Michelle - Awesome! Absolutely awesome idea.. What a wonderful opportunity for us to piggyback the HGTV publicity.. Good grief - that's next week.  Thanks so much for sharing this great marketing idea.. God bless,

Michelle ~ From your lips . . .  : )  Great idea to build a marketing campaign for when the show hits the airwaves.  Let us know if you find you are getting more calls.

Michelle- Talk about looking on the bright side! My first thought when I heard about the show is that they might glamourize what we do, and stagers will start coming out of the woodwork, which they already do here in Denver. My next fear was that it would be another unrealistic show, and my future clients would expect me to magically transform their homes for next to nothing! And then I was afraid (yes, I have a LOT of fears) that the viewing audience would decide that a large staging company with a crew of many would be the way to go, and my little company would lose it's credibility. But YOU, you very smart (and obviously secure) girl, see it as a great way to get publicity! And YES, movies and TV do have a huge impact on people...I know, I haven't been comfortable in a greenhouse in a long time! ;)

exactly

we all do it differently anyhow right?

this show will permeate the conciousness of society and people will begin asking for the service outright1  This show is doing s service to us all so lets be openminded and watch how this group in vancouver do it.  start advertising!!

I have read recently that it takes a consumer 19 times to see the same product and think about whether they are interested in that product. 11 more times to see the product and decide that maybe it might be something that they might use and another 6 times to think that it is right for them.

That's why the advertise the same product so many times during one 1/2 hour show. Repetition is king when it comes to marketing your product. And when the average person is bombarded with messages how many hundreds of times in one day you can see where it really pays to keep yourself noticed ( the vehicle signage).

Every Staging show is a bonus to our chosen profession. Good, bad or misinformed they may be to the public, but it all increases our bottom lines.

Great post Michelle. Love your blogs. ;)

I sure hope you are right. I am sick and tired of charging $2.99 for my services :) 

Let the Staging begin!

Okay. According to my statcounter on my website, I get around 400-500 hits per month presently. This month I have noticed I already have 429 hits, and it is ONLY JULY 14TH!

Something is happening...and quite frankly, I haven't been blogging like I usually do, so it ain't that. So...what is driving traffic to my site at TWICE what I did last month?

COULD IT BE THIS HGTV SHOW GENERATING INTEREST THAT IS LEADING TO MORE PEOPLE CHECKING OUT THE OPTION OF STAGING????

I haven't changed my marketing tactics from last month. Still doing the same stuff I always do...newsletters...meeting Realtors at open houses...sending out mailings to FSBO's. In fact, I've been lagging a bit, honestly, with the summertime activities going on and the recent holiday.

I am going to see if it makes a difference in sheer curiosity with this easy tracking method that I don't personally have to work to gather the stats! Maybe ya'll should do the same.

~Michelle

I think you're exactly right, Mchelle. There is a loyal following for reality real estate programming, and you're smart to capitalize on what will be an increased public awareness about staging.

Great post!!!  We'd love to see a picture of your staging mobile.

I'll be happy to post it...next week! I am getting the stick-on letters removed and having peacock feathers wrapped on the windows... Just in time for THE STAGERS!

Peacocks are our signature thingy-deal.

~Michelle

Yup, could just be the tipping point.  Let's hope.  T

Staging is something that (at least around here) needs some major exposure, as to what it is, and what benefits it can bring. A show like this may help kick-start things.

Thanks for the kick in the arse!  Julie

Michelle - I agree, any press is good press.  I hate the show on HGTV with the mother / daughter staging duo. They are so condescending and insulting. I cringe whenever the mother opens her mouth. I kind of think of them as the Simon Cowell of the staging industry.

I know the show has already aired at least 2 episodes here in Canada. I don't get HGTV so I haven't seen it.

I'll be stopping by Charlene Storozuk's blog reviewing the first 2 episodes! Second blog reviewing episode 2

Thanks for the reminder to take advantage of the program within our own marketing!

Love it! Great post- I'll be e-mailing the editor of the paper as soon as I'm done with this! Thanks :)

Great enthusiasm!  I love it.  You are so right though, the more people that hear about it, the better for all of us stagers.

I don't even watch HGTV anymore, everything's just blown out of proportion.  I do catch "House Hunters" occasionally.

Michelle, you are so right!  Exposure for stagers... who we are, what we do, can only increase our visibility to the public.  With all the "reality" shows on the air, I would think most people realize that a lot of "reality" may not actually be included in the show, and hopefully take it with a grain of salt.  But if they know what a stager is, and why they need one, then it is good for our businesses and beneficial for the homeowner wanting to sell their home.  Thanks for the great post.  Jenny

To Everyone:

I am so glad to find so many stagers who are getting '"the big picture" !

I am getting so revved up!

~Michelle

What a great attitude, thanks for sharing with us because as you can see it is contagious.  This is very exciting.  I'm really looking forward to seeing it, good or bad!

Well there went 30 minutes I will never get back in my life. I do not think it represents Staging in a professional manner. I would not want homeowners to get the impression that even the smallest problem that arises cannot be dealt with in a professional manner. Having melt downs about glass that is cut the wrong size. Really. I know TV loves drama but I could not work in this profession if I had to have a melt down as many times in a day as that mother and daughter seem to have.

The end result is good. House on market for 3 month. Staged House sells in 8 days for near list. This is a good message to get out to the public. However, I don't think the average homeowner wants workers in their house that panic as much as these two do.

I always thought people who lived on the west coast were supposed to be so much more relaxed?

Brrrrrr-Ring!  Love it!  You are too funny.  I think you are right on!  :)

At my BNI networking meeting this morning serveral members came up to me to say that they had watched the show and were really turned off. Their wives were saying turn it off, lets go to sleep, this is really irratating to watch.

Sure hope HGTV and TLC has someone watching their own show with people other than who actually worked on the show to see how very annoying it is to the public to watch. I will be surprized to see this show last beyond it's original run if these comments are anything to go by.

Fingers are crossed...and I'm waiting by my phone!  Should I hire operators?

Well, kids...my statcounter is recording 29 hits a day for the past 3 weeks.

Last month...16.5.

Also, I am getting twice as many calls, and doing twice as many curb appeal strategy packages as last month.

Am I the only one noticing this bump in interest?

It's GOT to be the show, because I am not marketing twice as hard just yet... I am winding up for this show to air in the US before my media-blitz.

My duckies are in a row. Hope yours are, too!

~Michelle

Michelle,  You are too funny. I love this post and I don't know why I haven't subscribed to your blog before but I'm doing it right now. You always have great tips! Thanks for posting!!

Thanks Cynthia!

I need all the subscribers I can get!

~Michelle

For an insider's insights into the series, check out Matthew Finlason's comments under Charlene's post about Episode 2:

http://activerain.com/blogsview/584671/The-Stagers-Episode-2

Thanks David!

How cool is that response!!!

Very gracious, too, I might add.

~Michelle

Michelle - I'm with you!  Can't wait to see the show.  It has been amazing to me in the three years I have been Staging to see the understanding grow (and thus the competition).  I pride myself in being one of the foremost Stagers in Omaha to really advertise and educate the realtors about the concept.

I want to see a photo of your wrapped vehicle Michelle! You make really good points here. I just know it's going to be more drama than anything - it makes for good TV - all the world's a stage right?

I know...I am DYING to see it myself. The guy who is the designer of the wrap has a TWO WEEK WAIT! I don't think I can make it that long. If he could just throw me a bone....a conceptual image, or something!

I can't wait to drive down the road in a peacock! I gave him this to give him a rough idea of what I am thinking as far ac color planning. Mind you... it will not be cartoon feathers..but a close-up photograph of real feathers! And the three body colors will fade gradually into each other.

.

I don't think ANYONE will miss my moving commercial, or forget it. It might be a nuisance!

I can't wait!!!!!

Michelle, I read that you said you are getting between 400 to 500 hits a month on you website. Is that the number of hits or unique visitors?

I have to tell you that every time I see this title I crack up. Thank you so much for making me laugh everyday. I will be back to comment again.

Yes. 400 to 500 unique visits per month, not page loads.

It's at 52 unique visits as of 9:15 pm... IN ONE DAY!!!

That's off the chart, compared to my regular stats. Dunno what other people get.

I have 544 as of right this second for the month so far, July 17th.

It was 503 TOTAL for June.

What the heck is going on?

~Michelle

Hi Michelle,

Maybe it is actually unique visits from Realtors at Active Rain?

My info lets me see who is actually visiting, as in names.

Maybe everyone on AR has come to know and love you as we all do and love to read your funny and informative blogs and finally decided to check out your website.

We can only hope it is the Realtors and they all call you for work.

Hi Michelle F.-

I wish I could see all that with Statcounter, but I can't. I can see what they are googling, and it seems to be curb appeal and staging. But where do people get the sudden urge to investigate these two terms HGTV-esque terms? And what is spurring the jump? Could it possibly be "The Stagers" constantly being promoted the last few weeks? That is the only real difference I can detect.

Yes, many folks are from A/R. That means realtors. Realtors are resistant, by and large, to staging. But they are looking into it, apparently, and at twice the rate they did last month, on my site, clearly.

I don't care where they are or who they are. I just care that they are considering the possibility of hiring a stager or learning more about staging in general.

~Michelle

LOVE the peacock!

Thanks Karen...I cannot wait to drive around in that sucker...! Still waiting for the wrap man to finish the design....I am SURE it will look a lot better than my mock-up thing above.

Michelle

Hi Michelle, I live on Peacock Lane.  Coincidence that us Stagers are drawn to a bird that markets itself so well?