Personal Branding
How Real Estate Agents Can Benefit from Mobile Marketing
December 20, 2011 | 
Author What is Mobile Marketing?
A very short time ago when someone talked about mobile marketing they were usually referring to the various marketing messages that were often found on the side of cars and trucks. Today, that concept has been reclassified as vehicular marketing and mobile marketing now refers to the use of mobile mediums (e.g. iPads and cell phones) for marketing communications.
Although still in its infancy, mobile marketing is quickly becoming “The Next Big Thing” to use for marketing products and services. This is due to the giant leap forward mobile technology has made in the last decade. Today, cell phones resemble miniature laptops and can perform a variety of amazing tasks including stream movies, play music, take pictures, and send email. All I can say is now is a great time to be a real estate agent.
To be sure, the economy is still struggling to overcome the Crash of ‘08 and potential buyers are busy Occupying Wall Street rather than touring neighborhoods with you. However, if you have been looking for a way to reach customers with your sales message even when they are busy chanting slogans in Bryant Park, then mobile marketing is your new best friend. Here are a few ways you can amp up your real estate marketing using various mobile marketing technologies.
How To Use Mobile Marketing With Your Real Estate Business
* Create an App – Apps, or applications, are the hot new thing. The smartphone market has exploded in recent years, and developers are creating applications that increase the functionality of these high-end phones. You could create a mobile app that lets users search for homes, find an agent, or calculate their monthly mortgage while strolling down the street they want to live on.
* SMS Marketing – Also called text messages, you could use SMS to alert potential homebuyers when a house that fits their needs becomes available. This is an unobtrusive way to notify buyers of developments in the market.
* Mobilize Your Website – Smartphone screens are much smaller than computer screens and sometimes the content on regular websites gets lost in translation. Create a mobile-friendly website with a direct call button in place that allows users to contact you with one touch.
* Enhance Listings with QR Codes – Quick Response (QR) codes are two-dimensional barcodes that have the capacity to store large amounts of information. Mobile users scan these codes to activate the information embedded in them. Use QR codes on your For Sale signs to instantly provide customers info about a home they may be standing in front of.
* Location-based Services – Some mobile companies offer a service that will allow you to send mobile users targeted sales messages when they enter a certain area.
Because mobile marketing is still young, there are only a few companies right now who offer one or all of these services. However, the benefits of using mobile technology to promote your real estate business is well worth the time and effort it will take to find a company that can help you get started.
Add Blogging to your Mobile Marketing Presence
Blogging is also an excellent way to reach potential homebuyers. My Branding System is a complete article and personal branding system that can help you get that first page on Google. To check out additional information on how real estate agents can effectively use a blog read my article, “Compelling Blog Topics for Realtors That Create Your Brand”.
Posted in Internet Marketing, Real Estate Branding, Social Media Marketing | 
Tags: Mobile Marketing, real estate marketing | 
1 Comment »
Business Etiquette: the Personal Brand Revolution!
Why a Personal Brand is Important
A study out of USLA proves that…
Whether you like it or not, the personal brand you project affects others decisions as to your intelligence, character and ability and determines whether or not they want to do business with you. The way you dress, act and eat has a remarkable impact on the people you meet professionally and socially. This greatly affects how others treat you.
Without a winning personal brand strategy, I’ve seen client deals fall through, appointments cancelled and sales stagnate. If your personal brand (image) is not professional and congruent, attractive and attracting or you lack good manners and don’t have the proper dining etiquette you will be passed over – guaranteed. Therefore, to be competitive, to have a greater influence on others, attract more business and be more successful it’s critical that you pay greater attention to personal branding.
Before you sell anything…your product, company or service you when you brand yourself you are perceived to be more desirable and in demand. increases the bottom line …both personally and corporately.
Take large, successful companies for instance. They understand the power of branding a product. They spend a lot of time, money and energy to create a brand that is eye catching and appealing enough to sell their product through to market and enhance their corporate image. They want to ensure that the buyer builds a strong connection with that brand.
Image coaching helps an individual create a well defined personal brand and provides a tremendous advantage over the competition. Whether it’s social or business, when you are well branded you are pre – sold, giving you a huge advantage over others selling themselves.
Perhaps like many of the individuals I coach, you have not even thought about how you are being perceived. Can anyone leave something as important as their most valuable asset to chance?
We know that in the current economy, competitiveness has increased dramatically. Business has become more serious and conservative – not only in attitude and business attire but in etiquette training as well. As an image consultant I am being hired by individuals and companies to present training in the fine art of image management, presentation skills, good manners, business etiquette, dining and appropriate dress. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Personal Branding | Tags: Corporate Image, My Branding System, Personal brand | 2 Comments »
Personal Branding In The Workplace
Personal Branding Comes From Self-Packaging
Personal branding has been one of the biggest trends in this century.Yet, even as everyone agrees on its importance and that it is fast growing, very few people could actually master the art. Most people mistake personal branding as to build better product, but it is actually to build better perception of yours among others. most people think personal branding is difficult, but if you believe in your skills and ability – it becomes easier for you to sell your brand. The basis of personal branding is that success doesn’t come from personal development or hard work. Instead, personal branding proponents claim that success comes from self-packaging with needed skills.
Create a Personal Branding Website
It is process by which we can market ourselves to others and this can be done not only by famous celebrities, but also by every individual online. In other words, your personal brand is who you are, what you do, and your leading quality in the eyes of your ideal target market.Building strong reputation is the most important thing you could do to maintain your brand. Create your own personal branding website with your domain name, so that when web surfers and other employers search your name, they get information about your career history, personal information and educations qualifications.
The real meaning of Personal Branding is to promote your name in public and this is possible in many ways – promotion web site,sales,or etc.the most common and powerful way to promote the brand name of your products is self promotion,because of it you can show your brand to the public and get popularity in the market.
A personal brand is just like an exotic sports car, where you cannot afford to let it run at top speed without any maintenance. If you do so, it would burn itself up. Likewise, in personal branding you got to regularly monitor your brand to keep it relevant, alert, emotionally connected with audience and to be different from the competitor. It is all about seizing every opportunity to meet someone new and maintain the pace with it.Personal branding is not just “packaging” or self-promotion, it is finding out what’s unique and special about you and what you do that meets a need in the marketplace.
Self promotion improves Yourself in Mind, Body and Spirit. Read the rest of this entry »
A Winning Facebook Strategy for Insurance Agents
Ever so slowly, insurance agents are waking up to the potential of social media marketing and are trying to wrap their heads around how they can expand their referral base with some of the social media channels, such as Facebook. It seems so easy – everyone is on Facebook, right? However, without a Facebook strategy one could fail miserably. It is important to understand that there is a right way and a wrong way to market on Facebook.
Why Having a Facebook Strategy is Important
Check out some of these Facebook Facts and Figures:
- 71.2% of all US internet users are on Facebook
- In 20 minutes 1,000,000 links are shared on Facebook
- In 20 minutes 1,851,000 status updates are entered
- In 20 minutes 10.2 million comments are posted
- Average user has 130 friends
- Average user is connected to 80 community pages, groups and events
- More than 650 million active users
- There are over 16,000,000 Fan Pages
Marketing on Facebook can get your product or service noticed by a wide audience. This audience extends far beyond your local marketing area which is why having a Facebook strategy is important. The potential to influence the buying decisions of your friends and their friends is what makes this a powerful tool.
You have more ways to get people you encounter online to tell the people they know about what you do, the insurance advice and products you offer and how you can improve people’s lives. It used to be just word of mouth, now it is online word of mouth that can work for you.
Why Insurance Agents Don’t Engage a Facebook Strategy
Whenever I ask an insurance agent where they get business they will tell me referrals. They have no problem asking their clients or networking acquaintances for referrals, but feel strange about using Facebook in the same capacity. Some of them even feel weird about letting their Facebook friends know that they sell insurance. I had this conversation with a Financial Services producer who was setting up a blog with me for personal branding and social media marketing. He barely used Facebook and had a hard time seeing how it would work for him. I believe that is the case for the older generation of insurance agents. They do not realize that on Facebook friends share information that they feel is valuable and when they “like” something it is the same as a personal referral.
A Facebook strategy is all about friends and fans. The more friends and fans that you have the greater exposure you receive when you offer value and engage with others. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Facebook, Insurance Branding | Tags: Facebook Fan Page, facebook strategy, Insurance Facebook, My Branding System | 4 Comments »
Social Media and the Insurance Agent
BlogTalkRadio Show Recording
Today I was the featured guest on Savvy Business Leaders a weekly show hosted by Ana Lucia Novak. I have to say that it was so much fun!
I have extensive background in marketing with several insurance carriers and feel that insurance agents need to “wake up” to social media marketing if they want to grow their book of business. I read a study from Boston Consulting Group and they estimate that 41% of insurance agents use no social media at all and only 14% of customers have connected with their local agents on Facebook and Twitter. Isn’t that amazing? What an opportunity for those insurance agents that “get it” and take the plunge. It is really nothing more than “self-marketing” and networking – just done with new tools.
Listen in while we discuss the barriers and solutions for insurance agents and social media.
Posted in Insurance Branding | Tags: Insurance Agents, social media for insurance agents | 3 Comments »
Compelling Blog Topics for Realtors That Create Your Brand
More and more realtors have recognized the importance of creating their personal brand that sets them apart from their competition. Most are turning to the internet, purchasing their domain name and are starting a blog to connect with prospects. They are using their blog or website to position themselves as the person a prospect would call when buying or selling a home.
Since so many realtors are setting up their own blogs, how can you make your site standout and hit the mark of building trust and gain prospects?
Compelling Blog Topics Connect With Your Visitors
Many realtors simply set up their website and put all of the MLS information and listings on the front page because they know that the majority of people on the internet want to search these listings. However, do not let your website be a commodity! If all you are doing is creating a “me-too” copy of your real estate brokerage, then you have accomplished very little and will be disappointed that you have not secured any leads. They really have not put any effort into blog topics.
Your goal is to create a friendly website that is easy to navigate and is rich with content that your visitors are interested in. Your website can literally become one of the best resources for home buying information in your area if you spend some time to make it content rich. Blogs allow you to put your personality on display.
Blog Topics with Pizzazz
Select an area to brand yourself and be the community expert – feature key properties, provide helpful community links, and show prospects that no one knows more about your area than you. Take videos of the parks and services and describe them. Provide information on schools and community events. Show charts and graphs on the home sales and average prices. Interview people on video and ask them what is so good about their community. This will really set you apart from other realtors that are not connecting with home buyers and sellers. Make your site interesting and informative with these blog topics. Encourage them to ask questions, too, while they are discovering information about your community. Volunteer to post all of the local community sports scores so that these people have to visit your site to see the standings.
A very creative idea for your blog topics is to list the Christmas light directory on your site. You could obtain numerous hits for local people searching for this information at holiday time. Not only does this bring potential clients to your site, but it increases your name recognition and the authority of your site. You become a trusted resource for valuable information. The various news media outlets could even discover your website and want to quote you or interview you – another great way to get famous and get links. Read the rest of this entry »
Prospecting with Social Media for Insurance Agents
Webinar Recording: Using Social Media for Insurance Prospecting
I would like to share the recording of my webinar. I would like to thank everyone for attending and would also like to post some comments that I received.
Dear Debbie,
I wanted to tell you I was fortunate enough to catch your first webinar just now and it was awesome. Thank you! I think that you covered all the key points necessary in Social Media Success, and really tied in some industry specifics, which makes a huge difference for brokers. Insurance brokers function in a very specific way, and the way you brought everything together in the context of our industry is surely a huge advantage for any broker wanting to really understand how to get involved and be a success. Brokers in general face a huge challenge in this area because their focus is mainly on their clients and business, you take a lot of the overwhelming nature out of this as you give your overview. As you know, I have been active in Social Media for a while now, and I loved everything you said, it was right on! Thanks again!
Terry Golesworthy:
Excellent job, very precise, very action orientated
Please contact me if you would like to discuss how Social Media Marketing can work for you!
Posted in Insurance Branding | Tags: social media for insurance agents, social media marekting tools | No Comments »
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