Goal Setting and Time Management for Internet Presence

If you're finding this article on ActiveRain, chances are you already "get it" and are bought in to the importance of internet presenence and social media.  For the begginers and fence sitters, please read on.  Please also read on if you "get it" but feel you could use a little more organization... a method to the madness, or a fresh perspecive for the new year ahead of us. 

Click the image above to download a printable presentation.  

Contents:

•  Why social media / internet marketing is important
• ·Where are you in the realm of social media mania?
• ·Why goal setting and time management is important
• Goal / Strategy – SWOT, 10 Strategy Questions, Action Plan
• Time Management – Priority List / Schedule
• How to stay on track, accountable & results driven
• Resources

Why social media / internet marketing is important

Let’s begin at the beginning… what is the point and why should you care about your presence on the internet? 

Over 90% of home buyers begin their search on the internet.*  They are already out there looking—how will they find you?

These people are on a journey to you.  Along the way they will be “shopping,” getting educated, comparing prices, looking at pictures and videos, checking up on you and your referrals, and judging your level of professionalism. 

The internet is a very passive form of shopping and in the end you get a client who is pretty savvy but still very much in need of your local, professional expertise.  Buying or selling a home is quite different from buying or selling say, books or flowers on-line.  They need to connect with YOU to make that actual transaction take place, moving the virtual experience into a real life connection. 

It’s time to evolve and utilize the tools that are on the internet to help you connect with these shoppers.  Allow your mind to shift toward some new ideas.  Start exploring innovative ways to stay connected with your sphere and to prospect for new business.  How is that expensive newspaper, yellow page ad and postcard campaign treating you?  What is your return on investment?  How can you get the same (or better) results and not spend a dime?

*According to a study conducted by National Association of Realtors conducted November 2009

You can't hit a home run unless you step up to the plate.

You can't catch a fish unless you put your line in the water.

You can't reach your goals if you don't try.
Kathy Seligman

Where are you in the realm of this Social Media Mania?

You are a busy professional and you understand the concept of a business plan, strategy, setting goals, return on investment, and managing your time wisely. 

Now you have a fairly new marketing opportunity that might not be incorporated into your master plan yet.  You may be at any one of these points in the natural evolution of social networking and internet marketing:

• You are in total denial and you refuse to spend any time on this craziness
• You know you need to get on the band wagon but don’t know where to start
• You’ve done your duty and spent the minimal amount of time getting started and left it at that
• You feel in complete control and your business is growing as a result
• You are devoting a scattered 12 hours a day and getting nothing out of it

The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it,

and exploits it as an opportunity.
Peter Drucker

STRATEGY / GOALS

SWOT, 10 Strategy Questions, Action Plan

If you want to get results you need to put some thought into what results you want to achieve.  

S.W.O.T. yourself and your company

Strength / Weakness / Opportunity / Threat

This is a good starting point if you’re drawing a blank with what your goals should be.  Sometimes outlining where your strengths are and what needs some developing will be the answer to what your goals and objectives should be.

Ask yourself these 10 strategy questions:

· Who is my audience?

· Where is my audience—geographically and on the web?

· What information is my audience most interested in and how can I provide it in an engaging way?

· What is my competition doing and how can I stand out?

· What can I do to create conversation – conversations are markets!

· What type of personality or culture do I want to portray?

· How does my social networking tie into the rest of my plan?

· How can my personal passions / interests / hobbies become a business builder?

· Where will I be professional and where will I focus on relationship building in a more casual way?

· What is the end result I want to achieve?  Future vision – say it out loud… “I am the number one producing real estate agent in my market today because I focus on ______________ and __________________ and _______________.

What are your internet marketing goals?  (Add a page to your business plan, create a stand alone action plan, or keep it simple with a list of specific / weighted goals)

· Organize my internet marketing efforts by priority

· Show up on Google—page 1

· Stand out from my competition

· Increase my website conversion rate

· Brand myself as a trustworthy professional

· Brand myself as the local expert

· Collect 25 written client references in 6 months

· Generate 24 referrals in 12 months

· Connect in real life with internet prospects

· Stay connected to my sphere

· Increase my income by 15% in 6 months

educated and up to date on relevant real estate topics

Don’t fall prey to the paralysis of analysis.

Spend some time thinking about a strategy then GO DO IT

You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going, because you might not get there.
Yogi Berra

Time Management – Priority List / Schedule

Begin by scheduling an appointment with yourself.  (Initial set-up, monthly, weekly, daily maintenance.) 

Create a list of every profile and every site that you use.  Take this list and prioritize it.  Make note of how much time you are willing to spend on each site.  (See example.)  This will help you stay focused and spend time wisely on the sites that matter most. 

Visit the presentation download to see the WEB PRESENCE PRIORITY MAP example.  This is a simple and powerful tool to help you keep track of all of your internet presence and social media.

Don’t question where clients are looking.  BE everywhere but really focus the bulk of your time on the places where you can find customers, where you can build relationships and be present.  Pick 3 that you will spend more time on.  Create profiles on others and spend minimal time on them.

Research time saving syndication tools.  Example:  Postlets.com can automatically syndicate your listings to FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more.  Just be careful to “keep it real” with syndication.  Nobody likes spammers BUT – this can increase your footprint on the web with minimal effort.  Put on your expedition hat and see if this works for you.

You’ve spent the time building your presence – drive people to your sites with a retaggr card.  This ties everything together and turns every e-mail that you send into a tool to drive people to your sites.  Another source to do this is EMailIdeas. 

If you want to make good use of your time,you've got to know what's most important and then give it all you've got.
Lee Iacocca

How to stay on track, accountable & results driven

· Keep your goals specific, measurable, attainable, relevant & timed.

· Don’t fall prey to the paralysis of analysis.  Spend some time thinking about a strategy then GO DO IT.

· Be flexible.  If something’s not working change or alter your plan.

· Share your goals and strategy with a trusted business partner, your Principal    Broker, your spouse or a friend and ask them to check in with you from time to time to see how it’s going.

· Be true to yourself and authentic.  Your strategy should match your personality and highlight the things you enjoy most about your career. 

· Measure your success with hit trackers and conversion rates.  Ask every caller, client and referral how they found you. 

Keep it Simple

• Strategize
• Write down your goals
• Prioritize your presence
• Manage your time
• Take action
• Stay consistent

You will never plough a field if you only turn it over in your mind.
Irish Proverb

Thanks for reading - I appreciate comments and feedback.  Please share your most effective goal setting and planning techniques!