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Build brand awareness with social media

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 14 May 2012 02:00:33 +0000

I’ve got something a bit different for you this week. And agents, this may not be for you (it might be, though) so if it isn’t, please pass this along to your broker, because this is definitely something that they should be looking at doing.

We all KNOW the importance of building our brands to the point that we are the first thing that people think about when they are looking for the service that we provide. We also know that the traditional methods that we used in the past are nowhere near as effective as they were even a few years ago. And finally, we know that social media has become the darling of everyone looking to build brands, acquire new customers and to solidify relationships with existing customers.

We know all these things, yet the promise of social media has yet to be realized by most agents and brokerages. There are just too many unanswered questions about where to be, how to get started, what to say, when to say it, how often to say it and so on.

Too many of us have tried to go it alone by attending seminars, “camps”, classes and meetings hoping to find that “pearl of wisdom” that will lead us down the golden path. Some have succeeded to one degree or another, but most have failed.

I recently spoke with Chitra Rakesh, who is the Founder of Chitsie, a startup whose business is built upon the effective use of social media to build brand awareness, about these issues and how her company could help real estate brokerages.

Chitsie has a revenue model that is very similar to that of the real estate industry in that they offer a 100% performance based model (as well as a fixed price model). They build brand awareness through the use of contests, business games and exciting brand campaigns revolving around your brand. You can see the three current campaigns on http://www.chitsie.com. Please take a look, and to get an idea of what they are doing, go ahead and interact with the three brands. Who knows, you might win a cash prize or a merchandise prize. (Prizes are provided by the brand).

Given that Chitsie has a performance based model (Sounds a lot like our commission based model doesn’t it?) your brokerage could get some real professional help to build brand awareness without the huge cash outlay that traditional social media agencies typically charge.

Seems to me that you need to at least contact Chitra to find out if there is a fit. Drop me a line and I’ll put the two of you in touch.

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Build brand awareness with social media

18 Cool keyboard tricks that your iPad can do! (That you didn’t know about)

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 02:00:38 +0000

I was teaching an “iPad for beginners” class the other day and found that none of the students knew about the secret keyboard tricks that the iPad can do. So, I thought I’d share them with you here, in case you didn’t know about them either!

I am referring to the keyboard that pops up on screen when you are typing an email or document, and not to any external keyboard that you might be using.

To start off, let’s make sure that you are set up to use these tricks by tapping on the “Settings” icon (usually on your home screen) then tap “General” (about half way down the page on the left), then scroll down the resulting page until you see “Keyboard”. Tap on it. Make sure that Auto-Capitalization, Auto-Correction, Check Spelling, Enable Caps Lock and “.” Shortcut are all enabled.

That will get you set up to try these tricks! (You can always go back and turn off a feature if you find it annoying).

Open up a blank email, Notes document or Pages document to try the following:

To set a Caps Lock, double tap quickly on the Shift key. It will turn Blue with a white up arrow if you did this correctly. To return to the normal function, just tap the shift key again. This works with either shift key.
After you have typed in some text, double tap the spacebar to insert a period and space.
Need an apostrophe? Simply tap and flick up on the comma key. (You could also just press and hold the comma key for the same effect)
If you need a quotation mark just tap and flick up on the period key. (You could also just press and hold the period key for the same effect)
Press and hold any vowel key to see options for foreign languages.
Press and hold the y, s, l, z, c or n keys for foreign language options.

Next, tap the ‘.?123′ key (either one) for these next tricks:

Press and hold the 0 key to get the degree symbol
Press and hold the – (dash) key for different choices of dashes
Press and hold the $ to get different currency symbols
Press and hold the & for a different symbol
Press and hold the period key to get an ellipsis
Press and hold the ? to get the upside down version
Press and hold the ! to get the upside down version
Press and hold the apostrophe for different styles
Press and hold the quotation mark key for different styles.

Next, tap the ‘#+=’ key (either one) for these next tricks:

Press and hold the % key for a different style
The following keys work they did above when you press and hold them: period, question mark, exclamation point, apostrophe and quotation mark.

One more cool trick is that when you are using Safari to visit a website and you are typing in an address, a keyboard appears. It already has the .com key which you can tap to enter that, but if you hold the .com key you can choose from .net, .org, .com, .us and .edu!

I hope that you found this information useful! And, if you know of a keyboard trick that I left out, please share it here!

Scatter some pictures on your Facebook Timeline Cover

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 02:00:50 +0000

The new Timeline for business pages went active on Friday for most Facebook business pages. This change is a pretty radical departure from what was available before, and at first I was inclined to hate it.

But, since Facebook looks like it is going to become the “Borg” (of StarTrek fame), the quote “resistance is futile” led me to find a way to like it. Once I started digging in to the changes, I found that there is a lot to like, not the least of which is the Cover Photo feature. Facebook gives us a huge picture space to tell a story to our fans. The space is 851 x 315 pixels. That covers the entire width of the fan page and is tall enough to really convey a lot of information. But, Facebook giveth and Facebook taketh away…you can’t use the space to overtly market! No calls to action, no links, no “Like my page” … all of which seemed like a natural way to use all of that space.

Determined to find a way to use this valuable space in a way that would not violate the Facebook Terms of Service, I went on the hunt. I found a lot of resources that would help you create a Timeline photo, but none that offered a marketing slant…until I found PicScatter.

At first glance I thought “so what?” But, then when I saw that I could take a photo album and use it to create a collage, the light went on. If you have a listing that you want to put on Facebook hopefully you will have uploaded a ton of pictures for it. Why not use PicScatter to create a collage for that page. Here is an example of what I mean: http://www.facebook.com/3058LiveOakCourt. I used PicScatter to create the cover image from the photos in the album on that page..

The free version uses your Facebook account to login and will allow you to take photos from your personal account, your Facebook Friends or your Likes. For less than $5.00 you can have the pro version which will allow you to remove the branding from the picture that it creates, add your own branding and also to grab pictures from any Facebook fan page! There are 8 different effects that you can apply, you can change the pictures by clicking on them or you can shuffle the whole mess and you can move the pictures around to get just the right look.

I am pretty impressed with this little tool and maybe you will be too!

If you are interested in learning how to use the new Facebook Timeline in your business, there are still a few seats left for my Facebook Timeline class on April 4th. Go here for info and for the registration form: https://www.facebook.com/events/357857867590964/

Facebook Timeline Changes and you!

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 02:00:28 +0000

March 30, 2012 is less than a week away as I write this, and by the time you read this it may only be a few days away. What’s the big deal about March 30th? If you don’t have a Facebook business page, it’s no big deal at all. But, if you do have a Facebook business page (AKA Fan page) it’s a very big deal. That’s the day that Facebook will automatically switch your page from the way it looks now to the new timeline view. Along with the switch in appearance will come some big changes in the functionality of your page.

You may have noticed the sudden increase of spam emails warning you about this change, too. What I have noticed is that often times, the emails are providing some incorrect information. I decided to go to the source to see what Facebook had to say and what I found was a couple of really terrific resources that I want to share with you.

First up is this video which is a replay of a webinar that they held in which a couple of Timeline product managers answer the questions that came in from the live audience during the actual webinar. Although this will burn about 30 minutes of your life, I strongly suggest that you watch it as it will give you the straight scoop on what is happening and it will also give you insight into why things are being done the way they are. If you can’t see the video, go here to watch it directly: http://livestre.am/1kgiV

The next resource is a pretty cool walk through in the form of 5 interactive lessons. These are designed to bring you up to speed on applying the changes to your timeline. The course will take another 30 minutes of your life, but it does give you a chance to test your knowledge and to apply what you have learned. It’s baby steps and doesn’t cover everything, but it is worth checking out at: http://www.learnfacebookpages.com/

If you’d like a much more immersive and hands on learning experience, join me at the Bay East Association of REALTORS® on April 4th for a 3 hour, hands on, deep dive into what’s changed, how to apply the changes to your pages and more importantly, how to use Facebook in your real estate business. Here is a link to the registration details: http://www.RealtyTechBytes.com/FBClass

There are only 20 seats available for this class and some of those are already gone, so if this is something that you want to do, take action now!

I hope that this has been helpful to you as we navigate through yet another Facebook change! By the way, I’ve made the change both on my business pages and my personal profile. Click on the picture above to visit my Timeline business page and check it out.

QR Code Rant (And a tip for YOU)

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 03:00:34 +0000

A real estate magazine arrived in the mail yesterday and as is my normal procedure, I looked through it to see who was advertising homes in print these days. Now this rant is not about why you advertise in print, I get it. There are still some sellers out there who think that print ads sell houses. But, the latest NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers should put that argument to rest forever. You need to get it if you don’t already have it and be prepared to show the sellers Exhibit 3-9 on Page 50. ‘Nuff said.

No, this rant is about QR codes. This particular magazine trumpeted on the front cover that their QR code technology sends home information to any mobile device. While this isn’t entirely accurate (The mobile devices needs to have a scanner app installed) the idea itself is very sound.

The problem arises in the execution. When I scanned all of the QR codes in the magazine, some of them would not resolve into a website. They simply did not work. The issue arose when I was able to scan a QR code and was taken to a scaled down version of the agent’s website. Folks, think about this for a moment. Someone is reading a magazine. They whip out their phone (somewhat unlikely, but I’ll grant that Gen Y would do this) scan the code and get taken to a miniature version of what they could see if they simply entered the agent’s website address into their desktop or laptop computer! After all, all of the ads also contained a website address along with the other contact info.

In order to view one of these miniaturized sites a person would have to zoom in and then pan back and forth and then up and down in order to find something. If they are looking at your ad and decide to scan a QR code, then it is very likely that they want more information. Why would you then send them to a site that they couldn’t see? Maybe it’s because you simply don’t know what you need to do in order to make this marketing technique effective.

So here are a few hints. First of all, don’t use a QR to send people to your regular site. They were not built to be viewed on the small screen And scaling it down or miniaturizing it only makes it difficult to view. Secondly, DO have a mobile optimized site. A mobile optimized site is one where the navigation is large, easy to view and is limited to things that can be easily done on a phone. Like a Call Me button, a map and simple directions to the home being advertised, a way to send an email and some photos. Scan the code on this page to see an example of a mobile optimized website,or if you don’t have a scanner app, type this into your phone’s browser: http://jkfbmc.com/mdgre/

Another good use for a QR is to put it on your flyer box and have it send viewers to a page devoted to that one listing. That page could be part of the overall mobilized site or it could be a standalone site. Take a look at the flyer box in the picture to see what I am talking about. Here is the link to a dedicated page to that listing: http://jkfbmc.com/mdgre/gallery.php, again type that into your phone’s browser.

So, in closing, QR codes are a good tool that can be used to help you reach the Gen Y buyers and sellers. They want to communicate using the tools that they grew up with and they will respond when you give them a chance. But sending them to your regular website via a QR code only serves to tell them that you have no idea what you are doing…and we both know that that isn’t the case!

If you want to see what your website looks like on a mobile phone, simply type the address into your phone’s browser. If you don’t like what you see, don’t use a QR code to send people there! They won’t like it either! Then get in touch with me and I’ll help you fix the problem. Here is a link to flyer that will give you special pricing on mobile websites…but hurry because it is only good until 3-18-12!

Simple email reminder system

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 03:00:56 +0000

My day usually starts at 6 AM with a cup of coffee and my email. From there I move to reading my RSS feeds which are the equivalent of the morning newspaper of yesteryear. Then I switch to Tweetdeck to see what is going on with the Twitterverse. From there I switch over to LinkedIn and check my groups. Finally I log in to Facebook and handle any friend requests, updates, clear my newsfeed lists and wish happy birthday to any of my friends who have completed another orbit around the sun that day.

That is a lot to do, but oddly enough, the biggest time sink is the email. I typically get over 80 emails during the night. Some are junk and are easily dispatched to the Trash or Junk folders. Some are informational and a quick read can get rid of them. Others require some action on my part. The easy ones I handle right away, the more complex ones get flagged for later in the day. For the most part my system works. But often my inbox is full of flagged messages. Some of which should be higher priority than others. The problem is that a flag can’t show me which message should be dealt with first at that later time. The best solution for me would be a system that lets me get a message out of my inbox and have it magically re-appear at a later time or date.

As it turns out, a new service can do just that and so much more! It’s called FollowUpThen. And guess what? The basic service is free! It’s all pretty simple, you just forward the email you want to see later to the time and date @followupthen.com. (The first time you do this you’ll have to confirm your email address and time zone). That’s it! At the appointed time and date you get an email from them with whatever you forwarded. In the meantime you can can archive the original or delete it to get it out of your inbox. That really helps to reduce the clutter and minimize the possibility of overlooking an important action item.

You can also use this to set reminders to yourself, send documents to clients (In order to send attachments or SMSs you will need to upgrade to the paid version for $24.00 a year) and when you get a reminder, you can also hit the “snooze” button. Not really a snooze button, but you can tell the reminder to come back later if you wish.

There are a lot of ways that I can see using this, so I went ahead and bought the upgrade. Give it a try and tell me what you think! http://www.FollowUpThen.com

CCleaner for Mac

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:00:36 +0000

If you use a computer for any length of time, you eventually start to accumulate all sorts of useless files on your hard disk. The biggest junk file creator is your web browser. Every web site that you have visited leaves behind a file that is the exact duplicate of the site that you visited. If you’ve been browsing for years and have never cleared your web browser’s cache files, you are probably storing gigabytes of useless files on your hard drive. And that is space that you can’t use for important things like music, pictures and business related files.

Another source of junk files occurs when you delete programs. The uninstall process is never as thorough as one would like and fragments of programs get left behind. And the list goes on. Back in the dark ages when I was a Windows user I relied on a product called “Crap Cleaner” which was later renamed CCleaner, probably in an attempt to be politically correct. It was great. Once you downloaded it and installed it, it would analyze your hard drive and then give you a list of the junk files that it had found. You could choose to have them all removed or you could be selective about it. You could also ask it to analyze the Windows registry and clean it up as well. I loved that program and ran it at least once a week.

When I moved to the Mac platform CCleaner was one of the things that I had to leave behind as they did not have a Mac version. Yes, Mac’s create junk files too!

But, all of that has recently changed! Piriform has released a Mac version that is free, as is the PC version and it works as well on the Mac as it does on the PC. Since the Mac doesn’t have a Registry, there is no option to repair the registry. The Mac does have issues with file permissions and when these get out of whack strange things can occur. CCleaner for the Mac will repair file permissions so running this frequently on the Mac is a good idea.

The last remaining tug at my heart from the PC world has now been removed. CCleaner from Piriform belongs in your arsenal of maintenance tools whether you run a PC or a Mac. And the price is right too! It’s FREE!

Get the PC version here: http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

Get the Mac version here: http://www.piriform.com/mac/ccleaner

Cool way to store your year end records

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:00:22 +0000

Part of the year end process for any business is storing the records from the previous year. And real estate agents are no exception. We commonly have many transaction files to store and once they are boxed up they get transported to a storage facility. Often times the facility is off site and inconvenient to get to when a record is needed. Additionally, if there are many boxes stored, it can be chore to determine which box holds the record you need.

I recently ran across a web site that has what appears to be a great solution. Although the creators of the site tout it as a way to help people that are moving keep track of which box has which household item, they say it can be used for anything that gets stored in sealed boxes. I believe that it may be the perfect solution for finding transaction records and other financial records for individuals and companies still keeping paper records.

It’s called Boxmeup and the web site is http://www.boxmeupapp.com.

Here is how it works. You create a free account (there is a paid option, but I couldn’t determine what advantages there are to becoming a paid member) and then you create a “Location” where the box or “Container” will be stored. These locations are the physical address where you store your records. You can have multiple locations and each is identified with a Google Map and unique name that you give it.

Then you create a “Container” and name it. By default the “Container” is placed in the “Unassigned” location so you have to then select to which location the “Container” belongs.

Then you enter your “Items” into the “Container”. This can be transaction files or anything else that you are storing in the box. Once you have filled the physical box and recorded the files that are in it to Boxmeup, you can print a QR Code that you then tape to the outside of the box.

To find out what is in a box at a later date you simply scan the QR code with your mobile phone and you get a list of the contents!

You can also log in to the website to view all of your Locations, Containers and Items. Additionally, you can go to the physical location where the actual boxes are stored and scan the QR codes to see what is inside the box.

Finding that needed file couldn’t be easier!

Four things you need to know to stay safe online!

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 03:00:09 +0000

With so much emphasis these days on the paperless transaction, storing things in the “cloud” and on mobile computing, I thought it might be a good idea to explore some ways to stay safe online.

During my research online I found many good resources for learning how to avoid making security mistakes. But one source stood out for it’s simplicity of use and breadth of coverage. And that would be a source from Google called “good to know”. http://www.google.com/goodtoknow/

The site uses video, pictures and text to explain things in four broad categories:

Each of these categories is explained completely in a way that any one can understand. The advice offered is accurate and straight forward and if you will actually look at what is offered and implement it, you will come away with the knowledge you need to stay safe online.

Along the way you can learn about Google + and the + Button, location services, search history, how Google looks at search and even a bit on advertising.

Check it out. You can thank me later!

Learn how to REALLY use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and more

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:00:14 +0000

How well do you use Facebook? Twitter? LinkedIn? WordPress? If you are like most, you probably know enough to make basic use of these sites, but are you really up to speed and getting the maximum value from them?

If not, you could search YouTube for instructional videos (Assuming that you watch the most recent ones and also assuming that the person making the video knows what they are talking about). You could also buy a book and read through it. There are also many excellent books available from Amazon and other book sellers. But which one should you buy and will you really read it? You could also take a class (and pay accordingly). And of course, there are training options on the social sites themselves.

The problem is that there are just too many options to choose from, and some of the options may be out dated, expensive, time consuming or just plain wrong. Recognizing that there was a need for quality, inexpensive and up to date instructional videos, the founders of Grovo created a new resource.

The following is from their “About” page and should get you interested enough to actually click on this link to check them out.

Grovo produces free and Premium Business video tutorials that cover the Web’s most popular and useful sites as well as essential cloud services in social media, productivity, and online marketing. Applications include Facebook Profile, Advertising, and Pages, Google Analytics and Apps, Twitter, Yelp, Basecamp, and LinkedIn. Currently, our library contains over 800 video tutorials, and we produce 20 more every week. The videos are delivered through our proprietary education and training platform, which includes the lesson, pre-written notes, quizzes, and glossary terms.

Grovo’s content aims to educate, not to advertise, so all videos are devoid of promotional language or ads. Lessons are between 1-2 minutes long and progress from simple to advanced use cases. All content, including video tutorials, pre-written notes, quizzes and glossary terms, is produced in-house by Grovo’s team of writers, editors and voiceover talent.

I’ve taken a few of the courses and found that they are quality productions in short easy to digest video modules. The interface is clean and easy to navigate and I learned a few things along the way as well.

Give it a look and go learn something that may help your business in 2012!