Forrester research came up with a great pneumonic to use when creating an online marketing strategy using social media, and it is proving effective as we expand our offering of the redx listing lead generation service.  The approach is known as POST (People, Objectives, Strategy, Technology) but what it really boils down to is be everywhere your target customers spend time and be able to provide them with an offer that matches their needs the second that they realize that a need exists.  

Now that sounds great, but a little esoteric, so what exactly does it mean? 

From the prospective of a small business marketer, the first thing you need to ask yourself is what online media are your target clients going to be using?  Older professionals use LinkedIn and email, the younger ones may be on Facebook and Twitter.  What user groups would they be part of?  How about the online social networks?  Is there an ActiveRain or Broker Agent Social for your target client?  Essentially, before you can market to your clients, you really need to understand where they spend their time. 

In addition to where, you need to know what.  More specifically, you need to know what are the needs of your target clients as they participate in these groups?  Not everybody needs a REALTOR 24 hours per day. However, statistics show that they will need a good REALTOR at least once in the next seven years. What needs are being met in your target client when they engage in the online activities of their preference?  

Now that you know where, and have a good handle on what, you need to work on tailoring your presence in each of these communities to closely match the needs of your targets.  If you are an active participant in fulfilling the needs of your prospect, the relationship and their eventual business will follow.  Fortunately, with automation, and carefully crafted profiles, periodic engagement should be sufficient to maintain an active presence in a community and reap the results.  Engage with those who need engaging and be available to those who don’t want to be engaged.  If a client in a community raises their hand, be there to call upon them and address their needs, provide service and get their business.

Still too esoteric?

- Jump on your facebook account and register for all of the goups that service young professionals in your community.

- Update your twitter profile to specifically describe your niche.  Connect on twitter with members of your facebook goups.

- Connect on LinkedIn with the HR departments of local large employers as well as relocation firms.  Use their connections to apply for membership into the groups that they participate in.

- If your city has a group social site, connect with it.  The same applies for any local sport groups, leagues and social groups.

- Set up notify.me so that when a prospect makes a comment about local real estate, you get notified so that you can reply.

- In each network and each communication use it to drive more connections back to you, your website, or a specific call to action.  

If done correctly your prospects will see you everywhere they turn and you will be top of mind when they need the services of a REALTOR.