Goals for 2012

On January 3rd, In Cloud Computing, Computer Tips, Online Marketing, Tech Tools & Gadgets, eStrategies, by Kim Wood

Well, here we are! We now start another year and another opportunity to reach our goals. And don’t forget to add technology and social media goals to your list while you are planning for 2012.

Time … a constant battle many of us struggle with. But don’t go reinvent the wheel! Take some advice from people who have already tried many products and applications. Listen to those around you who are doing it right, and ~~copy~~ – duplicate – what they’re doing.

Start your brainstorming process for new ideas for the year with these tips:

Website: Use your website as the center of your online presence, always driving people back to it. Your website should have a place for buyers to search for homes and sellers to request a CMA. And make sure that you include very visible contact information, at the least.
Blog: Create content for your future buyers and sellers to be informed about the area and real estate. Information for your locals is out there. Be sure that you’re one of those providing the information for them, or they’ll find it from another agent. Posting two to three times a week should be your goal.
LinkedIn: Create or update your profile. Check in twice a month for new connections and updates.
Facebook: Upgrade to the new timeline. Update your status daily and make new local connections. Interact with your connections – especially your locals. Create and maintain a Facebook Business Page.
Google+: Create or update your profile. Update your status daily and make new local connections. Interact with your connections – especially your locals. Create and maintain a Google+ Business Page.
Twitter: People are using Twitter, folks. And people who live in the area in which you practice real estate are on Twitter. Find them and make the connections. That doesn’t just mean follow – it means engage! Update your status and talk with people on a daily basis.
Flickr: If you like to take photos, a great place to share them is on Flickr. I can’t even count the amount of local relationships I’ve made just by talking about photos in my area. Be an expert in your area by providing snapshots of various events and sights in the community. And you don’t have to be a professional photographer to post and be active on Flickr! Search engines have been good to me with my Flickr photos, too.
E-mail: Use folders, labels and categories to stay organized with your messages. Create a simple signature. If you have multiple e-mail addresses, make sure they all feed into one box so you can manage your e-mails in one place. Use filters to weed out junk mail.
Electronic Newsletters: Consider e-mailing a short newsletter to your database to keep your name in front of them. You can e-mail home maintenance tips, market statistics, and always direct people back to your website or blog. A few to review are MailChimp, iContact and Constant Contact.
Gadgets & Devices: Make sure you are on top of your game with the devices you need. A smartphone is necessary, whether it is an iPhone or Android or other phone. If you take your own photos for your listings, make sure you have a decent camera. And if your computer is more than three years old, it’s time to upgrade.
Video: You already know YouTube is the second most-searched search engine out there. So get some videos of your area on YouTube! People considering a move to your area are watching videos. People who live in your area are watching videos. So create some videos and let those potential customers see that you are the expert in the community.
The Cloud: Online storage is growing rapidly, and I have to say that it’s a great way to collaborate and organize your documents. If you would like to access your files on multiple devices, such as computers or smartphones, get in the cloud. If you have a team or assistant(s) with whom you share documents, contacts and calendars, get in the cloud. Check out Dropbox, Google, Box.net and SugarSync to name a few.
Other Profiles: Make sure that you keep all of your online profiles updated! Be where your buyers and sellers are. Do you know where they hang out? Ask! Realtor.com and Trulia are great recommendations, but many more options are out there.
Coaching: If you need to take your business to the next level with technology, but this process seems overwhelming, hire a coach to help you. The education is available to you – go get it.