@Spirocks

Make Local Sell Local

What is your Threshold for Celebration?

excitement

I can imagine that may seem like a strange question. I truly understand that, but really, at what level/threshold do you take a moment away from anything else you do to celebrate something? I believe people benefit from celebrating things at a lower threshold than is common.

As a business owner, manager, really anyone over entry level you are a leader of people, try not to forget or ignore that for too long. You will benefit from celebrating true steps forward with your people. Yes, celebrate steps, that is the basic tenet of this argument.

Celebrate more.

Let’s not wait for a year end goal, or a doubling of sales, or the ‘ends to any means’. I want to note: this need not be a business only idea, why wait until a year after a wedding to celebrate a ‘Real’ anniversary, why not send flowers to her for months on end to celebrate your monthly anniversary of the first kiss you shared?

Identify what the first step is to getting where you dream of going, when you take that step celebrate it. Whether that is launching your business into a new market, or marrying the person of your dreams. Celebrate the first kiss, celebrate the new menu with the team that will deliver it, celebrate the first deal of a new salesperson.

Spring Shoot

Don’t wait for something huge to celebrate.

Time is your most valuable currency, don’t waste its value with inaction. -CP

Doing that has two huge negative effects, and a million (or so) smaller drawbacks. The first big one is that by waiting you require the team to rely on inner motivation to get where you want to go. That doesn’t sound like a good start to me. The second big drawback is that the celebration seemingly has to be bigger the farther along you go. For that matter, celebrating can be as simple as sincere compliments, acknowledgement of a person or team in front of their peers, sharing a few beers (after work if need be). That’s the thing when you celebrate smaller things; the celebration is easy and fun.

After Work Gathering

Surprise people.

Celebrate accomplishments they may not know you noticed, do something impromptu or without fanfare that celebrates, and in doing so recognizes, accomplishments. Those small steps to the goal you have set. Motivation pours out of actions like that in many forms. Your team will feel appreciated, taken care of, and free from worry about if their toils are noticed.

Lower your threshold and enjoy life more. This is your life remember, you can build an environment that works for you.

I am Spirocks on Twitter.

Dominate Instagram Marketing: How to Increase Your Brand’s Local Audience

Instagram has held the distinction as the fastest growing social media network for over a year now. For brands like yours, it puts the ability to get close to your targeted local audience in the palm of your hand.

This requires a healthy dose of inspiration be it artsy, humorous, insightful etc… it also requires you to have a solid understanding of the ins and outs of Instagram. That is what this post is about.

1) Follow the most influential local Instagrammers, interact with them.

Start by finding those that have tagged your business in a post, either by mentioning its name, or by geotagging photos at your place of business. These are happy customers who you must follow and interact with. Like their photos and let them know you are fans of them too, that good feeling is the beginning of an amazing instagram relationship.

Look for others in your community who are active on Instagram and follow them, like their content, get to know what they find interesting, finding customers that will sing your praises is a great thing. Remember you are great at what you do, once they give your business a try you will make them wish you had found them on Instagram earlier.

2) Hashtags are key to getting found, here is how to use them.

While I have a post devoted to this topic on its own, I will give you the cliff notes version here. Focus on finding the relevant hashtags for your post, making up a funny word may be entertaining for your followers but it isnt going to get searched for often if at all. Consider a fitness related post that included the hashtag #beeeasstmodelegdaaaaze versus #squats #legday #workout… clearly the latter post would transcend and be found more often. Studies have shown that including three or more hashtags in your post drastically increases how many people find it. In fact up to 7 are acceptable to Instagram users.

As far as local marketing goes, use hashtags that relate to the town/state/university that makes up your target audience. For instance I use the #andover hashtag frequently for my restaurants in downtown andover. It both relates to those who live in town, and to the prominent boarding school Phillips Academy Andover that is in town.

3) Pull back the Curtain, and do it frequently.

Intersperse images of what you are selling with behind the scenes pics of your team, your office, previews of future offerings… let your audience feel privy to your process and in turn they will feel a part of it. For instance showing pictures of our recently launched sunday brunch dishes is a good way to let people know how amazing they are, but showing them pictures of a bar full of people having a blast eating them is another angle. Those ‘product in motion’ or ‘experience’ images are often even more impactful. Try something different and let your audience look forward to finding your next image… be you, be human, share you business story. It may be your everyday, but to a lot of people it is very interesting and your providing a window into the happenings can make them feel much more comfortable taking the plunge and becoming a customer.

I am Spirocks on Twitter.

Writing a Professional Realtor Bio

A Realtor needs to maintain an online bio in several places, here are five tips to help you execute one that works for you, not against you.

1. Its an old journalism saying: Show, don’t Tell.

Explaining what you have done is better than telling them what your title is. You will see a lot of ninjas, enthusiasts, philosophers, and worst of all gurus on people’s social media profiles. Wouldn’t it be better if they told you how they grew sales, orchestrated their teams to produce more ideas, and led change in their organizations?

The “show, don’t tell” rule results in focusing on what things you actually make happen, not who you say you are. Phrasing this way means using words like these:

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These are doing words, action verbs that give a sense of what you get done. That is key, this is the value you bring to those that hire you. Remember that.

 2. Make sure you use keywords that speak to the people you are targeting.

What are you an expert at? Specifically. That should be in your bio using the keywords that describe the skills and expertise that you hold. They will be searched for and increase the likelihood that your bio will help you get found. So how do you come up with these keywords? Think about what the client you are targeting would be looking for, and then how they would type that into Google. Those are your keywords.

3. Don’t get lazy and decide to use the current buzzwords:

Like we mentioned above, there are words we see over and over. I for one do not want to hire a social media guru any more than I want to hire a marketing ninja. Those words say nothing other than the fact that you think you are either smarter or cooler (or both0 than the reader. Trust me this is not a good approach.

Linkedin which is pretty much the greatest authority on professional web profiles presented this slideshow on the most overused words of 2013. If these are in your bio it is time to change it up.

4. Always include what is in it for your prospective client or employer.

Ahhh the Value proposition, you must include this. Accomplishments demonstrate ability but they are the past, your bio is speaking to people who want to know what they get from working with you; in the future. This is essential to answer: what can these readers expect from you? What value do you add to the equation?

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5. Revisit often (More than Every Ten Years)

Stale bios are the old headshots of the digital age, now not only do we get to see your old headshot when bangs were big, but we get to read about where you were in your career in 2001. Let’s go, ge tit up to date. Make a note in your calendar of choice (Google is mine) to remind you to read and edit your bio every three months. That way you can tout your recent developments and expunge things that no longer apply.

I am Spirocks on Twitter.

A Responsive Website’s Time Has Come

What is a responsive website?

It is important to understand the terminology when dealing with technology, in this case a responsive website responds to the screen size and makes the content easy to consume. Think about the sites that make you zoom in desperately to read them on your phone. Those ARE NOT responsive sites.

As Wikipedia puts it:

Responsive Web design (RWD) is a Web design approach aimed at crafting sites to provide an optimal viewing experience—easy reading and navigation with a minimum of resizing, panning, and scrolling—across a wide range of devices (from mobile phones to desktop computer monitors). — Read More On Wiki

Responsive-Web-Design

 

In Real Estate Marketing this is particularly important for two reasons: 

  1. Your clients and prospective clients are likely to find you on their mobile device first, and having a website that works on a mobile device becomes more important everyday for that reason. 
  2. You are not going to maintain two websites, one for computers and one for mobile phones

You don’t have to take my word for it, in the real estate world the momentum is undeniable, just read the headlines:

Ok you get it, this is where we are headed, so why haven’t you made the switch? Its complicated, its work, its not what you do for a living. I get it, there is always something else to do. This is important, this is more important today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow.

When you are ready to talk about creating a responsive website presence online, I am here to discuss what you need to make it happen.

So that was fast, but in reality you should either plan on converting soon yourself, or you should find someone to help you do it.

I am Spirocks on Twitter.

Real Estate Web Traffic Surging into 2014

Maybe you thought it was leveling off, or maybe you thought it was overrated before, but there is no hiding from the recent numbers. Traffic to real estate websites is rocketing upwards. Experian Marketing Services’ rankings of top real estate websites in January revealed that overall traffic to US Real Estate websites grew by 25% to a whopping 364.4 million. 

real estate website traffic growthNo matter how you measure it, quantify its effects, or feel about the change, it is happening. The internet is delivering the results and information that your clients want, when they want it, and at a speed they have grown accustomed to in their everyday lives. 

What is your place in the revolution? 

If you want to compete with the best, you need a strategy and a desire to shake free of yesterday’s practices and move straight forward into the new real estate order. 

Quick answer these questions: 

1) Do you have a stand alone website for a company you own or for yourself that contains unique content you and your team create? 

2) Is your website built with a responsive design? 

3) Can your visitors search for property easily on their mobile device with your site? 

4) Do you focus on delivering the information you are the best resource for? Your local community statistics and sales data? 

If you answered yes, congrats you graduated from Real Estate Internet 101

Now are you building a lead generating website that makes it worthwhile for visitors to opt in?

Are you pushing the envelope and allowing your personality to be part of the message?

What role are you using video in your marketing of homes but more importantly yourself?

If you want to talk about where you are today, and where you can be working towards, reach out to me. This is what I do.

I am Spirocks on Twitter.

How to Use Hashtags

Hashtags are now universal, they are recognized by all the major social networks and are a part of our cultural vernacular that has established itself as more than a fad. You see them everywhere and that is a good indication that they are working for those who are using them.

How to Use hashtags

What makes Hashtags Valuable?

A hashtag connects you to people you don’t follow and who don’t follow you, whether a topic or event that dominates the days news like: #superbowl or a more obscure topic like #pollenation, or even something cheesy like #whyIlovecheese will make an informal bond between posts that share the hashtag, and consequently the people/brands that created the posts. When the Hashatag is clicked on, new people/brands are discovered that share a common interest in most cases.

How Much do Hashtags increase engagement for a brand?

Research done by Piqora shows that there is a sweet spot for hashtag use. There is a limit, where too much hashtag use is perceived as spammy.

Screen Shot 2013-12-09 at 9.33.08 AM

 

This chart from Piqora illustrates their findings on Instagram hashtag use, it clearly shows increased engagement with increasing use of hashtags to a point. After which the effectiveness drops off because it becomes a spammy message. A rule of thumb I like to use is:

Work Hashtags into the normal text of your message, if it reads like a sentence the effectiveness will be magnified.

For Example: Introducing the #Patriots #buffalo #wing #party package, get together for the #game and bring the #heat with 100 wings.

That way it reads like a sentence instead of: #patriots #buffalo #wings #game #heat #party

  • Be Smart About How you Use Hashtags

Like everything else you do for your brand, consider the end user. What are they interested in seeing, what is trending right now, are there current events that I can relate to my brand?

Have any interesting Hashtag stories to share with me? 

I am Spirocks on Twitter.

Using Instagram for a Restaurant

Its easy when you are around food all the time to take it for granted. After all you see it, sell it, eat it all the time. Remember that those who are not in your shoes are not so surrounded by it, and usually hungry.

This works to your advantage as a sharer of beautiful photos of food, and instagram is an ideal tool for sharing.

See what I do at: instagram.com/spirocks

image

Remember people are hungry!

I am Spirocks on Twitter.

Beating the Drum for Online Video

Time to Believe in Online Video Marketing

This isnt the first time I wrote this, nor will it be the last. Online video marketing should be in your arsenal, and everyday it gets clearer. Open your eyes, or your phone, and take a peak around. Youtube is a billion dollar business, Instagram and Vine have taken mobile video sharing to another level in the past few months, and everyone (well almost) has a smartphone that plays and takes HD video.

Takeaway #1: Video is Growing Up

What makes video so compelling? Well for one it is the opportunity for you to create the environment you want for your message, that freedom from the schedule of TV/Radio stations, the limits of print media, the formats and lengths they all impose is liberating and allows true creativity to emerge. When you create video for your business it is an authentic place without the filter and mis-reporting that going through another media funnel creates. It is your message, said in your way.

Takeaway #2: Online Video is your chance to Speak and Show the message you want. 

There is undoubtedly a safety in the norm, of placing full page ads in the paper for your real estate company, because you always have. There is a definite break that needs to be made, starting to make or deciding to invest in online video is more work than telling the ad rep to run the same ad as last month because it is the last minute and you have no time to work on a new one. Maybe they graciously offer to create one for you that is cookie cutter and page filler perfection. I would argue that is more dis-service than service.

If you make the decisions, if you pay the bills, if you are ultimately responsible for the long term well being of your business you have this decision to make: either you continue to pour your resources into media with shrinking audiences and limited returns or you find the path that is right for your business in what is the defining medium of today. Online video, (Youtube – Instagram – Vine), is already huge, and getting bigger daily. Can you say that about where your ads are running right now?

The fight you will have to win is with the members of your organization that are beholden to the past, that feel you are doing the wrong thing by discontinuing the money dump into old media. They fear change, are more comfortable with gradually losing return on investment (YOUR INVESTMENT), and will disparage what is now the way of the land. They are the Crabby Purists, the same types of people who would rather have an abandoned building in ‘their’ neighborhood than have a new restaurant or condo building come in and change the dynamic. It isn’t a question if the change is happening, it is fact.

The only question is when you pull the trigger. Catch up to this sea change you will undoubtedly be determined to, start now to take the lead among your peers and let them do the catching up.

Want an example? Answer this, the next time you list your home are you going to sign over the privilege to list it to an agent who won’t go the extra mile and make a video for it? See Broker Matt McLennan, of Century 21 McLennan and what he does for his listings Here

Why would you not ask, no expect, that kind of marketing for your home? Is an MLS listing, a paragraph, ten pictures, and a 1″x1″ ad enough marketing for your most valuable possession? I say Hell No, and it shouldn’t be enough for your business no matter what you do.

Takeaway #3: Ignore the Crabby Purists and Get Going 

Share a link to your latest online marketing video with me on Twitter (@spirocks), and I will retweet it to all my followers. Lets get the word out together.

I am Spirocks on Twitter.