Google Analytics

Friday, April 26, 2019

Week 13 - Post 2

In reading “likable social media,”this week I learned a lot about the different Facebook ad options. I also learned about the three different goals of ads including driving website traffic and leads, post like and engagement, and app installation ads.  At this time, our business’s main goal is to increase post likes and engagement. 

Today I posted an ad on Facebook for an open house for a house we are selling in a 55+ community.  I boosted the ad to the surrounding cities as well as to people over the age of 53. This gave me a target market of 100,000 people. In previous adds I’ve targeted those in a larger demographic area, about 5 cities plus 10 miles, and between the ages 25-64years.

In future Facebook ads, I am planning to try “Friends of Connections” ads on advertisements that don’t need age restrictions. Currently our business page has 108 followers and 97 people who like our page. I see how this type of targeting can benefit our advertising since “the average person on Facebook has 350 friends.” Targeting an audience this way could lead to a potential 33,950 people that see our ad. Another great thing about this is the ad will tell the prospects the name of their friend that already like our page. That’s the power of influence at work!

As a real estate business, I was trying to think of different types of call to action that would be effective for us. I found this article and wanted to share it since I plan to come back to this blog for future reference.  Here is the link:https://myrealpage.com/7-compelling-call-actions-ctas-realtors-use-online-marketing/

Here are 7 types of compelling call-to-actions that you can use in your online marketing.
1.       The Learn More
This action encourages the reader to continue browsing your site and allows interested readers to gain more in-depth knowledge on the topic. Some common call-to-actions for this include: “Watch to learn more,” “Read more” or “Find out more.” This CTA is great for differentiating between casual visitors and those who are more invested and ready to take action.
2.       The Opinion Ask
Commonly featured at the bottom of opinion pieces is an open-ended question that invites readers to participate in the discussion or share their thoughts. You can ask your readers, “Do you agree?” or “What’s your take on it?” or juxtapose two opinions and have them select their favourite one.  
3.       The Freebie
At the end of your post, you can offer a free download of a supporting presentation or a PDF one-sheet of the key points. Readers love free material and this is a good opportunity to expand your mailing list as well. (Pro tip: don’t give the resource away for free! Ask for their email address in exchange for it). Some ways you can phrase this are “Directly download this report” or “Download a printer-friendly version here.”
4.       The Contact Us
Another popular CTA is to offer a line for your readers to speak with you directly. This can come in various ways such as, “Call us today,” “Ask an expert,” “Get a free quote” or simply “Contact us.” And remember to have a clear and easy way for people to reach you. Make sure your “Contact Me” page is on point!
5.       The Immediate Start
Creating a sense of urgency is another great tactic in penning an effective call-to-action. Using words like “Sign up today” or “Reserve a spot now” or “Join now” offers an immediate solution and encourages readers to make a quick decision. 
6.       The Related Material
Another great CTA is offering the reader another piece or page that is related to the one they are reading. This can be said in a few different ways including “See it in action” or “Take the tour” or “Did you know about this as well?”
The idea is to offer a complimentary piece to encourage the visitor to stay on your site and to build credibility, as well.
7.       The Social Connection 
This is one of the most popular call-to-actions, where readers are invited to connect to your brand via a social media channel like Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook. This can be done visually, with a graphic encouraging viewers to “Connect with us,” “Follow Us” or “Like our page for more tips.” In online marketing, networks like this are great for building your community of raving fans. 
Are there any call-to-actions you’ve found to really resonate with your audience?


On Page 189 of “likable social media”, it explainsthe importance of making an ad likeable. A good design for a social media ad will have a catchy headline, a few lines of copy, and a high-quality picture to get people’s attention. “You can run an unlimited number of ads under the same budget, so you can test out dozens or more of different images, headlines and copy to see what’s most effective in driving likes.” This is something Ineed to learn to do so I can improve my postings because my ads only get about 10% of reach engagement.  By improving my ads I hope to connect users to my fan page.

We don’t have plans to us banner ads for our business. The only experience I can remember having with banner ads has been frustrating, especially the time when the ad pops up in the middle of something I am looking at and I can’t close the ad.  When creating a banner ad it’s important to place the ad out of the way of the content the user is engaged in.  Also, it’s important that the ad isn’t placed on the screen where it can’t accidently get clicked on and open up. That’s extra frustrating to me.

Although Facebook is the most effective and used media platform for advertising, now that I have created a business Instagram page and Twitter account I will likely keep those for up and running as well.  Since being in this class I’ve also been posting on LinkedIn, although I’ve had the account for years.  

The goal is to maintain a consistent presence on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.  I’d like to have approximately 2 posts per week that offer value to the viewer.  Posts should include a catchy title and interesting photo.  The posts will consist of “Just listed” ads, Market trends, Community Hotspots and activities and, Holiday greetings.  We want to maintain a professional presence with a personal touch. We don’t want to overwhelm viewers, yet we do want to be front of mind and who they call with their real estate needs.

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Week 13 - Post 1



1.I found five businesses similar to mine, of various sizes. The first of these includes Keller Williams Realty which isa very large company. They are advertising on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Pinterest. They do a great job at staying at the front of mind by posting at least once daily and a typical post gets about a thousand likes.  They send postcards via USPS which are very nice with great quality photos and relevant information. They also advertise on the radio and television which I imagine is also very effective. As a competitor, it’s gets old hearing the advertisements, but they definitely stand out since we are inundated with social media marketing online.

Shea Homes Socal is a medium size real estate company.  They are advertising on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest. They post 2-3 days per week and their posts usually get around 100-125 likes. I’ve also received some very nice postcard advertisements in the mail.

I found Brittany Eastwood, Inc., CEO of a smaller real estate business.She uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest. She also posts 2-3 days per week.
This is a smaller business, one that I hadn’t heard of, yet the majority of her post are getting between 500-1000 likes. I haven’t seen the traditional mailers or anything other than online marketing. She is apparently doing a great job in social marketing on all accounts. She has a huge following and seems very effective.

The Shelhamer Real Estate Group is using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Yelp and Pinterest to promote their business and real estate listings.  This company has room for improvement, as I they are not very active on any of these outlets. I think their main source of online advertisement may be there website with is very nice and up to date. They likely use other forms of traditional marketing as well, though I haven’t seen it. Consistently posting on a schedule both listings and other items of value, and adding calls to action could greatly improve the effectiveness of their online social business pages.

Charles Dunn Company is a commercial real estate company and they had a professional presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram with relevant posts of their transactions and listings, until October, 2018 just before closing the business.  I think their marketing was great, and the closure had nothing do with that.

Keyes Real Estateuses Facebook, twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Vimeo. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram postings are 2-3 times week. As with the other real estate businesses I researched, Keyes Real Estate is utilizing all the main social media outlets to promote their business and transactions. They post relevant photos and information that attracts the interest of those on these platforms. So, they will be at the top of mind when a connection needs the type of services they offer. They have many positive reviews from previous clients. They are doing a great job in marketing on all accounts, very effective.  



2.In looking at examples of advertising on social media the thing that is most likely to draw my attention are a great headline and a nice photo.  If the post has that, then I’ll read on.  In the example below the post is from a link that leads directly to the business website.  That’s what I want to learn to do.

I think the only ads that are really annoying to me are those that use a photo to catch your curiosity that actually has nothing to do with what’s being advertised. 



3.The majority of the American population today is getting their news and advertising on social media, TV and the radio.  There seems to be less and less demand for written advertisements in newspapers and magazines.  However, I do think some written advertisements that come directly in the mail are useful and I for one do take advantage of that, both as a consumer receiving information and discounts, and business owner offering information on real estate. 

Monday, April 22, 2019

Week 12 - Post 2

1.LinkedIn: My husband and I each have a LinkedIn account, and have decided not to create an account specific to our business. This works fine for us for now because we are a small real estate business and it’s important to us to build personal relationships with clients.  Although we branded our business as Born & Raised Realty, we are personally known by many for the business services we provide in our community.  

In researching groups on LinkedIn, I found there are some groups that could benefit our business if we were to join.  Groups such as Real Estate Investor, which states it’s the most interactive Real Estate Investment centric community on LinkedIn, Real Estate Professionals Referral Group, which is a Referral network group for real estate professionals around the country and world, and Pete Asmus’ Real Estate Networking Group. Each of these group's purpose is to provide a source for real estate professionals, the first is for referring out of the area clients in need of a great real estate agent. The latter two are for networking with other professionals. 

2.Yelp: Our Yelp account is under my husband’s name rather than our business.  Prior to rebranding our business, all transactions were under his name. Most of our reviews are on Realtor.com, and Zillow.com. We only have four reviews on Yelp, and in full honesty, we didn’t have the best experience.  One of the reviews we received on Yelp was terrible.  I had hoped when prospective clients read the review they will be able to tell the writer is far from rational or reasonable in his posting this review.  However, two years after his initial post he updated the review and it just seemed like a bad review, nothing too far-fetched, although not at all accurate. What is worse is this was actually someone my husband new personally and tried to help. 

We know how important it is to respond to reviews, especially negative ones. My husband did respond, and perhaps it was too long and too detailed,apologizing and explaining how he gave 100% in his service to this client.  Basically, nothing would have satisfied this client. The basic, “I’m sorry you had a bad experience, please contact us.” would not have felt authentic and probably would have triggered him to continue trying to hurt our business.  Perhaps, only keeping potential clients in mind, and not the writer of the review, he could have responded something like, “We’re normally known for our exceptional attention to detail and customer service, and we regret that we missed the mark.”  Although my husband did not keep the response “simple, short and sweet” I think it was appropriate knowing the type of person he was dealing with.

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Week 12- Post 1

In addition to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, my husband and I each have our own personal LinkedIn accounts that we use for business purposes.  I believe this is an important platorm to have a professional presence where we can connect with other professionals as well as prospective clients.  I am following nearly 200 accounts of which many our industry leaders and the remainder are primarily personal and business contacts. I have begun posting to LinkedIn about once per week including one of the industry related business posts that I would also be posting on Facebook. 

We also use an email subscription tool through a real estate marketing company. This is helpful for us because we don't have to come up with the topic and information in the email because it's already done for us.  Topics include industry updates, buyer and seller tips, as well as homeownership tips and benefits of homeownership. With this service we are able to email our database once per month to keep at the front of mind to all those in our spear of influence who may not be regulars on social media.  


I began creating a google business page as well for an additional way for cleints to find our business and rate our services.   However, I feel with the above mentioned accounts I am reaching the majority of our market and I'm not sure I will continue to maintain updates onthe Google account.

Thursday, April 11, 2019

Week 11- Post 1

Email newsletters are an important part of our business marketing plan.  It reaches a demographic of our target market that are less likely to be on social media. Our business sends out monthly newsletters. The information included in the newsletter would essentially be the same information that we will post in our monthly blog, including a quarterly market update, home maintenance tips and community activities for spring, summer, fall and winter.

In order to stay front of mind I think it’s a good idea to send a monthly email, and not over bombard our clients inbox tempting them to unsubscribe. We want people to remember we are in the real estate business, So, even if they aren’t in the market to purchase or sale a home, chances are they know someone who is.  We hope to serve every one of our clients, their friends and family members real estate needs!

I am on the mail list for some clients and they send very similar information.  Some of it seems helpful and some of it I probably wouldn’t send out to my clients.  I like the variety of topics I’ve chosen because the client won’t tire of the same information each month, yet we are still showing we are industry experts!

Friday, April 5, 2019

Week 10 - Post 2

As I am learning about blogs and other social media sites I can see a clear structure and organization of the site can be helpful for ease of use and finding what one is looking for.  If I had a business blog for Born & Raised Realty, I would have these categories:

Real Estate – Virtual flyers for properties, Infographics, and Real Estate industry information.
House to Home – Will include home decorating, landscaping and maintenance tips.
Community– Will include our business hosted client events and community events.
Video– Where we could keep all videos pertaining to properties and community information videos.
Reviews- potential customers looking to gain insight using others' opinions for services.


I commented on the following classmates' blog for Week 10:

  • Michelle Jordan
  • Austin Poynter
  • Lisa Hass


Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Week 10 - Post 1

Adding human interest to a post is often beneficial, especially for smaller businesses and those who are the face of their brand.  By adding personality to business posts and expressing passion for what you do, you can appeal to consumer's emotions.  Sharing why you do what you do is important and by telling your story allows consumers to get to know you. This can help build a relationship between your business and the consumer.  Being consistent and relevent in the mission of the business is important and can help build trust in the consumer mind.  
If the consumer feels like they know you, they like you, and they feel your passion for your business mission, they will also likely want to support you in your business goals. The can would result in them purchasing from you and recommending you to their friends and family. 
With larger businesses, if the core group of executive members were to personalize some posts, I believe this could also work on a smaller scale. However, I believe the larger the business the less likely people will truly feel the same kind of connection as a smaller business where the client is actually working with the owner and builds a personal relationship.

Monday, April 1, 2019

Week 9 - Post 1

In searching to find Twitter connections I used the words “Realtor”, homes, and homebuyer. I also specifically looked up Oceanside. I am following REALTOR® Magazine, REALTORS®, BetterHomes&Gardens, realtor.com, houzz, and City of Oceanside. To help me find quality Twitter connections I also selected some accounts by looking at reputable real estate companies to see who they were following.

I created three lists titled “Real Estate”, “Community” and “House to Home”.   The Real Estate list is specifically for real estate business such as market trends, listings, and new real estate regulations and guidelines. The Community list is for all accounts for news and activities happening in local cities and communities.  The House to Home list includes home decorating, landscaping and maintenance tips for home owners.  These lists help me stay organized because with the use of the lists I will be able to easily find what I am looking for and so will anyone who follows my business. 

It seems the most effective times of the day are in the mornings between 6:00am-8:00pm, around noon, and typically when people would be getting off work anytime in the early to mid-evening. I will be aiming for the 11:00am-1:00pm time bracket for my posts.