Chad Hyams, the growth and productivity director for the Southeast Region of Keller Williams.
Every week, we ask a real estate professional for their Short List, a collection of tips and recommendations on an essential topic in real estate. This week, we talked with Chad Hyams, the growth and productivity director for the Southeast Region of Keller Williams, on how to maximize your Internet exposure.
There are many different ways to maximize your Internet exposure, and the best thing about it is, most of your options are free to you. They might take a little time and a little effort, but it will be worth it. Imagine a world where people all knew you as the expert in the world of real estate; that world can be yours by using these tips.
You see, most of the population now asks Google for the answer, and if you have shown Google that you are the expert, they will share you with everyone else.
Take the time to implement these steps over the next few days, weeks and months, and watch the return on your time happen!
10. Set Up Google Authorship – This is a key first step in any online work you plan to do, as this will let Google know who you are, what you specialize in and what you are putting online. Start with your Google+ profile, and build your profile up with as much detail as possible.
9. Use Facebook to Build Relationships – Want to engage with potential clients online? Go where they are, and that is Facebook. Yes, the younger generation is using Twitter and Instagram more, yet you are not selling homes to 13 year olds. Use Facebook to build relationships and grow your sphere, thereby increasing your daily exposure.
8. Blog with a Hyper Local Focus – When people don’t know where to find information, they ask Google. You should be writing blog posts that have a hyper local flavor to them. Become an expert in your local area (not Atlanta; instead, focus on hyper local like Decatur, Alpharetta, etc.) and write about property types, things to do, things to see and places to eat.
7. Blog on Topics of Interest to You – Have you ever wanted to toss a buyer out of your car? Work only with people that you want to work with by blogging on topics that you are interested in, even if they are off the topic of real estate. Imagine your joy driving around to show homes with someone you have a great conversation with because you have common interests.
6. Have Detailed Profiles on Syndication Sites and Profile Sites – Take advantage of the opportunity that is presented to you by the real estate syndication sites such as Trulia, Zillow and others. These powerful websites rank high with Google and capture many online home shoppers. Also, don’t miss out on having a profile on as many sites as you can, such as About.Me, Yelp, BrandYourself and more. Make sure your profiles are detailed and complete, as this is free to you and can only help with online exposure.
5. Capture Online Reviews – As you create your profiles on as many sites as possible many, of them allow for reviews. Get your clients to review you on Yelp, as that helps power many mobile searches. Collect reviews on the real estate syndications as well, so your profiles rate higher and search engines find you faster.
4. Expose Your Blogs Socially – Remember those blogs you were writing in No. 8 and No. 7? Make sure people can find them to show Google that people want to read what you write. That means generate your own Internet exposure by sharing this information to your friends. Don’t just post link after link on Facebook; learn how to do it in a successful way and not just annoy everyone with post after post of self promotion. If you would like, you can read more about succeeding with Facebook
3. Use Email Marketing – You send out email each and everyday. Do you have a signature line that is longer than the email? Fix that! Do you make sure that with each email, you send a link to something you have written to generate more clicks? Do that! As you send an email to your clients, your sphere and your farm, make sure you give them a link to something of value on your website, or something that you have written. This will generate direct traffic, and that will increase your Internet exposure with others.
2. Advertise on Facebook and Google – This is the only one of these ideas that will cost you any money. Take advantage of the traffic that Google generates by showing up as an ad on a search engine result page. Take advantage of the more than 1 billion people on Facebook with targeted ads. Create an ad that is targeted for singles, for golfers, for people that live in your zip code. Whether on Facebook or Google, they will see more of you.
1. Use Video – Today’s Internet user wants to read less and less, so help them. Create videos of your neighborhoods and listings, and informational videos with you as the star! Get over the fear of a camera and start sharing with people the information they can’t get from anyone else. Keep your videos short, as people have a short attention span, and keep them informative. Host them on YouTube, post them in your blogs and send them directly in emails for more of an online presence.
Chad Hyams is the growth and productivity director for the Southeast Region of Keller Williams, the Voice of Reason for the Internet Marketing Specialist Designation (IMSD.net) and a motivational speaker and trainer for Ember Seminars.