Realtors, I advise them to track everything about their open houses -- holiday weekend, weather, time, traffic, television competition, outdoor competition, etc. I do that because I want them to be in it for the long term, so next year when they are considering an open house to compete against the Chargers, or Padres, or the Over the Line tournament, or whatever, they'll have a good sense of whether it is worthwhile or not. After four or five years, you'll have a great indication of what works and what doesn't work, regardless of what you're doing.
Be persistent and consistent. This is probably the most difficult thing for people to do, especially those who are self-employed because one of the reasons why they chose to become self-employed was because they got tired of the same old, same old in the office every day. It's that same old, same old that made the office and the business work efficiently, and it's the same with your business. Whatever you choose to do, do it persistently and consistently.
Never assume you are the best. Prove it to each and every Client. This comes right back to being persistent and consistent. If you prove it each and every time, it will become a habit.
People prefer buying from people, not automatons or businesses. This means that you need to work on your speech and actions so that you can converse appropriately with prospective Clients. One of the reasons why I have such a wide variety of interests is because I want to be able to talk about anything with anyone. I don't have to be an expert; I just have to know what's going on in the world around me. That world is my world.
Listen to your Clients. Ask them about their needs, wants, and goals. And then listen! Once they are finished talking and you are finished listening, you can explain how you can help them obtain those needs, wants, and goals.
Find your Power Partners. That is, surround yourself with people who can help you. Your Power Partners probably have the same target audience as you do -- for Realtors, that would be people buying a home. Power Partners, then, would include roofing contractors, heating and cooling professionals, electricians, plumbers, door and window installers, painters, etc. To find your Power Partners, all you have to do is decide whom you would call to work on your own house. Would you decide based on price? Proximity? Time frame? How big the Yellow Page ad is? Referrals from friends? Your Power Partners know as much about your business as you do about theirs, and reciprocal referrals are plentiful.
"When the real estate market turned down, I had to cut back on some of my advertising - including Homes & Land. However, I came back. I found that I missed the total advertising package Homes & Land provides. Because of the magazine, I'm branded. Everyone in Aspen knows who I am and what I do. Print also enables me to reach my past clients, and I'm able to successfully compete for listings." Carol Dopkin, President of Carol Dopkin Real Estate Inc. Read More
The New Marketing Mix: The 4 Us by Larry Easto When studying marketing, one of the first concepts that we learn about is called the Marketing Mix: Product, Pricing, Placement and Promotion. Recently I came across the concept of the 4 "U"s: urgency, uniqueness, ultra-specific and usefulness. For the most part, people who buy your service or mine do not hire us because they want to. They hire us because they need our help with resolving a specific problem or achieving a specific goal or outcome. Read More | Visit Larry Easto's Website
Help Your Clients Gain Mortgage Confidence Your clients already look to you for advice in their home search. Why not offer them the same assistance in shopping and comparing mortgages? The Federal Reserve Board has created a website to help consumers understand the loan process and terminology. They have also provided a very handy worksheet for homebuyers to compare loans side by side. Share the information and resources located on "Looking for the Best Mortgage" with your clients and give them the tools to move forward with confidence. Download Mortgage Worksheet
Real Estate Outlook: Recession is Over by Kenneth R. Harney, RealtyTimes Now it's official. The chairman of the Federal Reserve Board himself has said it publicly that it looks like the recession is over. One reason for the pick-up in consumer spending: People feel more confident about the direction of the economy in the months ahead. They see the stock market up, so their retirement funds and 401 K plans are bouncing back. They see home values stabilizing or growing in most areas, so their equity is beginning to increase again. Read Article
Magazines in Public Places Have Great Appeal According to Magazine.org, magazines located in public places build audience and readership. Consumers are more likely to pay attention to magazines when they're in a doctor's office or waiting for a friend in a coffee shop. That's why part of the Homes & Land distribution strategy is placing magazines in waiting rooms and anywhere home shoppers work, eat and play. Think about your own experiences in waiting rooms. Wouldn't you like your listings to have that undivided attention? Magazine.org Public Places Study
Homes & Land EZ Tour Just Got Easier With our new enhancements, Homes & Land's EZ Tour is better than ever. No special cameras or software are needed. Just upload six or more photos and an EZ Tour is created for you automatically. The new EZ Tour offers a variety of presentation options, runs on almost any screen size, and can include a voice over narration from you highlighting the benefits of the property. You can also email EZ Tours to prospects and post EZ Tours on your website. Learn More
Real Estate Outlook: Case-Shiller Reports Reversing by Kenneth R. Harney, Realty Times When the Case-Shiller index reports that home prices have reversed course and are finally rising again, and you know that Case-Shiller has been the gloomiest, scariest-headline-producing monitor of the real estate market for the past three years -- some say: We have truly turned the corner here. Read Article
Market your Listings on Facebook with Seller Participation By Michael Russer, a.k.a. Mr. Internet These days it seems to be all about Facebook. Social networking has become an unavoidable craze and as far as real estate is concerned, Facebook has definitely become a portal for marketing your properties, building relationships and staying in touch with past clients. We have begun using Facebook as a marketing tool and believe that it has the potential to connect you with new clients and even connect you with the key elements in making that sale! Read Article
Use Your MLS ID to Generate Leads Integrating your print and Internet marketing is the best way to do business. Consumers see more photos and property details and you get more leads from motivated homebuyers. That's why it's important to include the MLS ID in your Homes & Land ad. Homebuyers can then go from your ad to HomesAndLand.com, type in the MLS ID, and see your listing with one click. To insert the MLS ID into your ad, fill in the MLS field on Online AdMaker. Then click the "Include MLS ID" link when adding your caption text. Congratulations, you're done!
An interesting statistic from the National Association of Realtors says that 85% of property searches start online. I�m willing to bet that the catalyst for a large number of these searches came through print ads bearing website and e-mail contact information. Lyndon Burrell, Senior Marketing Manager Research in Motion, Blackberry
8 Ways To Use Photos To Promote Your Business - and best of all, most of them are FREE or LOW COST!
I didn't start out as a photographer, and I still wouldn't consider my photos "professional quality" although I see marked improvement each day. Since I've been in real estate, and especially since I started blogging, I have found that I really enjoy taking pictures of my community, events, and of course, of our listings. And, over the past two years, I have accumulated quite a collection of local photos on my computer which have been extremely useful for our marketing.
I take my camera everywhere I go and even have a small digital camera that I carry in my purse so I'm always ready when the "right shot" presents itself. Our whole family enjoys photography so it's become a great family activity.
Here's some of the ways we use photos in promoting our business:
1.) Help Sell Your Listings - The most obvious of course, is to help sell our listings. Most buyers are starting their search on the Internet and they want to see photos and virtual tours of your listings - the more the better. They say a good photo is worth a thousand words, and that is definitely the case in real estate. One thing that made a big difference for us was investing in a wide-angle lens which helps photograph small spaces.
2.) Improve Your Blog Posts - Blog posts are more interesting to readers when they have appropriate photos. Developing your own collection of photos will help improve your blog and can save you money if you don't have to buy stock photos or clip art.
I subscribe to Gerry Khatchikian from Red Lodge, MT on ActiveRain, he is able to use his photography skills to create a lot of interest in his area and his blog! He even has some photo quizzes that are fun. Check out Gerry's blog for some great examples of using photos for blogging.
3.) Get Into Video - You can create a local video with your digital still photos in a matter of minutes. We like Real Estate Shows but there are other great sites out there that will help turn your photos into a short video. We also use a Flip video camera for some videos but still like to use digital stills. Once you create a local video, Real Estate Shows will upload it directly to your You Tube account, or you can save the video to your computer and create CD's or upload to other websites or blog posts.
4.) Create a Photo Blog of your local area and post a new photo on a regular interval. We started the photo blog I Love Missoulaa few months ago and have seen a huge increase in traffic to the site, which also links to our real estate site. If you tag your photos and use key-word rich titles, it will help optimize your search engine results.
We allow people in the community to submit their photos to us by email for possible use on the website. We are starting to get community photos and always give the sender credit, thanking them on the site.
5.) Post to Facebook - it's easy to create a photo album on your Facebook profile, so how about creating one of your local area? We have a photo album on Missoula, Missoula Nightlife, and Montana Living.
Another creative way to use your photos on Facebook is to create a Fan Page for your local area. You can post local photos and videos to your Fan Page OR submit a link to a great photo on your photo blog or regular blog. Fan Pages are easy to set up, and the best part - they're FREE!
Here's one of our Facebook Fan Pages - we have over 4500 fans in a short amount of time:
6.) Set up a Flickr Account - Flickr does an amazing job with search engines, and is a great way to showcase your photos. One important note however is to make sure you understand Flickr's Terms of Service - before you create an account - or you may end up disappointed. Flickr does not like the use of its site for commercial purposes. Make sure to read Matt's post, and understand what is and is not allowed on Flickr:
On Flickr, you are able to Geo Tag your photos so they will be even more likely to show up on Google when someone searches for that area or location. Groups are also helpful to join for networking and to gain exposure for your photos.
We have contacted local photographers on Flickr and asked for their permission to include one of their photos on our Photo Blog with a link back to them and have had success. Many times, people are flatttered by the request and it also helps to build community for your photo blog.
7.) Upload Photos of Local Businesses & Food to rating sites such as Yelp.com. We use this as an opportunity to try new restaurants and just take a few quick snapshots on our visit. You can rate your experience at the restaurant or business and upload your photos to help people in the community get a feel for the location.
The photos can also make a great blog post down the road - I love photos that I can multi-purpose! We've turned this into a bit of a game and use it as an excuse to order a great dessert occasionally or a special drink.
8.) Twitpic your photos or post them to Posterous - People love to look at photos and I'm still amazed at how many people click on photos when I send them across Twitter. Kevin uses Twitpic but I use a Posterous site that I set up - Missoula Real Estate.
Posterous tracks how many people view your photos and allows you to set it up so you can email a photo from your phone or computer to the site. Posterous can then automatically post your photo to your Posterous Blog, Twitter, Facebook and Flickr accounts - I told you, I LOVE TO MULTI-PURPOSE MY PICTURES! :) Posterous is a great way to automate posting to some of your sites.
It's fun to be creative in your marketing with the use of photos, and there are so many possibilities!
How do you use photos to promote your business? I'd love to hear what others are doing as well!
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Kevin and Monica Ray are Missoula Real Estate sales and marketing professionals for Access Realty in beautiful Western Montana. We provide services in, but not limited to: Missoula, Superior, Alberton, Saint Regis, Lolo, Clinton, Turah, Potomac, Florence, Corvallis, and Hamilton.
For more information on Missoula Real Estate or surrounding areas, they can be reached at 406-207-1185 or online at www.AccessRealty.net.
Reach More Homebuyers with Homes & Land and Twitter With the help of Twitter, HomesAndLand.com now enables motivated homebuyers to get complete information about your properties sent to their smartphone. All the home shopper needs is the property's MLS # or street address. This means that a buyer looking at Homes & Land magazine or driving a neighborhood can immediately access information about properties they like. The next step is to call you for a showing. Thanks to Homes & Land, Twitter, and you - the buyer may soon find their next Home Tweet Home. Here's How | What's Twitter?
Understanding Segmentation and Absorption Rates Helps You Price More Effectively Today's sellers are predictably nervous about the selling process. Giving your clients realistic expectations based on market data can help alleviate their fears through confidence in your expertise. One way to do this is by understanding the absorption rate within market segments. Absorption rates can provide you with clear insight as to approximately how long a particular property will take to sell. It can also help you advise sellers on how to better position their property in terms of price. Read More
The Case to Keep Print in Your Marketing Mix by David Mammano, FolioMag.com Having print at the core of your advertising adds credibility to your brand. It's almost like when someone publishes a book and suddenly becomes an expert- they realize print is a powerful tool for building brand credibility. But besides delivering branding opportunities, content to readers and leads for advertisers, our print magazine is also an amazing online traffic generator. In fact, our magazine is the number one driver of traffic to our Web site. It's like buying keywords, only better! I'm going to pitch this to David Letterman, but in case he doesn't pick it up, I'll share my Top 10 Reasons Print Should Remain a Vital Part of Your Marketing Mix. Read Article
Stay In Front of Your Clients and Prospects Using Email Keller Williams Town & Country Realty, a Tallahassee, Florida based brokerage, uses a unique email campaign called "30 Touch" to stay in front of clients and prospects. The brokerage is owned by Gene and Rebekah Rivers, who maintain a database of about 9,000 past clients, current clients and prospects. Each person in the data base receives an email from the Rivers at least 30 times a year. What makes the Rivers' program so valuable is the quality of content included in the emails. Read More
Give Your Listings International Exposure Homes & Land exports your listings to Enormo.com, one of the world's largest International real estate websites. International home shoppers are buying US investment and vacation homes, so make sure your listing is being seen by Enormo's 4.5 million visitors. Read More
I've heard it over and over. Internet leads are this: (insert snide remark). Internet leads are that: (insert glowing comment). About the only thing that people seem to agree on is that Internet leads are by far the freshest sales leads yet devised, (next to referrals of course).
It takes only seconds for your web site to receive a request from an online consumer (and if you have the technology in place), validate the information provided by the prospect, and forward it to you.
An Internet lead is also uniquely self-qualified, first by initiating the search for a solution on the Internet and second by proactively filling out the form asking for contact. Not surprisingly, Internet leads are easier to close than other leads, but closing them still requires a blend of courtesy, empathy, aggressiveness, and persistence.
These common sense steps can get you from frustration to close, quickly.
Use email AND sign it. Typically, Internet leads include an email address. The usual Internet real estate shopped is often very Net savvy and spends more time at the keyboard than the average person.
Email is their link to the world.
Send a personalized message, introducing yourself and your company. Let the prospect how you gained their contact information and why you think you can help them. If you do not already use an email signature, start now. Treat it as a mini-biography, telling your prospect your name, company name, and website address.
Clear your mind, and do your homework. What do you know about this person? Have you done any homework on them via RealTAG (or any other online data repositories)?
For your mood, a bad day can adversely affect your call, so make sure you are in a positive frame of mind before picking up the phone. Focus for a moment on the prospect. This person is unknown to you, but you can help free them from their financial or other anxieties. You can be their hero if you set aside your own worries and focus on theirs.
In return, this stranger can help you on your road to success.
Do not delay...The early bird gets the... You no doubt have many things to do, but calling your new lead has to be at the top of your priority list.
Depending on when the lead was sent to you, the prospect may still be online when you call. That means you can begin your conversation while the prospect is in solution mode. Besides, waiting even a few minutes opens the door to a competitor.
Persist...Persist...Persist... If your system does not allow for you to receive your leads in real time, (and sometimes even if it does), the prospect may not answer your first call.
Stay positive, and direct your energy into being persistent!
Continue to call back until your make contact. You should call no less than six times in a day. Be sure to hit the key hours in a work day:
before the day begins (7 to 9 am),
during lunch (11:30 am to 1:30 pm),
check-out time (5 to 7 pm).
If you have not made contact by the end of the first day, leave a message. Most experts say that up to six calls on the first day that a lead is received can be needed to get a good contact rate.
Connect your call to their request. The fact that the Internet lead initiated the contact with you is a huge advantage. Be sure to leverage this by immediately reminding the prospect of the action they have taken, and how you can help.
Identifying the Internet as the source of your call carries a bit of a "wow" factor that makes you look technology-forward, savvy, and capable of solving problems.
Be aggressive AND courteous. After you have connected with the consumer, sell yourself, your solution, and your company.
Never assume that the business is yours. Stay aggressive and focused. Convince the prospect that you are their advocate, offering the best solution for their particular situation.
Most importantly...ask for the sale. What do you do to ask for the business? When do you ask for the business? I believe that if a person has taken the time to ask for your help, (thereby becoming a lead) it's time to ask away!
Remember, if a consumer is out looking on the Internet, you might think that they are only interested in your services. The reality of the situation is that in the time that it took for you to decide when to call them, in all likelihood they just became a lead for your competitor as well!
Reach More Homebuyers with Homes & Land and Twitter
With the help of Twitter, HomesAndLand.com now enables motivated homebuyers to get complete information about your properties. All the home shopper needs is a smart phone and the property's MLS # or street address.
This means that a buyer looking at Homes & Land magazine or driving a neighborhood can immediately access information about properties they like. The next step is to call you for a showing.
Thanks to Homes & Land, Twitter, and you - the buyer may soon find their next Home Tweet Home. Contact us to find out how Homes & Land and Twitter can connect you to motivated homebuyers. Here's How
HOW TO SEARCH BY MLSID
Make sure your mobile device is already registered with Twitter (see instructions below).
If you are looking at a home in one of our magazines, you may see the MLS Id in the property description. Look for something that looks like "MLSId: 7396326".
Text "@homesandland 7396326" to 40404. Remember to replace 7396326 with the MLSId of the property you want to see, and don't include the quotes.
Shortly you will receive a text message, describing the price, location, the agent to contact and a URL to more information about that property!
HOW TO SEARCH BY ADDRESS
Make sure your mobile device is already registered with Twitter (see instructions below).
If you drive by a home for sale, or just happen to know the address, then text the street name and city to @homesandland. The message format would be "@homesandland street, city". You can include the street number if you have it, but if you don't we will send you information about any homes for sale on that street.
As an example, text "@homesandland elm st, tallahassee" to 40404. Remember to replace "elm st" with street name, and "tallahassee" with the correct city.
Shortly you will receive a text message, describing the price, location, the agent to contact and a URL to more information about that property.
New to Twitter?
Registering with Twitter is quick and easy. Just follow these steps:
From your phone, follow us by texting the following to 40404 (40404 is Twitter's number): "follow homesandland" (without the quotes).
You will receive a message from Twitter asking you to text a new username (of your choosing) back to phone number 40404. For example, sallyjones.
Once you do this, you should receive a welcome message from Twitter.
How to enter: Send the following information to: contest@homesandland.org with the subject line: “I Used Homes & Land Magazine”
* Give us a brief story of how Homes & Land magazine helped you in your search * First & last name of the potential property buyer along with their daytime phone number(s) and their e-mail address * First & last name of real estate agent who showed the property and the company that they work for * MLS # or property address of property shown * Photo (at least 800x600 pixels), which must include the following… * Potential property buyer(s) holding the Homes & Land magazine where the agent or property was found (please be sure the cover shows in the photo) * Agent that showed the property * Photo needs to be taken at the yard sign of the property shown * If no yard sign, take photo at front door
Rules: * Open to potential property buyers that use Homes & Land magazine to lead them to their agent or property located in Tennessee. *Agent (or their company) must have an ad in the Homes & Land magazine shown in the photo. OR * Property shown to potential buyer in photo must be advertised in the Homes & Land magazine shown in the photo.
Prizes: * A winner will be drawn at random from all of the e-mailed photos. * $100 restaurant gift certificate to potential property buyer. * Free ad in Homes & Land to the agent pictured.
Selling your home? Check out WhyHomesAndLand.com to see why your home should be advertised in Homes & Land!
Winner will be selected in random drawing. Entry allowed for each home you view. No purchase required. By entering, you agree to allow Homes & Land to use your name and photo for promotional purposes (including, but not limited to publishing in the magazine.)
The Smartest Things You Can Do To Grow Your Business By Julie Escobar "The smart ones ask when they don't know. And sometimes, when they do." Consider these wise words from Malcolm Forbes, a man who clearly knows a thing or two about surviving financial storms. Isn't asking what we're supposed to do when we don't know? So I asked: "What's the SMARTEST thing agents can do to build their business in today's market?" Fortunately, some of the top minds in the industry answered. Read Tips
HomesAndLand.com Website Statistics HomesAndLand.com recently upgraded the website statistics to offer advertisers more detailed information in a user-friendly format. Information on listing views not only shows you in real-time the exposure Homes & Land provides you and your inventory, but it also gives you concrete information to take back to your home sellers. Watch this short video for information on accessing and using your listing statistics. Watch Video To enlarge the video, click the lower-right corner next to the audio adjustment
"Stop Calling Our Company!" Is That the Message We're Sending? by David Knox, David Knox Productions, Inc. Phone numbers are on cards, signs, postcards flyers, websites and everything else to get the prospects to call. But what happens when we answer? It's time to develop proper telephone skills as a competitive advantage to gain business and provide superior customer service. David Knox offers real-world advice on using good phone skills to secure prospects as clients. Read Article
New Features for Digital Editions of Homes & Land Digital editions of the Homes & Land magazine, affectionately referred to as "Flippy," are available at HomesAndLand.com. New features include larger photos and listing details, search properties by price range or number of bedrooms, automatic EZTours, and the ability to zoom and print listing information. You can use "Flippy" as a prospecting tool, as a way to keep in touch with past clients, and you can email it to your home sellers to show them how you are marketing their home. They'll flip. View the latest edition online | Ask me how "Flippy" can work for you
Real Estate Outlook: Mortgage Rates and Inflation by Kenneth R. Harney, Realty Times Most of the key economic indicators for real estate continue to be at least moderately positive -- home sales are up, prices are stabilizing or up, unsold inventories are down, and even new unemployment filings are down slightly. But there's a storm cloud looming on the near horizon that everybody needs to keep an eye on: Mortgage rates have been moving up -- fast. Read Article
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
I had a Client ask me this week what my Top 10 marketing tips are.
Track everything you do. Everything! This means that you might need to either learn how to use Excel or hire someone who does. Perhaps you have a child who knows Excel or has the innate child computer ability to pick it up very quickly. For my Clients who are Realtors, I advise them to track everything about their open houses -- holiday weekend, weather, time, traffic, television competition, outdoor competition, etc. I do that because I want them to be in it for the long term, so next year when they are considering an open house to compete against the Chargers, or Padres, or the Over the Line tournament, or whatever, they'll have a good sense of whether it is worthwhile or not. After four or five years, you'll have a great indication of what works and what doesn't work, regardless of what you're doing.
People prefer buying from people, not automatons or businesses. This means that you need to work on your speech and actions so that you can converse appropriately with prospective Clients. One of the reasons why I have such a wide variety of interests is because I want to be able to talk about anything with anyone. I don't have to be an expert; I just have to know what's going on in the world around me. That world is my world.
8 Ways To Use Photos To Promote Your Business - and best of all, most of them are FREE or LOW COST!
3.) Get Into Video - You can create a local video with your digital still photos in a matter of minutes. We like Real Estate Shows but there are other great sites out there that will help turn your photos into a short video. We also use a Flip video camera for some videos but still like to use digital stills. Once you create a local video, Real Estate Shows will upload it directly to your You Tube account, or you can save the video to your computer and create CD's or upload to other websites or blog posts.
5.) Post to Facebook - it's easy to create a photo album on your Facebook profile, so how about creating one of your local area? We have a photo album on Missoula, Missoula Nightlife, and Montana Living.
7.) Upload Photos of Local Businesses & Food to rating sites such as 
8.) Twitpic your photos or post them to Posterous - People love to look at photos and I'm still amazed at how many people click on photos when I send them across Twitter. Kevin uses Twitpic but I use a Posterous site that I set up - 
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