Predictions from Seth Godin
For those of you who haven’t heard yet – Seth Godin will be presenting at PCBC this year. I am pretty amped about this. It is exciting to see this industry embrace his theory.
On that note – a recent post from Mr. Godin (may I call you Seth) highlights a few predictions:
Prediction: there will be no significant newspapers printed on newsprint in the US by 2012. So, you’ve got two and a half years before the newspaper industry is going to be doing something else with the news and the ads, or not be there at all. Does that change what you do today if you work in this business?
Prediction: 90% of your sales will come from word of mouth or digital promotion by 2011. How do you change what you’re doing today to be ready for that?
Prediction: The effort required to outsource a task involving the manipulation of data of any kind will continue to decrease until it will be faster and cheaper to outsource just about anything than it will be to use in-house talent. What will you do today to ensure your prosperity when that happens?
He makes this statement at the end, “It seems to me that if you know the old world is about to end, you’d run like crazy to master the new one.”
Now – Seth has been predicting for a while now – and so far, has a pretty good track record. In the home building industry, I think we can all learn from these predictions.
As I have been saying for the past year – I think there are builders that are finally in enough pain that changing is actually a better option than remaining the same.
I have a prediction as well, savvy new home building companies will be formed by younger principals that “get” internet marketing and the new consumer. They will find capital and buy up cheap lots becoming a competitive force in new markets – seriously challenging the larger builders. Do you have any predictions of your own?
Really Serious Interview with Twitter founder Biz Stone
Interesting and funny interview with Twitter founder Biz Stone.
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Biz Stone | ||||
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Guest Post: How to Use Twitter To Reach A Local Audience For Your Business
By Marie O’Brien
It seems that everyone is talking about Twitter these days, and the top two questions seem to be:
1. What exactly is Twitter?
2. Can I really use this to grow my business?
What is Twitter
We’ve addressed the “what is Twitter” in other blog articles, but I must admit that I’ve found an even better definition than ever before. Yes, it’s microblogging. Yes, it’s social networking. However, the best description that I can provide is that it is a lot like CB Radio. (Those of you who are old enough to remember the CB Radio craze of the 1970’s can appreciate that analogy.) With Twitter, you can reach out and follow people and even jump in and out of their conversations. The people can be complete strangers, but once you find them, it’s easy to connect with them and continue conversations.
How to use Twitter to Reach Local Business
So, the next big question is always “how can I use this for my business?” It is a long-term process to build your Twitter following and it takes time and dedication to use the tool properly. It will obviously be more successful if you can find/follow people (Tweeters) who are in your target audience.
For example, if you sell to a particular geographic area — whether you’re a restaurant or a homebuilder — then you want to make sure that you’re reaching the Tweeters who live nearby. The challenge for many people is just how to find those specific target audience members! It’s not as hard as it sounds, thanks to the great Search tools that Twitter offers.
Here’s a tip on how to use the Twitter search to find those people on Twitter who are based in your local area:
1. After you log into Twitter, go to search.twitter.com
2. Click on “About Twitter Search”
3. From this page, select the “Advanced Search Page” link
4. Next, use the “near this place” field to enter in the zip code of your business, so you can find people from your local area.
5. This form also will help you to narrow down your search to find people by particular keywords or hashtags (the category name is preceded by the # sign, such as #homebuilder).
6. Once you see the list of people who meet your criteria, you can manually click on each one and determine if you want to “follow” them. It’s common Twitter-etiquette that they will in turn ‘follow you back’ so this is a smart way to build your following quickly.
The advanced search tool on Twitter is one of the most valuable tools that you will find to cultivate your “follow” list. Keep in mind that for this to be successful, you need to be an active member of the Twitterverse, providing regular tweets of business related, helpful information (with an occasional sprinkle of personality), so that you’ll give your new pals a reason to “come back” (that’s the CB term for ‘follow you.’)
Now you have it, good buddy. The secret to finding out the Tweeters’ ‘twenty.’ Over and out.
Written by Marie O’Brien, VP of Marketing and Client Services for Blue Tangerine Solutions. Blue Tangerine Solutions is a leading Web site development and Internet marketing firm headquartered in Melbourne, Florida specializing in the homebuilding and real estate industries. Marie O’Brien is a self-described Internet junkie and a fan of social networking. She can be reached on Twitter at @BTSMarie and via eMail to Marie.OBrien@BlueTangerineSolutions.com.
Video Post – Internet Homebuyer Shopping Cycle
In 2008, homebuyers who used the internet took and average of 16.5 weeks to purchase - almost double from 2007. What are you doing to engage these customers during this phase?
Seminar in OKC with the Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association
I am honored to partner with the Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association to present a seminar on converting “Browsers to Buyers” in Oklahoma City on April 21st. This powerful seminar will provide an easy to follow roadmap leading to a successful Online Sales Program that will help you attract and capture more qualified buyers.
Learning Objectives:
- The latest home builder statistics on new home shoppers
- The Online Sales Formula and Process
- Making sense of the “Social Media” revolution
- The necessary components of an attention getting homebuilder’s website
- Online Marketing that’s tailored specifically for homebuilders
- A detailed overview of the Follow Up Process
- Tips on selecting the best Leads Management System
- How to track and measure the success of your program
- And much, much more
It’s time to take control of your Internet Sales Program! We are going to have a great time and I look forward to seeing you there.
