Social Media & Tech

NY Times #fail

The NY Times does not know how to get out of it’s own way.

They are doing some deal with the iPad, which I think is not going to be the end-all-be-all that some people think it will be, but now they are putting blogs behind the paywall.  Let me get this straight, you are going to put what I can get for free about anywhere else behind the counter.  Oh, and I am pretty sure they are still going to put ads in the window as well.

Newspapers are going through some dramatic change right now and they are scrambling to find change under the cushions of the sofa in the smoking lounge.  They are charging you more as the reader, the advertiser for the privilege of less readers and the news is as stale as the donuts in the case at a gas station. 

Now, I really don’t have a plan for the NY Times, but they really need to get over themselves.  Devorak from the Leo Laporte show gave me a clue just how senseless they are.  They are a news service that sell their stories much like the AP.  So, if you see a story you want to read from them; just copy and paste the headline and you find it in about 2 dozen other online sites for free.  So, that is a great way around the “paywal”.

But, it really goes to show the shortsightedness of the Times, and I really think just how out of touch they are with middle America.

NY Times #fail

Dave

Give em something…

to Talk about…

to Learn…

to Think about…

to Want more…

to Want to use you…

Your blog in this day, where everyone is online, is an extension of you. It is your personal brand, whether it be Dave Woodson, Social Media Consultant or Dave Woodson, The Mad Mortgage Machine. It can be a blog about Diabetes, or a Pro-biotic, or even an affiliate site about Data Encryption. The information that you give reflects back on you. So, if you presenting yourself as the local expert, you darn well better know the area that you are talking about.

So, often I read blogs from around the country looking for a good idea, to learn more about real estate or mortgages, and I see how many are doing it wrong. You do little to make yourself the expert, or even less to drive traffic to your site or sites. I can only imagine that the old adage applies, “even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while”.

So, my challenge to you for the rest of 2010 and beyond in your career. Is when you write a blog or when you express yourself on any Socail Media platform…

Give them something to talk about…

Dave Woodson, Social Media Marketing Consultant

The Indiana FHA Expert

I am here! Where? Over Here – FourSquare

Hey, I am over here. No, wait I am over here. Just go to my Twitter page and you will soon know where I am and what I am the Mayor.

What you did not know I am the Mayor of several Indiana Towns and Cities, not to mention a few eateries and even my church. Who wants to be the pastor when you can be the Mayor of your church. Do you think they will give me a funny hat like the Pope? No, I didn’t think so either.

So, what the heck am I talking about FourSquare. You know the game you played as a kid with a ball and 4 squares in the school lot or gym. No, FourSquare, the hot new geo game on the internet that connects to Twitter and Facebook.

But, what can it do for me and my business. I have a few simple ideas for that.

Restaurants…

- offer the Mayor something of value…like a free coffee, appetizer or something along those lines. 
- have a foursquare meetup (very must like a tweetup) for a great example go NWITweetup.com
- I don’t own a restaurant so go with it and be creative. I would love to hear what you do

Real Estate…

- as Agent, I would check-in everywhere I could @ the print shop, coffee shop and the office
- Check-in at every Broker open house you go to, give office name and let people know how to contact you.
Here is my coup de grace

Check-in when you go out and check on your listings, this can be a great way to get your listings out there for everyone to see on Twitter and see the activity that you have on each of your listings. In 4Sq, name each listing Company Name, your listing # and give a brief description of it. Then every time you show it, check in again. Do it for every listing you show. Bang away at it.  Remember, when you sell it – Close it.

I think we are really at the tip of the iceberg  of what you can do.

Join my ActiveRain Group for FourSquare to share how you use it to market your listings or mortgage services

Dave

Message to Market…Message to Market

Who are you are marketing to? Do you know where to look for your market?

Do you know what your message is? Do you know how to craft your message?

Know your scripts, always know who are talking and make sure the message is as close to the target as possible.

D

to beat your competition

You ever think what it takes to beat your competition, it really may take more than you got.  I guess the real question is are you willing to do what you need to do to take the business.

Simply, doing something better is just not enough.  People will stick with the devil they know just so they don’t need to learn a new system or a new person.

So, stop and think, take some time over the next couple of weeks to decide what you need to do to be 3 to 10 times better than the next guy.
D

Be that Guy

Be that guy or girl that everyone seeks out, and with the many tools that we have available it is easier than ever to do that.

Be the expert, the go to guy, build your brand that when people think Real Estate or Mortgage, MLM, construction or whatever you are into always be the one they think of first and second.

D

Procastination

There is not much you can do about mother nature, but your co-workers and others there are other options.

I am huge procrastinator.   I will admit it, there is no use to deny it.  I am trying to be better at it.

Here are a few techniques that I use to combat it.

1. just do it

Like Nike said, just do it, put your head down and don’t look up until you are done.

2. avoid the lazy triggers

Stay away from such things like cruising the internet,  busy work around the house or office or even the “honey-do-list”

3. schedule

if you plan your day and include a time schedule; you will find that you use your time far more wisely.

Remember, the time you are killing is yours and we all know that time is money

D

Why the Yellow Pages are Yellow

They are yellow cause they are dying.

I love the calls that I still get every years from the couple different “yellow” page sales people in my area.  I tell them “no thank you, not interested” and they always seem to come back with some search engine attack that I already have them beat on.  Do the Yellow Pages still have a place a place in your home.  I doubt it, but if you have one comment below.

And, if you are using the Yellow Pages with out a blog that has at least some SEO, then you are dying too.

Old vs New Media

This is a great 40 minute video from Leo Laporte. He muses on years in broadcast cable TV and what I perceive the lack of forward thinking that many have in TV, radio and newspaper. He refers to tech, but I think that this can be translated into many other niches like Real Estate, Financing or whatever. I know a person that is having great success with gardening. Pay special attention what he says about “Brand” and television. It will really open your eyes.

So, lets narrowcast…go to where the people are looking for you. Google and Facebook, not tv or newspaper.
It is getting cheaper all the time to start a blog, podcasting (that Leo says is dead or dying it needs to be made simpler), you can start your own show with little or no upfront costs by streaming live.

Being live and interactive is a key, you must be an active participant to get what you want.

Dave

special thanks to @umgoblue for bringing this video to my attention.

How and Why are you using Social Media

I came across this video the other day and I thought I would share it.

It shows what is happening in advertising on radio, TV and newspaper.  I have long been teaching that using these methods are both a time and money waster.  We need to be looking at what is coming soon.  Where is Social Media taking us?  Where are you willing to go for it?

I use a Blackberry and I know some use an iPhone, and there are new phones coming out all the time.  Netbooks are the new rage, but for how long?

Look at the amount of information that is available to us today compared to when our parents were kids and go back to the “little house on the prairie”

Any questions

Dave

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