The Challenges of Bringing Video to Email Marketing

Marketers enthusiastic about video’s appeal

Online video is a fast-growing channel in digital marketing, and North American marketers are confident that video will prove beneficial to their email efforts, according to “The 2010 Video Email Marketing Survey and Industry Trends Report” from the Web Video Marketing Council.

Seven in 10 marketers said they were using some type of online video in their digital marketing campaigns already, and half were using video in conjunction with email. Nearly a quarter more were considering doing so.

Marketers are eager to join video with email because they believe it will increase effectiveness: 73% of respondents thought video would raise clickthrough rates for their email programs, and the same number believed video made email recipients more likely to convert.

Barriers remain, however, and marketers are not yet ready to include sound and motion in all their messages. Ease of implementation was most commonly cited as the main difficulty in using video in email marketing, followed by cost and the availability of video assets.

“Marketers realize that video drives much higher email engagement and response rates and that it is getting harder to differentiate email marketing with static content,” said Wayne Wall, CEO of video marketing and analytics technology developer Flimp Media, which conducted the survey along with the Web Video Marketing Council and ExactTarget. “In contrast, 79 percent of marketers surveyed said their email service provider does not offer a video marketing solution or they weren’t aware if they did.”

Marketers believed the most effective way to integrate video with their email campaigns was to link recipients to a video landing page, closely followed by embedding video players directly in email messages.

Embedded videos pose even more of an implementation challenge, however; the report says there are “no viable solutions” for doing so except for one beta product that works only with AOL.

For more articles like this one checkout Property Management Leads

via emarketer.com

10 Ways to Take Your Clients from “Eh” to Electrified

The following is a guest post by Maribeth Kuzmeski, author of And the Clients Went Wild! How Savvy Professionals Win All the Business They Want

Getting new clients can often be stressful and intimidating, but it doesn't need to be. Business development isn't a secret formula, instead it is about doing a few important things well. Here are 10 ways to electrify your clients to help win more business and retain current clients.

1. Build your connections—even introverts can do it! You might not be the type of person who loves to socialize, attend big parties, and network. If so, that’s okay! One of the more surprising things I discovered when interviewing notably successful businesspeople for my first book, The Connectors, was that those who were masters at leveraging their business relationships did not focus on creating relationships with everyone. But they did have a plan for reaching those with whom they wanted to meaningfully connect. It doesn’t matter whether you are introverted or extroverted; what matters is that you’ve spent some time thinking about which relationships are most vital and why.

2. Create your simple, repeatable statement of value. A simple marketing message is transmitted easily and without degradation of the meaning and content. A short, clear message is best. When creating yours, ask yourself: Who am I? What is my business all about? Who are my customers? What is something unique about my business?

3. Brand consistently. The variety of marketing efforts available today could easily confuse customers, send conflicting messages—and result in a fractioned brand. Every interaction a customer has with your brand must be integrated across all marketing channels. For example, your website content and e‐mail campaigns should be fully incorporated with your offline efforts. All should proclaim a single, clear branding message and design throughout.

4. “Wow” your clients with frequent communication. In today’s world, the more frequently you contact clients, the better the relationship is likely to be. For important clients, make sure there is always a “next activity” scheduled. You could give them a call, invite them to lunch, e-mail them, or simply drop a note in the mail. Plan your next contact or appointment with a client during your current one; it is a sure-fire way of maintaining consistency and implementation.

5. Find the compelling benefits. Compelling benefits answer the question, “Why should I care?” But do you even know what your clients truly care about? And do your marketing messages address this? List benefits based on what your customers—not you—believe is valuable. Remember, every word needs to show the reader “What’s in It for Me.”

6. Create surprising offers and people will pay attention! If you offer something of real value for free, people will listen. In fact, “free” can convert price shoppers into loyal customers. This is the model that online print company Vistaprint used to generate over $500 million in revenue in 2009. The “free” offer the company makes has a certain appeal to their target market: small businesses. While these companies need printing, they’re often very cost-conscious customers. So Vistaprint offers 250 business cards for free, with a nominal $5.67 shipping and processing charge. Today, 66 percent of Vistaprint’s business comes from returning customers. In the first quarter of FY 2010, they acquired 1.4 million new customers—many who started with a free order.

7. Create a website that is as unique as your business. Recent statistics indicate that people form an opinion of a website in seven seconds, and will decide within that timeframe whether to browse within the site—or move on. Keeping this in mind, it is important to have a website design that downloads quickly, is aesthetically pleasing, and tells users right away what’s in it for them. Simply put, your site needs to stop visitors in their tracks.

8. Stay out of SPAM folders. Ending up in the SPAM folder is the kiss of death for any e‐marketing piece. Before you send an e-mail or e-newsletter, be wary of the things that can get your e-mails deleted before they are even opened. All e-mails receive a SPAM rating that is affected by a variety of factors. As your SPAM rating increases, so do the chances of your e-mails being sent directly into recipients’ SPAM folders. To avoid the “forbidden folder,” watch the words you use (e.g., excessive use of “win” and “money” can send you straight to SPAM), avoid flashy colors and designs, and use a SPAM-checking service to review your messages.

9. Call them to action. Make sure that your marketing messages include a clear and specific call-to-action. Your audience needs to feel that they are part of a select group that’s been chosen to receive a special offer or value, and they need to be convinced after they put your piece down that the sooner they respond to your offer, the better. To call your customers to action, provide a specific offer such as a coupon or discount, add a sense of urgency, and repeat the offer at least three times in the marketing piece.

10. Become the media. One of the most powerful ways to gain exposure, increase your credibility, and get people talking is to get media coverage. Fortunately, today you don’t have to wait for the media to come to you. You can become the media. You can do so by using some newer tools that are available for free and right from your desk: Create your own blog. Host your own recorded radio show. Write your own articles or opinion pieces.

Photo Credit: Kyle May

For more articles like this one checkout Property Management Leads

via blog.hubspot.com

It's Not Rocket Science

It's not rocket science

Property managers are often perplexed by the seemingly long list of requests from tenants, however, as Kathryn Massey explains, working out what tenants really want and need is a matter of common sense – no rocket science required, just good old fashioned customer service.

 

People rent properties for many different reasons – they may be young and just moving out of their parents’ home on their own; country folk may need city accommodation for study purposes; unfortunate marriage difficulties; they may be building a home of their own and enter the rental market for a relatively short period of time; or they simply choose to lease property, rather than having the commitment of owning their own home. With these factors in mind, it is easy to see that prospective tenants have a vast array of differing wants, needs and expectations.

 

Statistics show the majority of potential tenants are people who are middle aged or younger and are not interested in mansions with top of the range fittings and sky high weekly rents.  The properties that appear most attractive to tenants and consequently produce the lowest vacancy rates, materialise to be those that most would consider quite average. These properties are priced to suit the bulk of the tenant pool and include standard fittings and fixtures. There are, however, a few key areas that tenants almost always take into consideration when seeking rental accommodation.

 

Location, location, location
The location of a property is the tenant’s top priority.  Proximity to work places, schools, family, public transport and local amenities form the basis for this priority. If the property is close to a major city it usually rents very easily. Out in the suburbs it is important for the property to be close to shopping centres, schools and public transport. Properties located on busy roads tend to take a little longer to rent due to noise and particularly if there is not enough off-street parking. Those properties backing onto major roads are not so desirable if the outdoor entertaining area is affected by traffic noise. 

 Bedroom behaviour
The number of bedrooms in a property is a close second to location. Of course, the more bedrooms a property has, the more people can live there. This is important for tenants sharing the costs of living and also to families with children. The size of the bedrooms can also play a role in how attractive the property is, particularly with shared households. More often than not, the master bedroom is significantly larger than the remaining bedrooms in the property and may also feature built in wardrobes whereas the secondary bedrooms do not. This scenario may suit families with small children, however is definitely less attractive to single people sharing.

 

When the heat is on
With our diverse seasons, the first question asked by most prospective tenants is “Does the property have heating and/or cooling facilities?” A property that has air conditioning, particularly ducted throughout the whole home, will rent more easily than one without this feature. Facilities must be offered for the occupants’ comfort and wellbeing to make the property attractive.

 

Leisurely living
Living areas, and their location in the home, play another important factor when tenants are deciding on the suitability of a property. Once again, who is living in the house will be the factor that determines their needs. Families with small children prefer two living areas to allow separation of adults and children, however the second living area is required to be close enough to the adults to ensure supervision. With shared houses, it is more desirable to have living areas located away from each other to ensure noise doesn’t become an issue.

 

Bathroom basics
The number of bathrooms in a property is perhaps not as important as the aspects mentioned above, however, will still affect a property’s desirability.  While it is almost essential to have two bathrooms for a four bedroom home, one bathroom will suffice with three bedrooms or less if the bathroom is centrally located in the home. If one of the bathrooms acts as an ensuite to the master bedroom, it will be more suitable for families than shared households.  While families with children prefer a bath, this feature is not so important to singles. It is also desirable to have plenty of cupboard and bench space in place, particularly if the prospective tenants are female.

 

The great outdoors
With our love of outdoor entertaining, courtyards and rear yards are important to most tenants. Enough room should be provided to accommodate an outdoor entertaining setting with further room for a BBQ area. Tenants with families will enjoy swimming pools, while smaller properties can feature spas. A pleasant outdoor area can be a high priority for some tenants, depending on their lifestyle. Low maintenance gardens are also a high priority for today’s busy executives who are, without exception, time poor.

 

The role of the property manager
Tenants “wants” do not end once they have found a suitable property to rent. Tenants want honesty and integrity in a landlord/tenant relationship. Treating them as a lesser party to the relationship causes tenants to feel like the unimportant party to the essential connection and breeds dissension. 

 

I can’t stress the importance of tenant education at the inception of an agreement to lease.  If the tenants are not fully informed of the landlord’s expectations, how on earth are they supposed to meet them and deliver the outcomes? Likewise, landlords need to understand their obligations when leasing properties. Delivery on promises made at the inception of the tenancy is paramount to nurturing a long term relationship and, of course, the agent’s role to maintain this is to under promise and over deliver. 

 Delayed response to repairs and maintenance issues are more prevalent than any other complaint received by tenants. They have entered into an agreement with the landlord and their expectation is that repairs reported are rectified in a satisfactory period of time.  Frustration mounts when repairs are not carried out, particularly where there is no communication between the landlord and tenant.

 

The end of a tenancy is also an area that landlords need to pay close attention to.  The landlord is usually in control of the time it takes to release bond monies and this can become confrontational if not completed as quickly as possible. The tenant has more than likely paid another bond amount on their new property and delaying the release of these funds unnecessarily impacts significantly on the tenant’s finances.

 

A happy tenant makes for a happy landlord. Once you have a good tenant, it is even more important to look after them to ensure longevity of the tenancy and, in return, a higher revenue on the property.  It is important to remember that on many occasions, tenants become owners and investors themselves who will remember the agent whose performance impressed them.

 

Kathryn Massey is Client Liaison Manager for Michael Johnson & Co’s three property management departments and controls the management of 1,000 properties and 14 staff members. Recently she was awarded the REIWA Property Manager of the Year, then went on to win REIA’s National Residential Property Manager of the Year for 2010.

 

  

For more articles like this one checkout Rent Roll Growth

via leased-annual.com.au

Inspect to validate insurance claims

Inspect to validate insurance claims 

A routine property inspection when a landlord takes out insurance cover could determine whether a future landlord insurance claim is paid and/or the amount that is paid.

 

When taking over management of a new property and/or at the time a landlord places insurance, a thorough inspection by the property manager should be undertaken to establish the condition of the property.

 

As part of the inspection you should also complete an inventory including all household items the landlords have left for the tenant to use. This may help substantiate any future insurance claims.

For most property managers this may be standard practice, but is sometimes something that is easily overlooked.

 

If a rental property is damaged and an inspection has not been carried out at the time insurance cover was placed – or the inspection has not been appropriately documented – it may be difficult to prove when the damage occurred.

 

This, in turn, could jeopardise a landlord insurance claim. For example, Terri Scheer Insurance was recently able to pay out on a claim because a property manager had conducted an inspection to coincide with the placement of insurance cover.

 

Only a few months after the inspection took place, the tenant fell behind on their rent and also damaged the property. Damage repair costs amounted to $5,000 plus an additional $3,500 in loss of rent over the repair period.

 

Notes from the property inspection showed that the property was in good condition when the landlord’s insurance cover was placed.

 

For information about landlord insurance, visit www.terrischeer.com.au or call 1800 804 016.

For more articles like this one checkout Rent Roll Growth

via leased-annual.com.au

S.A.D.- Key to Boosting Rental Returns During Times of Higher Costs

S.A.D.- Key to Boosting Rental Returns During Times of Higher Costs

The acronym S.A.D. highlights three key features that will help ensure home investors achieve the maximum return from their investment.

According to Mr Cox, the median weekly rent for a house in Perth remained steady at around $370 during the June quarter 2010.

With recent interest rate rises, combined with larger increases in council and water rates, landlords need to boost rents to ensure that they can service their loans. The property management division of Peard has found that simple improvements to a rental property can make the property more attractive to renters and boost weekly rents.

One of the challenges for a landlord is to make a point of difference between your rental property and other rental properties advertised. For example, security, air-conditioning and a dishwasher are now three features that prospective tenants demand in a residential property.

We developed this S.A.D. acronym as a guide to many first time investors in real estate who often have a sad experience and become disillusioned because they quickly buy an investment property which they later find is difficult to rent and therefore achieves a lower-than-expected return on the money invested.

Lifestyle issues are impacting on the expectations people are wanting from a home whether they are renting or buying. We are finding that people are increasingly demanding a higher level of fit-out for their home but are willing to pay a higher rent to get it.

Anyone who invests in residential property is not just investing in bricks and mortar but also the lifestyles of Australians. People who are renting a home now want features that reflect the growing concern about crime in our society, for example. This is why the issue of security is now gaining added importance amongst tenants.

A property which has these three simple features can often command an additional rent of over $40.00 per week and, equally importantly, is likely to have a lower vacancy rate. For the investor/owner, all of these items will pay for themselves in about two to three years through depreciation and the extra rent.

It is also important to ensure that regular inspection reports are produced. A poorly maintained property will be much harder to lease in the current market and will be penalised by lower rents.
For example, a property with poorly maintained gardens will discourage prospective renters from even viewing the property as it creates the impression that the interior of the house is also poorly maintained.

Article by Stuart Cox, The Peard Real Estate Group

For more articles like this one checkout Rent Roll Growth

via leased-annual.com.au

Show you care

Show You Care

Whether you’re in sales or property management, your image is a powerful tool in building relationships. One of the most effective ways to show you care about your customers is to show you care about yourself. Elena Reed explains how to increase your “care factor” by the way you dress.

 

"When you deal with premium real estate, you have to look expensive. Your attention to detail will say that you are an agent who knows quality."

 For most people their home is the most expensive possession of their lifetimes. When you’re dressed well and groomed appropriately, you show your clients you have pride in your profession, respect their needs and that you are going to take care of their best interests. On the other hand, being treated by someone who did not bother to iron his shirt or put her makeup on, makes a customer question the ability of that salesperson to “get it all together” when it comes to looking after their precious home.   

 

Attention to detail
Do not let ignorance ruin your chances for success. Take time to learn what styles work for your body shape and what colours flatter your skin tone. Keep your wardrobe up-to-date and implement a regular maintenance system that works for your schedule and budget. When you deal with premium real estate, you have to look expensive. Your attention to detail will say that you are an agent who knows quality. Be congruent with the services that you provide – if you claim to be first class, look the part.

 

The perfect suit – Perfectly tailored suits were seen on most fashion runways this year. Dark colours give you more authority but trade your staple black for a cool charcoal – a popular colour for 2010.

 

Go natural – No matter what your budget, buy the best suits you can afford. Wool is a natural fibre that lets air in and out. Most synthetics won’t do that. Every professional should own at the very minimum one quality suit. Plan well and you’ll buy right.

 

Build credibility – Do dry clean your quality suits regularly and replace them every three years. A little wear and tear goes a long way in souring your credibility and dressing from mismatched items of clothing adds nothing to your credibility either.

 

Tied to the big picture – For men, wearing a tie is back in fashion. Be sure your tie is of the correct length. It also needs to colour-coordinate with your suit and shirt. If your tie is less than impressive, your look screams out, “I-have-no-clue-when-it-comes-to-ties”. Do not let little things take away from the big picture of your professional competence.

 

Send the right message – The best garments are the ones that fit you perfectly. When your trousers are tight, it implies you have put on weight. When your jacket is shapeless or oversized, you’ll look inexpensive. The fabric should glide over your body without clinging, pinching or bulging.

 

It’s all about sole – Your shoes should always be comfortable. Leather uppers and soles are more breathable than synthetics; they're more natural, and they don't trap sweat.

 

The face of success – Finish it off by putting your best face forward. Easy-care hairstyles are your best bet. Always use a good grooming product but not too much of it. Ask your trusted hair professional for their advice.

 

When you’re groomed immaculately, you are wearing appropriate shoes and your clothes fit well, you leave nothing to chance. You need to take care of yourself in order to take care of your clients. Show you care and you’ll maximise your chances for success.

 

Elena Reed is a speaker and stylist specialising in image and business etiquette. She runs regular webinars for professionals to help them create a winning image for career and personal success. Meet Elena at www.elenareed.com.au

For more articles like this one checkout Rent Roll Growth

via leased-annual.com.au

Double your rent roll

Double your rent roll

We’re all looking for new ways to increase the rent roll. Sometimes all it takes is some fresh thinking applied to existing business practices and the results begin to show. Ian Grace takes a two part approach to doubling your rent roll.

 

Lesson 1: They are not “landlords” – and you are not “property managers”
If you are serious about dramatically increasing your rent roll, then for almost all “property managers” the focus needs to change completely, as does the relationship with “landlords”. Trust me, I can promise that no single person, or couple, woke up one morning with a burning desire to become a “landlord”. Rather, as in my personal experience, a decision is made to invest in property for reasons of accumulating wealth, for use as superannuation and security for the future, to provide for children’s education and future etc.

 

So, they are “property investors” not “landlords”. Now for “property managers”, when I ask a room full of them what they do, I get an extremely long list of duties, all related to looking after the property and ensuring in turn,  revenue for the office. So, instead of “property managers” managing properties for “landlords”, rather think of approaching these customers of yours with a view to working with them to increase their property investment portfolio, because that is what they would like to do.

 

Now when you think of it, who is better suited to work with them to do that? Who has all the knowledge about property, values and potential? You! Now you have become, and are thinking like, a property investment manager.

 

Now, think how often you could sell them another investment property (and then manage it for them)? On average, in most markets the answer comes back – around about every two years. So, "Not only have you made a large amount of extra sales, you effectively double your rent roll every two years and that will keep compounding!" Now, what also happens is you pick up other properties they may own, that were currently being managed by other agents. Because, as you are working with them and they now trust you, you need to know about everything they own, to assess whether they may be ready to acquire their next property (obviously, their financial adviser or bank would finalise the financial advice).

 

In one office alone, this amounted to almost 60 per cent increase in property managements, just by acquiring their existing customers’ other properties to manage. Finally, it also plugs another hole, when investment properties are sold off and lost to the office. Now, you can sell the property to another one of your property investors you are working with – which leads to the whole business of referrals, which is potentially massive.

 

Lesson 2: Referral riches
In my previous lesson I emphasised  that, as in many industries, we often need to change our traditional way of thinking – sometimes with astounding results. When I talk about referrals, in conversation or to any audience, everyone always agrees they are great to receive and that they guarantee almost 100 per cent conversion, normally at full price or commission.

 

Where we need to change our thinking instead of feeling it is “rather nice” when a referral “comes along”, we can actually set a target for referrals each year."  something that most businesses, whether real estate or not, do not do.

 

Firstly, look back at previously acquired managements (over the past year or two if possible) and determine what percentage of them have been repeat or referral business. Put this on a graph on your office wall, with the target you have set for repeat and referral business as well (e.g. you might currently be running at 20 per cent repeat and referral business and the target you have set is 65 per cent).

 

If the top 10 per cent of salespeople achieve around 65 per cent or more, of repeat and referral business, then I think we would be safe to use that as a benchmark for property management as well. Think carefully as to whether, in this instance, this would be a one year target or perhaps an 18 month to two years target – don’t set your target too high.

 

Now, put a system in place, to have a meaningful dialogue with every “landlord” (property investor) every three months, at which stage you ask them if there is anyone they can refer (and document that this has happened). Just the mere fact of doing this, will generate business – purely by asking the right question at the right time. Make it easy for them – when you ask, either verbally or in writing for a referral, break it into mental bite sized chunks such as:
* Family and relatives
* Friends
* Business colleagues and contacts
* Social, sporting and school contacts

 

When you just ask for “a referral”, they know such a lot of people, it’s hard for them to get their heads around it. This way, by breaking it into these smaller groups, it’s much easier for them to virtually put faces with names and you’ll find your response factor increases dramatically.

 

Now, ask yourself how often you could get a referral from each of your current “property investors” – would one only per year be feasible? If so, you have just set a target – of one referral per “landlord” per year. Simple isn’t it? If you have 300 landlords, your referral target is 300 and we know what that will do for your business (hopefully with 100% conversion).

 

Just follow those simple tips above and you are now on your way to targeting and managing referrals, which most businesses don’t do, thereby leaving your competitors far behind.

 

Known as “Mr Real Estate Advertising”, Ian Grace is an international authority on real estate advertising and customer service, for both sales and property management. He is author of the book Hundreds of Real Estate Customer Service Ideas, is an international keynote speaker and his articles are published around the world. www.iangrace.com.au
 

For more articles like this one checkout Rent Roll Growth

via leased-annual.com.au

5 Link Marketing Strategies for the Holiday Season

Looking for some link marketing strategies to give you the last minute edge on your competitors this holiday season? Some of these strategies are bold and some are simple. But all of these strategies will create direct links, while others are about creating conversations that will lead to others linking to your site.

1. Viral Contest

For the bolder, start a viral contest centered on your product or brand. Offer advice to participants on how to use social media to promote their viral material. To keep costs low, offer a gift certificate to your store as the top prize.

You could further incentivize it by offering a large cash prize if a viral material gets the attention of mainstream media. Of course, be very specific when describing what you consider mainstream media (e.g., major television and news networks, Oprah, national morning talk shows, etc.) when outlining the rules of your contest.

If your goal is mainstream media, then make sure to check with your hosting company about adjustments that can be made to handle a rapid increase in traffic. Nothing would be worse to get the exposure and then traffic overloads your site.

2. Giveaways

This is all about creating buzz and exposure. Give away an item every day for the next month, or right up until Black Friday.

Design your giveaway to get users involved promoting it. Maybe they get an extra entry if they tweet about it on Twitter or recommend it on Facebook. The more they're involved, the more others will participate.

Reduce your cost by finding an item with a low cost of goods or something in overstock. Talk to your suppliers about items they want to move. They may even drop ship it for you making this even easier.

3. Local Organization Sales Promotion

Budget cuts are happening worldwide -- from local fire departments, to police, to teachers. Reach out to one of these in your community to sponsor a fundraiser.

Offer to donate a percentage of each sale they send. Give them a promotion code, or a special URL. Some shopping carts may even allow them to remotely host the store on their Web site. This strategy will work particularly well if you cater to mass-market items, such as clothing, gifts, etc.

4. Get Customers Talking

Ask customers to share their experience about your product online. This is about generating conversation and buzz. Although some of the places they talk about your product may not have much link value, it still creates conversation. It also creates opportunities for others to read about it and create secondary links (i.e., blogs, columns, articles, newsletters, media, etc.).

For example, say you get people talking about your handbag store on fashion blogs, forums, and social media. This grabs the attention of a couple major fashion bloggers who then mention your store. Results equal great links, quality traffic, and even more exposure from others in the fashion industry.

5. Ask Customers for Links

This is simple, effective, and often overlooked. Tell your customers that you're trying to grow your business and you need their help. If you've provided outstanding products and customer service, they'll be glad to help.

This could be incentivized to increase the results. Perhaps give them a percentage off their first order of 2011. Or create a custom T-shirt as a giveaway. Custom T-shirt printing companies that offer drop shipping make this easy.

 More Link Building Tips

• PR Tools for Link Builders
• How Monitoring Tools Aid in Link Building
• How to Find the Best Internal Site Pages Based on PageRank and Backlinks

These are just a few link building strategies retailers can use to increase their exposure and search engine rankings for the 2010 holiday shopping season. Some are bolder, such as a viral marketing contest, and others as simple, such as asking customers for links. There is something for everyone here.

What has worked for you? Let us know in the comments.

Remember, good link development is just good marketing

For more articles like this one checkout Rent Roll Growth

via searchenginewatch.com

10 Tips For Entrepreneurs And Start Ups Looking To Embrace Social Media

I’ve been involved in a couple of start ups over the last couple of years and in both, due to having very limited marketing budgets, social media has been the main form of our marketing activities. This is the same for nearly all starts ups these days, social media is often the first port of call as it is cheap (often seen as free), accessible and fairly easy for founders and small teams to embrace. It’s a fairly logical step to start promoting your start up through social media because most entrepreneurs will have a decent personal network anyway so getting the message out to them is a next logical step. I wanted to share 10 of the top tips that I have picked up about using social media for start up businesses…

You Have Incredible Freedom

Many large organizations are crippled these days because getting one Facebook update, a tweet or blog post has to pass through several departments before getting sign off from legal. The beauty of being a start up is that you don’t face these challenges. Whatever you feel like saying you can pretty much just say, You can give people sneak access to products, share interesting facts about your company, do short videos or talk to your customers in the way you see fit. As a start up you have the incredible luxury of being able to push your message out and engage in the way you see fit with very few limitations. Embrace that freedom and share useful information that big competitors can’t.

It Won’t Be A 3 Month Quick Win

I’d always urge start ups to take a long term view on social media. Chances are you won’t get much out of it in the first 3 months. Nobody will read your blog, your Facebook page will have a few friends and family as fans and it’ll feel as if you are talking to yourself on Twitter. Building a network takes a lot of time. It’s only after a year or two of networking online and building relationships that you start to see the real value. Most start ups and businesses jump in to social media thinking it will solve all their problems only to be disappointed by the results and leave. The one piece of advice I would have here is to really stick at it because it will work in the long run but it takes time and patience.

Social Media Won’t Help Your Traffic That Much

Too many start ups I see use social media purely as a function to drive traffic to their website. Special offers, discount deals, pointing to blog posts with awards or just coming in with the hard sell will never get you anywhere. You need to find an angle. I love small start ups that share stats for example or give me a glimpse behind the scenes of what they are building. I like to know about the personalities behind the company. I won’t click on a Facebook update where you try to sell me something but if you show me a picture of you and the team drinking beers after a hard week chances are I might interact with that content. For all the talk of social search and Twitter driving traffic it is still very much about search engines if it is traffic you are after, chances are 70-80% of your traffic will come through search engines with tiny amounts coming through social media.

Ask Yourself Will It Actually Drive Sales?

Business is fairly straight forward…you need to bring more money in than you have going out. If you are going to be spending money or time on social media then you need to ask yourself the hard question of is it actually going to lead to sales. This may seem confusing given that I say not to come across with the hard sell in the last point but at the same time you can’t be doing social media for the good of your health. If you have set out to market yourself using social media then you need to set some goals. Will the fact that you provide outstanding customer service via Twitter keep your customers loyal and mean they keep coming back to you? Can you give away lots of information that is useful to your customers via a blog so as they keep coming back and eventually buy your premium services or products. I’d have very clear established goals as to what you want to achieve from your social media activity as a start up and I would plan for them over a long period of time.

Don’t Get In To Thinking Social Media Is Work

I cringe at the amount of time I see some people involved in startups on Twitter every day. I was guilty of it myself in the early days but it’s important to remember that twitter is not work. Sure you can use it in some of the ways above to get a little bit of leverage for your business but sitting on there all day reading links and talking to people is not actually working. I know it sounds very obvious but too many people lose sight of that and get caught up in social media. It is as it’s name suggests a very social activity and can drag you in but I really see no need for most start ups to be checking Twitter more than a couple of times a day.Just like the pot about your friends and family above there can be a lot of backslapping on Twitter and false praise around you start up so make sure not to get dragged in while having your ego inflated while actually forgetting about the important part of running your business and increasing sales.

Compliment With Traditional Marketing

Social media is great because it doesn’t cost much more than your time. Having said that I don’t think it can service all your marketing needs. I’ve seen a lot of start ups be scared to invest money in traditional marketing. When I say traditional marketing it could be print ads, TV, direct marketing, mail shots, radio etc etc. It can seem daunting to spend a few thousand on marketing out of an already small budget and many instead focus on trying to get free PR or using free tools but I’d urge start ups to spend a little more on traditional marketing as well. The biggest most successful businesses in the world all have huge marketing budgets, Their products don’t sell themselves so how would your start up start selling immediately without a little marketing. There are a huge amount of start ups that have failed even though they have had spectacular products simply because they have not been able to get the word out and market them correctly.

Your Friends Are not Your Customers

I’ve fallen in to this trap way too many times. People I know through the online world or friends and family will tell me they love my product or would use it all the time as I hand them out freebies and sit back and lap up their praise. This is false praise. Of course they love what you are doing, they don’t want to hurt your feelings and the chances are they really want you to succeed, Would those same people buy from you? If they can buy from you now have they ever done so? Probably not. Your friends and family are simply not your target audience so don’t get sucked in to taking what they say too seriously. On the flip side they could be your biggest salesperson or advocate ever so make sure they are armed with the right information about your product or service should they be talking to a potential customer of yours.

Help Other People, It Really Works

It is very easy to get caught up in your own world when you are in a start up. Nothing matters apart from that next release, hiring that next person or getting that payment in to pay the wages and you can lose track of what is happening in the real world around you. Out of everything I have ever done that has been effective it is always helping others that has worked best. Go out of your way to do something that will help another person and the chances are it will come back to you 10 times over. It feels alien when you don’t have enough hours in the day to be helping others but building up a strong network of people who you have helped and who would do the same in return is priceless.

Platforms Come And Go But Blogs Are Forever

Remember Myspace? Bebo? The list goes on. Nothing is more sure than there will be a new platform poke it’s head up soon that everybody runs off and starts using. It’s a cycle and people spend huge amounts of time on platforms that are not their own. I am a huge fan of investing that time instead on your own blog or website. The content you create on your own website will be there forever. It will always add value to your business and be there as a resource to be found. By all means build social features around that blog and engage with those social platforms in that way but for me the blog should always be king. It’s your own platform that doesn’t change, you have few restrictions and you are pretty much free to do what you see fit with it.

Use Social Media To Shape Your Brand

Building a brand from scratch is tough, It’s very different to building a business and usually takes a lot of time, effort and money. With social media you have a unique position to build a brand from scratch and shape your business to appear much bigger than it actually is. All you really need is a logo and some good copy to make you start sounding professional and looking like a big business. Add in a couple of professional looking videos and a slick company blog and you have a platform to create a brand far bigger than your company actually is. Think of the likes of Coca Cola, Guinness and Levi’s. They are all brands and the reason you buy in to those products is because you have grown to love and adore the brand. Social media affords you the opportunity to compete with bigger companies on a level playing field and really put your start up on the map.

For more articles like this one checkout Rent Roll Growth

via thenextweb.com

How Businesses Are Unleashing Their Employees' Social Media Potential

Josh Bernoff is Senior Vice President, Idea Development at Forrester Research and the co-author of Empowered: Unleash Your Employees, Energize Your Customers, and Transform Your Business (Harvard Business Review Press, 2010).

We know it’s a brave new world for consumers and brands. If United breaks your guitar, or your Maytag doesn’t work properly, you can take on the company that messed with you via social media — and you may well win.

But technology empowerment works both ways. Consumers can take a stand against poor business practices, and brands can empower their customers like never before.

Mobile is a hotbed of innovation in this department. Point your phone at a restaurant and see if it’s worth an evening out. With the addition of cloud services, you get stuff like the iPhone app from UK car dealer Auto Trader, which can tell you the make, model and the price of used cars just from snapping a license plate photo.

To take it one step further, companies that invest in technology and innovation can not only sell more products with digital tools, but empower their own employees. Below, we’ve highlighted some examples of businesses that are using technology creatively to solve customer issues and spur innovation.

Workers Already Use Third-Party Tech for Business

Based on a survey we did late last year at Forrester Research, 27% of information workers regularly use login-required web sites that the company doesn’t sanction, like LinkedIn or Google Docs, for work purposes. Around 12% download and use their own applications not provided by the company, like video editors, and 8% are using smartphones they pay for themselves for work purposes. Unlike in Dilbert’s office, IT doesn’t control technology within corporations any more — workers do.

I argue that this lack of control inside and outside companies isn’t a sign of the apocalypse; it’s the beginning of a new way of working — one in which employees know their job is to use technology to solve customer problems.

Don’t be surprised if this proposition elicits echoes of The Cluetrain Manifesto. Ten years ago, this idea was radical, and people who espoused it were screaming in the wilderness. Now it’s actually working, even at large companies.

Principles at Work

At Best Buy, CMO Barry Judge encourages staff to come up with “half-baked ideas,” which the company works on and then rolls out. For example, Remix is a project which opened up the company’s website API so others could build sites or apps on top of it. Using Best Buy’s wealth of product, pricing and image data, developers could implement useful third-party applications to track rapidly dropping retail prices, for example.

Twelpforce, a shared Twitter support service, was programmed by Ben Hedrington, a Best Buy website staffer, in his spare time. It was rolled out by John Bernier, who solved problems like how 2,500 hourly staffers (Blue Shirts, Geek Squad, and the like) could share a Twitter service without violating labor laws. These are empowered employees.

At Vail Resorts, CEO Rob Katz radically shifted the company’s media policy, embracing short-lead advertising and social media. He hired social media staffers instead of buying magazine ads, and trained the staff on how to turn pictures, videos and tweets into fast-spreading, word-of-mouth ads.

At Dell, there are so many social initiatives going on that Manish Mehta, who reports directly to the CMO, runs a council of high level execs who share best practices weekly.

The Rise of Empowerment “Heroes”

The companies that work like this act quickly. They blunt customer complaints and turn detractors into promoters. They innovate as a matter of course. The reason is that all the employees feel empowered to create and contribute, rather than leave it to their research and developments departments.

I call these people “HEROes:” Highly Empowered and Resourceful Operatives. They typically know more about customers than they do about technology, and companies need more of them.

HEROes need tools to understand the challenges they face. They need managers who support them rather than squelch their initiative. They need IT people who give them technology advice, resources, and help them to see pitfalls and risks, and identify when their projects are ready to scale up.

This isn’t a pipe dream. I’ve seen HERO-powered companies innovating, and there are more every day. This mentality is the future of daily work, and it’s an inversion in the power structure of companies. The companies that have figured this out have a head start on the rest. Does yours?

For more articles like this one checkout Rent Roll Growth

via mashable.com

HOW TO: Build Your International Business Network Online

The International Business Series is brought to you by UPS. Discover the new logistics. It levels playing fields and lets you act locally or globally. It’s for the individual entrepreneur, the small business, or the large company. Put the new logistics to work for you.

International business requires an international network. But, unless you own a private jet, there are obvious obstacles to networking in person with people who live in other countries.

Thankfully, the web is truly worldwide, and these obstacles can be easily overcome with a little online networking and social interaction. We asked people who have successfully accumulated large online international networks about their recommendations for getting started. This is what they had to say.

Add your own tips for building an international professional network via the web in the comments below.

1. Join International Groups and Networks

Participating in online discussions that include international voices is a primary way to make connections and expand your international network. E-mail lists, online groups, and networking sites are easy ways for getting involved in these discussions.

Shel Horowitz, a publishing consultant who started an international business ethics pledge that includes signers from more than 30 countries, says he’s met most of his international contacts through online discussions.

“Over a period of time, people exchange information, answer questions, pontificate on whatever is going on in the publishing world,” he says. “And not only did I develop an international network of friends and colleagues through this, but also a considerably greater expertise in the publishing consulting I do.”

What kind of discussions you join will depend upon what your networking goals are. “You have to find a niche and decide who you want to meet,” says Vinil Ramdev, an India-based consultant for entrepreneurs. “Because if you’re an actor and you’re only meeting entrepreneurs, that’s not going to help.”

Social networking sites like LinkedInLinkedIn

or community platforms like Groupsite.comGroupsite.com

host discussions that you can search by interest, meaning you can find relevant international topics with the right search terms. E-mail lists from your alma mater, professional societies, and any organizations you belong to most likely have international members, as well. If you’re looking specifically to meet international contacts, however, you might also consider:

• Viadeo: Like LinkedIn, but oriented for European business
• Ushi.cn: An invite-only business networking platform for China
• A Small WorldA Small World

  : Another invite-only networking site that links members with other members, discussions, and events related to their interests

• Internations: Connect with expats living around the world. Membership is invitation-based, but you can request an invitation, so you don’t actually need to know a member.
• XingXING

  : Like LinkedIn, but has a stronger presence in Europe

• Sandbox Network : Designed for the most influential people under age 30, this by-application-only social network has “ambassadors” in more than 20 cities.
• MeetingWave: This site allows you to search for networking events and meetings by interest and location. Look for international networking events near you.
• GeeksOnaPlane: Promotes cultural exchange through technology and entrepreneurship. You can request an invite to join the group on their international travels.
• OrkutOrkut

  : This is Google’sGoogle

  social networking site, which is quite popular in Brazil and India. You can target your posts by groups of friends, such as “Work Buddies” or “International Contacts.” All you have to do is create and name a category of contacts and add people. This feature allows you to keep your work and personal lives separate.

You may have noticed that some of these networks are invite only. But you should be encouraged, not intimidated, by the exclusivity, says Severin Jan Ruegger, the co-founder of the Sandbox Network.

“With LinkedIn or FacebookFacebook

anybody can join. And I don’t dispute that they’re helpful in certain situations,” he says. “But sometimes there is a lack of trust. And in any relationship there has to be some trust.” In Ruegger’s experience, people are more approachable, helpful and willing to talk to him in invite-only networks.

If you’re looking for an invite, Rawn Shah, the author of Social Networking for Business and a member of the Social Software Enablement Team at IBM, suggests that you check your existing connections to see if they are members of the group you want to join. Some sites, like Sandbox, have application-like invitation processes, in which case you can just apply.

Another option is to create your own e-mail list or group, which is what Horowitz did when the e-mail list he was on stopped meeting his needs.

“I just announced to that list that I was starting another list and that this was what was going to be different, and a critical mass signed up very quickly,” he says.

2. Don’t Forget About the Classics

While targeting international networks and groups is effective, networks that you may already belong to, like LinkedIn, Facebook, and TwitterTwitter

, can also be extremely helpful if leveraged properly. In fact, Horowitz says his first international speaking gig came from LinkedIn.

Ramdev uses these networks to stay in touch with people after he has met them online, at a conference, in a webinar, or by commenting on a blog. “E-mail is very hard to send because it’s one on one,” he says. “If I update my Facebook status, though, I have 30 or 40 people commenting on it.”

It’s important not to go overboard while inviting people to your network on these platforms, however. “More connections doesn’t necessarily mean better, stronger relationships that help you in business,” he says. “Work first on interacting on a regular pace with your peers in the group through the discussion.”

Shah also recommends limiting the number of groups you’re involved in on sites like LinkedIn as well: “You want a productive relationship, which means that you should interact with others in the group for some time (at least a few weeks), and decide for yourself if it is worth staying in,” he says. “This means that it will take time to form your relationships in each group. The effort is not wasted, however, if you decide not to stay. It gives you perspective into different views and mindsets. Also if you look across groups, you might find the same names appearing repeatedly as they post. They may be worth getting to know.”

It’s also worth understanding that different networking sites are popular in different countries. The above map uses data from Alexa and Google to show which sites are the most popular in each country.

3. Attend International Conferences and Webinars Online

Luckily, there are a lot of webinars and live-streamed conferences out there. Seek out these opportunities to connect with industry professionals, and when you attend, make sure you stick around for conversation. After you physically attend a conference or seminar, you generally make small talk with your fellow attendees and the host after it ends, right? There’s no reason you can’t do that online as well.

“It’s a little more difficult obviously, however, the approach is very similar to offline,” says Ruegger. “You might also do that by chatting or sending a quick e-mail to follow up. It can also be personal. It doesn’t have to be very stiff and business-like. Something that makes you approachable, that makes you nice.”

Shah suggests taking advantage of the bio and contact information that is usually posted for each speaker by making contact after the seminar. It’s also helpful to chat with the group in the group space during the webinar or contact individuals about a comment they made or a question they asked during the webinar.

Another great way to stay in touch with your online international contacts is to invite them to your own webinar, which you can create using tools like Supercool School.

4. Find a Way to Interact With Your Contacts

Collecting contacts internationally isn’t merely a matter of adding connections to your social sites. If you want a valuable international network, you’ll need to stay in touch.

Ruegger’s approach is to be as helpful as possible. “Send opportunities, links — anything that you know these people would value. Send it over, give a contact, introduce people, and bring people together,” he says. “[It’s] just like offline. Introduce people to each other. All these interactions over time will build you a network that needs to be nurtured.”

Ramdev stays in touch with his network, which is mostly composed of entrepreneurs, by linking to information that will be relevant to them on his Twitter feed (as pictured above).

5. Make Your Web Presence Internationally Friendly

When Horowitz started his first web page in 1996, he took very seriously the phrase “world wide web.” His page included an introduction that was translated in a number of languages and apologized for an inability to translate the rest of the page.

Today, he is able to use a WordPressWordPress

plug-in called Global Translator that automatically translates his site into 48 different languages.

Horowitz also started the International Association of Earth-Conscious Marketers and recommends using the word “international” in any discussion groups or e-mail threads you start. “Having the word ‘international’ in print says, ‘you are welcome, we want your input,’” he says.

6. Understand How Networking Differs in Other Cultures

“There are significant differences in culture that alter the way you network,” says Ruegger, who has spent time living in China and several European countries. “American people have a tendency to understand networking and its purpose as possibly useful, but it’s much harder on an Asian continent.”

Ruegger says the best way to learn about networking in other cultures is to live there. For instance, while living in China he learned that it’s not culturally appropriate to criticize people or make suggestions in a public setting like a forum.

Obviously, moving to another country isn’t an option for everybody. But you can still take cultural differences into account. “Even though it may be virtual, people instinctively transfer the work behaviors, norms and expectations from the physical world into the online world,” Shah says. “There are many books on working with international cultures which would be a good start. Search Google or Amazon for “Doing business in [country].”

You can also use a site like Forrester Research to learn about how people use social media in whatever country you wish to target.

Shah says one thing to keep in mind is that in some cultures, personal and business networking is strictly separate. Therefore, it might be advisable to exclude your beach photos from profiles that you plan to use for international business networking.

7. Meet Online Contacts in Person Whenever Possible

It’s great to have online contacts, but offline relationships are often easier to maintain. If you happen to be in the area of an online contact, ask to meet them in person.

“You actually try to physically meet the people who you met online … which then makes them much stronger connections in your general network …” Reugger says.

Series supported by UPS

The International Business Series is brought to you by UPS. Discover the new logistics. It levels playing fields and lets you act locally or globally. It’s for the individual entrepreneur, the small business, or the large company. Put the new logistics to work for you.

Image courtesy of iStockphotoiStockphoto

, lisegagne

For more articles like this one checkout Rent Roll Growth

via mashable.com

Leighton Walters - Business Development Manager - True Property

Leighton Walters - Business Devp Manager - True Property

Leighton Walters has a passion for people and service. He found that his role in property management enabled him to establish a charity and help less fortunate people. He is now urging other property management professionals to do the same.

 

Leighton, how has your career led you to your current role in property management?

Ever since I was young, I was exposed to the exciting real estate industry through my father, Bob Walters who worked for my Godfather, Robert R Andrew. My passion is people, service and relationships; property is just a great conversation starter.

 

What do you enjoy most about your job?

It is definitely watching the smiles and excitement of our clients when we achieve a successful result. In my job, there are a lot of first time investors that crave information. Mixed in with passion, a genuine smile and understanding of their situation ignites a special client relationship which sets a stable foundation of honesty to come.

 

You are the founder of Heart for the Homeless – tell us about this charity and what motivated you to initiate it.

Unfortunately, we live in a society where it has become increasingly easy and acceptable to turn a blind eye to people in need. I believe our generation is desperate for compassion, and not just the feeling, but the action. Heart for the Homeless is focused on empowering industries to be active in reducing poverty by utilising technology. We have launched an efficient initiative into the real estate industry named the Moving Cities Initiative. This initiative is an internet-based system where owners and tenants moving home can ‘register their move’ online. Prompted by the local real estate agency, what our system does is automatically communicate and synchronise these details with the local not-for-profit service provider in the area such as OzHarvest or The Salvation Army. The tenant or owner is then contacted by the local charity in the area to arrange the collection of any leftover furniture, clothing or non-perishable food. This effectively turns off the tap of wastage and dumping when people move home, and rather turns someone else’s trash into another person’s treasure. If we are going to get serious in helping the environment, we are going to need to minimise wastage at the source.

 

What is your long term vision for Heart for the Homeless?

We are definitely a vision led and inspired organisation. If we only believed what our eyes saw, we would never be able to see dreams become a reality. My long term vision for Heart for the Homeless is to see an organisational network of industries and businesses being hands-on in aiding those in need. In the real estate industry, I would love to see an internationally operating system that is saving billions of tons of resources to aid those in need. The exciting part is, it all begins at the feet of Australia’s real estate agencies.

 

How can other real estate agents and property managers become involved with Heart for the Homeless?

We have different opportunities for agencies to become a part of our organisation. We operate a tiered membership program which aids in motivating our members to proactively seek more resources. Heart for the Homeless is a practical way that an agency can become more hands-on in their community and also help be a part of the bigger picture. Anyone interested should visit our website www.heartforthehomeless.org

 

Which skills and attributes do you rate as most important in a successful property manager?

Patience, performance and professionalism. In property management, we know that we work in an industry that is highly emotional and is no stranger to conflict. More often than not, if you stop, listen and be patient, eventually the underlying problem will emerge. If you approach the problem with professionalism and understanding, your tenants or owners will learn to trust you as the professional. However, it is very important we perform and act on what we say. When we deliver on what we say we build a solid foundation for a trustworthy relationship, just like if we spend all our time focusing on the people who let us down, we will never appreciate the people who deliver.

 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

“Obstacles are only seen when you take your eyes off your goals”. My dad told me once about the metaphor of a magnifying glass. If we see ourselves as a magnifying glass and focus and concentrate all of our energy on one passion, we are going to make a difference. Just like holding a magnifying glass over some dried leaves and concentrating the light from the sun will burn the leaf and start a fire, we too should aim to be the best we can be at what we are good at. We are not created to be the best at everything. Once we accept we are not born perfect, and that life is a gradual daily journey full of lessons and challenges, this will help give the freedom of understanding it’s okay if we fail, just as long as we get better.

 

What are some of the challenges in your job and how do you address them?

Naturally, there are challenges in every job. Unfortunately, people are not perfect and you will get let down or mislead every now and again. However, understanding that you also are not perfect will help you as a person humble yourself to approach every single client with a sense of honesty, integrity and sincerity that I feel is what both our clients and tenants need to see. People might expect us to be perfect, but never pretend to be. What shows a person’s character is not how many times we face rejection or miss out on a listing, but how we react to it and how we get back up. No one ever counts how many times we fail, only how many times we win.

For more articles like this one checkout Rent Roll Growth

via leased-annual.com.au

31 Points of Difference

31 Points of Difference

If there’s one thing you should do this week, it’s schedule “brain storm” time for your team to list your agency’s points of difference – then apply them in all your client communication. Simon Thomas offers the ultimate list of ideas to get you started.

 

"It is imperative that you and your brand have Points of Difference (POD) to think outside the square and stand out from the crowd."

 

"A simple get-together for drinks and nibbles will not cost you the earth; it’s a great way to say “thank you” and everyone there has YOU in common!"

 

"Everyone has a business card (which is often thrown out). Fridge magnets have a far better chance of being retained as people place a higher value on them."

 

Regardless of which industry you’re involved with, competition is a given. It’s fierce, it’s everywhere and it’s never going to go away. In real estate, it seems new competition enters the marketplace on a regular basis, at times weekly or monthly. It’s either experienced salespeople opening a new agency under a known brand, an independent with a “fresh marketing edge”, a franchise group re-launching itself after previous failures or a new hopeful with “sales, marketing and a financial background” who is dipping their toe in the water to have a crack in the local real estate scene. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter who your competition is, the fact is, they’re here and they’re here to stay. Without spending too much energy worrying about what your competition is doing, it is imperative that you (the agent) and your brand (your agency) have Points of Difference (POD) to think outside the square and stand out from the crowd.

 

It’s time to ask some serious questions:
What gives you or your agency the edge?
Why should a potential seller choose you over your competitors?

Why us? (agency) or, more importantly, why you?

 

If this is something you or your agency hasn’t really considered, time is well and truly overdue for you to reflect on these important questions seriously. If your competitors have done this, they are already a step ahead of you!

 

Don’t panic as it’s not all bad news. I am going to make it a little bit easier for you. I suggest you allocate some time, allow those creative juices to flow and start a list of things to include in your promotional information and pre-list kits. Here are some suggestions to get you started, either from an agent’s or agency’s perspective:

 

Experience – the combined real estate sales experience either in the industry or in your area can give you the edge in terms of marketplace knowledge

Website – there is so much relevant information that you can share on your website, remember this is your shopfront that is open 24/7. Look to add features that are unique to your site that will give buyers and sellers additional information (local schools, beaches, shopping centres, restaurants/cafes, places of interest, sporting clubs, local events etc.) Additional features could include Property of the Week, your monthly newsletter/e-newsletter or bulletin, CMA’s (for specific regions, areas or precincts), virtual tours, floor plans, professional property videos, recent sales (updated weekly), open house times, forthcoming auctions, your in-room auction calendar, community support, buyer and seller reviews or testimonials, recent awards or recognition for the agency/agent, principal’s blog,  local weather, tidal information, property previews and a list of preferred/recommended tradespeople, also how many sites you feature properties on (list them), although your own site should remain the main focus.

Location – is your office strategically located with prominent window displays/interactive video screens opposite a shopping centre, beach, cafe precinct or in the main street?

Profile – consistently having the largest advertising profile in the area (name the publications your agency appears in) means that your brand awareness outperforms the competition.

Auction specialists – use unique auction strategies and marketing plans to obtain successful outcomes for your clients, are your auction success/clearance rates well above the local and industry averages?

Open 7 days – this is an added advantage for agencies in coastal or holiday destinations.

Additional services – these can include in-house home loans, finance or mortgage broking service, property management, buyer’s agent service, commercial/industrial sales and leasing, holiday accommodation, removal service and insurance.

Personal profile – include your background previous to real estate (if applicable –  finance, sales or customer service), years of experience, recognition/awards, family (married/children) and your other interests outside the industry (sporting clubs, hobbies, charities supported).

Days on market (agency and agent) – promote compared to the local and industry averages.

 

Full service – this should be a given in terms of offering your potential clients all the selling options: auction, private treaty, tender or expressions of interest. To take it one step further, you should also have an in-depth and thorough understanding of all the benefits of each method in terms of how they can assist the seller.

Buyer match system – all new listings are entered into the agency’s database prior to marketing to potentially match any of your buyers to those properties new to the market (may save the seller time and marketing costs).

 

Email/SMS alerts for new listings – these can be sent out immediately to buyers on the day the property is listed to fast-track the selling campaign.

Brochures – use attachments as a tool to include additional information (local maps, points of interest, distances to schools, shopping and beaches, a list of things the current owners enjoy about the home/area and what attracted them to the house when they purchased it).

Property information sheet – as above to include additional information on the property such as age of the house, recent renovations undertaken, land size, hot water service, council rates, body corporate fees (if applicable), heating and cooling, insulation, inclusions, exclusions and estimated rental return.

Seller and purchaser gifts– this should always be a “wow!” moment for both the buyer and the seller. Make it memorable with a thoughtful gift they will always remember (not your standard champagne or flowers). Make the extra effort with, for example, a bow tied around the front door welcoming them to their new home as well as a complimentary house or garden clean-up in the first month. 

Community support – people like dealing with people; real people who are seen as part of the local community. Agents are often perceived as being “take take” so what do you give back on a regular basis? Which charities do you support or schools do you sponsor? List the organisations you support, for example, the local surf club, junior or senior sporting clubs, the door knock appeals you regularly support and the money raised over the years for these worthwhile causes.

Thank you cards/notes – send these out on a regular basis to your past, current and future clients as “touch points” so that your clients reference you as someone who cares about them. When was the last time you received a hand-written note from someone? It is far more powerful than an email or typed letter.

Fridge magnets – relative for both the agency and the agent. Let’s face it, everyone has a business card (which is often thrown out). Fridge magnets have a far better chance of being retained as people place a higher value on them. Hint: come up with something other than a house shape or a calendar as these ideas have been over-done. Think of something fresh, different and out of the box!

Coffee cards for clients – a great initiative for sellers in particular. What are they going to do during your weekly open houses? A complimentary coffee at your local favourite cafe will be well and truly appreciated by your clients (as well as the cafe owner – more business for them!)

 

Personal guide to moving – let’s face it, we don’t move that often and it is easy to forget all the things we need to check, remember and take care of. A check-list for buyers and sellers puts them at ease in terms of what needs to be done (eg change of address forms, electoral register, water/power/gas/phone/internet connection, transfer insurances, removalist quotes, drivers licence etc.)

House-warming gifts – an added “feel good” gift from you (for little cost) will go a long way to the purchasers remembering you. In addition to a general gift some examples include a dinner voucher (who wants to cook on the first night?), movie tickets or a month’s DVD hire at the local outlet.

Information pack – this is a great idea for purchasers; don’t assume they know the area they are moving to. Include the local schools, kindergartens/child care centres, shopping centres, post office, dry cleaner, doctor, dentist, parks, swimming pool, community events and other places of interest.

Client appreciation nights – hold these either monthly, quarterly or yearly to show your appreciation for those that have sold through you or purchased from you or your agency. A simple get-together for drinks and nibbles will not cost you the earth; it’s a great way to say “thank you” and everyone there has YOU in common! The referral business will flow to you as a result!   

Referral rewards – have a system in place to reward those that refer business to you, particularly on a regular basis. Wine, dinners, theatre tickets, gold class movie tickets, a night out at a five star hotel or weekend getaways are some great ways to thank those that push business your way (these are your raving fans!)

Anniversary cards/calls – this should be a given, yet not many agents seem to do it on a regular basis. A 12 month anniversary card and call is a nice touch; it shows you haven’t forgotten your past clients and they are more likely to refer you to their family and friends. A great tip is to send all your cards on the first day of each month then call them on the actual anniversary day!

Specialists – is there anything in particular that you or your agency specialise in? Apartments or investment properties, off the plan sales, waterfront, lifestyle/acreage, rural/residential, canal homes, hobby farms, weekenders, house and land packages, developments, project marketing etc.

Buyer assistance sheets – to help buyers find their ideal property (preferred area, land size, bedrooms, bathrooms, office, single level/two storey, rumpus room, pool, entertaining areas and distances to schools, beaches, shopping etc) 

Client reviews/testimonials – keep in a folder for potential clients to look through in your office reception area as well as listed on your website.

Personal notes/messages – sent out after market appraisals and listing presentations either hand written or via SMS.

Key marketing areas – an area or precinct where you or the agency have had a high degree of success and in which you specialise; you are the known expert and consistently market properties in that area.

Buyer graphs – you consistently track buyer enquiry for each area or property type so therefore you know how buyers are finding the properties they purchase (internet, print media, signage, office enquiry, widow display or agent’s contacts). This then enables you to tailor a marketing proposal ideal for that area or property type.

 

Simon Thomas is a freelance auctioneer, sales trainer, business coach and mentor. His client list reads like a Who’s Who of the Australian real estate industry. Simon uses his experience, enthusiasm and passion for the industry to train and coach agents to reach their full potential. www.simonthomas.com.au

For more articles like this one checkout Property Management Prospecting

via leased-annual.com.au