Sounds clever doesn't it. But the revolution caused by the internet opening up media is more than clever, it is a change in the rules of engagement. First, we all are now familiar with pull marketing versus push marketing. Push is what we used to do, cram real estate down people throats. After the internet the game changed as well as our sense of control. Now we had to ask permission, but that has not stopped Realtors from schlepping the old ways onto platforms like Facebook with zero success. Now with informative blogs and targeted IDX solutions we can invite people in with something that is beneficial. However, what do we do when we stop thinking like a Realtor and more like a normal human being?
Time for The Match Game, survey said! They think about everything but real estate 99.0% of the time. This is why we blog about amenities or give reviews on Yelp. But something else is missing. How are people getting local content about all things going on in one place? It isn't about the newspaper anymore, or a weekly magazine. it is about what is happening now. You get bonus points if you are now thinking about Twitter. Much effort is wasted on Twitter, but there is much to be learned and analyzed. It should be an object lesson to us that the first reports of Michael Jackson's death were spread by Twitter and not the news media. Twitter is about real time, but Twitter is a confusing maze of information also. Enter The Breaking News Network.
Patrick Kitano and the folks at Domus Consulting understand that media is not proprietary and aggregating them into a news network that is a place for all things happening in your town . You combine news, politics, food, social events, non-profit promotion, and more in one place. You load it all on a Worpress blog with a scrolling widget, add some other important add ons, create a sister site on Facebook, and you can become the local news source. In the last two weeks my site, www.okcbreakingnews.com has added over 200 followers with no promotion, and the Facebook site has added 700 more. That is two weeks friends and neighbors. Am I an original at this? Yes for Oklahoma City, but if you want to see all the participants go to List of Breaking News sites. For information about what Breaking News is, go to this explanation. I am experimenting with forums, polls, and IDX to see how far I can go with this, and so far it works.
Here is the pay off. On the Facebook page OKC Breaking News I am already getting 587 visitors a week. The numbers on both will keep building. I am offering this as a public service, and there is not a link to my real estate website. I don't like to be sold and I don't believe others do either. The key is the numbers and givng the public the benefit of knowing when two for one tacos are available, weather, traffic, and all that matters in their life. The network is also an organic one like Active Rain, it is building city by city. Your own Missy Caulk is a leader of this with http://www.A2BreakingNews.com. If your city does not have a participant you can contact Patrick Kitano at pkitano@domusconsultinggroup.com. I would say that this is a an opportunity just like at the beginning at Active Rain. The rules of engagement have changed, and this platform is like what the O-Jays said about the Love train, "Don't miss this train at the station, cause if you miss it, I feel sorry for you".
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Thanks Joe...
Hyperlocal news and local media resourcing is starting to get a lot of attention. Many of the Breaking News city sites are already establishing themselves as the "ticker tape" of 24-by-7 news for their communities, after as little as a few weeks.
One more opportunity Joe and others who own Breaking News city sites are now testing is hyperlocal advertising in the form of Twitter and Facebook coupons. Owners of Breaking News city sites can generate buzz and good will simply by offering their community free "Deals of the Day" coupons
Think about that concept - free local advertising... that's good will and should help you achieve a local media presence.
Hyperlocal couponing was validated last week by a monster investment into Groupon, which does one "Deal of the Day" for about 50 cities. Groupon received a post money valuation of about $1.35 billion, which amounts to about $27 million per city! A main part of the "selling" is done through Twitter and Facebook broadcasting of their deals.
Since 2008, we've been discussing how hyperlocal couponing is inevitable on Twitter, Facebook, Yelp and of course, the new mobile services like Foursquare.
We're positioning the Breaking News Network of cities to participate in hyperlocal couponing; we're already promoting good causes like Rocky Turner's Mothers Fighting for Others and the Mortgage Revolution across the network. We're now in development to add Groupon- style campaign programs to the Breaking News Network of cities.
Our mission is to make the 100+ owners of Breaking News city sites not only become local media resources and social media hubs, but to also participate in building asset value for their properties. Groupon won't stop at 50 metro market cities with their cash infusion. We see a "Groupon" opportunity in every smaller city because "Deals of the Day" are valuable on a hyperlocal level just because you need to drive to wherever you purchased that Deal of the Day. If a major metro area can command $27 million, what can a suburban city of 50,000 command? If a Breaking News city site can establish a viable social media presence in a city, and we're proving it can gain traction, we believe there's a lot of upside for asset value, perhaps even as an acquisition candidate by Groupon or another Groupon imitator (and there are mini-Groupons being developed in every city due to the buzz the Groupon financing created).
Want to learn more? Please contact me or Joe Pryor...