Swimming in the Web 2.0 stream
Something extremely unique about social media is the flow of information in real time, whether it’s tweets or status updates on Facebook or LinkedIn. You might even say it is more like a “firehose” of information as opposed to a stream. It can be tough to keep up with all this information – almost like drinking from a firehose. Wonder what that is like, just watch this classicvideo example.
And what is interesting is the difference between “traditional” Web and Web 2.0. The traditional Web is more permanent. Web 2.0 is transient, or Sarah Yaussi from Big Builder recently said: “New media is like a paper cup – you use it and then you throw it away.”
For example, if you miss a tweet on Twitter, it’s soon fades away. As newer tweets pop up, the others get pushed farther down in the stream and eventually off to the next page, or the post is pushed out past your 100 updates on Tweetdeck. Gone.
Such fleeting moments are the social aspect of Web 2.0. It’s like walking into a party. You don’t walk around to everyone and ask, “What did I miss?” On Facebook, the same holds true. You’re not going to go back every 15 days to see what you’ve missed on every single person. You may go back and look at the interesting people, but you’re really only interested in what’s happening in the here and now. Anything older than a few days is ancient history. The same holds true for Twitter. What is happening today? Are you showing up in the “here and now”? You should spread out your posts so you’re not posting too much. And you do want to post insightful information and ideas that prompt other people to talk about it and comment back. This is the foundation of Internet marketing and PR at its finest.
What gets the conversation going in “Real Estate 2.0”?
1. Create interesting, informative content. Piquing interest is the easiest way to increase exposure.
2. Stay relevant and noteworthy. While some readers might find it fun to hear about your pet’s last trip to the litter box, avoid the temptation. Stay relevant and on focus with your audience.
3. Time your updates. Just as there is a good time to send an email for maximum visibility, there is the best time to update your status or send a tweet. Saturday at midnight is not good because your readers aren’t online. What day and time will your audience be looking? Send your information then.
4. Engage others. You will get more “action” when you hold real conversations online. More people will talk about and promote you if you are practicing the golden rule.
5. Put the conversation first. If your sole goals are marketing, traffic, and exposure – you’ve missed the whole point of social networking. This is Real Estate 2.0 and it starts with the conversation. Chat now. Sell later.
Just like attending a party in a physical location, at a digital party, it doesn’t matter if you show up late, but you need people to be part of the buzz all the time.
Email Hacks for the New Home Sales Executive
I stumbled upon a neat little hack by accident and I’m pretty excited. Most cell phone companies have a free option of email to SMS. This is the ability to send an email which converts to a text message on a mobile phone.
Big deal right, I get email on my iPhone already. Well, like most people, I disabled the email notification/buzz/alarm on my phone, so I actually have to check for new emails. This helps me stay focused and not distracted by emails all day (3rd step from my Crackberry Anonymous meetings). If not, I would probably be locked in a room pasting up newspaper articles like Russell Crow in "A Beautiful Mind".
Anyway, so here’s the trick. Again, I don’t want a text message for every email I get… but I would like to receive a text message when someone submits a lead from our website, because these are usually the hottest and most qualified requiring the absolute highest priority. To accomplish this, you need to program in your standard email on the web contact form and copy your new mobile SMS email address and voila, you’ve got an instant text notification when you have a hot lead! If this is Greek to you, have your web design firm help you out. (note: you need to have text messaging set up on your phone or they charge you a pretty penny per text)
As you can see, it doesn’t take much to excite me. But, in a challenging market – response time matters right? Like Ricky Bobby says, "If you ain’t first, you’re last."
Also, a little side note. Check out Jott – it’s a FREE service that transcribes voicemails to emails automatically. I use it to take voice notes and leave reminders that funnel directly to my email – which helps me stay organized. A true lifesaver.
Below are the email addresses of the most popular carriers.
T-Mobile: phonenumber@tmomail.net
Virgin Mobile: phonenumber@vmobl.com
ATT: phonenumber@txt.att.net
Sprint: phonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com
Verizon: phonenumber@vtext.com
Nextel: phonenumber@messaging.nextel.com
phonenumber = your 10 digit phone number
