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Are you Thumbtacked? Social Media Business Profiles with Lead Gen

By
Commercial Real Estate Agent with GILES COMMERCIAL REALTY GROUP

Are you Thumbtacked? Social Media Business Profiles with Lead Gen -eration feature. 

If you are in business, you no-doubt have business and/or personal profiles sprinkled throughout the web. I certainly do, although some are definitely more visible, useful and productive than others.

An easier way to find qualified service providers

 

 

I was recently introduced to Thumbtack.com and quickly discovered a very engaging User Interface that was also very easy to navigate. Thumbtack is a fast growing platform for business professionals (especially service providers) to market themselves with credibility and for consumers to quickly find and select qualified professionals to meet their needs.

 

 

From the Thumbtack.com website:

"Thumbtack is a new way to hire local services. Instead of wasting time searching, browsing and playing phone tag, just tell us what you need. Thumbtack delivers multiple quotes from our network of vetted pros within 24 hours. We can help you maintain your home, plan your events, learn new skills, improve your wellness and more across all 50 states. By connecting local professionals directly with new clients, we’re empowering more than 250,000 talented pros to grow their businesses."

Thumbtack has a timely and worthwhile mission: 

"Our mission: to make it dramatically easier to hire services, at the same time empowering independent professionals to grow their businesses. Read what people are saying about our company... and our food."

Check out what Thumbtack has to offer, here's the link to my profile on Thumbtack.com:

Mike Giles, Greater Boston Commercial Real Estate Advisory Services, since 1986, for leasing Boston Office Space and Buying Boston Commercial Property.

 

Best regards,

Mike

Michael R. Giles, Principal 

EXPERT COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE ADVISORY SERVICES FOR BUSINESS LEADERS

(gcrgactiverain) Email: mike@gilescommercial.com      Phone:  617-502-0101    Direct: 617-429-3414
www.OfficeTenantAdvisors.com   LinkedIn: http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/BostonOfficeSpace    Twitter: http://twitter.com/GilesCommercial 

OfficeTenantAdvisors.com (GILES COMMERCIAL REALTY GROUP) delivers Specialized expertise and advisory services exclusively to companies that Lease, Purchase, or Own commercial real estate to house their business operations. We Save our clients Time, Money and Frustration through diligent advocacy and by developing and executing strategies that align our clients’ real estate position with THEIR business planServices include acquisitions by Lease or Purchase; lease extensions/ renewals and renegotiations; planning; research; analysis; site selection; negotiation; relocation coordination; ongoing administration; property sublease, dispositions; etc. Transaction services are typically rendered at no cost to client as leasing and sale fees are customarily paid by landlords and sellers. Principal Michael R. Giles has provided solution-driven services with exceptional results to clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies throughout Greater Boston - Eastern Massachusetts, since 1986.

 

 

Tg Glazer - The Right Realtor® for the Right Results!
Coldwell Banker, Westfield, NJ - Cranford, NJ
Westfield/Cranford, NJ area

Thanks for the info...I've signed up and will give it a try!

Feb 12, 2014 01:35 AM
Lani Stern
Toronto, ON
Your lifetime agent

Wow, what a super resource to us, thanks Mike!

Feb 12, 2014 02:44 PM
Brian Clinger
Coldwell Banker AJS Schmidt - Cascade, MI
Brian Clinger ABR, GRI, CRS, SRES

Great rescource.  Thanks.

Feb 13, 2014 03:39 AM
Mike Giles
GILES COMMERCIAL REALTY GROUP - Boston, MA
www.OfficeTenantAdvisors.com Boston, MA

Hi Tg, Lani and Brian, Thanks for stopping by!   

I must admit that I was so impressed by the Thumbtack website interface and so focused on the potential of the profile and completing it, that I hadn't actually gotten to the nitty gritty of how the service works.

Turns out that Thumbtack.com has a different revenue model than I assumed. (There's that word, assume, ouch!) ... The lead generation sites that I've used for commercial real estate opportunities, require no upfront payment by the lead, but rather, are subscription-based, or, take a percentage of your fee when a transaction closes as a referral fee.   

Here's how Thumbtack actually works:

In Thumbtack's model, a customer submits a need (a "Work Request") and Thumbtack qualifies it. Then Thumbtack notifies you and other service providers in the area, with the details of the need if it matches the service you provide. You decide whether you want to submit a "quote" for the work. (Thumbtack limits the number of quotes presented to the customer to 5.) 

The Quote is where Thumbtack is different. If you want to get in the game and submit a quote for a chance to win the business opportunuity, you must buy "Credits" (currently $1.67 per Credit). The number of credits required to submit your quote varies based on the category of the Work Request (service to be provided). 

Thumbtack currently has over 900 request categories and the number of credits required to submit a quote for a request ranges from 2 (example: Real Estate Agent) to 9 (example: Wedding Photography with Total Budget in excess of $1,000).

Since completing my Thumbtack profile 2 days ago, I have received 2 notifications for "needs a Real Estate Agent" within my service area. Unfortunately for me, they were both residential real estate needs, from people trying to find an apartment. So I have yet to experience the process fully.

Thumbtack is still brand new for me and I'm not sure of its potential to provide any meaningful opportunities for my commercial real estate business (but the profile is nice). ... It really is a "Pay-to-Play" system and kind of reminds me of those online auction sites where you "can win an iPad auctioin for only $29!" (even though you may have already spent $400 to buy the bids for all the other auctions you didn't win!).  That said, if I were in the apartment rental business, it could be a winner!

The link below is to a Thumbtack support page for service providers. It describes what happens after you submit a quote. Perhaps more valuable though, is the feedback and tips posted by service providers in the comments below.

http://support.thumbtack.com/hc/en-us/articles/200483650-What-happens-after-a-quote-

Hope this is useful, Cheers!  ~Mike

 

Feb 13, 2014 06:30 AM
Lennie Davis
Autaugaville, AL

Great resource! Very detailed and specific. 

Laurie Durkan- Boston Home Inspector 

May 14, 2015 05:08 AM