Introducing RAINMAKER SOCIAL, the one-of-a-kind collection of tools to enhance your RAINMAKER MEGA SITE and bring it into the Social Age. Social Media and “social search” have arrived. And, the future is now. Here’s why:

• “Inbound links are a good measure of authority, but they are slow. In a social media world, a relevant piece of content on a subject could become outdated in minutes.” – RAINMAKER SOCIAL users love the easy-to-use share tools in the new system compared to the out-dated (and slower) inbound links. With the share tools, you can constantly share content and stay relevant without the wait!
• “Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Twitter are battling over the future of search. It is clear to all of these internet giants that social search is the future.” – These companies basically decide what user’s search. As they enhance Social Search, we all will be taken along for the ride too. That’s why it’s important for RAINMAKER SOCIAL users to hop on the bandwagon now so you get an early start on the future ahead of your competition.
• “Google+ is the fastest growing social network ever.” Google+ is not important – not yet — in the inherent contact database sense like Facebook. However, going forward Google will be using Google+ as its main source of social search data. Because Google is the #1 search engine in the world (no surprise there!) that makes Google+ an important tool in Google’s Social Search Rankings. Bottom line: Social search is coming on fast. Ride the wave…don’t get drowned by it.
• “Facebook’s current share of the search engine market is miniscule… why does Facebook not have at least a negligible portion of the search market? Simple: Private data. … The limitations of private data make Facebook a weak search engine and subsequently resulted in very little usage.” – This however has changed recently with the inclusion of the ability to select your own privacy settings with each individual post. RAINMAKER SOCIAL users are now sharing via the PUBLIC option that is now included. Use this public option as much as possible and you will build a pool of data and results that optimize your chances of being found through Facebook search.
• “Social search is really about more personalized search engine results.” – Search in the future will be personalized. That’s why RAINMAKER SOCIAL users are building their personal search network today.

Don’t miss out on the future. Check out www.RainmakerSocial.com for more information and order today to get a jump on your competition!

For more about integrating search and social marketing read this excellent, free whitepaper: www.hubspot.com/internet-marketing-whitepapers/

Jesse Hickman

If you look even casually at what you are sharing, it’s most likely content.

What the content is can vary — photos, stats, articles, blog posts, etc.  However, it’s all content.  The sharing of information quickly and efficiently with those looking for it.

If you have nothing to share, you can’t really participate in social media, or can you?  Just a simple hi or hello doesn’t cut it.  You are sharing thoughts, facts, opinions and information in the community.  You’re encouraging interaction and seeking response.

What do you share in social media?

If you’re active on Twitter, you likely have people who follow your tweets. Everytime a new follower shows up, what do you do? If you click to look on their Twitter profile, that’s the start. Look over their profile — are they a consumer or a colleague or someone else, are they in your local area, what are their tweets about and who do they tweet with most often? (Is anyone you know mentioned or replied to in their tweet stream?)

Their profile likely also includes a website address. Go visit it. Find out more about this person (or entity). As you read and peruse, think of ways that you can work together. And, if you find the obvious connections that can begin the relationship, send them a private message on Twitter or email them from their website. Start the conversation and make the most of your social networking.

Same methodology goes for your business fan/follower page on Facebook. Click on new fan’s profile. See if you can tell anything about them from what elements of their public profile are accessible. Are they connected to any other fans or one of your friends? Google them if you have the time. See if you can find a connection with this fan as well to start the conversation.

It takes time, but the connections you collect online can turn into business if you put a little effort into it. Don’t be afraid to reach out to new fans, friends or followers. Everyone is a person behind their avatar. You can find out with a little research how you can develop a relationship to lead to more business.

How do you handle new contacts in social media?

A group to watch right now is the tween/teen (ages 8 to 18) market.  This group already has a huge influence on what their family purchases and have a significant amount of disposable income.

Flash forward a short 10 years to 2020.

These same tweens will be in the desirable and much-marketed to age group of 18 to 28.  This is a segment to be watched.  According to Kaiser Family Foundation’s research in 2009 entitled Generation M2 Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-year-olds:

This age group uses electronics, on average, for 53 hours per week.  And, because they are often multi-tasking (video games while texting, surfing the Internet while watching TV, etc.) they are actually managing to access about 10 hours and 45 minutes of media into the 7 hours and 38 minutes per day that they are using electronics.

• 32% of their time is spent watching TV
• 25% of their time is spent on a computer
• 20% on a mobile device
• 6% on a radio
• 6% with print media (like magazines, newspapers, etc.)
• 5% on a console video game
• 4% in movie theaters
• 3% with CDs

Other interesting takeaways include:

• This age groups spends about two hours a day with media on a mobile device such as a cell phone.
• They spend about an hour per day online viewing television or music content that many older demographics use a television or radio to view.
• Cell phones are used less frequently for conversations than accessing media.
• In their bedroom, over 70% of this age group has a television while about 33% have a computer with access to the Internet.
• Heaviest media users are those ages 11 to 14, African-American and Hispanic youths.

The message to take away from this is that in 10 years, the media mix is going to be heavily targeted toward these online media.  If you want to reach the next big wave of first-time home buyers, you’re going to have to be tech savvy.

Will you be prepared to target the 18-28 age group in the next decade?

Interactions are occurring online, in front of other consumers.  Consumer complaints are out there, resolved and discussed in front of others.  Compliments are also out in the open, genuinely expressing delight in good experiences.  Information in detail is laid out in these exchanges, giving much more data to consumers than ever before.  Competitors are visible — watching their competitors and being watched.  Transparency is the name of the game.

No matter what is out in social media, the exchanges are also out there for the long term, part of the electronic history — both the flattering and unflattering.  You can scroll through Facebook postings on an individual’s profile or fan page and read and re-read them, cut and paste them, comment on them, share them.  You can read the Twitter stream from a company or individual, search it, share it, retweet it.  Unless the element is deleted, it’s going to show up in google/search engine searches as well, part of the picture of a company’s or person’s complete profile.

This large body of personal communication/interaction is valuable.  It doesn’t replace the personal touch, but adds another dimension to the personal touch.

What does this mean for you?

• Consumers are looking for someone who has depth, who can share information and communicate with them, long before the sale is made.
• They want to know more about you than ever before…because they can about other real estate professionals.
• If you aren’t out there interacting, they aren’t going to consider you because they don’t know/can’t find out anything about you before they meet you.
• Don’t just use social media as a billboard for your listings.  Talk to buyers and sellers.  Comment on their questions and concerns.
• Consider using social media as a way of keeping clients and prospects updated (within the scope of privacy, of course!) on their home selling and buying process.  ”Got your voice mail.  Will be able to call you around 5pm Eastern.”  ”Received your email.  Can we meet tomorrow evening to answer questions?”

Share how social media is working for you.  And, if you’re hesitant to jump into social media, share what concerns are holding you back.

Use Local Direct Marketing to Leverage Facebook Presence

For those agents that have committed substantial time…sometimes several hours a day to generate connections…many report their “organic” social networks are often spread far and wide…sometimes too wide.  These distant connections create referral opportunities with friends and fans…and other Realtors.  Yet, how do you cultivate a local following of local sellers and local buyers?

The emerging answer is to marry your social marketing with your local offline marketing.  Use your hyper-targeted newsletter, direct mail, signage and neighborhood-focused print marketing to drive local fans and friends to your Facebook page – and vice versa.  You’ll enjoy the added bonus of generating direct business from prospects that are not active on social media…and grab prospects abandoned by your competition.

How To Maximize Results

One simple approach is to insert calls-to-action on your Gooder Group Rainmaker newsletter in the front-page masthead area or the optional MyCustom section on page four.  Insert phrases such as “Become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/YourName” (25 fans are required to obtain a personalized “vanity” Facebook address that includes your name); or “Join the conversation on my Blog: www.YourBlog.com;” or “Follow me on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/YourName.”

Another successful technique is to create a custom “ad” for your newsletter MyCustom section.  Feature the logotypes or screen shots of the social sites where you are active (Facebook, ActiveRain, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) and use copy such as “For latest market updates, links to all listings 24/7 and local real estate trends, see how my presence on the Internet generates more buyers for my sellers and insures my buyers see new listings first.”  Then display the images and online addresses of all your sites.

By leveraging your offline and online marketing, you can maximize your local results – and grow your local business in the coming market.  With location-centric offline marketing you build a social network of true local prospects within your market area…as well as generate more referral connections worldwide.

How do you leverage your social marketing presence?

Social Marketing: Those that have committed substantial time…sometimes several hours a day…generating a social network often report the outcome is a network of other Realtors.  The outcome is referrals.  This is good for those with referral based relocation or resort/second home or investor markets.  For others, especially those in small markets (non-metropolitan areas) the results are nice but not equivalent to the time (and money) they put in.  Most say the problem is not being able to target a location, a market, an area.  The Diaspora of the social network is not focused near enough to home to produce significant results for many, despite the ongoing conversations and connections made.

How involved are you in social media?  Do you have any social media resolutions for 2010?

Today, you know that giving customers good service and you’ll get more business.    

When you prospect with the goal of educating home buyers and sellers, you’re fulfilling the needs of the client.  They will reward you with their business because you are serving them and providing a solution to their problem.

Good service is more than educating them though.  You need to wow your clients. 

Before a prospect becomes your client, there is the perception that all real estate professionals are basically the same – any of them can get a house sold or purchased.  You need to differentiate your service and level of professionalism to your clients though.  

They are going to be talking about their home purchase on Facebook, Twitter, to their neighbors and friends, coworkers and family, perhaps on their personal blog.  You, the agent, are going to come up in conversation.  You want any reference to your service to be beyond expectations.  So, when your client posts to Facebook that they just put an offer on a house.  They can relay to their contacts there all the “wow” things that you did for them.  When they post on Twitter that they are closing on their house, they will be happy to share your name and contact info (and Twitter ID).  As they cover their moving experience in a blog post, you want them to be more than willing to link to your blog and website when they refer to the exceptional service you provided in finding them a new home and/or selling their old home.

You can’t control what others post about you in social media, but you can make sure that the buying or selling process is as smooth as can be and goes beyond the client’s expectations.  You want the experience to be worthy of a positive Facebook status update or glowing Twitter post.   

Dan stated in his first book, Real Estate Rainmaker:  Successful Strategies for Real Estate Marketing, “In today’s world of real estate, Rainmakers who above all else preserve the value and quality of their relationship with the customer are the true winners.” 

Share with us how you build up relationships with clients for the long-term and what benefits you have gotten in return.  If you’d rather send us a direct email, you can also contact us here. 

Best of all the webinars are free, thanks to the “Social Media Training Center” created by Janelle Odishoo, VP Marketing and Business Development at AnnounceMyMove.com.

Check out these “Past Events” topics…and Mike’s upcoming webinars:

• Build a Social Media Strategy for a Profitable 2009!
• Make Money Connecting with People on Facebook!
• How to Make Money Using Twitter as Part of Your Social Media Strategy
• LinkedIn – Building Your Professional Image

While you are there look into the popular service provided by AnnounceMyMove designed to help you connect with the social networks of your clients and sphere of influence.

The more influencers you have in your network, the more business you will capture from those connections.

Happy social marketing!

So…what are these free vehicles?  Here is a quick overview of some of the most popular and where to go to sign up:

Facebook – set up a personal profile to connect directly with friends, acquaintances, business connections, etc.  After you have your personal profile created, create a group for your company too and advertise your events there.  You’ll soon have a loyal following who want to hear your marketing message.

Twitter – set up a user name and start tweeting—140 character or less messages.  Think of this as mini-blogging.  You might find a lot of people from your local community already on this site and start following them and join in the conversation to find out what’s going on in your area. 

YouTube – create a profile and display marketing messages on this site.  Test new marketing concepts and use the feedback to tweak them.  “Favorite” videos and share them with others through your blog, Twitter or Facebook. 

Flickr – share photos of properties, your local area’s star attractions, or just some cool photos you took on your last vacation.  It’s a great place to browse interesting photos and leave comments too.

Blogs – start the conversation and share your advice with buyers and sellers in a more in-depth manner.  Our favorite blog platform is WordPress, but there are many free sites out there.  Customize them to match your brand’s promise and start typing away!

LinkedIn – set up a profile and showcase your experience.  Whether you connect with other real estate professionals, clients or related businesses, it’s a freebie that is easy to use.  While there, join a real-estate related group and join in the conversations that ensue to share you experiences with the topic at hand.

Let us know what other freebie marketing tools you use.  We’d love to learn of other ways you are marketing out there!