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Stealing Bases Won't Hit It Home Everytime with Social Networking and Blogging

You can hit it home consistently with social networking and blogging but in order to do this you gotta trackback to the beginning. Yup most bloggers need to square right up at home plate again look the pitcher dead in the eye, and suhhhhwing dead center to hit that ball over the fence.

Many bloggers and social networkers aim to run the bases, maybe getting a client here, a client there, connecting with a new associate for referrals and it all seems good. These folks are running with the wind of change and business is rolling.

But they can't win a series this way and they won't retire at the top of their game.

Why?

'Cause many are stealing bases and in the end this won't hit the business home, consistently, with social networking and blogging. The only way to be consistent is the age old rule of marketing, you gotta make a plan and put it into practice daily, weekly, monthly, yearly.

How do you know if you are stealing bases to try to hit a home run with social networking and blogging? Here's a few clues,

You blog about various topics sporadically; Real Estate is a second class topic on your blog.
You haven't defined a target market that you want to blog to except to say that you want to blog for "consumers" and "other agents".
Your localism posts consist of market reports and listings and lack any local happenings or news.
You look at new product rollouts on ActiveRain and often find you misunderstand their value.
You twitter but your unsure why you tweet. Often you find yourself trying to get the attention of "Real Estate Social Media Rockstars".
Your facebook account is filled with a bunch of associates from your office and you have become a fan of every competing office within a 50 mile radius of your market area.
You have decided that your LinkedIn Page is a good place to reinforce to other real estate professionals and social media marketers who know you that you are a REALTOR, to connect with fellow real estate agents in your office, and to join real estate groups for real estate professionals.
Your blog has more posts about social media tools and silly real estate agents that misuse social media marketing than posts about real estate.
None of your social networking efforts points to your internet storefront consistently.
You haven't blocked out any daily/weekly time to focus on social networking efforts.
You aren't actively answering questions from consumers online.
Your blog's URL isn't on your business cards.
You don't include your blog's URL in your email signature line.
Your blog's content isn't re-purposed into ebooks, newsletters, website visitor inquiry responses, newsletters to your farm, videos, or podcasts.
Your local Chamber of Commerce and other traditional networking venues don't know that you have a blog or network socially online.
Your current and past clients wouldn't know the URL of your blog EVEN if they were given multiple choices.
You are an early adapter of EVERY social network and tool but the traffic to your internet storefront and the amount of new offline connections you make do not increase.

If the above pertains to you no need to panic. Every marketing effort can be improved upon and every business needs to reassess their efforts and goals regularly....I believe frequently=quarterly.

Swing and hit the business home with a social media marketing strategy Back up, take some time to find the right bat, just enough weight but light enough to hold tight with both hands, and BEFORE you swing again take a look at your business plan, your target market, your financial goals for the year, your business objectives and THEN.....

Step back from the plate, go sit down at the whiteboard, create a social media marketing strategy that integrates your blogging effforts BECAUSE...

Stealing bases won't hit it home with social networking and blogging. So make it right, get your plan tight and THEN....

Step back up to home plate and get ready to swing and hit the business home, consistently, with social networking and blogging.

Remember, stealing bases won't hit it home everytime with social networking and blogging.

If you enjoyed this post about social networking then you will enjoy reading,

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Posted by Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant on 05/29/2009 11:57 AM

Comments (16)

Social Media in the Online Marketing Channel

blogging, social networking, social media, social media marketing, transparency, online marketing, real estate marketing

Originally posted at: Real Estate Marketing Drips: Stealing Bases Won't Hit It Home Everytime with Social Networking and Blogging

Post is included in group: The Art Of Marketing You
Post is included in group: Social Media Marketing
Post is included in group: Realtors®
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Post is included in group: ABC's of Real Estate Marketing

16 Comments on Stealing Bases Won't Hit It Home Everytime with Social Networking and Blogging

MAY

Good Post Rebecca. Nothing beats a good, well thought out plan of action. Tossing a bowl of spaghetti at the wall and hoping something will stick is no way to run a business. Setting plans thoughtfully and carefully.... and then following through is anyone's best bet to hitting a home run.

Rebecca --- WOW --- another fantastic post --- I was so intrigued when I was reading it. I did find that I am stealing some bases --- thanks for the wake up call --- your idea of putting the blog URL on signature of emails --- well, hello --- why didn't I think of that? Thanks so much --- You continue to be such an inspiration to me. I'm flagging this for a feature.

Mama Liz's Signature

Criminy Rebecca... did you steal my marketing plan. You have most of my best stuff on your 17 point list.

OK... this is the big week of change for me. I love your post, as it's perfectly pointed for where I am going.

Some great points Rebecca and thanks for the read!

Vegas Bob

Rebecca ~ I read this on my way out the door this morning and wanted to come back to leave a comment!

I thought about it all day and I honestly believe this post applies to me. I can answer yes to many of the clues you listed! Yikes! Thank you for the reminder on how to slow it down and focus focus focus.

MAY

Hi Rebecca - This is a well-thought-out post with a lot of great points! I confess that I am probably guilty of some of these, but I am working all the time to improve. I have found my business has started focusing itself into a few niches without my planning on it, and I am working on how I can capitalize on that and benefit from it.

While I have tried moving into a couple of other areas, I have always found myself back in the same ones, because that's where my referrals mostly come from. Business is improving daily, and I do enjoy what I'm doing, so I guess I need to stick with that and focus my marketing and everything toward that end and forget about moving to niches that others keep advising me to work. You've given me some things to think about in that regard.

There's a reason why baseball players go through spring training every year. It solidifies their fundamentals, and it's often the execution of the little things that determines whether or not a team has a winning season. Your list contains several items that are fundamental to success in business.

David- The spaghetti method lives on but is inconsistent and ineffective.

Liz- Thank YOU. It's easier when you can be objective. It's harder to assess your own path and work than for someone else to observe.

Sally- Awesome, it sounds like, if you are looking to veer away from the direction the 17 points lead you in, you are on a good path.

Vegas Bob- Thank you for stopping by:-)

Terrie- In social media marketing it's easy to get caught up in all the baubles, bells, whistles and noise. I am just looking to raise awareness and steady the hands who read this:-)

Susan- If you want to move into lucrative, profitable niches, you just need to make sure your marketing is focused on where those markets are most often.

John- Yes training, revisiting, strategizing, putting into motion, remaining laser focused- all necessary and important. Once you have your plan set, then you can veer a bit here and there- meander and see if there's something meaningful you can add to your core plan.

JUN

this is an amazingly informative post!! thank you so much!

JUN

With a baseball theme social media angle, you knew I was going to stop... (LOL) I agree for the most part, I do part from real estate on my blog, but I have a purpose and that purpose gets me lots of business. I don't have huge numbers of followers on Twitter, but the funny part is unlike other agents only about 1/2 my followers are agents. (The others are members of the community)

As for setting time and making a plan, you are dead on! If you don't have a plan and don't set a time on your calendar, you are just wasting your time! Think ahead, you don't going on a trip without a map or you will never get to where you want to go, your business is the same way!

Todd Clark - www.LivingBeaverton.com

JUN

Audrey- I am glad you enjoyed it.

Todd- I know between your love of baseball and the fact that you do have a strategy this post probably resonates with you a bit:-)

Rebecca, thank you for the clarity of the analysis.

I'm marketing challenged -- probably throwing a lot more than spaghetti on the wall. So, I see what the problem areas may be. But, I don't see a clear road map to chart a new course -- all I see is the Executive Summary. Help me out here; throw me a bone :-)

Back up, take some time to find the right bat, just enough weight but light enough to hold tight with both hands, and BEFORE you swing again take a look at your business plan, your target market, your financial goals for the year, your business objectives and THEN.....

How do I know what bat is right for me?

How do I know what is too heavy, too light, or just right?

How tight am I supposed to hold the bat?

When I take a look at my business plan, target market, etc, what am I looking to find?

Step back from the plate, go sit down at the whiteboard, create a social media marketing strategy that integrates your blogging effforts BECAUSE...

Social media marketing strategy: what will that look like?