James Vance, Marketing & Technology

Facebook Page Posting Tips – Get ‘em while they’re hot!

James Vance — Thu, 13 May 2010 03:37:01 +0000

TO POST OR NOT TO POST

Your Facebook page fans may really enjoy your brand or company, but this does not mean they want to be bombarded with updates from your page every 5 minutes. Remember, the News Feed updates every time something “new” occurs within a user’s network; its real time. This means your updates are published immediately to your fans. Your post frequency is very important and relative to the industry of your brand. For example, CNN or Fox News will post more often than say… a restaurant or a retail store.

Another thing to keep in mind about your posts is to know when to post. Posting can be more effective during the week, especially during the morning, just before or after lunch, and in the evening when everyone is getting home. Understanding this, you should be posting no more than 3-4 times a day keeping it all relative and not always about business.

ENGAGE YOUR FANS

Engaging users on Facebook through multi-media posts such as videos, links and photos can be a key component to having a successful Facebook page. Facebook users can instantly share your posts with friends and family via the “share” feature included on all multi-media posts which will help with getting your brand name out-and-about, generating more fans and more “buzz.”

KEEP TRACK

Facebook allows page admins to view where their fans are from, how many fans they have gained or lost, and other demographic measures through Insights, but using a URL condenser such as bit.ly can help you measure clicks for every one of your links and can also show you where your links are being shared. Besides the measure-ability of using a URL condenser they are also a great tool to save on character space when your Facebook page’s posts are being syndicated to your Twitter page.

*BONUS: If you want to know an estimated value of your Facebook page, try Virtue.com’s Social Page Evaluator. This site provides some very cool insight into how your page is performing.

Work Smarter, Not Harder! Social Networking Made Easy

James Vance — Tue, 11 May 2010 03:49:01 +0000

When working with social media it can become a hassle to remember to post to all your different social accounts. Connecting as many accounts as possible can be quite the remedy.

One solution for posting to multiple accounts at once is using programs such as TweetDeck. Another solution is to connect all your accounts to one another so that one post to your Facebook fan page gets syndicated to your Twitter, LinkedIn and even your Google Buzz account. Here are some instructions to accomplish this time-saving task.

First, connect your Facebook fan page(s) to your Twitter account using the Facebook Twitter link page (http://www.facebook.com/twitter/) while logged into Facebook (you’ll also need your Twitter login information). This connection is a one way connection, meaning only posts from your Facebook page will appear on your Twitter and not vice versa.

Secondly, you will want to link your LinkedIn account with your Twitter account using the LinkedIn Twitter sync page (https://www.linkedin.com/secure/settings?goback=.prf_en*4US&twitterSettings=). You’ll need to be logged into your LinkedIn profile and have your Twitter login information ready. This is a two-way connection, meaning anything posted on your Twitter account will appear on your LinkedIn profile and vice versa.

Thirdly, connect your Google Buzz profile to your Twitter profile. Log into your Google Buzz account and select “connected sites” next to your name right above the status update box located at the top of the page. This will bring up a list of sites, Twitter being one of them. Select “Add” next to the Twitter option and add your Twitter username. Finally click “Save” at the bottom of the window. This is a one way connection, meaning only updates from Twitter will appear on Google Buzz and not vice versa.

*An additional tip is to connect your blog to your Facebook fan page to keep all of your fans and followers up-to-date with all of your new blog posts. Word Press offers such a solution under their “My Blogs” link on the dashboard page. You will see a list of all the blogs you have registered with Word Press and next to each one you will see a Facebook, Twitter and Yahoo option. Select any of the options available and add your log in information for that social networking platform (Hint: If you followed the previous steps in connecting your Facebook page, LinkedIn profile, and Google Buzz account to your Twitter account then you will only need to connect your blog to your Facebook fan page. Any post written on your Facebook fan page will be syndicated to all your other social networks via the Twitter connection.

Although connecting all your social networks together can make it easier for posting and keeping all your fans and followers up-to-date, there is no substitution for logging into each account and personally interacting with your friends and contacts. Make sure to log into each account at least once a week to make sure you are not missing any opportunities to personally connect with your contacts.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns feel free to comment on this post!

Measure Your Marketing.

James Vance — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:06:32 +0000

You can cover all the bases and have a marketing presence like no-other, but if you do not know which marketing avenue is working best for you and your dollar then you may be wasting time and money.

Make sure, with every marketing program you are running, that you are tracking clicks, impressions, leads, calls, emails, visitors, fans, followers, etc. You will never know where to spend most of your time or money if you do not know how each marketing tool or change is performing for your business. Keep track, measure, and be consistent with what’s working.

Some tools to help you keep track of your marketing programs can be anything from email receipts in Outlook to Google Analytics for your website or blog. Most online marketing tools such as Word Press, Facebook, Twitter, Bit.ly, and even Top Producer can track your marketing for you and provide you with some very intense data.

Make sure you distinguish between what avenues of marketing are giving you the “best bang for your buck” or time. Also, track changes you make to your marketing by comparing before and after data.

Here is a video on how Google Analytics can help you keep your website functioning at its highest potential.

Deleting a Facebook or Twitter Account

James Vance — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:41:23 +0000

Have you created multiple accounts on Facebook or Twitter and now you want to get rid of the excess accounts? Or are you just trying to delete your accounts for other reasons?

If you noticed in the new Facebook you only have the option to deactivate your profile and you don’t have the option to delete the account in its entirety. Well the mystery is over. You want to know how to delete a Facebook account and not just deactivate it…

Log into the Facebook account you wish to delete (forever) and then click on this link: http://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=delete_account.

This will bring up a message that asks “If you do not think you will use Facebook again and would like your account deleted, we can take care of this for you. Keep in mind that you will not be able to reactivate your account or retrieve any of the content or information you have added. If you would like your account deleted, then click “Submit.” Choose “Submit”, enter your password, fill in the CAPTCHA form, and finally hit “Submit” again.

You will be logged out of Facebook. Your account can take up to 14 days to be completely removed from the Facebook servers and so long as you do not log into the account before it is removed, it will be permanently deleted.

For removing your Twitter accounts, the task is much simpler.

Log into your Twitter account and navigate to the “Settings” page. At the bottom of the page you will see a “Deactivate my account.” link. This link will take you through the process of not only how to deactivate your Twitter account but also how to delete your Twitter account. For more information visit Twitter’s Support Page: http://help.twitter.com/entries/15358-how-to-deactivate-your-account

Follow-Up on ALL Your Leads – No Matter What.

James Vance — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 01:40:03 +0000

One of the most common mistakes made by any business when it comes to marketing, is the follow-up on leads. I cannot stress this tip enough.

After any marketing program (print, online or in person) a follow-up on any lead is always necessary-NO MATTER WHAT! A follow-up can be in the form of a phone call, an email, a letter, a personal visit or even a simple text message. It doesn’t matter how you follow-up, like Nike says: “Just Do It.™”

I understand some marketing programs can include hundreds or even thousands of prospects that bring in many leads and following-up may not be feasible or realistic. In these cases you will need to categorize your leads into different follow-up lists (i.e. leads who live in specific “farm area” or who qualify as a certain type of customer: luxury, low-end, shows interest, prior client, etc).

Make sure to subscribe to this blog so that you never miss out on any significant marketing and technology tips that can help you and your business grow successfully.

Use Social Media to Promote your Business

James Vance — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 05:09:00 +0000

Building a brand and gaining awareness of the fact that you are in real estate can be a bit challenging when first looked at. Selling your services to people who don’t want or need them can be discouraging. So why not market to people who are actually interested in what you have to offer?

Using social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter can help provide you with the right audience simply because these types of social media are an opt in or opt out type of marketing that is completely self managed in that respect. People who want to hear what you have to say or who want to receive what you have to offer will opt in and those do not, will opt out.

Get started today with one social media platform, master it and then setup another. For some great insight on how to get the most out of your social media check out www.Mashable.com.

Enhance your Listings on Realtor.com®

James Vance — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 04:57:41 +0000

In the real estate industry, it’s all about the details. “Over 82% of home buyers desire photos and detailed property descriptions online.” – Realtor.com®

Did you know that most consumers using Realtor.com® to search for properties search by using the “Sort by # of Photos” option? The Southeast Florida MLS only allows you to upload 16 photos to any listing but in Realtor.com® you can upload up to 25 photos! Thats 9 more photos! This not only adds value to your listing presentation but also helps your properties come up higher in the search results on Realtor.com®. Also, by upgrading to the Enhanced version of Realtor.com® you are able to extend your listing’s description, add virtual tours, add eye-catching headlines and even schedule open houses.

For a successful syndication of your listing’s information and media to all third-party sites (including Realtor.com®) agents are recommended to enter all their listing’s details, photos and virtual tours the first time they enter the listing into the MLS. Then log into Realtor.com® and ENHANCE YOUR LISTING!

For more information please visit Realtor.com®.