Will the 'Facebook Apocalypse' Change Your Social Presence?

Will the 'Facebook Apocalypse' Change Your Social Presence?

RECBL - Real Estate News

Just when you started to get a handle on your social strategy, Facebook is at it again, changing up their algorithms and making it more difficult for businesses to have a presence in peoples news feeds.

Until very recently, any engagement with a Facebook post, whether it was a like, share, or comment, would indicate interest and help your content show up for certain people. However, according to Adam Mosseri, Facebooks Head of News Feed, new algorithm changes will consider comments "more valuable than likes" and is "going to be (weighing) long comments more than short comments."

This new focus on "conversations and meaningful interactions" means many agents will need to completely revisit their Facebook strategies.

You can either pay for sponsored posts and other Facebook advertising, or you can work the system and get your followers to show Facebook that they want to see your posts. This can be accomplished by actively commenting on your posts and by changing their settings regarding your page.

How to Get Your Facebook Audience to Engage
In a January 11 post, Chairman and CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg explained that "As we roll this out, you’ll see less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media. And the public content you see more will be held to the same standard-it should encourage meaningful interactions between people." According to Mosseri, these standards will be measured by the number and length of comments on your posts. Traditionally, you could ask followers to comment - it is important to note, however, Facebook will "demote these posts in News Feed." How do you get comments without asking for them?

1. Ask questions.
People love to talk about themselves and share their opinions. To give your followers opportunities to do that, try asking leading questions. A leading question can be anything from "What’s the best local coffee shop?" to "What’s the one thing you wish you knew before you bought your first house?"

2. Share important news and milestones.
You’ve seen it before. When someone posts about getting married, having a baby, getting a new job, or graduating, the "Congratulations!" immediately start rolling in. Let your followers share in your big moments by sharing significant business moments and milestones with them. If you have time to hop on and do a live video, even better! Live videos tend to get a lot more discussion than uploaded videos.

3. Run contests.
In regards to contests, it is important to note that "like and share to win" the prize contests will not give you the results you are looking for. You want your contests to be fun and engaging, not boring and derivative. For example, you could say that the first three people to go to your website or Homes.com and find a home that meets certain criteria win. Have them post their listing in the comments. Just remember to look over your areas rules about contests and sweepstakes before you start.

"Following" Settings
Your followers can also indicate that they would like to see your posts by changing their "Following" settings for your page. Currently when someone likes a page on Facebook, that page is added with default settings that allow the algorithm to decide what posts to show when, and to whom. However, there’s an algorithm trump card users can use to choose whose content they want to see in their news feeds.

Because your followers will have to go to your actual page rather than waiting for your post to pop up in their feed, this method will be most applicable to your most loyal brand advocates. Once you have a strong enough relationship with them, ask them to follow your content with the "See First" option so they never miss an update!

If keeping up with your social strategy is too much for you, let us help! Homes.com Social Fuel takes care of your social strategy by providing you with everything from account setup, post creation, engagement, and Facebook Ad management. We will even monitor your online reputation and monitor how your business ranks in search results so you can focus on selling real estate.

For more information, please visit connect.homes.com.





Jason Grace is AZ Social Realty's content editor. Email him your real estate news ideas at jason@cashbuyerslists.com.





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Facebook Video Marketing

Facebook Video Marketing

RECBL - Real Estate News

Did you know that, this year, 74 percent of all content online will be video?

Marketing with it is a must, according to Marki Lemons Ryhal, a social media speaker who recently shared tips on video at the National Association of REALTORS(R) 2017 REALTORS(R) Conference & Expo.

One of the easiest, and most inexpensive, marketing methods? Facebook Live, Lemons Ryhal explained. On Facebook, an audience two billion strong contains your next homebuyer or seller and a live video can help them find and get to know you as their real estate professional.

Anyone can "go live" at any time, but it does pay to be prepared, Lemons Ryhal said. Dispel the fear of imperfection-"People do not care how you look" -and pick up some tools:

Extra Juice - A backup battery and/or charger
Lighting - A ring light
Mic - A lapel microphone (more than one, if youll be sharing screen time)

Give your followers and friends a heads-up youre planning a video-"about 24 hours in advance," said Lemons Ryhal. Is it a how-to for homebuyers? A Q&A? Give some thought to what you will say, even though it will be (mostly) unscripted, and market it. Avoid, however, promoting properties.

"Every listing has three disqualifiers in it," Lemons Ryhal noted. "Most dont care about the location, and either they can or cannot afford the price point, and maybe a two-bedroom, two-bathroom home is not ideal for them. Every time you post a listing, youre posting content that does not resonate with people in your sphere because it has those disqualifiers."

Carrie J. Little, managing broker of a company in West Chicago, Ill., appealed to a broad group with her first Facebook Live video:

After going live, Little advertised her video again from her Facebook business page, and earned $42,000 in just six months off eight transactions-a 2,105 percent return. According to Lemons Ryhal, Little did a lot of things right: she introduced herself, explained what she was going to talk about, and took questions. She also included a call to action and interacted with viewers.

"Ask people what they want to know and what their problem points are so that you can solve them, or, develop content [around them] and start researching it," said Lemons Ryhal. "Become the problem-solver for real estate in your community."

The other key to Little’s success? Timelessness. Consider the diversity of your followers and friends, and also how you might repurpose the video. Some tools Lemons Ryhal uses:

aTubeCatcher - Creates an MP3 (ideal for podcasts)
Fiverr - Hire someone to transcribe (ideal for blogs, e-books)
Zoom - Cross-promotes/syndicates to other platforms
Explaindio 3.0 - Video creator for a more professional rendering

"We should, as real estate professionals, originate all content in video format because of the ease of converting it into other content," Lemons Ryhal said. "All you got to do is do it."

​For more information check out Facebook Media for tips.




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Tips to Help Market Yourself

Tips to Help Market Yourself

RECBL - Real Estate News

Marketing is the action or business of promoting and selling products or services. When it comes to real estate there is no shortage of products or services to market.

If you’re like many real estate professionals, you can market properties with surprising ease, but may have difficulty when it comes to marketing yourself.

Even if it’s not something you particularly enjoy, marketing yourself and your services is a necessary part of helping your business grow and being in the real estate business marketing yourself is essential.

Whether you’re a new real estate professional or a veteran agent, here are some "Marketing Yourself 101" tips and reminders that you may find helpful:

• Brag a little in your marketing materials. Potential clients want to know what you’ve accomplished and what your professional strengths are. Were your sales figures last year commendable? List them in your marketing materials. Have you won professional awards over the years? Don’t be shy about sharing them. Were you recognized in the community for volunteer efforts or generosity? Be sure to include that information, too.

• If you have trouble writing about yourself, ask colleagues and clients who know you well to describe you. Then, consider using those words in your marketing pieces. Sometimes the people who’ve seen you in action recognize things that you don’t necessarily see in yourself.

• Find your niche. Do you enjoy working with first-time homebuyers? Is there a particular part of town that you know extremely well? Do you have a lot of experience with corporate relocations? If so, make sure your materials reflect your experience with these business segments.

• Update your marketing materials regularly. If you’ve been using the same resources for more than a year or two, it’s probably time to refresh them. Include any new sales data, accomplishments, or professional descriptions. Make sure your contact information is accurate. Have new professional photographs made, and include those. 

• Don’t be afraid to share some personal information. While your marketing pieces should be professional and focus mostly on your business acumen, remember that your goal is to form relationships with your clients. Divulging a little bit about your family life, hobbies, or interests can give potential clients a glimpse about who you are as a person as well as add a little warmth to your communications.

• Consider using testimonials. Ask permission from long-term or favorite clients to share some statements about working with you.

Remember, there are many other ways to promote you in addition to marketing collateral and social media.

• Be involved in your community.

• Volunteer your time at community and charity events.

• Sponsor a Little League team or buy an ad in a local sports team or arts program.

• Socialize often and actively look for ways to meet new people.

• Join your area alumni association, be active in your children’s schools, and participate in neighborhood associations.

The more people you meet and the more you get your name out, the more connections you will make that may lead to new business opportunities.

Source: HSA Home Warranty

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3 Facebook Updates That Affect the Way You Advertise

3 Facebook Updates That Affect the Way You Advertise

RECBL - Real Estate News

You’ve spent months, maybe even years mastering the art of advertising your real estate business on Facebook; however, there is one constant that we can always count on in regards to Facebook: change. Change can either benefit your current position by giving you more options to work with, or throw you a couple of months off track while you master the updates that replaced features you were accustomed to using or that worked to your advantage.

In the last couple of months, Facebook has rolled out new updates to their Ads Manager that affect the way you advertise your listings, business, and yourself as a REALTOR(R).

These updates include the removal of key options in detailed targeting and the addition of new options to target audiences and new ad layouts that give audiences a more engaging experience.

Facebook Updates

1. Detailed Targeting
In September 2017, Facebook exposed anti-Semitic ad targeting options in the job title/employer sections of their detailed targeting options. Anti-Semitic groups used these options to target ads to hate groups. Facebook quickly took action and removed "self-reported targeting fields" to help the fight against hate speech and discrimination.

However, in the attempt to fight hate and discrimination, Facebook removed a lot of the job title/employer options real estate professionals use to target ads to their audiences. For instance, targeting using job titles such as "real estate sales agent, agent/broker, broker/owner, REALTOR(R)" (options that were once available) are not available anymore.

As winter approaches and you create your 2018 social media marketing plan, this is the perfect time to get organized with Ads Manager and start researching the options available to create the perfect, detailed targeting list.

2. Event Interaction
A great way for agents to bring in leads for open houses is by using Facebook events. Sending all your followers an event invite for your open house can give you insight into those who are interested in the property. Facebook has seen the potential for advertisers to target followers who show interest in the event and are now allowing ads to be targeted to anyone who has marked the invite as "interested," "going," or both.

After the open house, take the list of "interested" invitees and send them a promoted ad of the listing. That way, you gain lead information from those who attended and possibly even those who showed interest in the event, doubling your chances of getting the property sold before the slow winter season.

3. New Canvas Layouts
Canvas ads are beautiful, interactive ads that not many REALTORS(R) seem to use. This ad type takes more time to create, but allows audiences to engage with the ad by choosing the direction they want the ad to take them (you can watch a video of canvas ads here). The only issue with canvas ads was the limited number of templates Facebook had available. Seeing the potential, Facebook released new templates for users to pick from.

Imagine using canvas ads to take your audience through a virtual tour of a home. The first image is the front of the house; followers can then click through the ad to see the home, room by room, in the order that they want to go, falling more in love with the property. This ad type pairs well with the event ad-targeting update to reach followers who couldn’t make it to your open house.

Facebook has been busy this third quarter releasing update after update, and there’s only one thing we know for sure: they will continue to release updates. As a professional using Facebook to advertise your business, you need to grow and expand your knowledge of their ad services, or you can let Homes.coms Social Fuel handle all your Facebook advertising needs. Social Fuel creates ads and posts social content for you so you can focus on selling homes.

For more information, please visit connect.homes.com.

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Real Estate Marketing Solutions - Market Your Real Estate Investments Like A Professional

Real Estate Marketing Solutions

FIND REAL ESTATE INVESTORS

Real estate is a tried and true way to build wealth for many people. There are different areas of real estate for investors to specialize; residential, land and commercial. Some investors "flip" houses for profit, while others hold on to real estate for an extended period of time for cash flow and long-term gain.

REAL ESTATE INVESTOR STRATEGIES

Some investors advertise in classifieds, investor groups and online, while others are found through word of mouth. To find real estate investors, one must go where real estate investors go. Most investors are very interested in working on deals relating to their specialty, so it is not difficult to get the attention of an investor with the correct strategies. With almost any real estate project the correct mindset must be established. Wholesalers, (real estate investors who find property selling for below market value), buy low and instead of investing any money into renovating or rehabbing a property, they focus on providing or assigning deals for other investors who want to renovate or rehab a property in order to make a faster ROI (Return On Investment).

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT MARKETING SOLUTIONS

Real Estate Investment Marketing Solutions has compiled a series of real estate advertising and marketing strategies to help support your real estate ventures. From business cards to bandit signs, want ads to websites, whether you are a novice real estate investor or have been a real estate investor for years, the tools and techniques provided by REI Marketing Solutions can help anyone increase their lead generation, target market contact and ultimately find and fund more real estate investment deals.

DOWNLOAD NOW!

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4 Tips for Mastering Marketing

4 Tips for Mastering Marketing

RECBL - Real Estate News

Technology is changing the face of the real estate industry more and more every day, and it’s also changing the way real estate professionals sell homes.

While prospective buyers used to simply browse their local newspaper to find their dream home, the internet has changed the game by providing an endless supply of online tools buyers can use to facilitate the process.

Social media in particular has become the go-to medium for home searches around the world.

With that in mind, we’ve compiled a few technical considerations that will help you use technology to reach prospective buyers.

Maintain Current Relationships
While it’s easy to get caught up in the buzz, it’s important to remember that the relationships you’ve built with current customers are more important than any new web technology, smartphone app or electronic craze. In the end, it’s these relationships that will keep your business growing.

Reinforcing existing relationships with customers is just as important as updating your Facebook status or pinning on Pinterest. A simple thank you card or personalized magnetic notepad will not only provide a lasting impression and reminder of you and your business, but also go a long way toward keeping you relevant in today’s fast-paced environment.

Build Your Online Presence
Take the time to build your online presence in order to keep up with the growing population of buyers who are on social media and perusing websites and other digital sources of information that are relevant to the real estate industry. While building business via grassroots marketing strategies can still work. The potential for doing so online far outreaches any traditional marketing strategies.

Social media provides the perfect place to promote your business and current listings. As you build your online presence, you will undoubtedly attract a bigger audience, which will help spread the word about your listings.

Incorporate Video Into the Mix
Video is another great strategy that can help you boost your business. Typically drawing a larger audience than text-heavy pieces, videos provide a more effective way of building relationships with new and existing customers. In addition, videos offer a more personalized approach to promoting your business or listings.

Utilize a CRM System
Customer relationship management systems provide you with the tools you need to keep information related to your customers organized and easily accessible. A good CRM will not only ensure you’re always prepared for whatever the situation may require, but it will also help you stay on point by providing the best customer service at a moment’s notice. A CRM system can also help you capture and follow up on more leads than you’d be able to if you weren’t using one.

Technology is becoming more and more essential in the real estate industry, and it’s important that you learn to embrace it and incorporate it into your everyday business activities. Mastering the latest trends in technology and making yourself visible online will not only grow your business, but also help build upon the relationships you’ve already cultivated.

John Bunker is marketing director at RealEstateCalendars.com.

For more information, please visit www.realestatecalendars.com.

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How to Promote Your Listings on Facebook

How to Promote Your Listings on Facebook

RECBL - Real Estate News

Agents are forever in need of new methods to generate more business and close more deals. The rise of digital marketing has created a big splash, and for good reason. It’s incredibly powerful and should not be overlooked. Why, and how, should agents be using Facebook to boost their business? With over 2 billion active users, the power of Facebooks audience is undeniable.

Approximately 30 percent of Facebook users are between the ages of 25 and 34, making it the largest age demographic on the social network.

Thirty-four percent of homebuyers are under the age of 36, according to the National Association of REALTORS(R) (NAR). Those two trends go hand-in-hand and should be dictating real estate agents marketing efforts.

Agents need to be experimenting with Facebook advertising in order to meet client expectations and remain competitive. It’s easy to get left behind in today’s fast-moving market. Agents should be improving and scaling their marketing efforts to keep up with competitors and maintain a positive reputation.

Client expectations are changing. Efforts such as social media marketing are now not only preferred, but expected. Homeowners want to be confident that their agent is digital-savvy and will go above and beyond to market their listing. Gaining massive exposure through social media channels provides that necessary peace of mind for homeowners. The more eyes an agent can get their listing in front of, the better.

The reality is, Facebook has built their advertising interface for digital marketers. The majority of agents don't have the know-how or time to properly advertise their listings on a regular basis because they’re juggling hundreds of other tasks and it isn’t their specialty. This doesn’t mean they’re exempt from the need to execute in this area, however. It means that they need to leverage tools that help them up their marketing game efficiently and effectively. Moxi Works recently released a new feature, called Advertise Your Listing, within the Moxi Engage CRM that simplifies and expedites this process. Advertise Your Listing empowers real estate agents to leverage Facebook advertising to reach massive audiences, impress their clients, and, in turn, win more business.

So where do agents even begin? Once they have a tool that is simple and efficient, they can begin promoting each time they win a new listing. Here are a few tips for agents getting started:

• Select a great image - Social media is visual. A great image of the property is what is going to catch people’s attention and drive engagement online.

• Focus on gaining reach - You already know how to sell a home. What you really want to do is impress your clients by showing them how many thousands of people saw their listing.

• Make sure your website is up to date - Improving your presence online through Facebook is great, but make sure your agent website is up to date as well. This way, if people want to learn more about you, see other listings, or contact you, it’s easy for them to do so.

If they’re using a tool like Advertise Your Listing, which is connected to the MLS, agents won’t have to worry about any manual data entry, making the process quick and painless.

Facebook advertising needs to become a part of an agent's repeatable marketing flow in order to stay competitive and efficient. It’s an inexpensive way to exceed client expectations and drive more business. Reaching a massive audience means exposure for both you and the listing, and happy clients means more referrals and a positive reputation.

For more information, please visit www.moxiworks.com.

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Guaranteed increase in quality traffic and sales with 15 underused resources: Part 3

Guaranteed increase in quality traffic and sales with 15 underused resources: Part 3

In part 2 of, “15 underused resources guaranteed to increase quality traffic and sales.", we discussed Ad footers, Ad Swaps and Email Lists. Today's topics will be Video Marketing, Social Media and Podcasts.

7. Video Marketing

5 Powerful Reasons Why Video Marketing Works

Video marketing is one of the most powerful, versatile and profitable marketing tools available.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is priceless. Did you know that videos generate 300% more traffic than any other source? Creating a unique visual content experience can generate staggering amounts of traffic to your website.

Videos can make you some serious money. Adding a product video on your landing page can increase conversions by 80%.

Facebook Live video is now reportedly at 8 billion views, outstripping even YouTube’s massive 5 billion views per day. It’s no wonder that we see an increasing number of businesses incorporating unique and carefully developed videos into their marketing strategies.

An effective video marketing strategy can implement a range of video types to drive traffic and conversions to your website or blog post.Make sure your videos are helpful, informative, and interesting. Your video must provide some type of value to your viewer. You also want it to include some kind of call to action that will bring people to your website.

Youtube is the most common and well-known video sharing site. But be sure to link your video to other social media accounts as well. Your target audience are on multiple platforms and there are increased chances of it getting shared multiple times. How cool is that?

8. Social Media Traffic

Social Media Marketing

Social media is one of the most proactive ways of generating more quality and appropriate traffic because of it‘s advanced targeting opportunities. Did you know that, as of June 2017, Twitter has 328 million monthly active users while Facebook has 2 billion?

You have free access to millions of users, every month from every platform, right in front of you. With the boom of the internet, more and more people spend a lot of time on these channels.

They’re powerful platforms for communicating with your readers, building your brand, and driving more traffic to your website.

By targeting people based on their interests and networks, they can help you identify and connect with buyer personas all over the globe. Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin are excellent mediums for B2C (business to customer) interactions.

Here’s how to make the most out of social media to generate more traffic:

● Share relevant and useful content to build a strong online presence . Quality content will find its way to Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and more, increasing your social visitors.
● Make sure you include visuals, hashtags, short text, and emoticons when relevant. No one wants to go through a boring post without emoticons or hashtags. So, cheer up!
● Be active on industry-related social network groups and communities. These can be an important traffic resource for your website.
● Keep a track of social conversations. Listen for your customers’ questions, comments, likes, and dislikes, and reach out to them.

9. Podcasts

Pod Cast Services

People love audio as much as they love videos. If you are too shy to appear in front of the camera, then podcasts are the way to go.

Podcasts are digital audio recordings of programs that you can readily download online. Creating them can help you to develop authority and expertise in the subject matter. And, most importantly, pod-casting gives you incredible reach.

You can take the same set of topics and present them to your target audience again and again. The more listeners you have, the better your chances of converting them into website visitors. By repeatedly exposing your audience to your best products and content, you’ll develop a reputation as an expert in your industry.

Like an article or blog post, your podcast episode becomes something that you can share. Demonstrate your value to the target market. Your podcast strategy can improve your trustworthiness and credibility, especially if you appear as a guest on other podcasts. Podcasts on relevant and useful topics get more traffic and attract more leads for your business. I recommend using a podcast hosting service like LibSyn, and creating accounts to upload your podcast to iTunes, Stitcher, BluBrry, and Miro.​


This is Part 3 of 5 of “15 underused resources guaranteed to increase quality traffic and sales.”

Part 2
Part 1

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Real estate profits off the chart

Real estate profits off the chart 

People get into real estate for many reasons, one of which being that there’s no ceiling to how much you can earn. What many people don’t realize, however, is that there’s also no floor.

Sure, you can make an unlimited amount of money, but if you don’t know how to effectively manage your finances, it’s difficult to turn a profit.

There are many ways to maximize your profits. In addition to increasing the number of transactions you close and/or increasing the average sales price of the homes you sell, there are other time-proven tactics that involve working smarter, not harder.

Tip 1. Think net. Many agents focus on their gross income, or how much they make before taxes and expenses, but true real estate professionals strive for a high net income. When you focus on gross income, you end up working harder for the same amount of money as a more effective agent who approaches their income in net terms.

Tip 2. Create a budget. A budget does more than map out where your money goes; it also helps determine your path to success, including the growth you intend to achieve and the costs it’ll take to get there. Follow a budget and you’ll have the awareness you need to really invest in your business.

Tip 3. Focus your marketing where you’re seeing results. The average real estate professional spends $1,100 on marketing, 10 percent of which is spent on online marketing and promotion.* Take the time to analyze your current marketing and advertising campaigns, and cut the ones that aren’t generating results. If you’re not sure where to make cuts, ask your clients how they found you.

Tip 4. Know the costs of running your business. Create a profit and loss statement every month. Without this information, you won’t know where your business is heading, and without knowing where your business is heading, how can you get where you want to go? When you have the numbers in front of you, you can direct your efforts and improve your performance.

Tip 5. Look for joint business opportunities. Look within your business network for opportunities to cross-promote. This allows you to share marketing and advertising costs while building relationships with people outside your client base.

Tip 6. Think twice about discounting your commission. While it may be tempting to reduce your commission for a client, doing so may result in their referrals expecting you to reduce your commission. Explain to your clients the value you bring to the transaction based on your knowledge, experience and marketing resources.

By incorporating these strategies into your routine, you’ll be able to take control of your finances, keep more of what you earn, and invest in the continued growth of your business.

*Source: National Association of REALTORS(R) 2016 Member Profile

Brian Buffini was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and immigrated to San Diego in 1986, where he became the classic American rags to riches story.  After becoming one of the nation’s top REALTORS(R), he founded Buffini & Company, an organization dedicated to sharing his powerful lead-generation systems with others. Based in Carlsbad, Calif., Buffini & Company has trained over 3 million business professionals in 37 countries and currently coaches and trains more than 25,000 business people across North America. Today, Brian reaches over 1 million listeners a year through his popular "Brian Buffini Show" podcast. For more information, please visit  www.buffiniandcompany.com.



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What is your communication strategy?

What is your communication strategy

Freshen Up Your Communication Strategy for Spring?

#realestate #cashbuyerslists #communication #strategy #communicationstrategy #social #socialnetwork #socialmedia #socialmediamarketing #marketing

Q: As the spring selling season approaches, what can I do to freshen up my communication strategy?

A: With the spring selling season right around the corner, prospective buyers are beginning to ramp up their search for the perfect home, while sellers are busy preparing their homes to be listed on the market.

Read More> http://bit.ly/RECBL-March14

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