The Real Estate Institute of Canada asked me to speak at their REIC Annual Conference and AGM on Friday and it was a privilege to speak about Online Marketing Strategies.  The room was filled with representatives from across Canada that are committed to advancing professionalism in the real estate industry.  They asked me if I wanted to share an article about developing a social web presence today and here is what I shared:

Are we targeting consumers or participants in the 21st century? Have you ever asked yourself how ideas spread? So what has really changed?

The internet started as an information portal for many of us.  The first major switch occurred when the general public began creating content as we recognized the knowledge of the individual could be shared effectively through sites like wikipedia.  This was the onset of participation rather than consumerism.

We have to admit that content has a social life.  Acknowledging, respectfully that people will add to the conversation and interact with written words, images, and videos online, changes the entire relationship we have with our clients and prospects.  Their role is one of participant. Humans love to interact with others in meaningful ways and have a self­serve mindset.  They expect to discover the answers to anything online.  These two elements create the perfect storm for creating the answers to the questions participants will ask.  With this in mind, discoverability take on a much bigger definition.  Most buying decisions begin with the use of search engines.

When we are planning our marketing campaigns we have to ask ourselves “What action do we want people to take?”, leading to ”How do we measure those actions?” and “who has the data?” When we approach our social web presence with these questions in mind we are more likely to encourage participation, connecting to content, community building and create an educational experience for our clients and prospects.

The practices of Search Engine Optimization and social media marketing are becoming more cohesive.  Web presence optimization is a more holistic approach to internet marketing that encompasses many facets of digital marketing – with social media, content marketing, and SEO being the most pivotal. A social community is the glue that holds your web presence together.

A community has greater potential to develop lasting loyalty and respect, as well as share your content with other friends and social connections.  In essence, social media can aid your content marketing efforts, and thus your SEO strategy.  Great content can inspire and motivate your audience, all while instilling loyalty, trust, and confidence in your brand.  This can be highly beneficial in a competitive market space, and can drastically shape your overall web presence.

With more than a billion people around the world are participating in some form of internet social media.  Realtors are in an excellent position to bring powerful social media tools such as Blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube into the business of buying and selling property.  These tools are transforming the way business is done.  Business principles do not change but practices do.

If you are looking for a speaker or additional training on any social networks, website development, mobile strategies or search engine optimization contact Kathy Hogeveen today. We are committed to staying current with marketing technology, allowing you to focus on your business strengths and relationship building.