Are you rolling in marketing dollars this year? If you're like a lot of companies you are forced to give a hard look to your marketing plan and rule out what is working and what is not. Here's what I'm hearing.

Not working:

• Newspapers
• Homes & Lifestyles
• Open Houses

Working (in our area and across the country)

• Websites
• Postcards
• Twilight Open Houses
• Social Media Marketing

Social Media is the NEW internet. Have you heard of Web 2.0? That's what it refers to - social networking online. While we're in winter, let's not hibernate but amp up our marketing plans and pull new ideas into them.

Not sure how to get started with Social Media Marketing? It can be a bit overwhelming if you're just starting out. Here's an intro to a couple of the major social media sites. You will also want to check out this article by David Wilson, owner of Braveheart Design on why you need a social media presence. I'll work on pulling together more information on ActiveRain and Broker Social Network. Those are both real estate specific networking sites.

Twitter- a free social messaging utility for staying connected in real time. Basically, you create a profile, find people to ‘follow'. You get updates from them about what they are doing/thinking and vice versa. I've made 5 real life friends from Twitter and received quite a bit of paying business. I've also connected with other VAs and learned valuable tips. View my Twitter profile.

 Facebook - Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Millions of people use Facebook everyday to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet. You can also connect your outside blog (short for web log) to Facebook and your Facebook profile will automatically be updated with your new posts (are you blogging your listings yet? If not, winter is a great time to learn how). Visit my Facebook profile.