Friday, September 6, 2013
Saturday, August 31, 2013
FHA change eases buyers’ wait time
The Federal Housing Authority just made it easier for borrowers with previous hardships to qualify for an FHA-backed loan again. This is welcome news for buyers who went through short sales or foreclosures during the recent economic downturn.
The FHA announced that it is shortening the mandatory waiting periods for homeowners with a black mark on their credit to buy again using an FHA loan. These negative marks might include a short sale, foreclosure or even bankruptcy.
Before the FHA announcement, homeowners who went through one of those hardships faced a three-year mandatory waiting period. With the changes recently announced by the FHA as part of their Back to Work - Extenuating Circumstances Program, buyers who lost their homes due to financial hardships, but who can now prove over a course of the year that they are back on track financially, may qualify for an FHA loan sooner.
Under the new program, FHA announcements indicate a buyer can repurchase again after one year instead of three, provided they can document they lost 20 percent of their income.
This recent FHA announcement has sparked much interest from homebuyers who lost their homes due to extenuating circumstances.
Because the housing downturn is now six years old, there are many more buyers coming back into the market as they have passed the previously allotted waiting periods of three or four years, and they are looking to acquire financing again.
We encourage buyers to become familiar with today’s repurchase rules. These rules vary depending on the financing used and the type of hardship the applicant previously underwent.
Currently more than nine out of 10 mortgages are either funded by Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, the FHA or VA. So, if a buyer is looking to purchase and needs financing, it is more than likely he or she will be using one of these three financing options.
Each of those options has different rules directing the time frame for seeking financing again following a short sale, foreclosure or bankruptcy. To help consumers make sense of these options.
To qualify for the new FHA program, buyers should be prepared to:
• Prove that the foreclosure or short sale was caused by an economic event beyond their control, causing an income reduction of 20% or more for at least six months.
• Prove they have recovered from the economic event that led to the crisis.
• Prove that their credit was satisfactory before the economic event.
• Show that credit has been re-established over the past 12 months.
• Complete at least one hour of one-on-one housing counseling from a Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved counselor.
Monday, August 12, 2013
12 "Expert Picks" for Fail-Safe Colors
Here are twelve neutrals that color experts and designers rank as their top
"fail-safe" picks.
Amazing Gray (Sherwin-Williams SW7044)
Cinderblock (Ralph Lauren UL222)
For a warm, medium dark neutral I love Cinderblock. It just makes everything look rich and sophisticated. Very restful and pleasing to the eye. I just finished a Victorian reading room where I used it on the walls, trim, and ceiling as a home office and my client loves it.
—Myke Reilly, Designer and Co-Founder of The Happy Collective in San Francisco
Chelsea Gray (Benjamin Moore HC168
When people think about neutrals, they often think light and they don’t have to. This is a darker color that's still soft. It’s great with lots of linens, antiques, and vintage-style furnishings or it’s rich behind a contemporary white sectional.
—Sharon Grech, Color Expert for Benjamin Moore
Manchester Tan (Benjamin Moore HC168)
This is a very warm neutral that is almost like an off-white. It’s not gray or cold, and it’s not a boring beige. It's nice with dark and mid-tone woods and works well with cooler colors like blues or with reds, yellows, and greens.
—Sharon Grech, Color Expert for Benjamin Moore
Restrained Gold (Sherwin-Williams SW6129)
This warm and inviting color not only looks good with painted white trim but also stained trims like oaks, plus it maintains its hue well in daylight or artificial light. It also looks great in just about every room and pairs well with a wide range of colors, from reds and oranges to blues, greens, or purples.
Safari Vest (Behr UL190-17)
Safari Vest makes a wonderful background color, because so many other colors harmonize with it. Cream trim and black accents create a classic modern scheme, or pair it with accents in burgundy, forest, or navy blue for a more traditional look.
— Erika Woelfel, Director of Color for Behr
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Toasted Wheat (Pratt and Lambert 7-26)
This has been one of our top colors for many years. It is a warm, nature-based tan that is extremely versatile. It has a certain amount of depth so that it will have a presence, but it is neutral enough that it won’t steal the show.
—Peggy Van Allen, Color and Design Specialist for Pratt & Lambert
I repainted my bedroom this color, which is a medium gray with just a hint of green. It’s not too cool and not too warm. My plan is to use it with other grays, a charcoal gray upholstered headboard, and dusty plum and chartreuse.
—Jackie Jordan, Director of Color Marketing for Sherwin-Williams
—Jackie Jordan, Director of Color Marketing for Sherwin-Williams
Sage Morsel (Valspar 5005-1C)
I believe more in timeless colors than fail-safe colors like this gray green with its sophisticated gray undertone. You can find this color in your garden, paintings, and vintage photos, but the lightness of the gray green makes it perfect for today’s home.
—Sue Kim, Color Trend and Forecast Specialist for Valspar
I believe more in timeless colors than fail-safe colors like this gray green with its sophisticated gray undertone. You can find this color in your garden, paintings, and vintage photos, but the lightness of the gray green makes it perfect for today’s home.
—Sue Kim, Color Trend and Forecast Specialist for Valspar
Cinderblock (Ralph Lauren UL222)
For a warm, medium dark neutral I love Cinderblock. It just makes everything look rich and sophisticated. Very restful and pleasing to the eye. I just finished a Victorian reading room where I used it on the walls, trim, and ceiling as a home office and my client loves it.
—Myke Reilly, Designer and Co-Founder of The Happy Collective in San Francisco
Chelsea Gray (Benjamin Moore HC168
When people think about neutrals, they often think light and they don’t have to. This is a darker color that's still soft. It’s great with lots of linens, antiques, and vintage-style furnishings or it’s rich behind a contemporary white sectional.
—Sharon Grech, Color Expert for Benjamin Moore
Manchester Tan (Benjamin Moore HC168)
This is a very warm neutral that is almost like an off-white. It’s not gray or cold, and it’s not a boring beige. It's nice with dark and mid-tone woods and works well with cooler colors like blues or with reds, yellows, and greens.
—Sharon Grech, Color Expert for Benjamin Moore
Restrained Gold (Sherwin-Williams SW6129)
This warm and inviting color not only looks good with painted white trim but also stained trims like oaks, plus it maintains its hue well in daylight or artificial light. It also looks great in just about every room and pairs well with a wide range of colors, from reds and oranges to blues, greens, or purples.
—Karen Mills, Owner of Interiors by Design in Kansas City, Missouri
Warm Caramel (Glidden GLN01)
I think this is simply the most comfortable and delicious full-bodied neutral. It works wonderfully with both traditional and contemporary design styles and is perfect used alone or paired with another color. It is one of our top sellers from coast to coast.
—Barbara Richardson, Director of Color Marketing for Glidden
Smooth Stone (Glidden GLN36)
Smooth Stone is the perfect neutral, if you are looking for a color that has subtle character and one that is truly neutral without the influence of red or yellow undertones. It works beautifully with other accent colors, too.
—Barbara Richardson, Director of Color Marketing for Glidden
Star of the Garden (Kelly-Moore KM4004-2)
This is my favorite fail-safe hue. It is a neutral that has it all—not too light or too dark, too warm or too cool. It’s the perfect complement to all of today’s most fashionable colors. It’s popular for exteriors, too.
—Mary Lawlor, Manager of Color Marketing at Kelly-Moore Paints
Ever Classic (Pratt and Lambert 32-34)
This is a perfect gray for walls or trim. It’s a mid-tone, neither too cool nor too warm. While all grays are trending strong right now, this is a gray that is a classic and will never go out of style. This color will lend a sense of luxury and refinement to any room in the house.
—Peggy Van Allen, Color and Design Specialist for Pratt & Lambert
Warm Caramel (Glidden GLN01)
I think this is simply the most comfortable and delicious full-bodied neutral. It works wonderfully with both traditional and contemporary design styles and is perfect used alone or paired with another color. It is one of our top sellers from coast to coast.
—Barbara Richardson, Director of Color Marketing for Glidden
Smooth Stone (Glidden GLN36)
Smooth Stone is the perfect neutral, if you are looking for a color that has subtle character and one that is truly neutral without the influence of red or yellow undertones. It works beautifully with other accent colors, too.
—Barbara Richardson, Director of Color Marketing for Glidden
Star of the Garden (Kelly-Moore KM4004-2)
This is my favorite fail-safe hue. It is a neutral that has it all—not too light or too dark, too warm or too cool. It’s the perfect complement to all of today’s most fashionable colors. It’s popular for exteriors, too.
—Mary Lawlor, Manager of Color Marketing at Kelly-Moore Paints
Ever Classic (Pratt and Lambert 32-34)
This is a perfect gray for walls or trim. It’s a mid-tone, neither too cool nor too warm. While all grays are trending strong right now, this is a gray that is a classic and will never go out of style. This color will lend a sense of luxury and refinement to any room in the house.
—Peggy Van Allen, Color and Design Specialist for Pratt & Lambert
Safari Vest (Behr UL190-17)
Safari Vest makes a wonderful background color, because so many other colors harmonize with it. Cream trim and black accents create a classic modern scheme, or pair it with accents in burgundy, forest, or navy blue for a more traditional look.
— Erika Woelfel, Director of Color for Behr
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Toasted Wheat (Pratt and Lambert 7-26)
This has been one of our top colors for many years. It is a warm, nature-based tan that is extremely versatile. It has a certain amount of depth so that it will have a presence, but it is neutral enough that it won’t steal the show.
—Peggy Van Allen, Color and Design Specialist for Pratt & Lambert
Commission cutting
Did you know that many consumers believe that if you earn a 6 percent commission you keep the entire 3 percent on the buyer or seller side of the deal? It’s no wonder that they feel commission cutting is fair game. What can you do to educate them otherwise?
One of the most important points to realize is that the moment your sellers ask you to cut your commission, what they are really telling you is that you have failed to demonstrate your value.
Arm yourself with a premium marketing plan
An excellent strategy for demonstrating your value is to give your sellers a written premium marketing plan. This plan outlines all the services you provide to give the sellers the maximum exposure that results in the maximum price for their property.
Powerful commission defense:
You will also need at least two scripts that illustrate why it’s better to hire you as opposed to an agent who cuts his commission. When a seller asks you to cut your commission.
One of the most important points to realize is that the moment your sellers ask you to cut your commission, what they are really telling you is that you have failed to demonstrate your value.
Arm yourself with a premium marketing plan
An excellent strategy for demonstrating your value is to give your sellers a written premium marketing plan. This plan outlines all the services you provide to give the sellers the maximum exposure that results in the maximum price for their property.
Powerful commission defense:
You will also need at least two scripts that illustrate why it’s better to hire you as opposed to an agent who cuts his commission. When a seller asks you to cut your commission.
- “Mr. and Mrs. Seller, in order to achieve the highest possible price for your property you need someone who is a strong negotiator, wouldn’t you agree?”
- “So if John Agent from Competitor Realty couldn’t even negotiate a full commission on his own behalf, how effective do you think he will be negotiating the best possible price on your home?”
- “Mr. and Mrs. Seller, this is my premium marketing plan that will help you obtain the highest possible price in the shortest amount of time. If you would like to pay a lower commission, perhaps I can find a junior associate who is willing to work for less money.”
Note that neither of these scripts mentions the word “discount.” Discounts are perceived as a benefit. Instead, addresses the seller’s need to net the most from the sale, and the fact that no one wants to be represented by a “junior associate.”
The six-card commission defense
At this year’s Real Estate Connect San Francsico conference, Ben Kinney of Keller Williams revealed one of the best commission defense strategies I have ever seen. The primary challenge facing agents right now is that the public doesn’t understand how much the agent actually nets at the end of the day.
A second challenge is that agents are now receiving phone calls where the homeowner asks, “How much do you charge?” If the agent answers, “Six percent,” the caller hangs up before the agent has a chance to explain his services.
Kinney’s approach to this situation addresses both of these issues. Here’s what he does:
1. Kinney comes armed to the listing appointment with at least 10 business cards. He uses these cards to illustrate what happens with commissions.
2. When clients ask, “How much do you charge?” his reply is, “Three percent.” This is also the answer to the phone call that asks, “How much do you charge?”
3. The next step is to ask the seller, “How much do you want to pay the agent who brings the offer to you — it can be 2 percent, 3 percent, 4 percent or even more.” Assuming that the seller says, “Three percent,” he puts aside three cards in addition to the three cards representing his commission.
4. He then continues by explaining: “Just so that you understand what happens to the 3 percent that you will be paying me,” he takes three cards and continues as he removes the first card, saying, “Every agent has to pay their broker part of the commission.” He takes the first card and puts it aside.
He then picks up the second card. “This amount goes to the marketing of your property,” which includes such services as professional photos; video; Web marketing; social media marketing; newspaper ads the agent pays for; brochures; gasoline; and all the other expenses entailed in marketing a home.
He then puts that card aside, picks up the last card and says, “This is how much I get paid.”
He then tears the card in half and says, “But I have to pay taxes, so this is how much I keep.”
He then asks a very important question: “So if another agent offers to lower their commission, where do you think the money comes from? Three percent goes to the other agent, 1 percent goes to their brokerage, and the government keeps 50 percent of what they earn. They’re not going to take food out of their children’s mouths, so the only place where this money can come from is by cutting into the 1 percent that I use to market your home.”
So the next time a client asks you to cut your commission, try one of the scripts above, or if you’re feeling adventuresome, give Kinney’s approach a try. It works for Kinney’s team and it can work for you, too.
The six-card commission defense
At this year’s Real Estate Connect San Francsico conference, Ben Kinney of Keller Williams revealed one of the best commission defense strategies I have ever seen. The primary challenge facing agents right now is that the public doesn’t understand how much the agent actually nets at the end of the day.
A second challenge is that agents are now receiving phone calls where the homeowner asks, “How much do you charge?” If the agent answers, “Six percent,” the caller hangs up before the agent has a chance to explain his services.
Kinney’s approach to this situation addresses both of these issues. Here’s what he does:
1. Kinney comes armed to the listing appointment with at least 10 business cards. He uses these cards to illustrate what happens with commissions.
2. When clients ask, “How much do you charge?” his reply is, “Three percent.” This is also the answer to the phone call that asks, “How much do you charge?”
3. The next step is to ask the seller, “How much do you want to pay the agent who brings the offer to you — it can be 2 percent, 3 percent, 4 percent or even more.” Assuming that the seller says, “Three percent,” he puts aside three cards in addition to the three cards representing his commission.
4. He then continues by explaining: “Just so that you understand what happens to the 3 percent that you will be paying me,” he takes three cards and continues as he removes the first card, saying, “Every agent has to pay their broker part of the commission.” He takes the first card and puts it aside.
He then picks up the second card. “This amount goes to the marketing of your property,” which includes such services as professional photos; video; Web marketing; social media marketing; newspaper ads the agent pays for; brochures; gasoline; and all the other expenses entailed in marketing a home.
He then puts that card aside, picks up the last card and says, “This is how much I get paid.”
He then tears the card in half and says, “But I have to pay taxes, so this is how much I keep.”
He then asks a very important question: “So if another agent offers to lower their commission, where do you think the money comes from? Three percent goes to the other agent, 1 percent goes to their brokerage, and the government keeps 50 percent of what they earn. They’re not going to take food out of their children’s mouths, so the only place where this money can come from is by cutting into the 1 percent that I use to market your home.”
So the next time a client asks you to cut your commission, try one of the scripts above, or if you’re feeling adventuresome, give Kinney’s approach a try. It works for Kinney’s team and it can work for you, too.
ChristineMatus.com
561-444-8860
Friday, August 9, 2013
4 Keys to Making a Great First Impression
“You have just 7 seconds to make a good first impression.” Roger Ailes, CEO, FOX News
“You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.” Will Rogers
We know we’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but we just can’t help it. The root of the problem is that our brains are capable of making 1,001 estimations and calibrations at lightning speed. First impressions are just another timesaver.
According to a joint study by NYU, Tufts, and Harvard, people make 11 decisions about us in the first seven seconds of contact: education level, economic level, perceived creditability and believability, trustworthiness, level of sophistication, sexual identification, level of success, political background, religious background, ethnic background, and social and professional desirability.
If you happen to be on the receiving end of this process, there are a few things you can do to make a great first impression:
Honorable mentions. If you really think about it, meeting someone new really is quite an honor. After all, you never know what that relationship could turn into or how it might transform your life or business someday. Knowing that, it’s easy to treat other people with distinction.
What have you done for them lately? Playing the hard-sell networking card within a few minutes of meeting someone is a turn off. Instead, figure out what you can do for them. What they can do for you will naturally follow.
When you lose, you win. You may indeed be the best at everything, but you don’t need to show it. Compliment others, and be genuinely impressed by their achievements–be a little jealous even. The rewards of humility will be apparent quickly.
Network like a ninja. The artfulness of martial arts comes from using another person’s strength in your favor. It just so happens that getting people to talk about themselves in conversation works much the same way. As soon as you know something about someone, ask how they did it, or why they did it, or what they learned from it. Showing your respect and recognition will make you attractive.
Don’t forget to pass these helpful tips along to your clients and colleagues.
“You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.” Will Rogers
We know we’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but we just can’t help it. The root of the problem is that our brains are capable of making 1,001 estimations and calibrations at lightning speed. First impressions are just another timesaver.
According to a joint study by NYU, Tufts, and Harvard, people make 11 decisions about us in the first seven seconds of contact: education level, economic level, perceived creditability and believability, trustworthiness, level of sophistication, sexual identification, level of success, political background, religious background, ethnic background, and social and professional desirability.
If you happen to be on the receiving end of this process, there are a few things you can do to make a great first impression:
Honorable mentions. If you really think about it, meeting someone new really is quite an honor. After all, you never know what that relationship could turn into or how it might transform your life or business someday. Knowing that, it’s easy to treat other people with distinction.
What have you done for them lately? Playing the hard-sell networking card within a few minutes of meeting someone is a turn off. Instead, figure out what you can do for them. What they can do for you will naturally follow.
When you lose, you win. You may indeed be the best at everything, but you don’t need to show it. Compliment others, and be genuinely impressed by their achievements–be a little jealous even. The rewards of humility will be apparent quickly.
Network like a ninja. The artfulness of martial arts comes from using another person’s strength in your favor. It just so happens that getting people to talk about themselves in conversation works much the same way. As soon as you know something about someone, ask how they did it, or why they did it, or what they learned from it. Showing your respect and recognition will make you attractive.
Don’t forget to pass these helpful tips along to your clients and colleagues.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Face Book Fan Page
5 Facebook Fan Page Problems & Fixs
Twitter, Google Plus and Facebook are probably the top three social media sites that every blogger should be on right now. And even though the first two have millions of users under their belt and are great lead generation tools, there really is no other network as powerful as Facebook.
Just try to think who of your friends doesn’t have a Facebook account! That is the reason why every business and every blog should have a Facebook fan page.
If you haven’t yet created one for your blog, you are missing out on a huge potential audience, high engagement levels and targeted traffic. But even if you have one, there are no guarantees. The fact is most fan pages will remain unnoticed and won’t ever break the hundred likes barrier. Getting people to click that elusive “Like” button isn’t as easy as it sounds. And even if you have the fans, generating likes, comments and ultimately Facebook traffic has its pitfalls. The following post is all about those pitfalls. In the below paragraphs you will find five of the biggest reasons why people might decide your Facebook page isn’t worth a visit and of course tips to help you fix the problem areas! Let’s get started:
1. You Don’t Have the Likes
That’s undoubtedly the key ingredient that you need in order to convince people to like you. Unfortunately it’s a paradox that doesn’t quite work in your favor:
In order to get more people liking you, you need to have likes in the first place. That is exactly the reason why building your fanbase from 0 to 100 likes is tougher than reaching say 500 fans once you’ve gotten those initial 100 likes. So how do you get started? Well you spread the word!
In order to get more people liking you, you need to have likes in the first place. That is exactly the reason why building your fanbase from 0 to 100 likes is tougher than reaching say 500 fans once you’ve gotten those initial 100 likes. So how do you get started? Well you spread the word!
Here are some simple steps to help you:
Insert a fan page box UNDER your posts – It’s quite common to see those in the sidebars, but they are far more effective placed under the posts. That way they work as a call to action. You basically tell people “Did you enjoy my article? Then why not like me on Facebook to stay in touch!”
Share your Facebook posts on Twitter – Whenever you publish something on your fan page, click on its date header to open it in its own URL and share your post using that link. Now people will first be directed to your fan page, giving you the chance to get some of your Twitter followers to click “Like”
Tell Your Twitter followers – Don’t be scared to promote your fan page on Twitter once or twice per week. Unlike the previous approach, here you simply point people to your page with a message along the lines of “Enjoying my tweets? You might want to take a look at my Facebook page!”. You should create 3-4 different variations, so that you don’t post the same message over and over.
Use the Facebook Page Promoter Lightbox – A very neat WordPress plugin, that works as a pop-over like box. As with all pop-over plugins, that is far more effective than its sidebar alternative. Thanks to the plugin, I’ve generated over 250 new likes in just three weeks.
Write an article about Facebook – Why not let people know you’ve started working on getting Facebook traffic and promoting your fan page! In the post you can provide readers with tips or reasons why they should be on Facebook. That is a great opportunity to tell them about your own page and show them some of the techniques you are following.
2. People Aren’t Talking About ItAlthough getting likes does take time, it’s straightforward – you just need to start promoting your fan page. There however is another metric, which might be a bit more difficult to understand. What I am referring to is the “Talking About This” number. That one is displayed just below the cover photo and the title of your page.
First, what does “Talking about this” describe?
Well it is basically the number of unique Facebook users, who have interacted in one way or another with your fan page in the last seven days. Likes, comments, mentions and shares all count as interaction. So with that in mind, we can easily assume that if a page has thousands of likes yet very few people talking about it, then something is wrong. A possible reason for that might be that the page isn’t being updated. Another reason might be that the stories aren’t getting any engagement in the form of likes and comments.
So, how do you increase the “Talking About This” number? Here are some guidelines to help you:
Ramp up the frequency – You can’t expect to get good results if you post a story once every two weeks. Try to share something with your fans at least four or five times per week!
Share different types of content – You need to spice things up. One day you could post a funny picture, the other day you can ask a question, then you could post a quote or why not a did-you-know kind of post with no links in it.
Craft a good call to action – The description you write holds a huge importance for whether or not people will click on your link, like your story or leave a comment. You can be as direct as saying “Like if you agree” when you post a quote for instance, or you could say something along the lines of “I would appreciate to hear your thoughts!”.
3. You Care About Getting Clicks Only
I really hate landing on a fan page, where the only thing I see are links to articles from the blog that the page belongs to. Not only that it feels rather spammy, but it’s also boring.Even if we assume the content you share is actually worth reading, this still doesn’t mean you should use your Facebook page solely as a promotion platform. Content might be useful, but the real problem is it is often “emotionless”. Sharing practical tips is great but it can’t produce an emotional attachment so to say. Additionally people also need a couple of minutes – first to actually read the post and then to decide if it’s good. That is why the stories that make an immediate connection with the viewer are in most cases images. You see them and you immediately act upon them, especially if they include a thought you can relate to or a funny story about the things you like or situations you’ve fallen into. In the end your desire to get clicks will end up dragging your page’s popularity down and hence returning less traffic for you. Another problem is that you will be getting very few likes (images for instance tend to receive double the likes of a link to an article), which definitely won’t make your Facebook stream look trustworthy.
4. It Feels Like You Aren’t There
One great way to create a welcoming feeling among your new fans is by simply showing them “you are alive”. If you have a fan page about your blog, you should also emphasize on the blogger behind everything. The idea is to add a small pinch of your personality to the mix.
Sounds simple in theory, but how do you do it in practice?
Not only ask, but reply – in a real world situation where you ask a question, it is quite obvious that you will also wait for an answer and then give your standpoint once again. It’s the same here. Whenever you ask your fans something, don’t forget to observe the answers and reply back (by mentioning the person by name, so that they get notified) with a thoughtful and constructive comment. Also take the time to like the comments that people are living as a way to say thank you.
The descriptions, again – As I already said, descriptions are important because they can work as a call to action. However one other reason why you must include them is because there you can write your own summary and present your own perspective. For example if you’ve just shared a great post (not from your own blog) it will seem more genuine if you also say a few words about what the post talks about and why you actually liked it. Those simple things do make a difference.
One great way to create a welcoming feeling among your new fans is by simply showing them “you are alive”. If you have a fan page about your blog, you should also emphasize on the blogger behind everything. The idea is to add a small pinch of your personality to the mix.
Sounds simple in theory, but how do you do it in practice?
Not only ask, but reply – in a real world situation where you ask a question, it is quite obvious that you will also wait for an answer and then give your standpoint once again. It’s the same here. Whenever you ask your fans something, don’t forget to observe the answers and reply back (by mentioning the person by name, so that they get notified) with a thoughtful and constructive comment. Also take the time to like the comments that people are living as a way to say thank you.
The descriptions, again – As I already said, descriptions are important because they can work as a call to action. However one other reason why you must include them is because there you can write your own summary and present your own perspective. For example if you’ve just shared a great post (not from your own blog) it will seem more genuine if you also say a few words about what the post talks about and why you actually liked it. Those simple things do make a difference.
5. You Overwhelm Your Fans
Even if you share interesting content, ask for opinions and don’t forget to add some humor along the way, you shouldn’t overdo. Sharing too much updates is as bad as being inconsistent. Aside from the fact that seeing the same person (or page in our case) posting dozens of times throughout the day is plain irritating and it makes you want to slap them, if you post too much, people will simply stop noticing you. That’s similar to the so called ad-blindness, when readers simply don’t notice advertisements placed in common positions and having similar layouts on thousands of websites.
So, how much is too much?
I’d say four or more posts per day. I’m generally updating my fan page two times per day at most and the results are quite good. I tested bumping the number up to four and even five for a few days but that didn’t result in much of an improvement, so it’s not worth the time. I even got a comment from a guy who liked what I shared but said I should slow down a little.
Final Words
Those I believe are the main reasons why people might decide to steer away from you or unlike your fan page at some point. All in all I believe creating a successful fan page comes down to finding a balance between your own content and more interactive stories and also being consistent but not too overwhelming.
Now I’d like to hear your thoughts! Are there other factors that might scare you away from a fan page? Do you agree to the points I’ve shared? Let me know your two cents!
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Social Media Mistakes & Fixes
Wait! The next time you want to press SEND
sing “The Star Spangled Banner” first!
Next time you are dying to press send to
Tweet that terrible thought......
Facebook a fictitious fact …........
Google a grand gaffe......
Comment carelessly......
Try singing “The Star Spangled Banner”.
It should take you about 1 ½ minutes...
Time enough for you to enjoy the brief satisfaction of speaking your mind and long enough for you to realize that you could lose a lot more if you pressed send.
Unfortunately this does not always happen as we're human and get swept up in the moment.
We've all seen the "salesy" comment in groups that blatantly screams "Please don't come on here and sell your self or company," yet the person finds it necessary to do so. The mass linkedin email saying bring me an offer on my new listing to everybody under the sun.
Whatever the case is you have most likely made a mistake on some sort of social media platform and learned from it.
What is a mistake you've made on social media and what have you done to fix it and/or make sure you never do it again???
Give us some insight as to what happened and what you did to fix it or what lesson you learned to correct the behavior in the future. You just might save another from making the same mistake.
Friday, August 2, 2013
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Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Realtors worry the changes will lead to a dilution of the Realtor brand
Now that the dust has settled after the National Association of Realtors board of directors approved changes to the operating agreement for its official website, realtor.com, many Realtors worry the changes will lead to a dilution of the Realtor brand and the standards of professionalism, including accuracy, that go along with it.
due to the trade group’s decision to allow realtor.com operator Move Inc. to obtain listings from entities that are not Realtor-owned and controlled, and from brokers who are not Realtors, including rentals and new-home listings.
Inman News also received more than 100 emails and comments on inman.com, Facebook and Twitter from readers sharing their views of the changes. While some hailed the move for potentially boosting realtor.com’s ability to compete with rivals Zillow and Trulia, the overwhelming majority blasted the board’s decision.
Screen shot from “Raise the Bar” Facebook page
“I’m disgusted with our ‘leadership.’ Real estate transactions involve the largest financial transaction most individuals will make in their lifetimes. Realtors uphold ethical standards and provide professional (vs. amateur) assistance. We’ve enjoyed some privileges as members. Now, our BIGGEST privilege has been stripped from us,” commented Evergreen, Colo., Realtor Jeri Groves.
“With no distinction between anyone with an ‘armchair quarterback’ opinion and professional Realtors, we’ve just denigrated our brand — one that already has a reputation little better than used car salespeople in the eyes of the public. This is SHAMEFUL! Move.com wins, and every Realtor loses. The entire NAR leadership should be recalled. Let’s start a petition!!!!”
Keller Williams agent Matty Green commented, “This is crazy! We pay dues to NAR for the privileges of membership, including having our listings on realtor.com. Realtor.com in turn charges us for the privilege to have our name and phone number (instead of the broker’s) show up on the listing in order to have a ‘competitive edge’ over nonpaying agents.
“Now there is nothing to stop realtor.com from charging us more so that we can compete with non-Realtors advertising on the same site. Maybe NAR should have negotiated free preferred listing status on realtor.com for all NAR members in this deal. My guess is realtor.com makes too much money off of us and they wouldn’t have agreed to it. That’s why this happened behind closed doors and without our input.”
Marty Sorrentino of Re/Max Innovations in Wantagh, N.Y., said he couldn’t grasp the concept of having non-Realtors post their listings on realtor.com. “Realtors have to adhere to strict guidelines and policies (including a strict code of conduct and mandatory ethics courses every four years) all designed to protect the public. Now realtor.com is going to allow builders and other non-Realtor persons to have access to ‘our’ site,” he said.
Marvin Shelley of Fayetteville, Ark.-based The Shelley Group commented, “If I quit paying NAR, can I then just post my listings on realtor.com for free? Is that what I read?”
Inman News reader Kathy Evans said consumers would suffer from the move rather than benefit. “Yes, they will have more listings at their fingertips, but they will not be serviced by Realtors. NAR directors have let us down,” she said.
Another reader echoed many in worrying about one of realtor.com’s most distinguishing features and the focus of its recent marketing campaign: the accuracy of its listing information.
“This is a sad day for Realtors. We need to remove ALL our listings from realtor.com and take back our data. Realtor.com, while no longer the most browsed source … was definitely the best rated and most valued source of listings because it represented a higher degree of reliability and integrity of the data,” he said.
“Now, NAR is allowing others to input data that we can’t verify. So, now we have a product that our name is attached to, yet we have no control over it. I’m sad to have my name associated with realtor.com.”
Others expressed concern that the move would make realtor.com no better than the third-party sites it rivals.
“The changes on realtor.com will create great competition only if listings are updated frequently. Listings on Trulia and Zillow will show active after been sold a year ago. So daily updates of listings on the site will make a big difference,” said Tennyson Jusu of Solid Source Realty.
Dale Pearson at Carolyn Pearson Real Estate in Overland Park, Kan., said NAR’s leaders “just don’t get it.”
“In today’s world it’s not about who is No. 1 online. This is not a zero-sum game. Our buyers and sellers are smart. Like you and me, they search multiple sites for information. To think they can gain a monopoly (to charge us more fees) — a site with info that nobody else has — is ridiculous and old school,” he said.
“Now, we’ve become ‘the same’ with the competition. This is actually to their benefit — not NAR’s. Sameness is boring. We’re in a reactive mode, not proactive, and have become a follower, not a leader.”
“Now there is nothing to stop realtor.com from charging us more so that we can compete with non-Realtors advertising on the same site. Maybe NAR should have negotiated free preferred listing status on realtor.com for all NAR members in this deal. My guess is realtor.com makes too much money off of us and they wouldn’t have agreed to it. That’s why this happened behind closed doors and without our input.”
Marty Sorrentino of Re/Max Innovations in Wantagh, N.Y., said he couldn’t grasp the concept of having non-Realtors post their listings on realtor.com. “Realtors have to adhere to strict guidelines and policies (including a strict code of conduct and mandatory ethics courses every four years) all designed to protect the public. Now realtor.com is going to allow builders and other non-Realtor persons to have access to ‘our’ site,” he said.
Marvin Shelley of Fayetteville, Ark.-based The Shelley Group commented, “If I quit paying NAR, can I then just post my listings on realtor.com for free? Is that what I read?”
Inman News reader Kathy Evans said consumers would suffer from the move rather than benefit. “Yes, they will have more listings at their fingertips, but they will not be serviced by Realtors. NAR directors have let us down,” she said.
Another reader echoed many in worrying about one of realtor.com’s most distinguishing features and the focus of its recent marketing campaign: the accuracy of its listing information.
“This is a sad day for Realtors. We need to remove ALL our listings from realtor.com and take back our data. Realtor.com, while no longer the most browsed source … was definitely the best rated and most valued source of listings because it represented a higher degree of reliability and integrity of the data,” he said.
“Now, NAR is allowing others to input data that we can’t verify. So, now we have a product that our name is attached to, yet we have no control over it. I’m sad to have my name associated with realtor.com.”
Others expressed concern that the move would make realtor.com no better than the third-party sites it rivals.
“The changes on realtor.com will create great competition only if listings are updated frequently. Listings on Trulia and Zillow will show active after been sold a year ago. So daily updates of listings on the site will make a big difference,” said Tennyson Jusu of Solid Source Realty.
Dale Pearson at Carolyn Pearson Real Estate in Overland Park, Kan., said NAR’s leaders “just don’t get it.”
“In today’s world it’s not about who is No. 1 online. This is not a zero-sum game. Our buyers and sellers are smart. Like you and me, they search multiple sites for information. To think they can gain a monopoly (to charge us more fees) — a site with info that nobody else has — is ridiculous and old school,” he said.
“Now, we’ve become ‘the same’ with the competition. This is actually to their benefit — not NAR’s. Sameness is boring. We’re in a reactive mode, not proactive, and have become a follower, not a leader.”
Commenting on Inman News’ Facebook page, Kathy Frieze, a real estate agent with Re/Max Integrity in Corvallis, Ore., said, “Realtor.com is not succeeding because the site is not consumer-friendly and its management is living in the age of the dinosaurs. Allowing rentals and non-MLS listings will not change their underlying problems. NAR needs to break loose from Move and align themselves with (a) more progressive model.”
Deborah Madey, a broker at Peninsula Realty Group, said she didn’t see how the vote benefits Realtors. “How will this impact members and their businesses? I’m not convinced that there is no benefit. I am curious to understand it. I am extremely bothered that the impact to members is not a point of discussion. If (realtor.com) is king or not is irrelevant unless it brings value to members,” she said.
Madey said NAR and realtor.com have not communicated the value of the data integrity and rules Realtors live by when updating listings. “Our data is more accurate because of self-policing forces. It’s updated more frequently. Unavailable properties and bad data must be removed. That benefit may go by the wayside,” she said.
NAR should use realtor.com to communicate the value of Realtors, not just to display listings from multiple sources, Madey said. “Why does the public think there is no difference between a Realtor and a licensee. I think that (realtor.com) should be about (Realtor) listings, about what NAR does for the public (i.e., all the lobbying that is done to protect property rights, etc.). I think that (realtor.com) should be a public-facing site that helps consumers learn about everything real estate from Realtors and NAR,” she said. “I think it’s time that our branding move up on the priority list. We don’t do it very well, and never have. And, we’re still dismissing it,” she added.
Sam DeBord, managing broker and team leader at Coldwell Banker Danforth, agreed with Madey but said the call for better branding had to be mixed with the realities of online traffic trends.
“Realtor.com is a marketplace. Realtor is a professional brand. We need to draw maximum consumer traffic to realtor.com where we can push the brand. If that means getting ‘all listings’ (which consumers demand) and then explaining the difference, so be it. Branding harder in a shrinking market is not good strategy,” he said.
Beth Braznell, a NAR director who attended last week’s special meeting, said the board’s vote was not about protecting the Realtor brand. “There is no Realtor brand in the consumer’s mind. The decision … was exclusively about competing with Zillow from the standpoint of keeping Zillow from doing to us what Expedia did to travel agents and to protect the investment NAR has made in (realtor.com),” she said.
In response to concerns from some Realtors, NAR spokeswoman Stephanie Singer said the revised agreement will reinforce the Realtor brand. “Realtors want realtor.com to have the resources and flexibility it needs to give consumers what they want while ensuring that today’s buyers and sellers can continue to rely on Realtors for the most accurate, credible market information,” she said.
Changes to realtor.com will include features that emphasize to consumers the value Realtors bring to consumers, both when buying and selling a home and in protecting the American dream of homeownership.”
While not part of the approved amendments, NAR and Move said last week realtor.com will reinforce the value of using a Realtor when buying, selling or investing in real estate, and will give consumers tools to differentiate between Realtors and non-Realtors.
Move Chief Strategy Officer Errol Samuelson said realtor.com would “call out” when a listing belongs to a Realtor and highlight any certifications or designations that Realtor has. In addition, the site will have targeted messages on search result pages and listing pages highlighting Realtors’ advocacy work on behalf of local homeowners, he said.
Move declined to provide further details about the plans being considered to differentiate Realtors until they are formally launched “for competitive reasons.” Move’s Form 8-K detailing changes to the operating agreement for investors does not mention specific plans to boost the Realtor brand.
In a Q-and-A article about the realtor.com changes, NAR said the Realtor brand will continue to be pre-eminent on the site, not just in the domain name but in every aspect of the site, its mobile apps and its public relations.
“When the changes are implemented, the site will continue to clearly distinguish Realtor-represented listings and will use language that more prominently emphasizes the difference between Realtors and non-Realtors,” said Bob Goldberg, president and CEO of NAR subsidiary Realtors Information Network Inc., or RIN.
NAR pointed out that 1999 NAR President Sharon Millett, who had witnessed realtor.com’s inception, had been at the meeting and said now was the time to compete “head-to-head” and give consumers the accurate, comprehensive site they want.
“There was a time when restricting the site to only Realtor listings was appropriate,” she said, “but that time has passed.” The article noted member dues do not go to the operation of realtor.com, and NAR does not collect revenue when members purchase realtor.com products and services. The article also said many directors had expressed concern about non-Realtors getting leads from realtor.com, and said members of the RIN board would be “addressing the issue.”
Move CEO Steve Berkowitz sought to allay Realtors’ concerns about maintaining realtor.com’s accuracy. “Comprehensiveness does not come at the cost of accuracy. What our goal in this process and in everything we’re trying to do is to allow the consumer to not only see a comprehensive set of data but also identify the difference between the data that has been delivered with authority (by) Realtors,” he told Inman News.
“We don’t take the ‘what’s for sale’ listings from just anybody,” he added.
Listing information will be sourced from “authoritative sources,” Berkowitz said. For-sale homes data will continue to be sourced primarily from brokers and multiple listing services, Realtor-affiliated or not, he said, and new-homes data will come from BDX, a consortium of top homebuilders that also powers New Home Source, of which Move owns 51 percent. Consumers will not be allowed to upload listings.
“The focus on accuracy is absolutely core to everything that we do. (Sourcing from MLSs is) almost a guarantee of accuracy because listings are required by their MLSs to be accurate,” Berkowitz said.
“We believe the MLSs are the best source of information about homes for sale and that’s why we’ve spent 14 years building those relationships. The MLSs are very important to the process,” he added.
He said the changes would actually bring more accuracy to the site by identifying the source of a listing and designating when it has been provided by a Realtor.
“The definition of data accuracy is not only that the data is accurate but that the consumer knows where the data comes from,” Berkowitz said.
Identifying Realtor-represented listings as such amid those from other sources will actually strengthen the Realtor brand, he said.
“It’s best to have a home listed with a Realtor and buy a home with a Realtor but not every home is listed with a Realtor and it’s important to know that to have your Realtor ask the questions they need to ask,” he said.
Realtor.com will inform consumers that the best professional to work with is a Realtor, Berkowitz said. This will include outlining the advantages of working with a Realtor, the Realtor code of ethics, and what Realtors do to support homeownership.
“Our job as a business is to build the brand and to build the consumers’ relationship with that brand, and that’s a foundation built on trust, which is built around education, awareness and accuracy,” he said.
“If we walk out of this with one thing we’re going to accomplish, it’s we’ve built the trust in the Realtor brand,” he added.
Move said it was still evaluating its content sources “within the realtor.com accuracy proposition” and would include criteria regarding how often a source updates its content. The site will continue to show the last time a listing was updated.
While 90 percent of realtor.com’s listings are currently updated every 15 minutes, Berkowitz said he was unsure whether Move would require sources of new homes and rental listings to update that often.
“I know we have the single most accurate source of new-homes data. We already have the spec homes where builders built it and put it in the MLS — this (change) is about new-home communities where the inventory is about how many lots are available,” he said.
Currently, Move is getting its rental information from MLSs and apartment builders directly, but is evaluating how to bring in additional content.
“We’re not getting into the ‘free for all’ marketplace (for rentals),” he said. “As we look at it and continue to expand it, we have lots and lots of authoritative sources out there for rentals,” he added.
While accuracy matters to both those looking for rentals and for-sale homes, the stakes are higher with for-sale homes because of the price tag involved, Berkowitz said.
“We don’t take the ‘what’s for sale’ listings from just anybody,” he added.
Listing information will be sourced from “authoritative sources,” Berkowitz said. For-sale homes data will continue to be sourced primarily from brokers and multiple listing services, Realtor-affiliated or not, he said, and new-homes data will come from BDX, a consortium of top homebuilders that also powers New Home Source, of which Move owns 51 percent. Consumers will not be allowed to upload listings.
“The focus on accuracy is absolutely core to everything that we do. (Sourcing from MLSs is) almost a guarantee of accuracy because listings are required by their MLSs to be accurate,” Berkowitz said.
“We believe the MLSs are the best source of information about homes for sale and that’s why we’ve spent 14 years building those relationships. The MLSs are very important to the process,” he added.
He said the changes would actually bring more accuracy to the site by identifying the source of a listing and designating when it has been provided by a Realtor.
“The definition of data accuracy is not only that the data is accurate but that the consumer knows where the data comes from,” Berkowitz said.
Identifying Realtor-represented listings as such amid those from other sources will actually strengthen the Realtor brand, he said.
“It’s best to have a home listed with a Realtor and buy a home with a Realtor but not every home is listed with a Realtor and it’s important to know that to have your Realtor ask the questions they need to ask,” he said.
Realtor.com will inform consumers that the best professional to work with is a Realtor, Berkowitz said. This will include outlining the advantages of working with a Realtor, the Realtor code of ethics, and what Realtors do to support homeownership.
“Our job as a business is to build the brand and to build the consumers’ relationship with that brand, and that’s a foundation built on trust, which is built around education, awareness and accuracy,” he said.
“If we walk out of this with one thing we’re going to accomplish, it’s we’ve built the trust in the Realtor brand,” he added.
Move said it was still evaluating its content sources “within the realtor.com accuracy proposition” and would include criteria regarding how often a source updates its content. The site will continue to show the last time a listing was updated.
While 90 percent of realtor.com’s listings are currently updated every 15 minutes, Berkowitz said he was unsure whether Move would require sources of new homes and rental listings to update that often.
“I know we have the single most accurate source of new-homes data. We already have the spec homes where builders built it and put it in the MLS — this (change) is about new-home communities where the inventory is about how many lots are available,” he said.
Currently, Move is getting its rental information from MLSs and apartment builders directly, but is evaluating how to bring in additional content.
“We’re not getting into the ‘free for all’ marketplace (for rentals),” he said. “As we look at it and continue to expand it, we have lots and lots of authoritative sources out there for rentals,” he added.
While accuracy matters to both those looking for rentals and for-sale homes, the stakes are higher with for-sale homes because of the price tag involved, Berkowitz said.
Andrea V. Brambila
Associate Editor
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Video- Consider these tips on presentation
1: Organize and be very clear in conveying what you would like to say. Jot down the purpose of your video on an index card so that you will get the clarity needed. Decide on the main points and present your audience with a road map. Whatever points you may have, just tell them. People usually like numbers and it also gives a reference point which will help to keep both of you on same page. You have to ask yourself, “How shall I make it easier so that viewer can understand?” If you are organized and stay focused it becomes easier for them to understand what you say. 
2: Keep the sentences short. When you are writing the script, you can check whether a sentence is said in one go or not. If you take a full deep breath prior to the beginning of the next sentence, you voice becomes richer and clear. By taking a deep breath intentionally, you can give the viewers a short time to understand what you have said. There are filler words like ah ans um which many people use these words unintentionally to join the entire speech together. You should think of each sentence as a complete thought which will lessen these irritating words, people will stay focused on the message you want to convey.
3: While saying your name, ensure that the pitch is low towards the end. If it goes up it will sound as if it is a question and people may question you. Observe famous TV personalities while they utter their name, you can feel that it goes down towards the end.
4: Eliminate gestures which are distracting. Repetitive gestures that are done unintentionally distract attention from the message you want to convey. If you use facial expressions, it will increase the liveliness. If your facial expressions and gestures align with the words you speak, it will add to the impact and helps to build trust. Establish a soft eye contact with the camera.
5: Use descriptive words when giving a testimonial or telling a short story. Think about how to make it more alive and visual. For example one story might start like, “A woman entered into the clinic to seek an appointment…” Now consider “A clearly overworked and frustrated woman stepped into my clinic with a determination to get relief…” Remove words which cause boredom and include those words which add to the interest of the listener.
6: You should wear bright colors. Cameras usually find it difficult to respond to colors like white, black or red. You can wear pastels or blue. Have you received compliments related to a color you wore? Think about wearing that color. Color certainly makes a difference. You should avoid pinstripe, checkered and loud patterns. The background should be in accordance with the message.
7: Relax your body, loosen up your muscles. Think about how you feel passionate about your service or product. What purpose does it serve? To whom do you want to offer your services and who is the right client? Talk to them with conviction. Be enthusiastic from your heart and it will reach the person who is watching the video.Please comment and let me know how you’ve used video successfully in your business, and if you want to get started with video, feel free to contact me at (561) 444-8860 ChristineMatus.com
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Using Social Media For Lead Generation [INFOGRAPHIC]
When it comes to lead generation, social media can be a very effective tool for businesses.
According to this infographic, the current crop of top social networks – from Facebook to Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest – can help a business gather leads and attract more customers when utilized right.
It appears that Facebook, the world’s largest social network, is still king of the social media world when it comes to lead generation.
According to the infographic by Wishpond, 77 percent of business-to-consumer marketers say that they have acquired a customer through Facebook. Furthermore, at 26 percent, Facebook is the leading source of referred social media traffic to websites. Next to Facebook is Twitter with a relatively dismal 3.6 percent.
Furthermore, the number of marketers who say Facebook is “critical” or “important” has increased 83 percent in just 2 years. More and more marketers are realizing the benefit and power of social media as a lead generation and promotion tool.
As for other sites, the infographic says that 34 percent of marketers have generated leads using Twitter and 20 percent have closed deals using the microblogging site. Not bad, if one asks us here at Social Barrel as any addition to lead generation is good for a business provided the effort is worth it.
Nonetheless, the infographic says to not underestimate LinkedIn. According to Wishpond, LinkedIn is 277 percent more effective at generating leads than Facebook or Twitter.
When it comes to marketers dealing with business-to-business transactions, 77 percent say that they have acquired a customer through the business-centric social network.
Compare B2B customer acquisition rates for company blogs (60 percent), Facebook (43 percent), and Twitter (40 percent) and one understands why LinkedIn is a favorite among B2B marketers. Nonetheless, there are more B2B marketers that do not use LinkedIn for their efforts as the infographic notes that only 47 percent of B2B marketers are using LinkedIn. Compare this to 90 percent using Facebook.
Just how effective is social media then for generating leads. The infographic notes that 59 percent marketers say that SEO has the biggest impact on lead generation goals while 21 percent say it is social media and 20 percent say it is PPC.
Furthermore, 84 percent of B2B companies are using some form of social media marketing and best-in-class companies generate over 3 times their share of all leads from social media compared to average performing companies.
As for lead conversion, the infographic notes that social media produces almost double the marketing leads of trade shows, telemarketing, direct mail or PPC and that social media lead coinversiton rates are 13 percent higher than average lead conversion rates.
To drive the point, Wishpond says that 77 percent of buyers they have surveyed say they are more likely to buy from a company whose CEO uses social media.
Learn more including examples of companies using social media to drive lead generation in theWishpond infographic below.
According to this infographic, the current crop of top social networks – from Facebook to Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest – can help a business gather leads and attract more customers when utilized right.
It appears that Facebook, the world’s largest social network, is still king of the social media world when it comes to lead generation.
According to the infographic by Wishpond, 77 percent of business-to-consumer marketers say that they have acquired a customer through Facebook. Furthermore, at 26 percent, Facebook is the leading source of referred social media traffic to websites. Next to Facebook is Twitter with a relatively dismal 3.6 percent.
Furthermore, the number of marketers who say Facebook is “critical” or “important” has increased 83 percent in just 2 years. More and more marketers are realizing the benefit and power of social media as a lead generation and promotion tool.
As for other sites, the infographic says that 34 percent of marketers have generated leads using Twitter and 20 percent have closed deals using the microblogging site. Not bad, if one asks us here at Social Barrel as any addition to lead generation is good for a business provided the effort is worth it.
Nonetheless, the infographic says to not underestimate LinkedIn. According to Wishpond, LinkedIn is 277 percent more effective at generating leads than Facebook or Twitter.
When it comes to marketers dealing with business-to-business transactions, 77 percent say that they have acquired a customer through the business-centric social network.
Compare B2B customer acquisition rates for company blogs (60 percent), Facebook (43 percent), and Twitter (40 percent) and one understands why LinkedIn is a favorite among B2B marketers. Nonetheless, there are more B2B marketers that do not use LinkedIn for their efforts as the infographic notes that only 47 percent of B2B marketers are using LinkedIn. Compare this to 90 percent using Facebook.
Just how effective is social media then for generating leads. The infographic notes that 59 percent marketers say that SEO has the biggest impact on lead generation goals while 21 percent say it is social media and 20 percent say it is PPC.
Furthermore, 84 percent of B2B companies are using some form of social media marketing and best-in-class companies generate over 3 times their share of all leads from social media compared to average performing companies.
As for lead conversion, the infographic notes that social media produces almost double the marketing leads of trade shows, telemarketing, direct mail or PPC and that social media lead coinversiton rates are 13 percent higher than average lead conversion rates.
To drive the point, Wishpond says that 77 percent of buyers they have surveyed say they are more likely to buy from a company whose CEO uses social media.
Learn more including examples of companies using social media to drive lead generation in theWishpond infographic below.
Authored by:Aaron Elliott
ChristineMatus.com
561-444-8860
5 Inexcusable Social Media Sins
Social media is a great way to connect with people, but it can also turn some people off. Here are five inexcusable social media sins to avoid.
Be wary of sharing things that have no substance. Sure, it's great that you just paid your CenturyLink Internet bill or you had a great night with a friend. Why not send the message to your friend instead of to everyone on your network?
1. It's Been Weeks Since You Posted
Not responding to messages, including tweets and posts, is probably the most frustrating aspect of social media. If you have a lot of fans or followers, it's probably not easy to respond to every message on time, but if you just ignore messages it isn't sending a good vibe.
Not responding to messages, including tweets and posts, is probably the most frustrating aspect of social media. If you have a lot of fans or followers, it's probably not easy to respond to every message on time, but if you just ignore messages it isn't sending a good vibe.
It's also not cool to just stop posting on your blog -- or even worse, close your account altogether. At least give your followers or friends a warning that you may not respond to messages for a few days or that you may not blog anymore.
2. You Share Everything You Do
Knowing what to share publicly and what to share privately among close friends is another pit fall many social media users encounter. And it usually doesn't resonate until something really personal becomes visible to everyone. Try to use private messages or email to send pictures or videos that might cause embarrassment or limit those that can view these posts. Check the privacy options for the social media site you use to avoid this problem.
Knowing what to share publicly and what to share privately among close friends is another pit fall many social media users encounter. And it usually doesn't resonate until something really personal becomes visible to everyone. Try to use private messages or email to send pictures or videos that might cause embarrassment or limit those that can view these posts. Check the privacy options for the social media site you use to avoid this problem.
Be wary of sharing things that have no substance. Sure, it's great that you just paid your CenturyLink Internet bill or you had a great night with a friend. Why not send the message to your friend instead of to everyone on your network?
3. You Use Every Social Network Invented
Creating an account on every social media site on the net just because you can, doesn't mean it's a good idea. Try to keep your social networks on two or three sites at the most. Any more than this becomes unnecessary.
If you are promoting articles, or allowing your readers to share blog posts with their friends, adding social media buttons to your site helps. It gets annoying when every possible sharing tool is available on the sidebar or at the end of the article. Try to limit the buttons to those that are popular or use a widget that neatly arranges the buttons on each post.
Creating an account on every social media site on the net just because you can, doesn't mean it's a good idea. Try to keep your social networks on two or three sites at the most. Any more than this becomes unnecessary.
If you are promoting articles, or allowing your readers to share blog posts with their friends, adding social media buttons to your site helps. It gets annoying when every possible sharing tool is available on the sidebar or at the end of the article. Try to limit the buttons to those that are popular or use a widget that neatly arranges the buttons on each post.
4. Your Profile Pictures Are Ambiguous
The profile picture is a picture of you, not of you and your friend, a couples picture, group picture, pictures of your baby or child, or pets. Scenery is cool, though. So, to summarize, post a picture of you and keep other pics in your account. And don't use a profile picture that is more than five years old.
The profile picture is a picture of you, not of you and your friend, a couples picture, group picture, pictures of your baby or child, or pets. Scenery is cool, though. So, to summarize, post a picture of you and keep other pics in your account. And don't use a profile picture that is more than five years old.
5. You Post Links That Are Misleading
No one wants to open a link that leads to content that upsets their sensibilities. It's even worse when pranksters send a link under a false description that ends up disgusting or scaring you. So try to limit the number of times you do this. If you have an obsession with sending these types of links, stop using social media and seek therapy.
These five social media sins can cost you fans, friends, followers, and subscribers. Be more aware of what you post and how it might affect others.
Authored by:Philip Cohen
No one wants to open a link that leads to content that upsets their sensibilities. It's even worse when pranksters send a link under a false description that ends up disgusting or scaring you. So try to limit the number of times you do this. If you have an obsession with sending these types of links, stop using social media and seek therapy.
These five social media sins can cost you fans, friends, followers, and subscribers. Be more aware of what you post and how it might affect others.
Authored by:Philip Cohen
ChrsitineMatus.com
561-444-8860
Build a better social media marketing positioning.. Know your fans
1. The Perk Seeking Fan
This kind of social media fan is always in search for the best deals available for grabs. He will always be in search for lots of perks that will be highly beneficial for his money. This is a deal go- getter kind of fan that will always make purchases based on the best deal offers that they can find online. In order to attract this kind of social media fan, you need to offer great promotion deals, discount coupons and other freebies more often to keep his loyalty.
2. The Silent Fan
This kind of fan is the silent type who may be following your business or brand but is not an active customer. Most of the time, they follow you because some of their friends do but does not perform productive action that will benefit your business but does not cause any harm on your site as well. In order to make a silent social media fan an active one, you can improve your website content by introducing interesting videos, content and images that will likely engage them to be an active fan instead of being a passive one.
3. The Casual Fan
This is a social media fan type who was engaged in your business in the past and continues to connect with your brand mainly because of past purchases. They continue to boost your social media visibility by continuing to like your business and gives good recommendation to their friends. In order to make him level up from a casual liker to an active fan, your challenge would be to offer more creative and fresh products and services that he may want to avail of and to further recommend them to his circle of friends.
4. The complainer
This is a type of a social media user, not actually a fan, who likes to rant and complain. While he is not necessarily a fan or an active customer, you can interact with them professionally by not ranting back but politely answer issues concerning about your products and services. Perhaps an explanation will pacify them and might convince them to patronize your brand. Do not attempt to answer issues not related to your products in order to avoid unnecessary and irrelevant matters beyond your concern.
5. The cheerer
This kind of a social media fan is someone who likes to promote, cheer and recommend your brand to their friends. Since this fan is active in promoting your products and services, you can make use of their help in recommending your business in the social media network by offering worthwhile offers that will entice them to promote the same to the social media network. This kind of a fan will help drive your community growth and increases the awareness of your brand within the social media community.
6. The unhappy customer
This is a fan who openly shares their bad experiences in their social media. The negative things that an unhappy fan will share in the social media community can damage your reputation therefore you need to act immediately to contain the damage. Continuously monitor your social media page and act upon the negative comments about your business and respond to it professionally with clarification to clear some issues. Your quick response is essential in order to reduce the extent of the bad publicity about your products and services.
7. The loyalist
This is a very loyal social media fan that gives support to your business all the way. They like to recommend your products and services to the public whether offline or online and give your business constructive criticisms and praise. They are always ready to defend your business against its detractors. In order to keep your loyal fans, give recognition for their loyalty by offering them gifts of appreciation for their positive comments and support for your marketing efforts. Your loyalist fans are assets to your business and you need to consistently recognize them and reward them for their loyalty.
Authored by: Stacy Carter
Stacy Carter is a tech writer about mobile applications, spy software and other tech news via online exposures.
ChristineMatus.com
561-444-8860
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