Are You Paying Attention To The "Groundswell"?
Okay, if you are reading this, it proves that you are already smarter than the average RE bear and are using the technologies Allen Hainge mentions in this spot-on post.
If you aren't blogging or socially networking, you are missing the "Groundswell, the Wave, the whole she-bang."
Wake up and start using Web 2.0! Your career in real estate and your business are at stake. There is no going back........
So many books, both business and non-business, have influenced my life and the way I run my business. One that I'm reading now is destined to make that list: "Groundswell" by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff.
The authors define a "groundswell" as "a social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other instead of from companies." The books contains a number of consumer studies plus examples of "groundswell" technologies: FaceBook, LinkedIn, YouTube, blogs, pod casts and many more. It includes some very instructive examples of how corporations and individuals have used the Web 2.0 technologies to build communities and build their businesses.
I'd like to share one quote from the book with you:
"You cannot ignore this trend. You cannot sit this one out. Unless you are retiring in 6 months, it's too late to quit and let somebody else handle it. The groundswell trend is unstoppable, and your customers are there. You may go a little slower or a little faster, but you have to move forward. There is no going back."
This advice applies to those of us active in real estate as well as to major corporations. Your customers are there, so the question becomes what you are doing about it.
As mentioned elsewhere, I am fortunate to have founded and belong to a network of top agents who focus on using today's technology to meet the needs of today's consumer, the CyberStars(tm). They have taught me a lot, including the technologies and strategies they are using to capitalize on the groundswell.
As I read the book, I was pleased to discover that many of the CyberStars(tm) are already marketing via many of the "groundswell technologies" mentioned there. A list of them would include:
*Blogs
*Podcasts
*Plaxo
*MySpace
*YouTube
*Craig's List
Top agents know that today's consumers are going to sources other than "traditional" real estate sources for their information. Why, they reason, would most people be satisfied with a real estate magazine or classified ad when they can visit YouTube for a complete tour of the house or Issuu.com for a beautiful home brochure?
Many ActiveRain members realize this, too, and they are using ActiveRain to get and stay up-to-date on the leatest technologies. Hope you are one of them!
It's a great day here on the lake in Reston...hope it's a great day wherever you are, too!
Comments(5)