2012 Online Marketing Plan – Do you have one?

The New Year brings opportunity. You have a new business plan and goal,  and hopefully a new marketing plan that includes new technology to help your business. Here are some of the tools that stood the test the year and now are part of our marketing plan.  So here it goes:

SEO:

• Review your On-Page Optimization and make sure it’s all complete – a free tool to try is www.websitegrader.com
• Think about keywords that you need to have exposure on. Use Google keyword tracker to find other terms you may not of thought of.
• Have a content strategy in place – through blog posts, articles and text that needs to be on your site

Site:

General Marketing:

• Review follow up emails – when someone contacts you are you sending a message that will help engage them as clients?
• Google analytics  - are installed and configured?
• Check site for broken links (and fix them!)
• Update photos and content – throw out old content.
• Plan to review web stats regularly

Blog:

• Create a plan to post regularly, check out this post we did on this
• Check to see if your plugins are updated and you have some that help with SEO.
• Don’t forget to use Keywords/Tagging/Categorizing on posts

Facebook:

• What are your goals – put them in writing
• What type of followers do you want
• Create buzz
• Set up a strong personal profile
• Set up Fan Page with custom look. Make sure you have a special tabe that offers them something when theclick
• Make sure your FB badge is placed on your website
• Include your FB Page info in your email signature. (Try Wisestamp)
• Create an action plan to:
• Network and engage friends/fans
• Increase Fans and promote page
• Keep content updated

LinkedIn:

• Make sure your profile is set up and complete
• Request endorsements
• Participate in Questions and discussions
• Connect your profile to your other social media accounts

Twitter:

• Make sure your custom background done and compelling
• What are your goals – put them in writing
• What type of followers do you want
• Create buzz
• Montior your tweets to see if your getting reactions. I use Hootsuite (paid version) to monitor retweets of my posts.

Other social media sites:

• Find other relevant industry social media sites
• Google Plus
• Youtube
• Yelp and Google Places
• Flickr
• Trulia, Zillow
• Other?
• Create your profile and create action plan to participate

Video

• Consider a video strategy for 2012
• Create a list of videos you need to create
• Hire or put a plan to learn how to,  in place

This is just the beginning. Remember if you need help with this, find out about  our coaching programs at The Tech Byte.

Have you Googled yourself lately?

Online reputation management has become a very important topic in class.  As we venture online and start putting profiles on websites to connect with prospects, the need to monitor these sites become vital. Why? Because people are talking about you!

I use a product called StepRep to monitor my husband’s building business. They help you find all the sites where we are listed and then I make sure our profiles are complete. Recently an email came through telling me to edit a website. The website was CitySearch so I changed some of the content and was about to go on my merry way when I decided to search Southington, CT businesses, where I live, work and play.

Wow! So many “bad” reviews and not one of the businesses had responded. If we are getting comfortable writing reviews about books, (Amazon), and shoes (Zappos . . . I love Zappos), electronic gadgets (Cnet, Engadget) Hotel visits (Trip Advisor) and now painters, electricians, (Angies List) why, oh why would we not think that consumers want to write reviews on us!

Look at Zillows (review an agent) and Trulias recommendations called Social Search. For the last few years the Houston Association of Realtors has allowed past customers of real estate agents “Rate their Realtor.” The consumer is already writing reviews about their real estate professionals. Why not be proactive? Invite your past customers to write reviews for you on Zillow and Trulia.

Now you need to start monitoring your presence online. Make sure you set up a Reputation Monitoring system.

Start with Google Alerts. Put in your name, your website name and any “usernames” or branding terms you use. Google Alerts will send the information to your email. Here is a link to a video that I did on Google Alerts. Click here.

If that is not enough, look at a reputation monitoring tool like one of the following. It is better to be informed so you can take action, isn’t it?

• Hootsuite.com
• StepRep.com
• Reputation.com
• Trackur.com
• Tweetbeep.com
• Postling.com

I know this list is not complete. These are just companies I am familiar with. Do you have any other suggestions?

New ePro Course to launch at NAR Convention

In just a few days, the new ePro® will launch in New Orleans at the NAR convention. My business partners, Bill Lublin, Ginger Wilcox, Hal Lublin and myself have been working hard on the course. The National Association of REALTORS® asked us to update the ePro® and it is now ready! It will be a one day live class and the rest can be taken online. Hundreds of pages of content, exercises, case studies, and great check lists will help bring your business and your use of technology to the next level. It is an ABR elective and will be handled under the REBAC umbrella of courses for NAR.

If you believe your company or association would be interested in holding the class, let me know. Contact me on the “Hiring Amy” tab.

For a detailed FAQ, visit this link on our Social Media Marketing Institute website. Great information that will answer all your questions. Click here: “Relaunching ePro®.”

Also visit the REBAC.net site who is facilitating the course. Will I see you in New Orleans?

Two Webinars the week of August 16, 2010

Image of Carmen Multhauf

Two webinars this week please join us!

One of generational marketing and one on Blogging 101.

The information is below!

Marketing to Multiple Generations -

A key to success in today’s market

Join us for a FREE Webinar on August 18, 4 p.m. est – Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar Seat Now at:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/838807650

Join me as we interview Carmen Multhauf from GenerationalHousing.com to gain valuable insights into how the personalities, attitudes and preferences of home buyers, and the consuming public in general, come to be defined by their generational identification. Specific age groups have influences that affect their needs and wants, and the way they approach major life decisions. In addition, each generation is affected differently by changes in financing, retirement systems, estate planning, tax laws, and housing design and location. And there is little doubt that the current economic turmoil is having different effects on each generation.

REALTOR® University Webinar – Blogging for Business

Learn how to make a blog your social media headquarters and discover which blog platform is right for you. You will hear blogging tips used by other successful sales professionals and gain a clear understanding of how you can use your well strategized blog as a powerful marketing and communication tool to drive business.
You’ll leave this session with a proven blogging action plan that will get you results!
Register here:
http://www.learninglibrary.com/AspDotNetStoreFront70/p-515-blogging-for-business-with-amy-chorew.aspx

Upcoming Tech Webinar on January 7, 2010

Managing it all: How to Manage Your Time and Your Commitment to Social Media and Get Results

Participating in social media as a business and marketing strategy requires discipline, automation routines and a daily commitment. Learn 5 strategies to keep you organized, inspired and able to build momentum.

1. Balance long term relations and deeper relationships with every day activities
2. Enjoy our systematic approach to make your experience more fruitful.
3. Learn daily, weekly and monthly activities to build a ROI
4. Let us expain why Your blog is the hub of it all
5. Feeds Are Your Secret Weapon
6. You Only Need To Join a Few Key Networks
7. A friend strategy will keep your reputation intact

You will leave this session with a daily, weekly and monthly action plan to help you get results from your social media efforts.