1 Blogs Podcasting Case Study Blogging With a Purpose - - PDF document

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“Web 2.0: How Realtors Can Leverage the New Web Tools”

Lyn Mettler President

Charleston Trident Association of Realtors Tech Fair & Trade Show

• Web Log
• Online journal/diary on a specific topic

updated regularly

Blogs What?

• Establish Yourself as an Expert
• Communicate With Your Audience in a

New Way

• Interact With Your Clients
• Show Customers Your “Voice”
• Improve Your Site’s Search Engine

Visibility

• They’re free!

Blogs Why?

• Set up an account on Blogger.com or

Wordpress.com for free

• Put it on your own server

– Example: www.iknowcharleston.com/blog

• Choose a catchy name that reflects your

individual expertise and blog topic and that works in key words.

– Get Real/Keepin’ It Real – MySquareFeet Blog - http://blog.mysquarefeet.com/ – Living in the Lowcountry

Blogs How?

• Post items at LEAST once a week, preferably

twice a week or more.

• Topics – Be Creative and Conversational:

– Local real estate news – Real estate and community stats – Community news and events – Tips for home buyers and sellers – Your insight on a controversial or timely topics

• Mortgage crisis

– Examples of your approach to buying/selling real estate

Blogs How?

• Promote it!

– Issue a news release – Submit to major online blog directories

• Technorati.com
• Google and Yahoo Blogs

– Send an email to your contact list – Allow people to subscribe via RSS or email. – Post to other related blogs and invite them to visit your blog. – Add to your email signature

Blogs How?

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Blogs Case Study

Blogging With a Purpose

Podcasting

• Podcasting Defined

Why Podcast?

• A projected seven million Americans download and

listen to podcasts every week, with an additional 21.4 million listening to a minimum of four podcasts every month.

— eMarketer, June 20, 2007

• Easy to listen to “on the go”
• Let customers hear your “voice” and get to know your

personality

• Position yourself as an expert
• It’s free!
• Get a $10 microphone (Logitech)
• Download WildVoice Software
• Choose a Name
• Choose a Topic – Provide useful information

– One-time

• Tips for selling a home
• Why choose me as your real estate agent

– Regular – at least monthly

• Update the real estate market
• Invite a local expert: head of the local realtors association,

city official, local developer to promote a new community, etc.

• Your insight on a controversial or timely topics

Podcasting How?

• Be Conversational!
• Record, edit
• Promote it!

– Post to your Web site – Email your contact list – Issue a news release – Post to online Podcast directories: iTunes, PodcastAlley.com, etc.

Podcasting How?

• Open House With Jerry Boutcher
• The Real Deal

Podcasting Examples Podcasting Case Study

Charleston Area Events

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Social Networking Why?

• Social networking site traffic rose 33% to 81 million

unique visitors in August 2007 versus August 2006.

— eMarketer, Sept. 25, 2007

• 1 in 4 adult Internet users regularly visited the most

popular social networking sites in the past year, including MySpace, YouTube and Amazon.com.

— iProspect, April 10, 2007

• Connect with potential clients in a space where they

are going already

• Allows you to communicate with them in a new way

(many people are inundated with email)

• It’s free!

Social Networking How?

• Open an account on MySpace, Facebook and

LinkedIn

• Create a business page for yourself
• Invite clients, colleagues, community organizations to

be your “friends” on MySpace and your “Connections”

• n LinkedIn
• Facebook, send an email to your contact list and

invite them to be your “fans”

• Update these pages regularly with photos of homes

for sale, virtual tours, updates about yourself, status changes, bulletins, wall posts, etc.

Social Networking How?

• Post to others’ walls and boards with birthday

well wishes, congratulations on recent news, holiday well wishes, etc.

• Create groups – Charleston homebuyers,

help answer questions

• Share listings with other realtors
• Add a link to your pages on your email

signature and include links on your Web site.

• Post your blog on your pages, as well.
• http://groups.myspace.com/MLSonMySpace

Social Networking Samples Social Networking Samples Social Networking Samples

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Social Networking Samples RSS

• Really Simple Syndication
• Defined
• Readers – IE7, Bloglines, Google

Why?

• A survey of 475 U.S. Internet users across all

demographics in July 2007 found that 60% subscribed to RSS Feeds. -- Avenue A/Razorfish, the digital agency owned by Microsoft

• Reduces email and more likely to be read
• Pull vs. push
• Free!

RSS How?

• Easiest is to set up like a blog or www.make-rss-

feeds.com

• Break up your feeds by audience: buyers, sellers,

home cost, zip code, etc.

• Post new home listings, special news, buying and

selling tips, status of home changes (under contract)

• Write short posts and clear and interesting headlines
• Include the realty company phone number or link to

the website

• Include photos
• Post regularly (daily or weekly).

RSS How?

• Promote it!
• Post to RSS Feed Directories
• Publicize on your Web site
• Add a subscription link to your email signature
• Tell all clients!

A Little Bit of Everything the office

Case Study

Twitter ClassifiedFlyerAds.com Panraven – “Stories”

Other Tools

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The Rules of the Web

Authenticity Creativity Tone Move fast! When in Rome…

Lyn Mettler President, Step Ahead Web Strategies Owner, Mettler Public Relations (843) 388-8376 AIM: LynMettler lmettler@stepaheadwebstrategies.com www.stepaheadwebstrategies.com www.mettlerpr.com OR Check us out on MySpace or Facebook Blog: www.newworldpr.blogspot.com

How to contact me: