Friday, September 3, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Pay Attention To Preparation of Your Business Card
Making Your Real Estate Business Cards
As with any type of business, you need a quick and easy way to share your contact information
with someone if you want to talk further with them or they want to contact you again.
Though there are many new ways that you can reconnect with someone after an initial meeting,
business cards are still one of the best ways to give someone all of your contact information at once.
They can then contact you when they need you through whatever means works best for them. If you sell homes,
you want to make your real estate business cards effective and attractive. You don't want to hand out anything less.
One of the most important parts of the real estate business cards you want to make is going to be the
picture you use of yourself. Though most business cards do not include pictures, those in real estate
often use their own face as a marketing technique. This works well in this business for many reasons.
You want a good, clear picture of your face. You want to smile. Have a simple, uncluttered background
(one color is best) and a smile on your face. You do not have to have these professionally done, though
that is not a bad idea.
You want to have a simple layout for your real estate business cards, but that can be hard when you
have to include a picture. You want to size your picture so that your face is recognizable but does not
take up any more of the card than you can afford to give up. This is what makes laying out these cards
a bit hard. Experiment with your layout until you come up with something that is functional but that
leaves you enough space to add the rest of your information, and there is going to be more to include
than there use to be.
The contact information that you want to include on your real estate business cards
is going to be up to you, but you want to give people as many ways to reach you as you can.
The days of just including a telephone number are long over. You should also include your email address.
If you do not have an account for just business communications you should set up one. Also include your
business phone, cell phone, and any online way to reach you such as a web site or professional network link.
Everyone is more comfortable with one way of communication so if you give them options they can use the one
they like the best.
Printing out your cards on your own is certainly an option that you can
explore. You can do your own real estate business cards at home if you have
a good program to lay them out and a quality printer. You can also find
many great companies online that can print these up for you for a very
reasonable price. Look around for the best deal and see if you find a web
site for a local company that can hook you up with a great deal. You won't
have to pay for shipping that way, and your order will be available much more quickly.
As with any type of business, you need a quick and easy way to share your contact information
with someone if you want to talk further with them or they want to contact you again.
Though there are many new ways that you can reconnect with someone after an initial meeting,
business cards are still one of the best ways to give someone all of your contact information at once.
They can then contact you when they need you through whatever means works best for them. If you sell homes,
you want to make your real estate business cards effective and attractive. You don't want to hand out anything less.
One of the most important parts of the real estate business cards you want to make is going to be the
picture you use of yourself. Though most business cards do not include pictures, those in real estate
often use their own face as a marketing technique. This works well in this business for many reasons.
You want a good, clear picture of your face. You want to smile. Have a simple, uncluttered background
(one color is best) and a smile on your face. You do not have to have these professionally done, though
that is not a bad idea.
You want to have a simple layout for your real estate business cards, but that can be hard when you
have to include a picture. You want to size your picture so that your face is recognizable but does not
take up any more of the card than you can afford to give up. This is what makes laying out these cards
a bit hard. Experiment with your layout until you come up with something that is functional but that
leaves you enough space to add the rest of your information, and there is going to be more to include
than there use to be.
The contact information that you want to include on your real estate business cards
is going to be up to you, but you want to give people as many ways to reach you as you can.
The days of just including a telephone number are long over. You should also include your email address.
If you do not have an account for just business communications you should set up one. Also include your
business phone, cell phone, and any online way to reach you such as a web site or professional network link.
Everyone is more comfortable with one way of communication so if you give them options they can use the one
they like the best.
Printing out your cards on your own is certainly an option that you can
explore. You can do your own real estate business cards at home if you have
a good program to lay them out and a quality printer. You can also find
many great companies online that can print these up for you for a very
reasonable price. Look around for the best deal and see if you find a web
site for a local company that can hook you up with a great deal. You won't
have to pay for shipping that way, and your order will be available much more quickly.
Marketing Your Business Online with Article Marketing
September 2, 2010
Why Don’t More Real Estate Agents Do Business Article Marketing?
Are you snubbing the #1 referral source on the planet--Google?
My mind has been on real estate agents lately.
We are in home selling/searching mode, and so I have been doing a lot of research on questions to ask real estate agents, what to look for, and what to watch out for.
The research part was easy–just Google the terms “interviewing real estate agents”, and a bounty of helpful information comes up.
But when it came down to finding an actual agent, I hit a brick wall.
I Googled my city + buyer’s agent. Slim pickings. The top results were not even relevant to my query.
I thought, “Why aren’t more real estate agents doing business article marketing?”
Somebody is missing out on a great opportunity. There is no competition on the web for real estate agents in the city where I am looking for a house, and if one forward thinking agent put forth a decent effort to market his or her site, then finding clients would be as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
Referrals are the life blood…
Experience is an essential ingredient to a successful business. Having a great reputation in your niche is also indispensable. Being skilled and full of integrity is priceless.
But in this day and age, there is one more element that cannot be overlooked.
You need a web presence.
That means not only having a web site, but also marketing your website so that when someone types in your city + your niche into Google, that your website is at or pretty near the top of the list.
In the real estate field, there are some extremely knowledgeable professionals with 20, 30, and even 40 years of experience. You know what you’re doing. People who are looking for houses or trying to sell houses need your skills.
But did you know that some newbies to your field are beating you out of business that you would normally be getting because they have a web presence that they are actively marketing?
Imagine, you are losing jobs to newbies who have 2 years of experience compared to your 20 years.
Why?
Because their website is #1 in Google or at least showing up on the first page.
Referrals are the life blood of any business, and if you are not marketing your website you are snubbing the #1 referral source on the planet–Google.
Some free marketing advice for real estate agents (and this also applies to many service based local businesses):
1 – You must have a website.
Your website needs to look professional, but it does not need to be flashy. Sometimes simpler is better.
Here is the information to offer on your website (and again, this info would apply to many online and offline service based businesses as well):
Provide an “About” page that displays a picture of yourself. Many times people will look at your website to form a first impression about you and to decide if they want to contact you. It is easier to make a connection with a person who you can imagine in your head. It makes your potential clients feel more comfortable about meeting you.
Freely volunteer information that you think that a person would want to know before enlisting your services. Tell your background and highlight any special qualifications or certifications that you have. Explain your business philosophy and what sets you apart from your competitors. This is the time to toot your own horn.
Either provide a page that lists testimonials or say that you are willing to provide references and/or testimonials upon inquiry. I think it is better to provide the testimonials right on your site. That makes it easier for the reader, and it helps build that positive first impression. If you can provide a photo of the client who is giving the testimonial, then that is better.
Provide valuable content that would be helpful to your target market. For example, a real estate agent should have a page called “How To Find A Great Real Estate Agent” or “7 Things To Look For When Hiring A Real Estate Agent”. Provide web pages with articles giving tips about the home buying process. The idea is to convey to your reader that you are a source of excellent information. You are not just trying to sell them on your services. You are an advisor, a counsellor, and an authority in your niche. Having helpful content on your site is also helpful for SEO reasons.
2 – You must market your website.
Market your website with article marketing. Many everyday, non-technically minded business owners find that article marketing is the most reliable and user friendly website marketing tool.
Here is how you would submit articles for a local business.
Getting started…
As I said, this information could apply to any service based businesses, but I particularly had real estate agents in mind when writing this.
If you are an agent who already does article marketing, then pat yourself on the back and keep it up! You are light years ahead of your competitors.
If you are not marketing your website yet, what is stopping you? If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me. Call Jim at 937-559-9889
Why Don’t More Real Estate Agents Do Business Article Marketing?
Are you snubbing the #1 referral source on the planet--Google?
My mind has been on real estate agents lately.
We are in home selling/searching mode, and so I have been doing a lot of research on questions to ask real estate agents, what to look for, and what to watch out for.
The research part was easy–just Google the terms “interviewing real estate agents”, and a bounty of helpful information comes up.
But when it came down to finding an actual agent, I hit a brick wall.
I Googled my city + buyer’s agent. Slim pickings. The top results were not even relevant to my query.
I thought, “Why aren’t more real estate agents doing business article marketing?”
Somebody is missing out on a great opportunity. There is no competition on the web for real estate agents in the city where I am looking for a house, and if one forward thinking agent put forth a decent effort to market his or her site, then finding clients would be as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
Referrals are the life blood…
Experience is an essential ingredient to a successful business. Having a great reputation in your niche is also indispensable. Being skilled and full of integrity is priceless.
But in this day and age, there is one more element that cannot be overlooked.
You need a web presence.
That means not only having a web site, but also marketing your website so that when someone types in your city + your niche into Google, that your website is at or pretty near the top of the list.
In the real estate field, there are some extremely knowledgeable professionals with 20, 30, and even 40 years of experience. You know what you’re doing. People who are looking for houses or trying to sell houses need your skills.
But did you know that some newbies to your field are beating you out of business that you would normally be getting because they have a web presence that they are actively marketing?
Imagine, you are losing jobs to newbies who have 2 years of experience compared to your 20 years.
Why?
Because their website is #1 in Google or at least showing up on the first page.
Referrals are the life blood of any business, and if you are not marketing your website you are snubbing the #1 referral source on the planet–Google.
Some free marketing advice for real estate agents (and this also applies to many service based local businesses):
1 – You must have a website.
Your website needs to look professional, but it does not need to be flashy. Sometimes simpler is better.
Here is the information to offer on your website (and again, this info would apply to many online and offline service based businesses as well):
Provide an “About” page that displays a picture of yourself. Many times people will look at your website to form a first impression about you and to decide if they want to contact you. It is easier to make a connection with a person who you can imagine in your head. It makes your potential clients feel more comfortable about meeting you.
Freely volunteer information that you think that a person would want to know before enlisting your services. Tell your background and highlight any special qualifications or certifications that you have. Explain your business philosophy and what sets you apart from your competitors. This is the time to toot your own horn.
Either provide a page that lists testimonials or say that you are willing to provide references and/or testimonials upon inquiry. I think it is better to provide the testimonials right on your site. That makes it easier for the reader, and it helps build that positive first impression. If you can provide a photo of the client who is giving the testimonial, then that is better.
Provide valuable content that would be helpful to your target market. For example, a real estate agent should have a page called “How To Find A Great Real Estate Agent” or “7 Things To Look For When Hiring A Real Estate Agent”. Provide web pages with articles giving tips about the home buying process. The idea is to convey to your reader that you are a source of excellent information. You are not just trying to sell them on your services. You are an advisor, a counsellor, and an authority in your niche. Having helpful content on your site is also helpful for SEO reasons.
2 – You must market your website.
Market your website with article marketing. Many everyday, non-technically minded business owners find that article marketing is the most reliable and user friendly website marketing tool.
Here is how you would submit articles for a local business.
Getting started…
As I said, this information could apply to any service based businesses, but I particularly had real estate agents in mind when writing this.
If you are an agent who already does article marketing, then pat yourself on the back and keep it up! You are light years ahead of your competitors.
If you are not marketing your website yet, what is stopping you? If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me. Call Jim at 937-559-9889
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