What started as a Harvard-only networking site has taken the globe by storm in just six short years. It is within this time frame that Facebook, along with all social media, has revolutionized how people use the internet and communicate with others.

Today’s social media enables people to communicate and share information more efficiently. It’s no wonder why celebrities, causes and major brands have taken to social media to reach a global audience.

Case in point, recent statistics report there are over 400 million users on Facebook worldwide spending an average of 55 minutes on the site each day. The site translates into 70 languages to serve the 70% of Facebook users who reside in countries outside of the United States.

What is the impact of 400,000,000 active users in an average week?

• 5 billion pieces of content are shared (which include blog posts, web links, photos, news stories and video)
• 700,000 events are promoted
• 140,000,000 people become fans of Pages

As the statistics show without a doubt, Facebook users can be valuable ambassadors for a business, celebrity, cause, artist or brand.

One may wonder if Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg envisioned internet dominance of this size and scope. Perhaps not, but Facebook is here to stay with others nipping at the heels of social media’s revolution.

I personally never had a clue as to what is entailed in a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Deputy shift until I had the honor to ride with one of them as part of my Leadership Pinellas class requirements. Hey, at least I wasn’t in the BACK seat! The cool part was being in the front seat during a full eight hour shift. In that short period of time, I learned a few things I thought I would share with “John Q. Public.”

Did you know that all of the Deputies have computers in their cars? If you see one behind, you better hope that your tag and license are current because more than likely they are running your tag! They don’t do this to try and capture you – they do this to look for people that might have a warrant out for their arrest. By doing this they might find someone who steals cars, has had several DUI’s or perhaps a sex offender that has a warrant out for their arrest. This new technology is extremely cool and it was designed to keep us safe. Besides, who wants a sloppy drunk on the road or a creep that might be driving around looking for vulnerable children?

Crazy people are everywhere! During the course of the night we got all sorts of wild calls. A few that we went on had to do with domestic violence. Deputies don’t show up to cause problems – they are there to help calm down the situation. With a Deputy present, people tend to calm down and not be so violent and crazy. My ride along buddy was very calm, cool and collected, very understand and spoke with a strong voice of authority. He knew how to handle all of the different types of weird calls with ease. It made me feel good to see him work; plus it made me feel safe to know that he was there to protect me. I was walking up with him on all these calls and was able to witness the reactions and the way he dealt with every situation. There wasn’t a single time when I didn’t feel safe. I felt sorry for most of the people that we had to pay a visit to because they all seemed far removed from reality. It was sad to see so many messed up people and situations. It’s nice to know that we have someone to watch over these messed up individual’s otherwise who knows what might happen. They truly make the world a safer place.

The last part of the night was the most action we had all night! While searching for a trouble-making minor, we happened to see a car that had just pulled up to a convenience store who just happened to have busted out taillights and tags that expired back in 2008. The Deputy noticed this right away. To me this was amazing as it was a very dark area – they really know what to look for. After running his license, we found out that this person had several DUI’s, traffic violations and his license had been revoked years ago. The officer handcuffed him and put him in the back seat of the car. At this point, he started searching the suspects car. He found a small container that had small white pills in them. We continued to search and found another container that had crushed white stuff in it. Deputies’ cars have drug kits in them, so they can test the chemicals to see what kind of drug they are. After running the tests we found out that the pills were Oxycontin and the crushed up white stuff was crack cocaine. At this point a car pulled up and out came a woman on crutches (that seemed to be in a lot of pain) plus her two children. The woman had just gotten out of the hospital and it turns out that the guy we were arresting was supposed to be home taking care of her. It was really sad. The children should have never witnessed that. Turns out they only lived around the corner so if the guy was smart he would have walked to the store for his cigarettes and beer. Again, the Deputy handled the situation with ease. He asked the woman and her children to go home, which they did, and He called in for back up. Within minutes another cruiser pulled up to help. They worked together as a team to continue with the vehicle search and eventual arrest. While we were waiting for the paddy wagon, the Deputy had to type in his report. There were so many counts it took him awhile to do this. He explained the entire process to me as he typed. In the mean time, the arrested individual in the back was pleading for his release as he told us his sad story over and over again, stating he would never do it again if only he was released this one time. Deputy’s hear sad stories all of the time and they need to stay calm and do the right thing. Putting the bad guy away can save a person’s life. This guy had a history of DUI’s, was driving a car that was not registered to him with expired tags, driving with an open container and he had illegal drugs with him. Who knows what might have happened if the Deputy did not pull him over. A busy neighborhood was right across the street with cars and people walking about. By taking this guy away he might have saved a life.

This experience taught me to really appreciate what the Deputy’s job entails and how hard their job is. Without them, our world would not be safe and full of violence. It makes me proud to know that there are some people that are willing to fight crime and deal with all of the emotions that come along with it. I have a new respect for our Sheriff’s department. The next time you see one, wave at them and say thank you. After all, they’re here for your protection and to help make this world a safer place to live in. This ride along was one of the coolest things that I have ever experienced. Now instead of fearing the Sheriff and thinking they are the bad guys, I have a new and trusted respect for them. Thank you, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office!

By: Kelly Bosetti

Just when you think you’ve got today’s social media almost mastered they create a new innovative platform to jump into.  The latest that’s gaining some speed and predicted to infiltrate the nation is foursquare.  Foursquare isn’t entirely new, it launched in 2009 is gaining momentum, now reporting 450,000 members.  With last week’s announcement that foursquare will soon be connected to bing maps, it’s likely to explode.

What is foursquare?

It is a location-based social network which lets users “check in” to the locations they visit throughout the day to share tips and information via mobile, the website, text messaging or smart phone applications.  Members log in to share insights on their experiences, find friends in the area and potentially earn rewards for their patronage.  Foursquare is a simple-to-navigate platform in which you post recommendations such as “the burgers here are the best, be sure to order the cowboy bleu” or “check out these hot designer handbags, and they’re on sale!” With each post, members add tags to a business that let’s others know what that business is most known for. Examples of tags would be: live music, happy hour, jewelry, coffee, burgers, but the list is virtually endless.

In addition, members that frequent a business the most are recognized as the mayor of that establishment. Clever.  Foursquare members then get points for checking into the places they frequent and even more points for the new places they add.  Let the points competition begin!

Additional foursquare upgrades and announcements are imminent. Beyond the upcoming bing maps alliance, foursquare’s key features make it great for businesses:

• As a location-based platform, foursquare encourages members to log in while they’re at a business and invite friends to join them.  Friends’ phones are then pinged telling your whereabouts.
• It tracks how many times members visit a business so they can reward customers for their loyalty and posts on foursquare.
• It promotes what customers feel a business is best at (golf clubs, cocktails, etc.)
• Members can create a Top 12 list of recommendations for other people.
• Businesses can reward “mayors” with special perks, discounts and offers further supporting their customer loyalty for sharing their experience.
• Foursquare’s “mayor” concept promotes friendly competition via loyal customers who wish to unseat the current mayor.
• Businesses can also post special offers for mayors on the foursquare website.

Last but not least, foursquare allows you to create a to-do list of places you’ve always wanted to go.

Prepare to enter the world of foursquare and get addicted.  Just log on to the foursquare site and sign up with a free and very brief profile which will ask you for your mobile phone number so it can ping you. Then add a photo and find your friends.

Mobility, in terms of telephonic-based communications, has become ubiquitous in everyday life—on a truly global scale. What was once simply a means of sharing spoken words; cell phones have evolved to become a traveling information submittal and retrieval device, entertainment center, educational resource, camera, video recorder, gaming palace, geo-locator, social messenger, plus a whole lot more. And, with advancements accelerating at an almost exponential pace with respect to hand-held technology, it’s no wonder that savvy folk quickly realized potentiality within the realm of advertising.

By now, most of you—unless living in remote hermitage—have heard of and/or actively engage with text message-based advertising. While these campaigns certainly have their place in the overall “marketing mix,” such activity is considered “old school” by the 1s-and-0s promo techies. Today, the buzz is Bluetooth marketing which is already widespread in Europe, yet just beginning to make its way to the states. Below are two scenarios depicting how you could benefit from Bluetooth marketing.

First scenario: Suppose you are a busy sales exec, going from one property showing to the next. Things have been so hectic that your personal secretary could never keep pace with your appointments. Suddenly you are out all afternoon at appointments and have to leave your sales center or property. Before hustling out, you turn on your engaging kiosk that can satisfy all those inquiring minds—instantly, right to their cell phones. All they need to do is enable their Bluetooth function, if it is not “defaulted” already. Instantly, the required info appears on the screen of their hand-held and you have now presented your property without you being there.

Second scenario: Let’s say you have a community or development that’s nearby or just a few clicks away from a major entertainment, sporting event and concert arena. You’ve tried plastering flyers on peoples’ car windshields in the parking lot, but it has not generated any tangible results. How can you get this fertile source of potential homebuyers into your sales center? One viable solution is to employ proximity marketing. Send your sales staff out to this nearby venue as proximity marketing “hot spots,” walking the parking areas before and/or after the events. Simply equip these people with a compact, “backpack-style” walking billboard along with a battery-powered mobile proximity device; let them stroll around, and see how many folks “ping” on their cell phones to receive information, directions, upgrades, offerings, etc. you want to present. It’s simple, straightforward, and bottom-line business enhancing for sure.

Bluetooth marketing has the power to reach cell phone users, which in today’s world is about 80 percent of the population. The technology is a win-win for just about any business application. You have a new and unexplored marketing channel to reach out to potential clients and they have real time access to your services.

Kelly Bosetti is CEO/President of CEA Marketing Group, a full service marketing & advertising agency with specialties in mobile and social media marketing.

The choices for marketing and public relations look a lot different than the old days.  In the past, real estate agents could stick a for sales sign in the front yard and the phone calls would pour in.  House hunters spent the weekend at open houses looking for a place to call home.  Today, most industries, not just homebuilding, have to be me more creative in driving traffic to their products.  Social media has become the new kid on the block that everyone wants to befriend.  Because of a struggling economy and the evolution of technology in the 21^st Century, we now have new online media avenues like blogs, social networking, and online forums that have homebuyers literally hanging on to the edge of their keyboards to take it all in. The web is the perfect opportunity to tell the world about your expertise. If you have not dove into the social media world, now is the time.

Understanding Social Media

Pulling a dusty encyclopedia from the family study was the old school way to research a topic unfamiliar to you.  Now, we bring a cup of coffee into our home office and surf the web.  Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia with constantly updated definitions.

Wikipedia defines Social media as online content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies. At its most basic sense, social media is a shift in how people discover, read and share news, information and content. It’s a fusion of sociology and technology, transforming monologues (one to many) into dialogues (many to many) and is the democratization of information, transforming people from content readers into publishers. Social media has become extremely popular because it allows people to connect in the online world to form relationships for personal, political and business use.

Sound overwhelming?  Take it slow.  Spend time researching blogs and online forums in the homebuilding industry.  Some good ones to follow are topbuilderblogs.com, and themartellexperience.com/blog/.

Writing Effective

The number one rule in marketing and public relations in the homebuilding industry is to understand the needs of the homebuyer and communicate your expertise.  Think about the message you want your niche industry to hear.  Writing is not a bunch of strung together adjectives that make a house sound pretty.  It’s about giving the homebuyer what they want in digestible nuggets relevant to their desire to build or buy a home.

Blogs are powerful mediums in establishing connectivity because you can get instant feedback after a blog has been posted.  Blogs are meant to drive action and what better way to convince someone to take that step than having the ability to respond instantaneously.  Writing a blog is one of the most proactive solutions to fighting the negative mainstream media on the housing industry.  You can offer custom-friendly answers to any issue that is currently flooding the market.  If a newspaper columnist has written a negative piece about the down market, have your sales team put together numbers that prove otherwise in your company.  Always be first and always be credible.  Blogs should be well thought out communication tools not last minute thoughts thrown together.  Communication is power and opting for plain language as opposed to standard industry jargon goes a long way.

Getting Followers

Building an audience for your social media efforts can be exhausting at first and it may be easy to get discouraged just understand it takes time.  People need to know where to find your relevant posts.  It’s best to create links to your hompage, online news room, post to your Twitter and Facebook accounts and work into online newsletters.  People are even beginning to put their social media information on business cards and in their e-mail signature.

Blogs, tweets and Facebook posts should be done on a daily basis on topics of industry interest with your personality incorporated into the mix.  Homebuyers like to do business with people they know and trust.  Everyone including the media, homebuyers, homebuilders and your competition is on the web reading social media content.

Consistent and regular social media updates produce higher traffic with solid search engine results.  Tracking your social media efforts can be done by setting up free Google alerts.  An e-mail will be delivered to your inbox when the key words you have selected are published.

Once you have built a following base, you want to keep them, so ensure you are interacting with those who send you direct messages to your Twitter account or posts responses to your blog entry.  Etiquette also says to follow those who are following you within reason and reply to posts in a timely fashion.  Someone in your marketing department should always been monitoring your social media accounts.

Social media can be scary because there are so many unwritten rules to follow.  Relax.  Do your research and put together a plan of action.  It may be hard to hit the send button on your first blog entry or tweet post, but once you start the rewards are plentiful.

There is a psychological factor that comes into play when using personalization in marketing. People want to feel special, unique and understood. Marketing that plays on those emotions makes your company more favorable in buyers’ eyes. Personalization marketing campaigns allow you to tailor your message to each individual, pressing their hot buttons and piquing their curiosity. The buyers feel like you are really getting personal with them and know what they want, which reinforces their bond with your company.

While the product has many names, the best way to define Variable Data Printing (VDP) is personalized printing. It’s a form of digital printing that allows you to get personal with direct mail by playing on the needs and desires of each consumer, and communicates one-on-one with them.

VDP permits text and graphics to be changed from one printed piece to the next, without stopping or slowing down the printing process. People like to see their name. It grabs their attention leading to an increased response of 10-15 percent on direct mail campaigns.

Your mailer is designed with a basic layout displaying your marketing message. Each piece is then printed with a different person’s name and graphic that will appeal to the individual. For example, the mailer might say something like “Jill, join us for our model grand opening at ABC Community.” The piece might have the same layout as the others, but a few of the graphics are tailored to appeal to Jill’s interests that have been determined through a targeted list and database. It might have a photo of a specific model home that she would be interested in and lifestyle graphics that play on her emotions as a female.

Now you know about personalization and variable data printing, but how do you use these tools to enhance your marketing campaign? With a new four- letter word- PURL. A PURL is a Persistent Uniform Resource Locator, more commonly referred to as a URL or web address. Its function is to point the consumer to a customized landing page instead of directly to a company website. Consumers receive this personalized URL mainly by email or direct mail.

How many times have you gone to a general website and weren’t able to find what you were looking for? A PURL will help eliminate frustration and wasted time by leading consumers to the information they want to see, when they want to see it. What better way to get them plugged in than delivering it to their door! Studies have shown that over 80 percent of potential homebuyers start their search online, and nearly 33 percent of direct mail recipients prefer to respond online. Offering personalized web addresses provides them with the option to do both.

Here’s how it works. Jack receives a VDP mailer that invites him to type in his Personalized URL for more information (i.e. jack.hammer.abcbuilder.com). After typing in the PURL, he ends up at a landing page built specifically to match the direct mail piece that was personalized for him. Jack will then confirm his contact information and answer a few survey questions about what he’s interested in and boom… the next page that pops up has exactly what he was looking for; a specific community with a floor plan and amenities in his price range. Jack is also able to register for additional offers and promotional items as well. It’s faster, it’s easier and, most importantly, it saves Jack’s activity for additional
follow-up.

The hardest part of spending marketing dollars is actually seeing your return on investment (ROI). Studies have shown that there’s $122 ROI per $1 spent on marketing with PURL campaigns, indicating that they work. And the best part is they produce almost immediate results by tracking exactly who visits the web destination and what they’ve clicked on. This real-time data is used to send you comprehensive reports with campaign response rates, visitor patterns and detailed lead information allowing you to follow-up with sales leads as they come in. With traditional ways of marketing, it is difficult to track these results.

Times have changed and marketers need to know immediately what’s working and what’s not. They can’t wait months to find out. After all, there are such things as minute rice and instant pudding, why not instant leads?

It’s time to get real. People don’t communicate like they used to, and our marketing has to cater to that. Companies should not only be looking for new ways to get in the door of their consumer, but ways to interact with them. Everyone is looking to increase response rates, so why not put your money where your mouth is? Stand out from your competitors, be unique, and get personal!

Is this the best strategy to weather through the storm? The simple answer is no. In the current economic environment building name recognition and brand loyalty is crucial to empowering consumers to buy. Maybe its time to do some flood control with our marketing efforts by investing in a multi-channel advertising approach as opposed to fishing for the cheapest bait and hoping to get some bites.

A multi-channel advertising approach is the best strategy to reach consumers. It’s important to spend money on traditional advertising like billboards, radio, television and print to drive consumers to a web site. Once a company has saturated themselves in the market than social media is a viable option to continue promoting the business and attracting new business. Social media takes time to build relationships encouraging people to check out the company’s new Facebook, blog and Twitter accounts. The Internet has made unbelievable amounts of information accessible, but it also has contributed to the information overload consumers complain about, so it’s important to provide relevant information.

Now is the time to put a strategic advertising campaign in place. With so many businesses cutting their advertising budgets, think about the market share available. Also several media outlets are running specials or have discounted rates. Consumers are eager to hang up their rain coats and begin spending during sunnier days. Already, they have begun paying closer attention to their mailboxes and inboxes looking and researching for the best deals. A successful marketing campaign does not mean you have to purchase the Rolls Royce limited edition. Smart companies are advertising with al carte options that appeal to their mission.

So before allowing the rising water to swallow up advertising dollars, think about investing in a marketing plan that will have financial survivors shopping again.

A: Let’s face it, we’ve all run from traditional media. We’ve watched the real estate sections in our local papers shrink down to next to nothing. Our budgets have been butchered and our hands have been tied. Yet we are still expected to sell homes. That’s our job.

So how do we do it with such limited resources?

Today, we’re hearing more and more about social media, the next ‘big thing’ in brand marketing. It seems you can’t read a magazine or watch the news without hearing something about Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or blogs. Some sales and marketing professionals pass this off as yet another trend or fad that’ll be replaced by something else in the near future… maybe even as early as next week.

People said the same thing about the Internet 15 years ago.

Most people in the homebuilding industry tend to want to shy away from social marketing because it’s a tough thing to wrap their heads around. And that’s easy to understand because the very essence of social media flies in the face of conventional sales and marketing techniques. What successful social marketers need not only to understand but also to embrace is that today’s consumer is all about relevance—they’re looking to hear from people who understand what they are interested in, what they’re concerned about, what their aspirations are or what they love.

Translation: In the world of social media, sales pitches, price points, etc., are going to make you look bad.

Getting Started
There are a few things to keep in mind once you have made the decision to enter the world of social media:

• • Take your time—take your time to a) get used to the way things work and b) watch what others (i.e., your competitors) are doing. This will help you become more comfortable.

• • Keep it up—once you have made the commitment and started building your social media strategy, you have to keep it up. The more active you are, the more relevant you become.

• • Change your outlook—many marketers both In and outside the building industry are afraid of sites with user-generated content because they could become subject of very open and honest criticism. Challenge yourself to tackle such challenges very publicly as an open demonstration of your dedication to customer service—those who follow you online will take note of your responsiveness.

• • Use your imagination—go to sites like Facebook and Youtube to see what other builders have done. Don’t be afraid to borrow a concept and make it your own.

• • Keep it simple—whatever you say or do, make it easy to understand. Twitter limits ‘tweets’ to 146 characters for example. Consumers who participate in online communities are quick to filter out irrelevant messages.

• • Define yourself—Think about the best sales person you’ve ever met, or develop a set of qualities your ideal salesperson would have, and build your social presence on that premise. In many respects your website is your online face of your brand. Your social media persona becomes your online brand voice.

Best Uses of Social Community Sites
In traditional media such as print, television, radio, outdoor, each medium is best suited to a particular purpose, and the creative designed to support each one is different. The same applies to social media. Some sites, such as Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter, are best used for developing a mass of followers and friends. Sites like Flickr and Youtube are better suited to generating a viral buzz. Here are some examples of how you can use some of the more popular sites to keep your name out there and gain fans.

Youtube
With millions of clips uploaded and viewed daily, how many of us have not gone to youtube.com to watch a funny clip or a music video? Now how does a homebuilder with no budget fit in that corner of cyberspace? Here’s a very simple example: One sales person we met went out and bought a $300 digital video camera. After a potential buyer leaves his community, he goes back to the model they were most interested in. He tours the home while giving a running narrative. He goes back to his office, uploads the video to Youtube, and sends the client a link in an email saying, “Hey there, it was great meeting you today. I’m sure you saw several homes in several communities today, so I wanted to send you a link to a video clip I shot of the Blakesmore model we toured…” By doing that, the sales person a) followed up, b) reminded the customer that he paid attention to what he liked, c) clearly stood out from the other communities they may have toured that day.

Do you have TV commercials? Post them. Do you have a closed-loop video playing in your showroom or model center? Post it. Have video footage of someone in your company conducting a home buying seminar? Post it all. Just make sure it’s not too long (5-7 minutes max) and make sure the quality is relatively good. You’d be surprised what people find interesting.

Twitter
As mentioned earlier, Twitter is best used to direct people to other sources for information. To become a most effective “tweeter”, you need to follow a lot of people, and you need to get people to follow you. Once you’ve created your account name (make it easy to identify—like ABCHomesDallas), search for people in your market territory—start with Realtors, or local news reporters for example—and start following them. Try to build up a network of at least 100 people that you follow in your first week. Then start getting people to follow you by ‘tweeting’ regularly with information such as links to:

• Blogs about the homebuilding industry you find interesting
• Online articles about home buying trends that consumers might find useful
• Your youtube clips
• Your facebook page

Remember, each tweet is limited to 146 characters, so try to include just a quick introduction such as “Here’s a great article about new home sales” and then paste the link. To keep the length of your links down, copy the original link and go to www.tinyurl.com and paste it in its converter. It will create a brand new URL that is significantly shorter. The more frequently you post and the more relevant the information you post, the more people will actually start following you, and that’s when you know you’re doing it right.

Facebook
The Mothership of all social media sites, Facebook has skyrocketed in both members and in cash value. Originally created as a Myspace for 20-somethings, Facebook has evolved into a sprawling online entity where friends can reconnect and keep in touch, and where brands can connect and talk to people who love them. In the consumer-to-consumer world, Facebook creates a forum in which people become friends with one another. In the business-to-consumer arena, brands give consumers the opportunity to become fans. To get started, search the site for current and/or recent home buyers and ask them to become fans. Next, turn to your prospects and Realtors. As you continue to grow your fan base, continue to give people a reason to check in with you—promote a webinar, post a why-buy-new video, field a survey, link to your blog. Just keep active and stay relevant. For instance, Jim Dietch of Tampa Bay’s Southern Crafted Homes has a fan base of just over 300 Facebook members, and has already attributed sales to his social media activity.

If all of this seems overwhelming and complicated, don’t worry. You’re certainly not alone. There are some fantastic resources online that can help give you more and more insight into the best practices of social marketing, and more and more books are being published every month. Countless companies conduct webinars—often free of charge—every week. So dig in, get connected and make friends and earn fans. You may be surprised to see just how many people really like you.

Here’s Tip #1:

Make it personal!
Use your existing database and email marketing to ask your current or existing customers for feedback on your products and services. Use that data then to enhance or change your product line. It’s a great way to create dialog and show your customers that you’re listening to them. This will foster loyalty and better your chances of building referrals.

Stay tuned for more tips, or send me some questions!

I’ve been getting lots of calls and emails from people wondering what is working in this tough market for new home sales. Several of my clients have done very well with their campaigns by utilizing our PURL technology. I have a recent case study I would like to share with you and explain the benefits of using PURLs. In addition to the instantaneous lead follow-up and outstanding tracking capabilities, this is the highest performing cost effective marketing technique available today. I’ll be giving a webinar later next week so if you care to check it out, just click on the link below.

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/550382608